Day of the Guardsman (Day of the Russian Guards). Day of the Russian Guard and a free concert of the group "Leningrad Day of the Russian Guard September 2

Rulers at all times surrounded themselves with guards, and states always had special elite troops. "Guard" is translated from Italian and Scandinavian as "protection". These are the most privileged trained and technically equipped troops. She is the backbone of the army, but at the present time it is also an honorary title that must be earned. A holiday is dedicated to this part of the troops in Russia.

When they celebrate

On December 22, 2000, President of the Russian Federation V. Putin ratified Decree No. 2032 "On the Establishment of the Day of the Russian Guard", deciding to celebrate it on September 2. The document was issued in honor of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of this privileged part of the troops. In 2020, it will be celebrated for the 20th time.

Who is celebrating

The Day of the Russian Guards is celebrated by servicemen of divisions, brigades, units, ships and formations who have been awarded this honorary title.

history of the holiday

The first guard was created during the reign of Peter I. These were the military from 2 regiments: Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky. The emperor used them for his own protection and for conducting investigations in the field of legal proceedings and military contracts.

In 1918, the army was reformed, and the guards were disbanded. They were created again in 1941. September 1941 was marked by the introduction of the concept of "Guards unit". It was during the war years that heroes who especially distinguished themselves in battle were awarded badges and guards ranks, and their formations were awarded the guards banner. According to the results of the Second World War, more than 400 formations had them.

The collapse of the USSR led to the termination of this glorious tradition, but in 2000, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 2032, it was restored. Later, on May 31, 2006, the current document was confirmed by a new Decree No. 549 "On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation." This day was marked as designed to develop traditions, increase the prestige of the army and as a token of gratitude for solving defense problems and ensuring the security of the state.

The harbinger of the guard during the reign of Peter I was amusing troops. S. L. Bukhvostov is considered to be the first guardsman, who in 1683 enrolled in these military units.

The appearance of the soldier served as a "passing ticket" to the guards. Brunettes were taken to the Izmailovsky regiment, fair-haired and tall to Preobrazhensky, blonds to Semenovsky, redheads on red horses to His Majesty's Cuirassier, blonds on karakov horses to Her Majesty's Cuirassier, red and snub-nosed to Pavlovsky, etc.

Banners and standards of the Russian guard (18-19 century) In the XVIII century, the guard took part in the Northern (1700-1721) and Russian-Swedish (1741-1743) wars. Separate consolidated detachments of the guard participated in the Russian-Turkish (1735-1739 and 1787-1791), Russian-Swedish (1788-1790) wars. The guards had great political influence, actively participated in the palace coups of the 18th century. Guards regiments trained officers for the entire army and were staffed almost exclusively by noblemen, for whom military service was mandatory. From the mid-1730s, the rank and file of the guard also began to be replenished with recruits from taxable estates, and after the release of the manifesto on liberties to the nobility (1762), this method became the main one. (Military Encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S.B. Ivanov. Military Publishing. Moscow. In 8 volumes 2004 ISBN 5 203 01875 - 8) Banners and standards of the Russian Guard (18-19 century) Soldiers were selected for the guard in the first turn for skillful use of weapons, for "quick mind", courage and bravery in battle. Good physical data were also taken into account. Being an elite part of the Russian army, the guard enjoyed great privileges. According to the Table of Ranks (1722), guard officers had seniority over army officers in 2 ranks. In 1813, in addition to the Old Guard, the Young Guard was established. This name was originally given to two grenadier and one cuirassier regiments for military distinction in the Patriotic War of 1812. The officers of these regiments were given an advantage of one rank over the army. This order existed until the end of the 19th century, when Alexander III curtailed the privileges of the guard: the seniority of the officers of the Young Guard was abolished, and the Old Guard was reduced to 1 rank. The privilege of the guard, its difference from ordinary army units, was emphasized by the special status of service, a special uniform, and special insignia. Each guards regiment, each individual guards unit had its own uniform and its own sign, as well as stripes, pennants, standards and banners. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the St. Andrew's Star served as a symbol of the Russian guard, on which the symbol "For Faith and Loyalty" was inscribed. In the 19th century, the guard in full force participated in all the wars that Russia waged with Napoleon. At the beginning of the 20th century, separate parts of the guard took part in the Chinese campaign of 1900 and the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905. During the First World War (1914-1918), the troops of the guard successfully operated in the Battle of Galicia, Warsaw, Ivangorod and Lodz operations, and participated in other operations. The soldiers of the guard units bore the hardships of the war along with the entire army. In the history of the Russian guard there were also examples of armed actions of its units against the ruling regime. The first of these occurred in 1825, when some units of the guard took part in the Decembrist uprising on Senate Square in St. Petersburg. However, most of the guards did not support the uprising. In the February Revolution of 1917, the soldiers of almost all the spare infantry units of the guard of the Petrograd garrison went over to the side of the rebels, which greatly contributed to its victory. In the October armed uprising of 1917 in Petrograd, soldiers of the Izmailovsky, Grenadier, Volynsky and other guards regiments took an active part. For more than two centuries of the history of the Russian Guards, its organizational structure has changed several times while maintaining a steady trend towards an increase in numbers, composition and combat capabilities. If in 1700 the guard had only 2 regiments (with a total number of 3 thousand people), then in 1812 there were 12 regiments, an artillery brigade and several other units (18 thousand people). In 1914, the guard already included 7 large formations (about 50 units, over 90 thousand people). The guard ceased to exist along with the Russian army after the Brest Peace of 1918. September 18, 1941 is considered the birthday of the Soviet Guards, when, in accordance with the decision of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command for mass heroism, the courage of personnel, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st rifle divisions were renamed respectively 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards Rifle Divisions. In the future, units, ships, formations and associations that distinguished themselves in battles and battles of the Great Patriotic War received the name of the guards.

