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Changing the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier in Alexander Garden
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INTERNET
SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kremlin_Regiment
The Kremlin Regiment (Russian: Кремлëвский полк [Kremlyovskiy
polk]), also called the Presidential Regiment, (Президентский полк [Prezidentskiy
polk]) is a unique military regiment and part of the Russian Federal
Protective Service with the status of a special unit. The regiment
ensures the security of the Kremlin and its treasures and guards the
highest state officials. In accordance with the federal law of December 8, 1997
"On Immortalizing the Soviet People’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War
of 1941-1945", the regiment also maintains a guard of honor at the eternal flame of the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier. The regiment is housed in the historic Kremlin Arsenal.
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| Kremlin Regiment ensign. |
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| Presidential Regiment's Cavalry Escort, 2006 |
History
When
the leaders of the Soviet Union moved from Petrograd to
the Moscow Kremlin in early 1918, their protection was
entrusted to the Red Latvian Riflemen, under the command of the Commandant
of the Kremlin Garrison. In September 1918, the Latvian Riflemen left for the fronts
of the Civil War, and they were replaced by the officer
cadets of the 1st
WPKA Soviet Joint Military School "All-Russian Central Executive
Committee" that were redeployed into the Kremlin for this purpose. In
1924, they were assigned with the duty to guard Lenin's Mausoleum by orders of
the ARCEC.
In
October 1935, the officers' academy left the Kremlin for the Moscow district of
Lefortovo and a Special Purpose Battalion was created to replace them on
Kremlin and Mausoleum guard duties. On January 28, 1936, the battalion - and
the Kremlin Garrison (Komendatura Kremlya), to which it was subordinated
- were transferred from the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR to the
People's Commissariat of
Internal Affairs (NKVD) of the USSR. The UKMK and the 1st Division were
separate public security units with neither subordinate to the other, which
would not prevent them collaborating closely in Kremlin security activities.
On
April 8, 1936, in accordance with Order No. 122 for the Moscow
Kremlin Garrison, the Special Purpose Battalion became the Special Purpose
Regiment; this day is considered the birthday of the regiment. However, the
Regiment's Day is celebrated annually on May 7.
When
the Great Patriotic War began in 1941, the
units of the Kremlin Garrison were made responsible for defending the Kremlin,
where the State Defense Committee and Chief Military Headquarters were located.
On June 25, 1941, the Commandant of the Garrison ordered the regiment to
reinforce the defenses, and the regiment set up round-the-clock guard on the
Kremlin walls. In 1942-1943 four groups of snipers from the
Kremlin Regiment were sent to the Western and Volkhov
Fronts. The snipers killed more than 1,200 German soldiers and officers,
losing only 97 men in combat. On February 23, 1944 the Kremlin Regiment was
decorated with the Order of the Red Banner. Three battalions
from the regiment took part in the Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 on Red Square.
In
1952 the regiment was reorganized into the Separate Special Purpose Regiment.
On May 7, 1965 it was decorated with the Order of the Red Banner for its military
achievements during the Great Patriotic War. On May 8, 1967 the regiment took
part in the unveiling ceremony of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in
the Alexander Garden. In 1973 the unit was renamed the
Separate Red Banner Kremlin Regiment. Before being deprived of Mausoleum guard
duties in 1993 as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the
constitutional crisis of that year, the regiment finally received its current designation
in accordance with a presidential decree of March 20 that very year, this time
under the Federal Protective Service, and since 1997 resumed guard duties on
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its Eternal Flame keeping alive the legacy
of those who fought before them in the Eastern Front, as per presidential
decree.
On
September 2, 2002 on the basis of the 11th Cavalry Regiment (the Moscow Military District movie-making
cavalry unit) a cavalry escort unit was formed as part of the Presidential
Regiment.
On
May 7, 2006 the regiment gained a new regimental color, modeled on the ones
used by the Imperial Guard units. It has also recently acquired special
ceremonial uniforms closely modelled on those worn on parade by the infantry
and the cavalry of the Russian Imperial Guard until 1914. These are worn in
addition to modern style dress uniforms adopted during the final years of the
Soviet period. Both types of uniform are in dark green with medium blue piping,
but the shoulder boards in the historical full dress is different, even through
the ranks are just the same, while only officers wear epaulettes
in the latter. When in modern dress uniforms, they wear blue berets or peaked caps,
but wear the shako,
gorgets and
tall period boots with the historical full dress. This is also the case of the
Regiment's Presidential Band, which wears white uniforms similar to those by
the Imperial Guard bands of the late 19th century.
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Soviet Union, 1988 Changing of the guard, Red
Square
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Uniform of Kremlin regiment
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Notable
servicemen of Kremlin Regiment
- Mikhail Kasyanov, former Prime Minister of Russia
- Alexander Korzhakov, former head of the Federal Protective Service of Russia
- Andrei Lugovoi, deputy of the State Duma who was later indicted by UK authorities on charges of murdering Alexander Litvinenko.
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Soldiers of the Presidential Regiment
participating in the inauguration ceremony of Russian President Vladimir Putin
in 2012
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A guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
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Component
units
- Regiment HQ
- Presidential Band of the Kremlin Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Kremlin Regiment
- 2nd Company
- 3rd Company
- 4th Company
- 5th Company
- 2nd Battalion, Kremlin Regiment
- 6th Company
- 7th Company
- 8th Company
- 9th Company
- 3rd Battalion, Kremlin Regiment
- 1st Honor Guard Company
- 11th Honor Guard Company
- Automotive Company
- Presidential Cavalry Escort Battalion, Kremlin Regiment (former 11th Cavalry Regiment)
- 10th Company
- 12th Company
- 1st Cavalry Squadron
- 2nd Cavalry Squadron
- Support Squadron
- 4th Operational Reserve Battalion, Kremlin Regiment
- Operational Reserve Company
- Protection Company
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Russian honour guard from the 154th
Preobrazhensky ICR perform a pass and review as part of a wreath-laying
ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia
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