76th Rifle Division (Soviet Union) - Establishment

Establishment

The 76th was initially formed as a brigade sized unit and led by several non-Armenian commanders including Major Generals S. V. Chernikov, E. F. Pryakhin, K. E. Goryunov, N. E. Kaladzen, N. T. Tavarkeeladzen (the latter two ethnic Georgians), Colonel G. G. Voronin, and subordinate commanders A. P. Melik-Shahnazaryan, H. T. Atoyan (the last two being Armenians). It published several military newspapers and newsletters, including The Red Soldier and The Red Fighting Man in the Armenian language and the Voroshilovets (in Russian: Ворошиловец) in Russian named after Soviet Central Committee member and later Marshal of the Soviet Union, Kliment Voroshilov.

In 1935, the division was officially named after Voroshilov and two years later was decorated with the Order of the Red Banner. In 1938, the division was brought up to full size and stationed in the Armenian SSR. Attempts by the Soviet High Command to change the number, alter the division's military traditions, and even the decorations it had been bestowed upon were met with protestations by the commanders who successfully argued in favor of retaining them.