The 2nd Emperor Alexander III's Sofia Infantry Regiment (russian: 2-й пехотный Софийский Императора Александра III полк) was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

Russian Imperial Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

. By 1914, the 2nd Sofia Infantry Regiment was part of the 1st Infantry Division, and it fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

before being dissolved in 1918 after the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

History

The unit was founded on 17 January 1811 as the 49th Egersky Regiment. In March of that year it was renamed Sofia Infantry Regiment and in 1833 the 2nd naval regiment was attached to the unit. Later in 1833 the regiment was renamed the Sofia Naval Regiment before its name was changed back in 1856. On 6 April 1863 three

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

s of the regiment were taken to form a new Sofia reserve infantry regiment. The following year it was renamed the 2nd Sofia Infantry Regiment and in December 1877 it gained the title of "His Imperial Highness the Heir and

Tsarevich Tsarevich (russian: Царевич, ) is a Slavic title given to tsars' sons. Under the 1797 Pauline house law, the title was discontinued and replaced with ''Tsesarevich'' for the heir apparent alone. His younger brothers were called '' Velik ...

's Sofia Infantry Regiment". In February 1881 it became "His Majesty's" and on 11 February 1894 it became the 2nd Emperor Alexander III's Sofia Infantry Regiment.

Combat chronicle

The Sofia Regiment fought in the defense of Smolensk in 1812 during the

French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...

, fighting off a French attack as part of the 7th Infantry Division against Mstislav and Roslavl districts of the city. About 200 men of the unit were killed or missing. During

, it was part of the 1st Infantry Division and took part in the

Battle of Tannenberg The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 26 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russi ...

. The 2nd Sofia Infantry Regiment was dissolved in 1918 after the

Memorial

A memorial for the Sofia Regiment was built in its city of origin,

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest c ...

, on 5 August 1912 at the Lopatinsky Park. It was made on the 100th anniversary in the victory during the

Patriotic War of 1812 The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...

against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, commemorating the regiment's participation in the conflict. The memorial was made by a private of the regiment's 7th company. It consists of a period held up by six columns in a circular base. On the side it has a cross and the regimental insignia, while on the top there is an imperial eagle.

References

{{coord, 54.7831, N, 32.0363, E, source:wikidata, display=title Infantry regiments of the Russian Empire Smolensk Governorate Military units and formations established in 1811 Military units and formations disestablished in 1918