Military service in Russia has always been the most respected and honorable. And it is no coincidence that the warriors enjoyed well-deserved fame - after all, throughout the thousand-year history of Russia, our ancestors had to defend the independence and integrity of their country, our culture and our traditions with weapons in their hands.

A special place among the warrior-defenders has always been occupied by the heroes of the battles, who were the first to go into battle, defending the freedom and independence of the Fatherland without sparing their lives. From such people, an elite was born, later called the guard. With their feats of arms, the soldiers-guards inscribed the most memorable pages in the military annals of the Russian state.

On September 2, our country celebrates the Day of the Russian Guard. From the decree of the President of Russia: “... in order to revive and develop domestic military traditions, increase the prestige of military service and in connection with the 300th anniversary of the Russian guards, I decree:

Establish a memorable day - the Day of the Russian Guard and celebrate it on September 2.

Guards were usually called privileged, better trained than others and having the best equipment and weapons of the formation of troops. The very word "guard" Italian origin and translates as "protection" or "protection".

Separately, it is worth mentioning the Life Guards. The Life Guards guarded their monarch, participated in parades, court ceremonies, solemn processions, but often in different historical periods they staged palace coups and changed power itself.

The Russian Guard was born from the amusing troops of the future Emperor Peter the Great. These were the Semyonovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments. On September 2, 1700, the Semyonovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, by decree of Peter, began to be called the Life Guards, and this day became the day the Russian Guard appeared. In the Battle of Narva in 1700, the Russian Guards received their first baptism of fire, showing extraordinary courage in repelling enemy attacks, covering the retreat of the remnants of their army.

In the initial period of their formation, Tsar Peter was personally involved in manning the guards regiments. Since 1721, guard units became known as the Russian Imperial Guard.

Initially, the nobles entering the service were supposed to start their careers with the rank of private.Soldiers were picked for skillful possession of weapons, for courage and bravery in battle and good physical data. Compared to other military units, the guard had differences in weapons, in uniform, and enjoyed special privileges.

Guardsmen throughout their history were a special caste in Russian society, limited by a number of conventions and obligations. If some of these conventions were violated, the nobleman lost his shoulder straps.

The successors of Emperor Peter the Great had their own approach to the formation of guard units and the political interests of the monarch became priorities in determining the tasks of the guard. The children of the nobility began to be accepted into the ranks of the guard from infancy, and such guards no longer served as junior officers, and even more so as privates. We can find a vivid example of the establishment of such an order in Pushkin in The Captain's Daughter: “Mother was still my belly, as I was already enrolled in the Semenovsky regiment as a sergeant ...”, - the hero of the book Grinev wrote about himself.

