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

The history of the first Guards units in the Russian army has its origin even in the presence of the imperial order. It is well known that the first such units were 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 an active struggle was conducted with the survivals of the tsarist regime, and the guards units 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 and the sign "Guard of the USSR" was established.

Establishment of the Guards in the Soviet Army

In 1941, the Red Army suffered a series of defeats from the Wehrmacht and retreated. The decision to revive the former 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 they relied on 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).

During the years of the war, the Guards rank was awarded to many units who 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 the Guards rank were also 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 passed the baptism of fire, and in such arms, as aviation or navy, these demands were even more stringent. And in this respect there was no difference between officers and ordinary soldiers.

Breastplate "Guards": description

In total, there are several varieties of this award: the times of the Second World War, post-war, as well as modern signs. Each of them has its own differences, as 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 a 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 the performance was almost the same sign, but the profile was placed on the banner 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", special privileges were relying. The reward was preserved 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. This procedure was followed 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, it is 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 fame of past events fades, it is possible to purchase combat awards from various private traders . Since one of the most massive awards is just the sign "Guards", 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, units awarded the title of Guards were considered elite, and the soldiers who served in such units were treated with great respect.