Russian Ground Forces Day. Dossier

Modern military equipment and a high level of training are what today characterize one of the main components of the Russian Armed Forces - the ground forces. Having a huge military arsenal, which is constantly being improved, all structural units of the ground forces in peacetime carry out the necessary training of personnel and command and control bodies for competent and prompt conduct of combat operations in accordance with their mission. The purpose of this is coherence in the work of all component links, designed to carry out measures to mobilize and quickly deploy forces in the shortest possible time to repel a possible enemy attack.

Being the most numerous and diverse type of troops in terms of existing weapons and methods of conducting combat operations, the ground forces are the main force ensuring state integrity and respect for the national interests of Russian citizens, a force capable of repelling and protecting their country from any aggressor at any time. It is the Ground Forces that are entrusted with the mission of providing support in carrying out UN Security Council activities to restore peace in hot spots of the planet, as well as providing assistance in eliminating the catastrophic consequences of natural disasters or large-scale accidents. At the same time, the combat readiness of the ground forces, the combat potential of military personnel and equipment must always be maintained at the level necessary for rapid response, effectively interacting with other branches of the country's Armed Forces.

On May 31, 2006, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation number 549, the first day of October was designated as the Day of the Russian Ground Forces. This date was not chosen by chance. When issuing his historical verdict “On the placement in Moscow and surrounding districts of a selected thousand service people,” the purpose of which was to create the first regular army formations in Rus', Tsar Ivan IV, popularly called the Terrible, hardly realized that he was becoming the founder of one of the greatest and branches of the military that are important for the future Russian army. But it was the day of publication of the above-mentioned decree, October 1, 1550, that is considered the day of the founding of the ground forces of the Russian State. For the sake of historical justice, it should be noted that some semblance of an army in Russia, representing scattered princely squads, existed before the decree of Ivan the Terrible. But the actions of these military formations were uncoordinated, which significantly reduced the effectiveness of ongoing military operations, despite the heroism and dedication for which the Russian army has always been famous. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, significant military reforms were carried out, the purpose of which was not only the creation of a local army and the organization of its centralized control and supply, but also the improvement of artillery. The soldiers now have explosives and firearms. The result of the innovations was the creation of the Streltsy army and a permanent guard service, and the artillery units were transformed into independent military units. The political prerequisites for carrying out the above reforms were a significant numerical increase in troops against the background of feudal fragmentation and internecine wars, getting rid of the yoke of foreign invaders, as well as the creation of a single centralized state. The simultaneous strengthening of the economic and economic aspects of life made it possible to increase the level of provision of the army with all the necessary means. The measures taken helped the Russian army increase its combat effectiveness and, for a century and a half, successfully defend the interests of the Russian people in battles against numerous and well-prepared enemies.

A completely new approach to the formation of an active army was taken by Peter I, who at the beginning of November 1699 issued a decree “On the admission of soldiers from free people into service.” This document marked the beginning of the recruitment system for staffing the army. The territorial nature of the recruitment of troops was explained by the fact that each regiment was attached to a specific province, which ensured its maintenance at its own expense. The regiments were given names based on the territory of their deployment with all the necessary attributes in the form of distinctive signs on their uniforms and their own banners. During this period, the position of commander-in-chief was first established, and a special field headquarters was created, headed by a quartermaster general. Along with the opening of special military schools for teaching the art of war, profound military-judicial reforms were carried out, officer service was regulated, and a unified system of military education and training was developed to organize competent management of the armed forces. It is possible that the changes carried out became the main reason for the success of the Russian army in the military battles that followed later, when victory was won in the Northern War with Sweden (1700-1721) and the original Russian territories captured by the enemy were returned. The difficult war, which lasted almost a quarter of a century, hardened the Russian soldiers, turning them from prefabricated militias into one of the best regular armies in Europe, the achievements of which were admired by the whole world.

