Among the names of many units of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War, special ones stood out, marked by the geographical name of the area where their soldiers distinguished themselves by outstanding feats of arms. It had to be earned.
In connection with the events of the last decade in the North Caucasus, journalists often used the name "Taman Tank Division". This is not entirely correct, since the division is motorized rifle, however, it includes a tank regiment. There is both a missile and a self-propelled artillery division, but this did not make the division either a missile or an artillery one.
However, today few people know that during the war there was another military unit with a very similar name.
One of the elite units of the Russian (formerly Soviet) army will soon be returned to its formidable name covered with glory. At the suggestion of the President of the Russian Federation, the 2nd Taman Guards Division will be revived, the status of which was lowered to brigade in the course of the military reform. This unit should not be confused with the 89th Armenian division, which distinguished itself around the same time and fought there, in the Kuban, in the North Caucasus. A further story will go about her.
In the Red Army of the pre-war period, some combat units were formed on a national basis, in particular, there were six Armenian divisions in the Soviet armed forces. Their specificity consisted in a good level of training for combat operations in mountainous areas. The military doctrine of the late 1930s assumed decisive offensive actions, and for their successful implementation it was necessary to overcome mountain ranges and take possession of the oil fields in Romania. The nationality of most of the personnel was not advertised, but the future Taman division received the unofficial name of the 89th Armenian rifle division.
It was not possible to use mountain skills for their intended purpose, they had to fight on their own territory, and the losses turned out to be considerable. Since 1943, Nver Gevorkovich Saforyan was appointed commander of the 89th. The heroic page of the combat annals of the unit, which has become a legend, is associated with his name.
August 1943. The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command announces the task: to crack the German defenses on Mount Dolgaya. This height became the key to mastering the Taman Peninsula. The regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Yervand Karapetyan, fearlessly went on the attack. Senior Sergeant Avetisyan repeated the feat of Alexander Matrosov, he closed the embrasure with his body. In those hot days, ordinary Karakhanyan and Arakelyan, having shown heroism, were awarded the gold stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union. The result of these bloody battles was the liberation of Taman. In honor of this peninsula, a division in Octoberthe same year received its formidable name.
Then there were difficult miles of war, the liberation of Kerch, Crimea. For the mass heroism shown, two regiments were awarded the title of Sevastopol. One of the first, the 89th Taman Division, reached the Soviet border, passed through Poland, and then rushed to the enemy's lair, to Germany. Here, on the smoking ruins of the Reichstag, her soldiers celebrated the Victory by dancing kochari (an Armenian folk dance).
Of course, during the war, the ethnic composition of the unit changed. The Armenian Taman division suffered losses, received reinforcements, and again went into battle.
In the post-war years, the national units of the Soviet army were abolished. In 1956, the 89th Taman Division was disbanded.
