Guards units in the army: the foundation, history. The sign "Guard"

The history of the first Guards units in the RussianThe army begins with the existence of an imperial system. It is well known that the first such parts were the two regiments: Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky, which were founded during the reign of Peter I. Even then, these regiments displayed considerable resistance and heroism in battle. There were such units up to the coming to power in Russia of Bolshevism. Then there was an active struggle against the survivals of the tsarist regime, and the guards were disbanded, and the concept itself was forgotten. However, during the Great Patriotic War the issue of encouraging the distinguished soldiers arose, as many soldiers or whole units fought courageously even against the superior forces of the enemy. It was at this difficult time that the sign "Guards of the USSR" was established.

Establishment of the Guards in the Soviet Army

In 1941, the Red Army suffered a series of defeatsfrom the Wehrmacht and retreated. The decision to revive the old tradition of the Soviet government arose during one of the most difficult defensive battles - the Smolensk battle. In this battle, the four divisions particularly distinguished: 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st. And already in September 1941 they were renamed the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards divisions by the order of the Supreme High Command with the appropriation of the corresponding rank. At the same time, the entire staff was given the sign "Guards", and also relied special salaries: for privates - double, for officers - one and a half. Later, this sign began to decorate as well the banners of the distinguished units (since 1943).

Over the years of the war the Guards rank was awardedmany parts that showed courage and heroism in battles with the invaders. But the story of elite units in the Red Army does not end there. Awards for guards were held during other armed conflicts. They continued until the collapse of the USSR. The sign "Guard" was awarded to any recruit who got into the unit, but only after he had passed the baptism of fire, and in such arms, as aviation or navy, these demands were even stricter. And in this respect there was no difference between officers and ordinary soldiers.

Breastplate "Guards": description

There are several varieties of thisrewards: the times of the Great Patriotic War, post-war, as well as modern signs. Each of them has its own differences, because in time the design and mode of production changed. Yes, and they were produced in different factories. A sample of the year 1942 will be described below.

So, this honorable award is aa sign executed in the form of a laurel wreath covered with gold enamel. The upper part is closed with a flaming red flag, on which the letters "Guard" are written in gold letters. All the space inside the wreath is covered with white enamel. In the center stands a five-pointed star of the Soviet army of red color with a gold edging. The left rays of the star cross the flag pole, which is bandied with tape. From her go two cords that hang on the left branch of the wreath. At the bottom there is a cartouche on which the inscription "USSR" is engraved.

When assigning any part of the Guards title, the emblem depicting the award was also applied to military equipment - tanks or airplanes.

Dimensions of the sign - 46 x 34 mm. It was made of tombac - an alloy of brass, copper and zinc. Its properties did not allow the reward to rust. To attach to the clothes, a special pin and nut were attached. A rewards was worn on the right side of the clothing at the breast level.

The project was developed by SI Dmitriev. One of the variants of execution was almost the same sign, but on the banner was placed the profile of Lenin. However, Stalin did not like the idea, and he ordered to replace the profile with the inscription "Guard". So the reward got its final look.

Privileges and features

For those who had the sign "Guards of the USSR", reliedspecial privileges. The award was retained for the person who received it, even if he left the Guards service. The same was true of the transfer of the soldier to another unit. The award was also worn in the postwar period. In 1951, the government of the USSR issued a law that decided to temporarily stop handing the sign "Guard", doing this only in exceptional cases. Such an order was observed until 1961, when Defense Minister R.Ya. Malinovsky approved an order according to which the right to wear a sign took effect when passing service in the Guards division. He did not apply to the participants of the Second World War.

Separately worth mentioning the delivery. It was held solemnly, with the general construction of the entire unit, with deployed banners. In addition to the award itself, the soldier was also given a document containing the relevant information about the award and confirming it. But over time, the presentation itself turned into a routine and lost its "ritual" meaning.

Modernity

Now, when the glory of past events fades,You can buy military awards from various private traders. Since one of the most massive awards is just the sign "Guard", its price, as a rule, is low. It depends on several features: the time and method of production, the history of the award, as well as the one who sells. The cost starts at an average of 2,000 rubles.

The result

The sign "Guard" testified to heroism,military training and valor of the person carrying it. During the existence of the USSR, the units awarded the title of Guards were considered elite, and the soldiers who served in such units were treated with great respect.