The next significant changes in the territorial structure of the army occurred in 1763, when all military formations existing at that time in Russia were divided into districts or divisions. Five districts were formed, named after their location: Estlyandskaya, Livlandskaya, Smolenskaya, St. Petersburg and Ukrainian. In addition to them, the Kazan, Voronezh and Belarusian divisions were later created. Changes affected the composition of infantry regiments. From now on, each of them included twelve companies, ten of which were musketeers, and two were grenadiers. The companies were consolidated into two battalions, and in addition to them, independent artillery teams were formed, which were also part of the regiment.

One cannot help but recall the significant contribution to the development of the Russian ground forces by such great military leaders as Pyotr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev and Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, who cared not only about changing the structure, strategy and tactics of the Russian troops, but also about improving the conditions of service for ordinary soldiers. Further development of the ground forces occurred during the period of the military leadership of Suvorov and Kutuzov. It was their leadership talent and the military successes achieved, when they managed to defeat the enemy not due to higher numbers, but thanks to the skillful conduct of military operations, that made it possible to make fundamental changes in military theoretical training and became an example for all subsequent generations of military personnel. The high maneuverability and mobility of military units, which Kutuzov preferred, allowed Russian troops to brilliantly conduct battles in the wars with the Turkish army (1789-90), as well as during the Swiss and Italian campaigns (1799). For orderliness in the centralized leadership of the troops, under Alexander I, the Military Ministry of the Ground Forces was first created, established by the Manifesto of September 8, 1802. His successor Alexander II introduced universal conscription and changed the methods of recruiting and the system of training army personnel. A special page in the history of the ground forces is the Patriotic War of 1812, when the whole world admired the steadfastness and courage of Russian soldiers who managed to stop the battle-hardened, experienced and well-equipped French army, which at that time had conquered all of Europe. Thanks to the high training and ability to conduct long-term combat operations in the most difficult conditions, the determination and courage of the Russian soldiers, the myth of the indestructibility of the French was dispelled. A striking evidence of the heroism of our army was the historical battle of Borodino.

With the development of technological progress and the emergence of new types of weapons, from the second half of the 19th century, the role of the technical equipment of the army began to rapidly change. Machine guns are replacing outdated smooth-bore guns, wire telegraphs are being introduced everywhere, and new types of guns are appearing in artillery. This necessitated the creation of new methods and forms of warfare. Also, in addition to technical innovations, changes are taking place in army management structures. The system for training command personnel was revised, a Military Collegium was created, as well as a Quartermaster Unit and the General Staff of the Army. As a result, by the beginning of the 19th century, the structure of the army looked like this: 82% were infantry, 9% were cavalry, 7.5% were artillery and 1.5% were engineering troops. All units, depending on the type of deployment, the nature of the assigned tasks and manning, were divided into local, field, reserve, auxiliary, Finnish and fortress troops. In addition to them, irregular independent Cossack units operated. The First World War required new adjustments and additional investments in the development and provision of the army. But the low economic potential against the background of the brewing political and industrial crisis did not make it possible to organize the supply of a multimillion-strong ground army at a sufficient level, which negatively affected the results of the ongoing military operations. The army suffered huge losses, but even under such circumstances, Russian soldiers showed examples of boundless courage and bravery. The active development of such types of ground forces as aviation, engineering, railway and aeronautics, the emergence of new special troops of biological and chemical defense, and the growth of the technical equipment of the army were interrupted and practically nullified during the subsequent revolutionary transformations in Russia. The Bolsheviks who came to power created a new Red Army, consisting of workers and peasants who did not have the necessary combat skills and knowledge to wage war. Their baptism of fire took place in difficult conditions of an ongoing civil war on the one hand and military intervention on the other. The current situation required new reforms in the army. The most fruitful period for the development of the ground forces was the period after the Civil War and before the start of World War II, when, in addition to structural changes, a new type of mechanized troops was created, which in 1934 were renamed armored vehicles. It was these troops, whose numbers increased 7.4 times on the eve of the treacherous German invasion, that made a significant contribution to the course of hostilities during the Great Patriotic War. During the same period, troops are actively being re-equipped with more modern artillery systems that have high tactical and technical performance. Among them are the famous Katyusha multiple rocket launcher (BM-13), as well as KV-1 and T-34 tanks, automatic weapons, sniper rifles and anti-tank rifles. Before the war, the Soviet Union failed to fully provide the army with all the necessary means and establish mass production of weapons and ammunition; all this had to be done in wartime conditions. At the beginning of the attack by the Nazi invaders, our ground forces consisted of 303 divisions, 211 of which were rifle, cavalry, motorized and mountain rifle divisions, 61 tank divisions and 31 motorized divisions. The army was armed with more than 110 thousand mortars and guns, and almost 23 thousand tanks. In the first years of the war, despite the difficult conditions of combat and the insufficient supply of the army, coupled with the level of training of the enemy, the ground forces were able to maintain combat effectiveness and increase their power in defensive conditions, stop the rapid advance of the enemy and proceed to destroy him. During the Second World War, the firepower of the army increased significantly, the share of mechanized and armored forces increased from 4.4 to 11.5%, while the share of artillery increased from 12.6 to 20.7%. The number of troops almost doubled (to 10 million people), and the established clear, flexible army command structure ensured the effectiveness of combat operations. During the war, the armament of the ground forces was updated by 80%, and some types of weapons were superior in their combat characteristics to many foreign analogues.

