The 10th Guards ''Uralsko-Lvovskaya'' Volunteer Tank Division, also known as the Ural-Lvov Tank Division, is a

tank division A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...

of the

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...

and part of the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military D ...

20th Guards Army The 20th Guards Combined Arms Army (originally designated as the 4th Tank Army, 4th Guards Tank Army in 1945, 4th Guards Mechanised Army in 1946, and the 20th Guards Army in 1960 within the Soviet Ground Forces) is a field army. In 1991, after t ...

. The division traces its heritage back to 1943, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. It is headquartered and based at

Boguchar Boguchar (russian: Богуча́р) is a town and the administrative center of Bogucharsky District in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, located on the Boguchar River (a tributary of the Don), south of Voronezh, the administrative center of the oblast. ...

, 160 kilometres south of

Voronezh Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on ...

Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast (russian: Воронежская область, Voronezhskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Voronezh. Its population was 2,308,792 as of the 2021 Census. Geography V ...

. Its complete formal designation is: "The 10th Guards Tank Ural- L'vov the

Order of October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...

Red Banner Red Banner (russian: Красное знамя) was a symbol of revolutionary struggle used late Russian Empire, in Soviet Russia, and in the USSR and the background of the Soviet state flag and other similar flags. Military units, ins ...

, the

Order of Suvorov The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). History The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet award established on July 29, 19 ...

and the

Order of Kutuzov The Order of Kutuzov (russian: орден Кутузова ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established ...

Volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

division in the name of

Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union (russian: Маршал Советского Союза, Marshal sovetskogo soyuza, ) was the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in 19 ...

R.A. Malinovsky" (Russian: 10 гвардейская танковая Уральско-Львовская ордена Октябрьской революции Краснознаменная орденов Суворова и Кутузова добровольческая дивизия имени Маршала Советского Союза Р. А. Малиновского). Reports indicate that the Division has been reduced in status to a mobilisable base for the storage of weapons and equipment, (which in wartime would become a tank brigade), during the 2009

reorganisation.

World War II

The people of the

Ural Ural may refer to: *Ural (region), in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural Mountains, in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural (river), in Russia and Kazakhstan * Ual (tool), a mortar tool used by the Bodo people of India *Ural Federal District, in Russia *Ural econ ...

districts took the initiative to create the Urals voluntary tank corps which became an elite formation. Three tank brigades (including one from

Perm Perm or PERM may refer to: Places *Perm, Russia, a city in Russia ** Permsky District, the district **Perm Krai, a federal subject of Russia since 2005 **Perm Oblast, a former federal subject of Russia 1938–2005 **Perm Governorate, an administra ...

) and one motor-rifle brigade and other military units were included in its structure. Colonel Vadim Sokolov oversaw the formation of the unit. On 28 March 1943, Major General

Georgy Rodin Georgy Semyonovich Rodin (Russian: Георгий Семёнович Родин; 19 November 1897 – 6 January 1976) was a Red Army lieutenant general. Rodin fought in World War I as a non-commissioned officer of the Imperial Russian Army. He joi ...

took command. The formation was initially known as the 30th ''Uralsky'' Voluntary Tank Corps and was formed in April 1943 in the

Ural Military District The Red Banner Ural Military DistrictHistory of the Ural Military District / Edited by Alexander Egorovsky, Ivan Tutarinov – 1 – Moscow: Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union, 1970 – 352 Pages – 11,500 ...

. Workers from the Ural tank factories were among its initial recruits. The Corps has the distinction of being entirely paid-for by the donations of the population of the Urals. This included its entire complement of

T-34 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The C ...

tanks built by the Urals factories. 23 March 1943 is considered the "birthday" of the 243rd Perm Tank Brigade. On 1 June 1943, units of the corps were despatched to the front line for the first time. The first action for the Urals Volunteer Tank Corps was at Oryol, the counterattack (

Operation Kutuzov Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German '' He ...

) on the northern side of the

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...

salient after the German defeat at the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history ...

proper. Historian

John Erickson John Erickson may refer to: * John E. Erickson (Montana politician) (1863–1946), American politician from Montana * John E. Erickson (basketball) (1927–2020), American basketball coach and executive, Wisconsin politician * John P. Erickson ...

wrote that, following a 'ragged' attack by 11th Tank and 6th Guards Mechanised Corps by 4th Tank Army on 26 July 1943, during which both corps were heavily battered by concealed German tanks and assault guns. The next day, the 30th Tank Corps 'pushed in with a fierce attack' but the tank army 'covered only about one mile in all'. On 25 October 1943 it was honoured and renamed the 10th Guards ''Uralsky'' Voluntary Tank Corps. The corps then fought in battles at

Bryansk Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population: Geography Urban la ...

, Lower Silesia, Upper Silesia, Proskurovo- Kamenetc-

Podolsk Podolsk ( rus, Подольск, p=pɐˈdolʲsk) is an industrial city, center of Podolsk Urban Okrug, Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Pakhra River (a tributary of the Moskva River). History The first mentions of the village of Podol, ...

, Lvov-Sandomir and during the Vistula-Oder,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

and Prague Offensives. On 16 March 1944, Major General Yevtikhy Belov became the corps commander. On 22 October 1944, Belov became deputy commander of the 4th Tank Army and Colonel Nil Chuprov replaced him in command. Chuprov was wounded on 10 February 1945 and replaced by Belov. The corps was awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of t ...

, the Order of Suvorov and the Order of

Kutuzov Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov ( rus, Князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов, Knyaz' Mikhaíl Illariónovich Goleníshchev-Kutúzov; german: Mikhail Illarion Golenishchev-Kut ...