Proximity to the throne, privileged position and aristocratic composition led to the fact that in the history of the palace coups of the 17th century, the Russian Imperial Guard played one of the key roles. Many reigning persons ascended the throne thanks to the participation of the guards. Almost all the Decembrists were in the service of the Life Guards. In fact, the guards became the political school of the nobility, but at the same time the guards always maintained their morale, went to the forefront of the attack and remained an elite and combat-ready unit, the core of the army. And yet the guards units became a forge for the leading cadres of the Russian army. Trained guards officers were sent to the regular army until the First World War.

In the 19th century, the imperial Russian guard units did not only consist of Russian troops, but also included Ukrainian, Finnish and Lithuanian regiments.Guards units took part in the Russo-Japanese War, distinguished themselves on the battlefields of the First World War.The Russian Imperial Guard formally ceased to exist in 1918.

The Guard received its second birth during the Great Patriotic War. The return of the guard traditions of the times of the Empire was intended to inspire the retreating troops of the Soviet army and restore the morale of the soldiers.In the harsh time of repelling German aggression, it was necessary to revive the glorious traditions of the Russian army tested for centuries and create shock units from the most courageous and fearless fighters, who were a support for commanders and an example for all soldiers. The Soviet Guards were sent to the most difficult sectors along the front line and everywhere they carried out their assigned combat missions with honor. Numbering over 4,000 formations by the end of the war, the guard was a powerful vanguard of the Armed Forces, the shield of our state.

Despite the fact that in peacetime the transformation of units into guards did not occur, in order to continue the military traditions, when the unit was reorganized or a new one was created, the rank of guards was preserved. For example, many formations became guards, having received this title from units that distinguished themselves during the war.

The modern guard, like the Soviet one after 1945, exists in peacetime. Guards rank symbolizes loyalty to the traditions of military glory. Currently, more than 100 military units and formations of the army and navy have the honorary title of "Guards".

In modern Russia, the guard is the elite of the armed forces, which honors military traditions and corresponds to an honorary title. To serve in the guards means to have the highest combat qualifications, to be skillfully able to wield weapons, and at any moment to be ready to fulfill your duty to the Motherland.

The current generation of guards worthily continues the centuries-old traditions of selfless service to the Motherland and loyalty to the oath. People and times change, the names of military units change, but the traditions of the guard are unshakable. The inseparable unity of the past, present and future has been and remains one of the main sources of strength and valor of the Russian army.

We will find lines about glorious guardsmen and their exploits in Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov. Lermontov himself graduated from the school of grenadier ensigns and cavalry junkers, leaving it as a cornet of the Life Guards Hussars, fought in the Caucasus.

In those same years, Mikhail Zoshchenko was also at the front, fought as part of the Grenadier Guards Regiment of the Caucasian Grenadier Division.

The exceptional valor of the Russian and Soviet guards, their selflessness and readiness for self-sacrifice, the centuries-old traditions and foundations of the guards are reflected in poetic works, fiction, and cinema. Many writers and poets, who came from the elite guard units, became the elite of the literary army.

Peter Solodovnikov

The translation of the Italian word "guard" literally sounds like "protection". The period of appearance of the guard is historically considered to be the first wars. In the days of ancient Sparta, athletes who won the competition were enrolled in the guard. The Greeks called the guards "sacred warriors", the Romans - "praetorians". In Prussia, soldiers gathered in a special corps, called the "corps of the immortals."

Story

The Day of the Russian Soldier-Guards or Guards was officially established on December 22, 2000. The corresponding document was then signed by Vladimir Putin. The establishment of the holiday had a worthy reason - the tercentenary anniversary of the Russian guards. The very first guards appeared during the reign of Peter the Great, and the guard had the status of "imperial". Initially, it included the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments. Warrior-guards often became the personal guards of the reigning persons. A kind of "ticket" for enrollment in the guard was the appearance of a warrior. So only fair-haired men were enrolled as Preobrazhenians, blonds became Semenovtsy, and only redheads became cuirassiers. But every guardsman always had to have impressive growth, unconditional courage, excellent health.

