2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division
The 2nd Guards M. I. Kalinin Taman Motor Rifle Division (Russian: 2-я гвардейская мотострелковая Таманская ордена Октябрьской Революции Краснознаменная ордена Суворова дивизия имени М. И. Калинина, romanized: 2-ya gvardeyskaya motostrelkovaya Tamanskaya ordena Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii Krasnoznamennaya ordena Suvorova diviziya imeni M. I. Kalinina), commonly known as the Tamanians or Taman Division, is a Guards mechanised infantry division of the Russian Ground Forces. Its Military Unit Number is 23626.
| 2nd Guards M. I. Kalinin Taman Motor Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| 2-я гвардейская мотострелковая Таманская ордена Октябрьской Революции Краснознаменная ордена Суворова дивизия имени М. И. Калинина | |
2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division Emblem | |
| Active | 1941–2009 2013–present |
| Country | Soviet Union (until 1991) Russia |
| Branch | Red Army (1941-1946) Soviet Army (1946-1991) Russian Ground Forces (1991-present) |
| Type | Division |
| Role | Mechanized infantry |
| Size | 12,000–14,000 soldiers |
| Part of | Western Military District 1st Guards Tank Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Kalininets, Moscow Oblast |
| Nickname(s) | Tamanskaya Division Taman Division Taman Guards |
| Patron | Mikhail Kalinin |
| Motto(s) | "Rodina, chest, slava" (Motherland, Honour, Glory) |
| Equipment | T-72B3, T-90, BMP-2, BMP-3, BTR-80, Msta-S, Grad MLRS, Tunguska, Tor, Osa, T-14 Armata |
| Engagements | World War II 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt 1993 Russian constitutional crisis Second Chechen war Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Decorations |
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| Battle honours | Taman |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel (Guards) Sergey Viktorovich Medvedev |
The 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division was formed in 1941, seeing extensive combat during World War II for which it became one of the most famous and decorated formations in the Soviet military. It was named in honor of Mikhail Kalinin and the town of Taman, remaining intact until it was disbanded in 2009, before being reformed in 2013. Since 2016, it is part of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the Western Military District, and most of its units are based in the town of Kalininets, Moscow Oblast, 45 kilometers (28 mi) south-west of Moscow.
The division took a small part in the northern Ukraine offensive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, notably in the failed siege of Chernihiv. It is unknown which elements were used and for how long or whether they had a passive role altogether.