Deep qualitative reforms took place in the army during the post-war period. To ensure continuous leadership of the most numerous and diverse branch of the armed forces of our country, the Main Command of the Ground Forces was formed in March 1946, the leadership of which was rightfully entrusted to Zhukov. From 1950 to 1997, this governing body was disbanded and recreated three times. The next large-scale stage of changes in the ground forces occurred during the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the number of troops was reduced due to natural reasons by more than 1 million people. Since 2009, as part of the general reform of the Russian armed forces, instead of the usual structure, cumbersome divisions, which were quite difficult to effectively manage, permanent readiness brigades were formed, which became the main tactical unit of the ground forces of the Russian Federation.

Today, the Russian ground forces are subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, and six military districts (Moscow, Leningrad, North Caucasus, Volga-Ural, Far Eastern and Siberian) are evenly distributed throughout the country. The modern structure of the Russian ground forces consists of the following types of troops: motorized rifle, tank, artillery and missile forces, air defense troops, as well as special troops, units and logistics units. All of the listed structures are organized into combined arms armies, specialized brigades (motorized rifle and mountain brigades, tank brigades, air assault brigades and cover brigades), machine gun and artillery divisions, military bases, training centers and other organizations and institutions.

The Day of the Russian Ground Forces is celebrated annually on October 1 on the basis of the decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" dated May 31, 2006.

The ground forces of the Russian Armed Forces trace their history back to the princely squads of Kievan Rus. The struggle to overcome feudal fragmentation, the formation of a centralized state and the elimination of foreign oppression led to an increase in the size of the army, and the strengthening of the economic way of life created the conditions for the first military reforms in Rus', which were actively carried out by Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible).

On October 1, 1550, a historically turning point occurred in the construction and development of the regular Russian army. On this day, Tsar Ivan the Terrible signed one of the first documents directly related to the ground forces - the decree “On the placement in Moscow and surrounding districts of a selected thousand service people,” which, in fact, laid the foundations of the first standing army, which had signs of a regular army. In accordance with the royal decree, “fire infantry” (streltsy regiments) and a permanent guard service were created, and the artillery “detail” was allocated as an independent branch of the military. In addition, Ivan the Terrible streamlined the system of recruiting local troops, established permanent service in peacetime and wartime, and organized centralized control of the army and its supply.

The next important stage in the development of ground forces was the period of the reign of Peter I. In November 1699, the tsar issued a decree “On the recruitment of soldiers from free people.” From then on, the recruiting principle of army formation began to operate, and after the end of the Northern War of 1700-1721, a regular army appeared in Russia.