In 1918, the guard was officially disbanded. Only the period of the war of 1941-1945 became the impetus for its new formation. Any military unit, formation of the Armed Forces, ship, which were especially distinguished in the hostilities of that time, received the title of "Guards".

Today the Russian Guard is:

Kantemirovskaya division (tank).
Taman division (motorized rifle).
Sevastopol brigade (separate motorized rifle), other units of the Armed Forces.

Traditions

It has always been an honor to bear the title of "Guardsman", since the distinguishing qualities of a soldier of the Guards Regiment are absolute honor, courage, an increased sense of patriotism, and constant readiness to fulfill their combat duty. Currently, the traditions of celebrating the Day of the Guard are gradually being restored. On September 2, every year in regiments, divisions, formations, units that are in the status of "guards", festive formations are necessarily held, festive dinners are prepared, and especially distinguished fighters receive well-deserved awards. All these events are aimed at emphasizing the special status of the “guardsman”, raising morale and strengthening the patriotism of Russian soldiers.

The Day of the Russian Guard is usually celebrated on September 2. The reason for the official recognition of this holiday was the 300th anniversary of the Russian Guards. The Decree "On the Establishment of the Day of the Russian Guards" was signed by Vladimir Putin on December 22, 2000.

The Imperial Guard, consisting of the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, appeared in Russia during the reign of Peter I. In 1918 it was disbanded and created again only during the Patriotic War. Military units, formations of the Armed Forces and ships that distinguished themselves in battles were awarded the title of "Guards".

The modern Russian guards include the Kantemirovskaya tank division, the Tamanskaya motorized rifle division, the separate Sevastopol motorized rifle brigade, the Carpathian-Berlin motorized rifle division, airborne line formations, units and ships of the Navy, units of the air force and ground forces.

You defend your homeland with dignity,
You are always moving forward.
Sometimes you are not at home for a long time,
You protect your people.

After all, somewhere your wife and children are waiting for you,
As long as you go on the attack and into battle.
For them, you are the best in the world,
You are the strongest, you are a hero.

On the day of the guard, I want to congratulate you,
May all dreams come true today
And I hasten to add to congratulations -
After all, hope for the country is you!

Happy Russian Guard Day
Congratulations to the guards
Elite of our army,
You are her honor and glory.

you dedicated yourself
Serving the Fatherland
Ready for the Motherland
You give your life.

I wish the guardsmen
I am fighting glory,
Let the country sleep in peace
Behind your back.

Under the command of your life passes,
The word "should!" - important now
Thoughts about the house wander in my head,
You think about us all the time.

We miss you son
We are waiting for calls and very much looking forward to meeting,
Every evening we remember something
Sitting next to my dad.

We congratulate you today
Happy Day of the Russian Guard, dear,
Joy, good luck to you,
And only love, earthly.

Today is the Day of the Russian Guard,
I want to wish every guardsman.
So that in this life he was happy,
I send success and joy to all of you.

Let everything be calm at home
Strong to have a family.
So that efforts are not in vain,
Fate has been good to you.

We celebrate the holiday of the Russian Guards not in vain,
You chose the path of a guardsman, my best friend, for yourself.
You are a brave warrior of the country, all tasks are on the shoulder,
Congratulations! I want to wish you a lot of happiness!

Day of the Russian Guard
Let's celebrate widely!
Parade, concert, fireworks -
We have fun and it's easy!

We wish you bright days
Kindness, smiles, happiness!
So that life is full of joy
Maneuvering past misfortunes!

In the time of Peter once
Date established in Russia.
The day of the guard has come now,
I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart.

Let what is meant to happen
Separation after trouble will rush off,
Let all sorrows become a dream
Good luck, happiness, peace in the house!

Pride for the Fatherland,
Model for the army and navy,
You always follow the oath strictly,
You have a dangerous job.

Glory to our guard for vigilant service,
For military training, for glory and honor.
Young men today need to take an example from you,
The guardsmen have an invincible spirit!