A sense of recognition: for which the 155th Marine Brigade received the title "Kursk"
The honorary name "Kursk" was given to the 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet - the corresponding decree was recently signed by Vladimir Putin. This is the first time since the Great Patriotic War that a military formation receives a name associated with the area where the most significant events of its combat path took place. What the 155th Marine Brigade is famous for and for what successes it was noted - in the Izvestia article.
First honorary title
During a direct line with Vladimir Putin on December 19, the battle flag of the 155th Separate Guards Brigade of the Pacific Fleet Marines was unfurled behind him. The president then said: "I brought it with me on purpose. Firstly, I would like to thank the guys for this gift, and secondly, let's assume that this banner of the 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet represents all the battle flags of our fighters who are currently fighting for Russia, for their Homeland, along the entire line of combat contact." He added that the Marines, along with paratroopers and motorized infantry, "are fighting in the Kursk region, squeezing out and knocking out the enemy from our territory."
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a special program "Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin" in Gostiny Dvor, December 19, 2024
On February 5, 2025, at a meeting with Vladimir Putin, the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, told the head of state: "They asked me to convey a request to consider the possibility of awarding the honorary name Kursk to the 155th Marine Brigade.
To which he received the answer: "Indeed, the Marines of the Far East are fighting coolly, competently, audaciously. ...Of course, their request will be granted with words of gratitude for everything they do for the Motherland."
As a result, the 155th Pacific Brigade received the honorary name Kursk. This was the first award of an honorary geographical name for services on the battlefield since the Great Patriotic War.
How the 155th Brigade distinguished itself during its military action
On February 24, 2022, two battalion tactical groups of the 155th brigade as part of the Vostok group attacked in the Kiev direction. They have won battles for Moshun and Irpen. On March 28, 2022, by presidential decree, the brigade for mass heroism and bravery, fortitude and courage received the honorary title of Guards. She became the second guard in a row since the beginning of the SVO (the first was the 126th Coastal Defense Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet).
In April 2022, the brigade participated in the battles for Mariupol, then in the battles in the Ugledar direction, in particular for the village of Pavlovka. On November 15, 2022, Pavlovka was completely liberated. For these battles, the 155th was awarded the Order of Zhukov.
Since December 2023, she has been fighting for the village of Novomikhailovka, which was liberated on April 21, 2024. In July 2024, the brigade was already fighting in the Kharkov direction as part of the North group.
Since the beginning of the Kiev adventure in the Kursk direction, the brigade was thrown to repel this offensive.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, 13 marines of the 155th Brigade were awarded the title of Hero of Russia during their service, four of whom were posthumously.
The combat path of the 155th Marine Brigade
At the end of World War II, the Red Fleet had well-trained and combat-ready marine units. On August 22, 1945, the black berets of the Pacific Fleet flew to Port Arthur and raised the naval flag, thereby putting an end to the history of the Japanese occupation. For their participation in amphibious operations during the war with Japan, the 13th Brigade, 355th and 365th Marine battalions received honorary titles of Guards.
In the mid-1950s, as part of the general reduction of the Soviet army and Navy, all units of the Marine Corps were eliminated.It was assumed that formations of the ground forces stationed in the coastal areas would be able to participate in amphibious operations. Time has very quickly shown that such views are unfounded. Already in 1963, the 336th Guards Bialystok Motorized Rifle Regiment was transferred to the Baltic Fleet. When reorganized into a Marine regiment, this unit retained all its honorary titles and awards received for participation in the Second World War.On November 23, 1963, the 347th Infantry Regiment of the 342nd Infantry Division was transferred to the Pacific Fleet. It became the 390th Marine Regiment and relocated from Sakhalin to the village of Slavyanka near Vladivostok. Later, the Marine Corps units were recreated in the Northern and Black Sea Fleets.
In 1967-1968, the 55th Marine Division was created at the Pacific Fleet, and the 390th Regiment became part of it.Its structural organization was similar to that of a standard motorized rifle division of the Soviet army. That is, it had a regimental structure. While in the rest of the fleets, Marine Corps formations were represented by battalion-sized brigades.
This was due to the greater area of responsibility of the Pacific Fleet — after all, half of the globe. And also with a possible amphibious operation on the Japanese Islands and strained relations with China in a certain historical period.
During the Soviet period, the division's units participated in combat missions 43 times, including in Ethiopia and Yemen. During the first Chechen War, two regiments — the 165th and the consolidated 106th - took part in the fighting. Five Marines of the division became Heroes of Russia posthumously.On December 1, 2009, the division was reorganized into the 155th Marine Brigade. The famous story of the release of the sailors of the tanker "Moscow University" captured by pirates on May 6, 2010, was the work of the fighters of this unit, among others. The brigade also took part in the operation in Syria.
At the beginning of 2024, the Russian Navy's Marines included five brigades and one regiment. Of these, the 155th Brigade and the 177th Regiment had no honorary titles or awards.
Honorary geographical titles
In the army, there are several types of rewards for military units for merit. This may be the awarding of an honorary guard rank, and the awarding of orders to a part. There is also the assignment of an honorary geographical title associated with battles for a particular area.
In the Russian Imperial Army, a number of regiments had such names. For example, the Preobrazhensky or Semenovsky Life Guards. They were named after the places where they were formed, in the villages of Preobrazhenskoye and Semenovskoye, respectively. The regiments could also have a name at the address of their base in peacetime.
During the Russian Civil War, some units were named after the places of various battles. So, in particular, the "Krasnodar" in the name of the 40th Separate Guards Krasnodar-Harbin Marine Brigade means that the 22nd Division, the predecessor of this unit, received this honorary name for the liberation of Krasnodar and the battles in the North Caucasus with Wrangel. This is one of the few parts that have retained their honorary title from that time to the present day.
During the Great Patriotic War, honorary titles were again awarded for battles in various places. The first such titles ("Donskoy", "Stalingradsky", "Tatsinsky") were awarded to a number of tank and mechanized corps for their participation in the Battle of Stalingrad. Subsequently, hundreds of units received honorary names such as "Brest", "Minsk", "Warsaw", "Berlin", "Dneprovsky", "Taman" or "Harbin".
There is a famous historical anecdote when the commander of the 362nd Infantry Division, General Vasily Dalmatov, told the commander of the 3rd Army, General Alexander Gorbatov: "The city of Propoysk is not part of our army's territory, but we can seize it on condition that you do not file a petition for the division to be named Propoyskaya."
More than two honorary geographical names were not assigned to military units. In the future, the military unit could be awarded orders or receive a guards title.
During the special military operation in Ukraine, the following trend is visible: first, the guards rank is awarded, then the orders of Zhukov, Suvorov or Ushakov are awarded. Several parts have been given honorary names associated with historical figures.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