However, the Ministry of Military Ground Forces was created only during the reign of Alexander I. On September 20 (September 8, old style), 1802, the tsar issued a manifesto “On the Establishment of Ministries,” on the basis of which, instead of collegiums, ministries were created, including the Ministry of Military ground forces.

The reform of the army was continued by Alexander II, who reorganized its structure, recruitment methods, organization and armament of troops, as well as the system of training military personnel. In addition, instead of conscription, universal conscription was introduced into the army.

From the second half of the 19th century, qualitative changes began to occur in the ground forces. The technical component has become of great importance. The engineering, aeronautical and railway units of the ground forces were actively developing. In addition, new special troops appeared - chemical and biological defense. However, the wars and revolutions of the early 20th century led to the virtual destruction of the old Russian army.

After the revolution of 1917 in Russia, a new Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was created, the basis of which was also ground forces, which included various types of troops (rifle, cavalry, artillery, armored forces) and special troops (engineers, communications, automobile, chemical, etc. ).

The ground forces received further development during the military reform of 1924-1925.

Ground forces played a decisive role in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, since the main battles took place on land. During the war their numbers almost doubled. The increase in their fire and strike power, maneuverability and combat effectiveness was based on the introduction of new, more effective weapons systems and military equipment.

After the end of the war, the Ground Forces were formalized as a branch of the Armed Forces of the USSR. On March 23, 1946, by order of the Chief of the General Staff of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky, issued on the basis of the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated February 25, 1946, a control body was formed - the Main Command of the Ground Forces. The first Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces was Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, who was also the Deputy People's Commissar of the USSR Armed Forces for the Ground Forces.

New large-scale changes occurred in the Russian army after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The process of reforming the Ground Forces has begun in order to bring it into line with the changed military-political conditions and economic capabilities of the state.

Modern Ground Forces are the most numerous and diverse branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in terms of weapons and methods of combat operations, designed to repel enemy aggression in continental theaters of military operations, protect the territorial integrity and national interests of the Russian Federation.

Currently, a systematic comprehensive re-equipment of the Ground Forces with modern weapons is taking place as part of the implementation of the State Armament Program until 2020. In parallel, a complex of research and development work is being carried out to create promising models of weapons and military equipment.

At the beginning of 2017, the level of equipment of the Russian Ground Forces with modern weapons and military equipment.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

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Russian Ground Forces Day is celebrated October 1 according to Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 549 of May 31, 2006 “On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”

Ground forces, as a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, are intended to conduct combat operations primarily on land. At all stages of the existence of our state, they played a vital and often decisive role in achieving victory over the enemy and protecting national interests.

The history of the creation of these troops takes us back to the middle of the 16th century. On October 1, 1550, a historically turning point occurred in the construction and development of the regular Russian army. On this day, the Tsar of All Rus' Ivan IV (the Terrible) issued a Verdict (Decree) “On the placement in Moscow and surrounding counties of a selected thousand service people,” which, in fact, laid the foundations of the first standing army, which had the characteristics of a regular army. And soon measures were taken to recruit the local army, permanent service was established in peacetime and wartime, and centralized control of the army and its supplies were organized.

The next important stage in the development of the Ground Forces was the reforms of Peter I. According to his decree “On the admission of soldiers from free people into service,” the recruiting principle of army formation began to operate in 1699, and after the end of the Northern War a regular army appeared in Russia. Under Alexander I, according to his famous manifesto, the Ministry of Military and Ground Forces was created. The reform was continued by Alexander II, who introduced universal conscription, reorganized the structure of the army, methods of recruiting and arming troops, as well as the system of training military personnel.

By the end of the 19th century, the technical component of the Ground Forces also changed, in connection with the development of railway traffic, aeronautics, and aviation. After the revolution of 1917, the development of the Ground Forces continued as part of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. And during the Great Patriotic War they played a decisive role in the victory over the Nazi troops.

