242nd Motor Rifle Division

Last updated
242nd Motor Rifle Division
Active 1972–1989
CountryFlag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Branch Soviet Army
Type Motorized infantry
Garrison/HQ Abakan

The 242nd Motor Rifle Division was a motorized infantry division of the Soviet Army. The division existed from 1972 to 1988 and was based in Abakan. The division became a storage base in 1989 and was disbanded in 2009. [1]

Soviet Army name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992

The Soviet Army is the name given to the main land-based branch of the Soviet Armed Forces between February 1946 and December 1991, when it was replaced with the Russian Ground Forces, although it was not fully abolished until 25 December 1993. Until 25 February 1946, it was known as the Red Army, established by decree on 15 (28) January 1918 "to protect the population, territorial integrity and civil liberties in the territory of the Soviet state." The Strategic Missile Troops, Air Defense Forces and Air Forces were part of the Soviet Army in addition to the Ground Forces.

Abakan City in Khakassia, Russia

Abakan is the capital city of the Republic of Khakassia, Russia, located in the central part of Minusinsk Depression, at the confluence of the Yenisei and Abakan Rivers. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 165,214—a slight increase over 165,197 recorded during the 2002 Census and a further increase from 154,092 recorded during the 1989 Census.

Contents

History

The 242nd Motor Rifle Division was activated in 1972 in Abakan as part of the Siberian Military District. In 1980, its 485th Motorized Rifle Regiment became independent and was transferred to Yurga, being replaced by the 192nd Motorized Rifle Regiment. The division became part of the 33rd Army Corps in 1985. During the Cold War, the division was maintained at 23% strength. On 1 December 1989, the division became the 5350th Weapons and Equipment Storage Base. In 1991, the storage base was transferred back into the Siberian Military District. The storage base was disbanded in 2009 as part of the Russian military reform. [1] [2]

Siberian Military District formerly part of the armed forces of the Russian Federation

The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II the district was split into the Western and Eastern Siberian Military Districts. In 1956 the district was reformed. In 2010 it was divided between the two newly formed Central and Eastern Military Districts.

Yurga Town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia

Yurga is a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River. Population: 81,533 (2010 Census); 85,555 (2002 Census); 93,202 (1989 Census).

Cold War State of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union with its satellite states, and the United States with its allies after World War II. A common historiography of the conflict begins with 1946, the year U.S. diplomat George F. Kennan's "Long Telegram" from Moscow cemented a U.S. foreign policy of containment of Soviet expansionism threatening strategically vital regions, and ending between the Revolutions of 1989 and the 1991 collapse of the USSR, which ended communism in Eastern Europe. The term "cold" is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides, but they each supported major regional conflicts known as proxy wars.

Composition

In 1988, the division included the following units. All units were based at Abakan unless noted. [1]

Chadan (town) Town in Tuva, Russia

Chadan is a town and the administrative center of Dzun-Khemchiksky District in the Tuva Republic, Russia, located on the Chadan River, 224 kilometers (139 mi) west of Kyzyl, the capital of the republic. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 9,035.

Kyzyl City in eastern Russia

Kyzyl is the capital city of the Tuva Republic, Russia. The name of the city means "red" or "crimson" in Tuvan. Population: 109,918 (2010 Census); 104,105 (2002 Census); 84,641 (1989 Census).

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Holm, Michael. "242nd Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  2. "В Абакане будет ликвидирована воинская часть" [In Abakan military unit to be disbanded]. newslab.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-01-03.