. The

62nd Guards Perm-Keletcky Tank Brigade 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

, which had earlier received an honorific named for Kielce, was in addition awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky for heroism shown in battle. The corps finished the war in what is now

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, and briefly became part of the

Northern Group of Forces The Northern Group of Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army stationed in People's Republic of Poland, Poland from the end of World War II, Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fal ...

Cold War

On 28 June 1945, the corps became a division at

Chrudim Chrudim () is a town in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest town of the region. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Admi ...

. The brigades became regiments. On 31 October 1946, the division was reduced to a mobilization tank regiment. All attached units remained but were downsized. In 1947, the regiment moved to Krampnitz,

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

, and became a division again in March 1950. The division was one of the formations used to suppress the

East German uprising of 1953 The East German uprising of 1953 (german: Volksaufstand vom 17. Juni 1953 ) was an uprising that occurred in East Germany from 16 to 17 June 1953. It began with a strike action by construction workers in East Berlin on 16 June against w ...

. For good results in combat training on 16 June 1967 the division was named after Marshal of the Soviet Union

Rodion Malinovsky Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky (russian: Родио́н Я́ковлевич Малино́вский, ukr, Родіо́н Я́кович Малино́вський ; – 31 March 1967) was a Soviet military commander. He was Marshal of the Sov ...

and on 21 February 1978 it was awarded the

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...

. The 697th Separate Missile Battalion became part of the

448th Missile Brigade The 448th Rocket Brigade named for S.P. Nepobedimy is a tactical ballistic missile brigade of the Russian Ground Forces. Based in Kursk, the brigade is part of the 20th Guards Army. History The brigade was formed in September 1987 at Born in E ...

in September 1987. In June 1990, the division's 7th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion was transferred to the

47th Guards Tank Division The 47th Guards Tank Division () is a tank division of the Russian Ground Forces. It was formed in October 1942, during World War II from the first formation of the 154th Rifle Division as the 47th Guards Rifle Division. It served with the 8 ...

. The 47th's 112th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion replaced the 7th. At the time of its withdrawal from Germany in 1990 the division was equipped with 316

T-64 The T-64 is a Soviet tank manufactured in Kharkiv, and designed by Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau. The tank was introduced in the early 1960s. It was a more advanced counterpart to the T-62: the T-64 served in tank divisions, whil ...

BM tanks and 12

T-80 The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) that was designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union and manufactured in Russia. The T-80 is based on the T-64, while incorporating features from the later T-72. The chief designer of the T-80 was S ...

B tanks.

Composition in the late 1980s

*10th Guards Tank Ural-L'vov Volunteer Division (HQ Altengrabow) **61st Guards Sverdlovsk-L'vov Tank Regiment (Altengrabow) ** 62nd Guards Permian-Keletskiy Tank Regiment (Altengrabow) **63rd Guards Chelyabinsk-Petrokovskiy Tank Regiment (Altengrabow) **248th Guards Unechskiy Motor Rifle Regiment (Schönebeck) **744th Guards Ternopol' Artillery Regiment (Altengrabow) **359th Guards L'vov Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Altengrabow) **112th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (Halberstadt, later Altengrabow) **152nd Separate Guards Communications Battalion (Altengrabow) **131st Separate Guards Engineer Battalion (Magdeburg) **127th Separate Chemical Defence Battalion (Altengrabow) **1072nd Separate Material Supply Battalion (Altengrabow) **60th Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion (Altengrabow) **188th Separate Medical Battalion (Altengrabow)

Service in the Russian Ground Forces

The division was moved back to

in the

. The 6th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade was withdrawn from Berlin, reorganised as a motor rifle regiment and was garrisoned at Kursk. The 63rd Guards Tank Regiment was combined with the 6th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade combining with the tank regiment to form the 6th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment in 1997. In 2009-2010 the division was reduced to a weapons and equipment storage site and mobilization tank brigade. Most recently the new formation has been named as the 262nd Guards Ural-Lvov Order of the October Revolution Red Banner Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov Weapons and Equipment Storage Base named for Marshal of the Soviet Union R.I. Malinovsky (Russian: ''262-я гвардейская Уральско-Львовская ордена Октябрьской Революции Краснознаменная орденов Суворова и Кутузова база хранения и ремонта вооружения и техники named for Marshal of the Soviet Union Р.Я. Малиновского (отбр) (п. Богучар Воронежской области, 1-я отбр)''. In 2015 the Russian Ministry of Defence announced that the traditions of the division would be continued by a reformed 1st Separate Ural-Lvov Tank Brigade as part of the

, still based in Boguchar. Sources however disagree as to whether the brigade was reformed; in any case the

3rd Motor Rifle Division The 3rd Vislenskaya Red Banner Motor Rifle Division is a motorized infantry division of the Russian Ground Forces. The 3rd Motor Rifle Division was formed in 1997 from the amalgamation of the 31st and 47th Guards Tank Divisions of the Moscow ...

ended up at Boguchar before the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

Subordinate units in 2006

*61st Guards Tank Regiment "Sverdlovsko- Lvovskiy" * 62nd Guards Tank Regiment *6th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (

) *248th Motor Rifle Regiment *744th Artillery Regiment *359th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment *112th Separate Intelligence Battalion *152nd Separate Communications Battalion *127th Separate Chemical Defence Battalion *131st Separate Engineer Battalion *60th Repair Battalion *1072nd Separate Logistics Battalion *188th Separate Medical Battalion *689th Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion

Sources and references

* Keith Bonn (ed.), ''Slaughterhouse: The Handbook of the Eastern Front'', Aberjona Press, Bedford, PA, 2005 * Feskov et al., ''Советская Армия в годы «холодной войны» (1945-1991)'', Tomsk: Tomsk University Press, 2004
Heritage of Perm - News Archive
{{Soviet Union divisions

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Military units and formations established in 1945 Military units and formations disestablished in 2009 Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner