The Preobrazhensky Life-Guards Regiment (, ''Preobrazhensky leyb-gvardii polk'') was a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

of the Imperial Guard of the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

from 1683 to 1917. The Preobrazhensky Regiment was one of the oldest infantry regiments in Imperial Russia, along with the Semyonovsky Regiment. Among the two, the Preobrazhensky Regiment was the first to be formally established by

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

from his so-called " toy army" in 1690, and became part of the Western-style regiments in the Russian armed forces. The regiment distinguished itself in battle several times during his reign in the wars against

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Along with the Semyonovsky Regiment, the Preobrazhensky Regiment formed the 1st Brigade (known as "Peter's Brigade") of the 1st Guards Infantry Division stationed on the

Fontanka The Fontanka (), a left branch of the river Neva, flows through the whole of Central Saint Petersburg, Russia – from the Summer Garden to . It is long, with a width up to , and a depth up to . The Moyka River forms a right-bank branch ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

. It served in several campaigns during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and was disbanded shortly before the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

in 1917 by its last commander, though it was not officially dissolved until May 1918. The Preobrazhensky Regiment was recreated in 2013 as the 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment, the official honor guard regiment of the

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...

, stationed in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

History

Founding

The Preobrazhensky Regiment was officially founded in 1690 by

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

Peter I, and was named after the village where its barracks were located, Preobrazhenskoye, which is now a district of

. But the regiment races its origins to 1683, when Peter assembled the so-called toy army of his friends, who were the sons of the

Russian nobility The Russian nobility or ''dvoryanstvo'' () arose in the Middle Ages. In 1914, it consisted of approximately 1,900,000 members, out of a total population of 138,200,000. Up until the February Revolution of 1917, the Russian noble estates staffed ...

, where they would play war, which was Peter's favorite game in his childhood. In January 1683 Peter ordered from the government uniforms, banners, and wooden cannons for his toy army, and the cannons were replaced with real ones in June 1683. Eventually the regiment expanded and Preobrazhenskoye turned into a military camp. Because they ran out of room at the original barracks, a second one was established in the village of Semyonovskoye (now in Moscow's Sokolniki District). Both the Preobrazhensky Regiment and the Semyonovsky Regiment had about 300 soldiers organized as infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and their organization and training became no different from the regular army (the ''

Streltsy The streltsy (, ; , ) were the units of Russian firearm infantry from the 16th century to the early 18th century and also a social stratum, from which personnel for streltsy troops were traditionally recruited. They are also collectively kno ...

''). They also received Western-style uniforms, which were distinguished by dark green coats for the Preobrazhensky and blue for the Semyonovsky. Peter started himself off at the lowest rank of drummer boy, refusing to take the highest rank of colonel, and lived in the same conditions, with the same work load, as the other members of the regiment. He also brought foreign officers to teach the regiments military skills, and the senior ranks of both regiments consisted of foreigners, while the sergeants and enlisted soldiers were Russian. In the 1690s the two regiments had about 600 soldiers between them, making them a small fraction of the total Russian army, and they participated in large scale exercises together with the ''Streltsy''. These exercises sometimes also had real casualties, and expanded from games by a few hundred boys to real military drills involving 30,000 men.

Later history

In the summer of 1695 Tsar Peter made the decision to resume Russia's war against the

, which had started years earlier. His motivations included conquering a warm water port on the

Sea of Azov The Sea of Azov is an inland Continental shelf#Shelf seas, shelf sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, and sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea. The sea is bounded by Ru ...

and to test his new army, but it was also in response to the continued Muslim Tatar slave raids into Russian territory from

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

and the coast of the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

. The

king of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...

, Jan Sobieski, also threatened to end his alliance with Peter if Russia did not take action against Turkey. The Azov campaigns of 1695–96 involved the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the Semyonovsky Regiment and other Western-style units. The first siege of the fortress of

Azov Azov (, ), previously known as Azak ( Turki/ Kypchak: ), is a town in Rostov Oblast, Russia, situated on the Don River just from the Sea of Azov, which derives its name from the town. The population is History Early settlements in the vici ...

failed, but the second attack was a success. Members of the Preobrazhensky Regiment were chosen to serve as marines on the fleet of

galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...

s that Peter had built for the campaign. Preobrazhensky Paris

The Preobrazhensky Regiment distinguished itself during the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

of 1700–1721, the

Patriotic War of 1812 The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign (), the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the continent ...

