Anniversary of the formation of the 150th Siberian Infantry Volunteer Division (22nd Guard Riga Division)

July 3, 1942, during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), the State Defense Committee (GKO) approved the decision of the Bureau of the Novosibirsk Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) to form a Siberian Volunteer Division, which was given the name of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the USSR, I. V. Stalin and the troop number – 150th Infantry Division.

The first Siberian divisions of the Great Patriotic War were created in accordance with the Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, I. V. Stalin on August 11, 1941. Under the order, the command of the Siberian Military District was to form in the shortest time possible twelve rifle and four cavalry divisions in 16 Siberian cities. Military District completed its task within the time specified in the order of the People’s Commissar of Defense.

By February-March 1942 new Siberian divisions were formed. In the summer of that year, in the Siberian Military District began the formation of the Siberian Volunteer Corps of the 150th Division and of 4 Stalin Brigades: 74th brigade (Altai Region), 75th brigade (Omsk Region), 78th brigade (Krasnoyarsk Region) and 91st brigade (of volunteers throughout Western Siberia).

In July 1942, the Office of the Novosibirsk Regional Committee of the CPSU (B) passed a resolution: "To form the first volunteer division only from volunteers, at least 50 percent of whom should be Communists and Komsomol members." Already on July 3 was received the permission to form the Siberian Volunteer Division, which was given the name of I. V. Stalin and troop number, 150th Infantry Division. This division was formed in Novosibirsk, as a part of the 469th Novosibirsk, the 674th Kuzbass, the 856th Kemerovo and the 328th Tomsk artillery regiments. The division also included a separate company of Narym professional hunters.

Forming the units and formations of the 6th Siberian Volunteer Corps went fairly quickly. It was necessary in the shortest time to fully train each volunteer to shoot straight out of all kinds of weapons, wield a bayonet and a shovel, and teach them the tactics of rapid attacks. Exactly two months later - September 3, 1942 - in a solemn ceremony every soldier was handed weapons of war; regiments and separate battalions were given Red banners with words of encouragement: "We believe these flags will be covered with glory, and the names of many of you will become immortal! We trust that you will return with victory!"

April 19, 1943 under the Order of the Supreme Commander of the Soviet Union, for its military services, the Siberian Volunteer Corps was named the Guards Corps. From that time on it was called the 19th Guards Rifle Corps; and the 150th Volunteer Division was called the 22th Guards Rifle Division of Siberians. During the fighting Siberian Guardsmen had marched 1700 kilometers from the town of Belyi in the Kalinin Region, through the Smolensk Region, Belarus, Latvia to the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Throughout the entire war time, the 22nd Guards Division continued to be completed with volunteer soldiers from the Siberian region, and at the end of July 1943 it included an armored company, whose equipment was purchased with funds collected by the inhabitants of the Novosibirsk region. For courage and heroism of Siberian soldiers during the liberation of Riga, under the Order of the Supreme Commander of November 3, 1944 the 22nd Guards Division was awarded the honorary title of "Riga Division"; 26 men of this division had been awarded the highest honor - to take part in the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945.

According to the decision of the Novosibirsk City Council of deputies of 28 April 1965, in honor of the military exploits of the soldiers of the 22nd Guards Siberian Volunteer Division, the arterial street of the Kirov district of Novosibirsk was named after it.

Lit.: 22-я Сибирская Гвардейская стрелковая дивизия [Электронный ресурс] // Муниципальная общеобразовательная средняя школа № 3 имени Бориса Богаткова г. Новосибирска. Б. д. URL: http://www.phys.nsu.ru/school/museum/sgd22.htm; Боевой путь Сибирских дивизий в Великой Отечественной войне 1941-1945 гг. Новосибирск, 2005; Борисенко И. Воинские части и соединения. Новосибирск, 2003. С. 162-165; Доблестный труд рабочих, крестьян, интеллигенции Новосибирской области в годы Великой Отечественной войны (1941–1945): сб. документов. Новосибирск, 1964; Зайцев П. П. От Сибири до Прибалтики: боевой путь 22-й гвардейской Рижской стрелковой дивизии сибиряков-добровольцев. Кемерово, 1974; Орлов К. Л. 22-я гвардейская стрелковая дивизия // Рижские гвардейские. Рига, 1972. С. 127-151; Плоскоголовая Т. И. 60 лет с начала формирования 22-й (150-й) Гвардейской Сибирской добровольческой Рижской дивизии (1942) // Календарь знаменательных и памятных дат по Новосибирской области, 2002 год. Новосибирск, 2002. С. 65-68; Сибирская добровольческая: сб. / сост. А. С. Ширяев. Новосибирск, 1967; Уходил на войну сибиряк, 1941-1945 гг. // В пламени и славе: очерки истории Краснознамённой Сибирского военного округа. Новосибирск, 1988. С. 75-240; Фабрика Ю. А. 150-я стрелковая Сибирская добровольческая дивизия (22-я гвардейская стрелковая Рижская дивизия). 70 лет с начала формирования // Календарь знаменательных и памятных дат по Новосибирской области, 2012 год. Новосибирск, 2011. С. 181-184; Фабрика Ю. А. Сибирский щит: (становление сибирского воинства и воен. деятели Сибири. Новосибирск, 2001. С. 109-121.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Memory of the Great Victory: [digital collection].