Advisor-Envoy of the Russian Embassy Shamil Shamsutdinov noted that the base is one of the most important factors of stability in the republic
DUSHANBE, June 1. /tass/. The Russian 201st Gatchina Order of Zhukov twice Red Banner military Base (RVB), stationed in Tajikistan, celebrated the 80th anniversary of the formation of the compound. Solemn events on the occasion of the anniversary took place on Thursday on the territory of the military unit in Dushanbe, a TASS correspondent reports.
The events began with the laying of wreaths at the monument to the first commander of the 201st Rifle Division, Major General Vyacheslav Yakutovich, and to the Eternal Flame on the Alley of Heroes of the RVB. Commander of the 201st RVB Andrey Marushkin, representatives of the Russian Embassy, the trade mission, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic, veteran organizations, military personnel of the unit honored the memory of the heroes.
Opening the rally in honor of the formation of the compound, the adviser-envoy of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tajikistan Shamil Shamsutdinov congratulated the servicemen and read out the congratulations of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Tajikistan Semyon Grigoriev, in which the main milestones of the history of the base were noted. "On October 16, 2004, the division was transformed into the 201st Russian military base [on the territory of Tajikistan], becoming the largest unit of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation abroad. And today the RVB carries out an important mission to protect the interests of Russia," the message reads.
The diplomat noted that the base is one of the most important factors of stability in Tajikistan, with which Russia has fraternal and close strategic relations, adding that Tajikistan is "an outpost of the entire CIS in a very complex and responsible Afghan direction." Grigoriev expressed confidence that the servicemen "will continue to fulfill their assigned tasks with honor, improve their professional level and reliably protect the strategic interests of Russia, the border of Tajikistan and the borders of the CIS."
The commander of the RVB congratulated the personnel, recalling the merits of the servicemen. "The valiant Gatchina soldiers worthily passed the fiery roads during the Great Patriotic War, the civil wars in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Today, the personnel of the base continues to perform military duty during a special military operation, proudly carrying the battle banner with the Order of Zhukov and two orders of the Red Banner," Marushkin stressed. The commander presented the distinguished servicemen with awards, awarded military ranks.
After the ceremony, the personnel of the military units marched in front of the podium with the guests. Then demonstration performances took place: the orchestra presented a musical composition, the military personnel demonstrated sportsmanship and combat skills using drones, helicopters and heavy armored vehicles. There was also a competition of national field cuisine among the units of the unit, where, in addition to Russian and Tajik cuisine, dishes of Buryat, Karachay-Cherkess, Kazakh cuisine, dishes from other regions of Russia and Central Asia were prepared. The creative teams of the base, as well as the children of military personnel, showed a musical program with the performance of songs and dances of different nationalities.
Stationed in Tajikistan, the 201st RVB is Russia's largest military facility outside of its borders. The connection is located in Dushanbe and Bokhtar. The RVB includes motorized rifle, tank, artillery, reconnaissance units, air defense units, radiation, chemical and biological protection and communications.
The history of the connection begins on June 1, 1943, when, by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the 201st Rifle Division was formed on the basis of the Leningrad Internal Security brigades, the border brigade and individual units of the Baltic Fleet Marine Brigade, which had been defending Leningrad since 1941. In 1944, the compound liberated more than 55 settlements and the city of Gatchina, for her courage and heroism in January 1944, she was given the name "Gatchina". Already in May 1944, the division received the first Order of the Red Banner for exemplary performance of command tasks in battles with the Nazi invaders and courage in the liberation of the city of Luga. Later, the division participated in the battles for the liberation of the Baltic states and met victory in Latvia.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the division relocated to the Tajik SSR, where it ensured the security of the southern borders of the Soviet Union. From February 1980 to February 1989, as part of a limited contingent of Soviet troops, the division's personnel were in Afghanistan and participated in combat operations in the Afghan provinces of Kunduz, Takhar, Balkh, Baghlan and Samangan. The 201st Division received the second Order of the Red Banner for the successful solution of its tasks.
In the early 1990s, when a civil war broke out in Tajikistan, the military of the compound stood up for the protection of the constitutional order of the republic and supported the authorities, taking more than 40 particularly important strategic objects under protection. Together with Russian border guards, the division's servicemen repelled armed attempts by terrorists to infiltrate Tajikistan from Afghan territory.