, and the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The regiment operated as the body-guard of the Grand Duchess Yekaterina Alekseevna as well as the main supporter of her bloodless 1762 coup against her husband Emperor Peter III; having become Empress

Catherine II Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...

() she declared the Preobrazhensky highest in the order of military precedence from 14 July 1762. In spite of its distinguished record, part of one battalion of the regiment mutinied in June 1906, at a time of general unrest in the Russian Empire. The mutiny was quickly suppressed and 190 soldiers sentenced to service in disciplinary battalions.Patrick de Gmeline, pages 334-336 "La Garde Imperiale Russe 1896-1914", publisher Charles-Lavauzelle Paris 1986

World War I

When the Kerensky offensive was launched in July 1917, the 1st Guards Corps was part of the reserve of the Russian Eleventh Army, which was tasked with the main assault during the offensive. The corps was ordered to go into battle against Austro-German positions without any artillery attack beforehand, and the Preobrazhensky and other regiments took heavy losses as a result of the battle, without achieving their objectives. However, during the subsequent German counteroffensive against Russian positions, the Preobrazhensky Regiment was one of the few units that put up a fight and remained effective. The Stavka, the Russian high command, reported in the early days of the German counteroffensive: :''"On the Southwestern Front under the slightest artillery fire our forces, forgetting their duty and oath to the Motherland, are abandoning their positions. Along the entire front only in the Tarnopol district the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky Regiments are carrying out their duty."'' Colonel Alexander Kutepov (later a general) became the last commander of the regiment in April 1917; he disbanded the formation in December 1917 in the wake of the

of November 1917.

21st century

In 2013 the regiment re-formed within the

as the 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment.

Timeline

* 1683 –

begins to assemble the '' droll regiments''. Initially the number of soldiers was fewer than fifty. * 1687 – ''Droll regiments'' become the Semenovsky regiment and Preobrazhensky regiments of the regular army. * 1695 – Preobrazhensky regiment (nine companies) takes part in the

Azov campaigns Azov (, ), previously known as Azak (Turki/Cuman language, Kypchak: ), is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Rostov Oblast, Russia, situated on the Don River (Russia), Don River just from the Sea of Azov, which derives its name ...

. * 1696 – The regiment is divided into four

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

s and two separate

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

of bombardiers and

grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...

s. * 1700–1720 - Takes part in all major battles of the

. * 1700 – Before the Battle of Narva is officially named Leib-Guard Preobrazhensky regiment. * 1706 – Tsar Peter the Great adopts the military rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of Preobrazhensky regiment. * 1722 – Takes part in the war against

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. * 1722 – According to Russian

Table of Ranks The Table of Ranks () was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military, government, and court of Imperial Russia. Peter I of Russia, Peter the Great introduced the system in 1722 while engaged in a struggle with the existing hereditary ...

soldiers of Preobrazhensky regiment were to be considered two ranks higher than in ordinary units. * 1726 – Moscow company of Preobrazhensky regiment becomes a separate ''Moscow life-guard battalion'' and later ''Murom leib-guard battalion''. * 1737–1739 – War against

. * 1737 – Takes part in the Battle of Ochakov. * 1742 – War against

. * 1762 – On 17 July declared first and highest in the military order of precedence in the

and the Imperial Russian Guard. * 1789–1790 - War against

. * 1796 – Battalions of the Preobrazhensky regiment are named according to their chiefs: 1st battalion - His Majesty, 2nd battalion - Lieutenant-General Tatischev, 3d Battalion - General Field-Marshal Suvorov, Grenadier Battalion - Major-General Arakcheev. * 1805 – As a part of the Grand Duke's Corps of Guards the 1st and 3rd battalions leave St. Petersburg for Austria on 22 August; on 2 December take part in the battle of Austerlitz and return to St. Petersburg on 19 April 1806. * 1807 – In February the Regiment, consisting of all 4 battalions, starts the march as a part of Grand Duke's Corps of Guards; on 5 June engages Ney's troops near Guttstadt and Altkirchen and on 14 June takes part in the battle of Friedland; returns to St. Petersburg in August. * 1808 – On 9 September the 2nd battalion of the regiment enters the Corps of Major-General Strogonov in Villmanstrand (Lappeenranta), Finland. * 1809 – On 10 March, being a part of the Corps of Lieutenant-General Prince Bagration, starts its march to Sweden through the Åland islands; on 14 March fights the enemy's rearguard on the island of Lemland; on 17 March stops on the Eckerö island, closest to the Swedish shore, and after the talks with Sweden begins moving back; returns to St. Petersburg in October. Elizabeth at Preobrazhensky quarter by Lansere

Elizabeth at Preobrazhensky quarter by Lansere

* 1811 – The regiment is transformed into 3 battalions; each battalion now comprises one grenadier company (

and tirailleur platoons) and three

fusilier ''Fusilier'' is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While ''fusilier'' is derived from the 17th-century French word – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in cont ...

companies. * 1812 – As a part of the Grand Duke's Corps of Guards, the regiment moves in March to Vilno, where it joins the 1st Western Army of Barclay-de-Tolly; on 7 September takes part in the battle of Borodino. During the French retreat from Moscow the regiment was in the reserve all the time and returns to Vilno in December. * 1813 – On 13 January, the Guard crosses the Nieman river in the presence of the Emperor; on 2 April participates in the grand parade in the presence of the Emperor and King

Frederick William III of Prussia Frederick William III (; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, when the empire was dissolved ...

; on 14 April triumphantly enters

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

; on 2 May takes part in the battle of Lutzen; on the 19th, 20th and 21 May the regiment is a central reserve under the command of Grand Duke in the battle of

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin (), until 1868 ''Budissin'' in German, is a town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the Bautzen (district), district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree (river), Spree river, is the eighth most ...

; on 28 August and 29 August, being a part of 1st Guards Infantry Division under the command of General Yermolov, is distinguished in the Battle of Kulm. * 1814 – On 13 January in the presence of the Emperor Alexander I, the Regiment crosses the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

and as a part of the reserve of the Main Army under Barklay-de-Tolly, participates in every offensive and retreat until the battle of Paris (30 March); on 31 March triumphantly enters the capital of France; 1st battalion of the regiment has its bivouac near the Palace of Tuileries. After staying in Paris for more than two months the Regiment leaves for

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, embarking at

Cherbourg Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...

on 15 June and on 12 August entering St. Petersburg through the

Triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road, and usually standing alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal ...

, constructed by the Emperor's order in the memory of excellent service of the Guard in 1812–1814. * 1877–1878 - War against Ottoman Empire. * 1906 – First Battalion excluded from the regiment and stripped of Life-Guard privileges, instead the new first battalion of the regiment is formed from cavaliers of the Order of St. George and heroes of the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

. * 1914–1917 - Participated in

. * 1917 – Garrison battalions participated in the

February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...

mutining on Monday 12 March; leading to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. Disbanded in December by Alexander Kutepov, its last commander. * 2013 – Re-established as the 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment.

Basis of recruitment

In the 18th and 19th centuries, officers of the Preobrazhensky Regiment were young Russian aristocrats and appointment was considered a proof of loyalty to the government and the

tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

. Among its membership was the Russian composer

Modest Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (; ; ; – ) was a Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five (composers), The Five." He was an innovator of Music of Russia, Russian music in the Romantic music, Romantic period and strove to achieve a ...

. After 1874 ordinary soldiers of the Preobrazhensky Regiment were mainly conscripts undertaking their obligation to serve for three years in the active army and fifteen years in the reserve (''Opolchaniya''). For the Preobrazhensky Regiment conscripts were selected for their height and fair hair (in order to provide a standardised appearance on parade).

Flag

The regimental flag was of St. George's colours, with the inscription: "For displayed feats in battle of Kulm 17th of August 1813". (29 August 1813 in the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...

).Patrick de Gmeline, page 25 "La Garde Imperiale Imperiale Russe 1896-1914", publisher Charles-Lavauzelle Paris 1986 This colour was given to the regiment in order to celebrate its action at Kulm, where the outnumbered Preobrazhensky regiment withstood the charge of French troops.

