33rd Motor Rifle Division

Originally formed as a fortified region, the 33rd Motor-Rifle Order of the Red Banner Division was a rifle (infantry) division of the Soviet Union's Red Army. The Blagoveshchensk Fortified Region was created in 1932 and, from 1965 known as the 33rd Motor Rifle Division, continues to serve in the Russian Army to this day. In 2009 it was downsized into the 39th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade.

The 33rd MRD has a most unusual lineage which begun with the order by the Independent Red Banner Far Eastern Army (OKDVA) No. 30/010 dated 18 March 1932 to the 4th Directorate of Works to construct the Blagoveshchensk Fortified Region (Russian: укрепрайон) UR, with the goal of protecting the left bank of the Amur river. Subsequently another order was issued (No. 176/72) on 31 October 1932, directing that the Fortified Region be included in the Army order of battle. The newly constituted Fortified Region was numbered 101st UR and included the following units:

By the order of the Peoples’ Commissar of the Military District No.0030 of 5 July 1939, the Fortified District became a part of the newly created Front Group and was subordinated to the 2nd Independent Red-Banner Far Eastern Army.

From 1 August to 1 December 1939, on the basis of the 189th independent Rifle Regiment of the Blagoveshchensk UR of the 2nd Independent Red-banner Far Eastern Army, were formed 20 independent platoons of (Russian: капонирная) caponnier artillery, each with 11 personnel, altogether 220 people, according to the personnel establishment No. 9/913.

In October - November 1941 in the city of Blagoveshchenk of the Amur region, on the basis of the 189th independent Rifle Regiment of the Blagoveshchensk UR, were formed the 1st and 2nd Independent Rifle Brigades of the 101st Fortified Region (2nd Red Banner Army of the Far Eastern Front). On 17 March 1942 the two brigades became the 258th and 259th Independent Rifle Brigades.

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