The official registration of the Ground Forces as a branch of the Armed Forces of the USSR occurred in 1946, when a governing body was formed - the Main Command of the Ground Forces. And Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov was appointed the first Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces.

A new stage of reform of this type of troops, and the entire Russian army, began after the collapse of the USSR. Today, the Russian Ground Forces are the largest branch of the Russian Armed Forces in terms of combat strength. According to their combat capabilities, they are capable, in cooperation with other types of armed forces, to conduct an offensive in order to defeat the enemy group and seize its territory, deliver fire strikes to great depths, repel the invasion of the enemy, his large airborne assault forces, and firmly hold occupied territories, areas and lines.

The ground forces were one of the first to arise and essentially became the ancestors of the armed forces. The first mention of ground forces appeared on October 1, 1550, when Ivan the Terrible issued a decree creating a “selected thousand service people.” This was the beginning of the formation of regular army ground forces, which have now turned into a highly organized modern structure capable of conducting defensive actions, repelling enemy attacks, holding occupied territories, and delivering fire strikes on enemy territory. This is a whole group of modern troops, such as motorized rifle troops, communications troops, tank troops, missile and artillery troops. In memory of the historical date of creation, the Day of the Russian Ground Forces is celebrated on October 1 of each year.

Russian Ground Forces Day,
And three times "hurray"
I wish you courage and strength,
Success, peace and goodness.

I wish you health and prosperity,
I wish that the whole country is proud of you,
I wish you calm days and no despair,
I wish your soul to live in harmony.

National Army Day!
Honor and glory are given to you,
Thank you and bow to you,
Well, there is always damage to the enemy.

Let trouble not touch you,
May there never be wars
Happiness, joy, health,
And a house filled with love!

Congratulations on the Day of the Russian Ground Forces and wish you steely health and courage, justified life goals and constant endurance, good character building and enthusiasm. I wish you to be protected by fate, brave, dexterous and loved.

Ground troops
Serve the Motherland of the century,
They defend peace in their home country.
If we live in peace -
So, serve with dignity
And they are ready to repel the enemy from the outside.
Thank you very much,
We are happy to congratulate you on the holiday,
Wish everyone peace and health.
Let the “alarms” sound less often,
Know that at the end of the road
They are waiting at home with hope and love!

Ground forces - you have many glorious deeds,
The roads begin in the sixteenth century.
The tests have been passed and the character has been strengthened
And many opponents were defeated in formidable battles.

Modern troops are continuers of traditions,
We will never give up our strategic positions.
If we are united, we will defeat all enemies,
We don’t need someone else’s land, but we won’t give up ours!

Ground forces all
Celebrating their holiday
Every day they are on guard
Protect our peace!

Congratulations to all military personnel,
And we wish them victories,
Peace, blessings, love, patience,
Let the service go without any troubles.

In Russia we celebrate
Day of the country's ground forces,
May all your dreams come true,
Because you are always faithful.

Today we congratulate everyone,
And it won’t be a sin for us to drink,
May good luck and congratulations,
Will warm you up on a cloudy day.

Today we congratulate the ground forces,
And in the center, and in the west, and in the far corners...
Thank you, military, for your hard work.
Thanks to which everyone lives peacefully.

Army Day.
Happy holiday to everyone, guys.
I wish you easy service,
May your life be rich.

May the family always wait
Let the homeland appreciate it
May your views be correct
Nothing will change.

I wish you strength in your heart,
Unity only to brotherhood,
The support of the whole country is great
I wish to stay.

Congratulations, you tankers
And the riflemen are artillerymen.
Ground troops,
Leave melancholy behind you.

The Motherland is at peace with you,
Always serve with dignity.
On this holiday
I would like a packed lunch.

To a bullet from a machine gun
Flew out from a soldier.
To a stupid misfire
She ran away like a lamb.

So that the RGO grenade
She flew far away.
So that in your personal life
It was only “excellent”.

Border guard and artilleryman,
He is generally a great specialist,
He knows how to all enemies
To fight back, something the sailors never dreamed of.
Once we had to fight on land,
The army, after all: even though I didn’t want to,
It is important that it is possible!
We always wish you one thing
Let every day pass without an enemy.
So that your arms and legs are always with you,
Left strike so that you are always on the attack!

Congratulations: 16 in verse, 4 in prose.

The history of the Russian ground forces began on October 1, 1550. On this day, Tsar Ivan the Terrible issued a decree “On the placement in Moscow and surrounding districts of a selected thousand service people,” in accordance with which streltsy regiments (“fire infantry”) and a permanent guard service were created , and the artillery “detail” was separated into an independent branch of the military. In addition, Ivan the Terrible streamlined the system of recruiting local troops, established permanent service in peacetime and wartime, and organized centralized control of the army and its supply. Thus, the first standing army of the Russian state was created, which had the characteristics of a regular army.

In commemoration of this event in Russian military history, Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 31, 2006 No. 549 established a memorable date - the day of the Russian Ground Forces, which is celebrated annually on October 1.

The next important stage in the development of the ground forces was the period of the reign of Peter I. In November 1699, the tsar issued a decree “On the admission of soldiers from free people into service.” From then on, the recruiting principle of army formation began to operate, and after the end of the Northern War, a regular army appeared in Russia. However, the Ministry of Military Ground Forces was created only a century later - during the reign of Alexander I.

From the second half of the 19th century. Qualitative changes began to occur in the ground forces. The technical component has become of great importance. The engineering, aviation, aeronautical and railway units of the ground forces were actively developing. In addition, new special troops appeared - chemical and biological defense. However, the wars and revolutions of the early 20th century led to the virtual destruction of the old Russian army. The Bolsheviks who came to power created a new Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, which manifested itself during the Civil War.

Since the mid-1920s. The ground forces of the Red Army began to gain strength. They played a decisive role in the Great Patriotic War, since the main battles took place on land. During the war, their numbers almost doubled, and a flexible and fairly effective structure was formed that met the conditions of conducting an armed struggle against a technically well-equipped enemy army. The number of guns and mortars, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks and new types of self-propelled artillery, anti-tank weapons, air defense systems and automatic small arms was constantly increasing. In general, the armament of the ground forces has been updated by more than 80%.

After the end of the war, the Ground Forces were officially established as a branch of the Armed Forces of the USSR. On March 23, 1946, by order of the Chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky, issued on the basis of the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated February 25, 1946, a control body was formed - the Main Command of the Ground Forces. The first Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces was Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, who was also the Deputy People's Commissar of the USSR Armed Forces for the Ground Forces.

New large-scale changes occurred in the Russian army after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Moreover, at first, the military reform, in essence, came down to a simple reduction in the USSR Armed Forces and the Ground Forces, including. For example, from 1989 to 1997, their personnel decreased by more than 1 million 100 thousand military personnel.

Since 2009, as part of giving the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation a new look, significant structural changes have taken place in the Ground Forces. The main tactical formation of the Army became permanently ready brigades, formed instead of cumbersome and difficult to control divisions. As a result, the troops have become more compact and mobile, capable of successfully conducting highly maneuverable combat operations in modern wars and armed conflicts without additional measures to replenish formations and units.

Today, the Ground Forces include motorized rifle, tank troops, missile troops and artillery (RV and A), air defense troops, which are branches of the military, as well as special troops, units and logistics support units. Organizationally, they consist of combined arms armies (operational commands), motorized rifle (including mountain), tank, air assault brigades, covering brigades, military bases, machine gun and artillery divisions, training centers, formations and units of the Russian Army and Army, air defense troops, special forces and some other organizations and institutions.

Associations and formations of the Ground Forces are part of 4 military districts (joint strategic commands) and form the basis of groupings of troops (forces) in strategic directions.