Uniforms

Throughout its history the regiment wore the standard uniform of the Infantry of the Imperial Guard, which from 1683 to 1914 was predominantly of a dark green (eventually verging on black) colour. The main distinctions of the Preobrazhensky Regiment were the red facings (

plastron The turtle shell is a shield for the ventral and dorsal parts of turtles (the Order (biology), order Testudines), completely enclosing all the turtle's vital organs and in some cases even the head. It is constructed of modified bony elements such ...

, collar, cuffs and shoulder straps) edged in white

piping Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid. Industrial process piping (and accomp ...

. Distinctive regimental patterns of braid (''litzen'') were worn on the tunic collar, plus the tsar's

monogram A monogram is a motif (visual arts), motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbo ...

on the soldiers' shoulder straps and officers' epaulettes. Following the Russo-Turkish War, the regiment was awarded a small bronze scroll to be worn as a battle-honour on

shako A shako (, , or ) is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with an ornamental plate or Cap badge, badge on the front, metallic or otherwise; and often has a feather, hackle ...

s and other headdresses. In 1883, in recognition of its overall distinguished record, officers of the regiment were authorised to wear a large metal

gorget A gorget ( ; ) was a band of linen wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the English medieval clothing, medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon (headgear), chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or leather Collar (c ...

inscribed "1683-1850-1883". A second model of gorget, designed in imitation of that worn during the 18th century was approved for the regiment in 1910. During World War I the Preobrazhensky Regiment retained the distinction of white edgings on the khaki-grey field uniforms adopted in 1909 (see illustration of commanding officer and senior ncos opposite).

Rank insignia

Officers

Enlisted and NCOs

Sailors of the Preobrazhensky

An unusual feature of the Preobrazhensky Regiment was that it included a small detachment of sailors. Intended to commemorate a period during the reign of Peter the Great when the regiment served on board ship as temporary marines, this unit provided rowers for members of the Imperial Family when embarked on ceremonial barges on the

Neva The Neva ( , ; , ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it is the fourth- ...

. The Preobrazhensky sailors wore naval dress, distinguished by orange stripes on the neck-collar.

Preobrazhensky March

The "Preobrazhensky Regiment March" () is one of the most famous Russian military marches. It was used as an unofficial

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

in imperial times. The march has been often used in modern Russia, particularly in the annual Victory Day Parade for the trooping the colours and the inspection of troops. The March was used since 1725, and was made in reference to the role of the regiment in the 1709 Battle of Poltava. The composer is not known. In 1816 the March of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment was entered into the official catalog military music and later became known as the main march of the Russian Empire, being played at parades, other official functions of the Imperial family, and at receptions of foreign ambassadors. After the Russian Revolution it was used as an unofficial Russian anthem by some

White émigré White Russian émigrés were Russians who emigrated from the territory of the former Russian Empire in the wake of the Russian Revolution (1917) and Russian Civil War (1917–1923), and who were in opposition to the revolutionary Bolshevik com ...

s. Before

it was used as the presentation march in several military formations in

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

"История марша Лейб-Гвардии Преображенского полка"
reprinted from the article Агафонов Н., Петров Ф. "Марш лейб-гвардии Преображенского полка", ''Оркестр'', 2007 Since 1964 it has been used as the slow march of the

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

. Several lyrics are known for the march.

Notable people who served in the Preobrazhensky Regiment

* Abram Petrovich Gannibal (1696–1781) * Gavrila Derzhavin (1743–1816) *

(1839–1881) * Alexander Kutepov (1882–1930)

Citations

Sources

* *

External links

History of Preobrazhensky regiment
- in Russian
Preobrazhensky March
- Regimental anthem {{Infantry regiments of the Russian Empire Infantry regiments of the Russian Empire Russian military units and formations of the Napoleonic Wars Russian Imperial Guard Former guards regiments Military units and formations established in 1683 17th-century establishments in Russia Saint Petersburg Governorate 1683 establishments in Russia Guards regiments of the Russian Empire Military units and formations disestablished in 1917 Military units and formations of Russia in World War I February Revolution