383rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)

383rd Rifle Division 'Shakhterskaya'
Commemorative plaque honouring the 383rd Division in Donetsk, Ukraine, on the building of its first headquarters.
Active	September 1941 - June 1945
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Soviet Army
Type	Infantry
Nickname(s)	'Shakhterskaya'
Engagements	World War II Battle of the Caucasus Battle of the Crimea Battle of Berlin
Battle honours	Order of the Red Banner Order of Suvorov, second class
Commanders
Notable commanders	Major General Konstantin Provalov

The 383rd 'Miners' Rifle Division (Russian: 383-я 'шахтёрская' стрелковая дивизия) was a formation of the Red Army, created during the Second World War. The division was officially created on 18 August 1941. It was given the name Shakhterskaya (which in Russian literally means 'miners'), as it was originally composed completely of miners from the Donets Basin, Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine). During the course of the war, its losses were continually replaced, and thus it began to consist not only of miners from Donbass.

The formation of the division began in August, at mine #6 in Stalino (now Donetsk). The division included six special anti-tank detachments, created by the city committee of Komsomol in Stalino. Specifically for this division, the production of mines, grenades and other anti-tank weapons in the city was drastically increased. Colonel Konstantin Provalov, graduate of the Frunze Military Academy and Hero of the Soviet Union, was appointed commander of the division. He was later promoted to Major General and commanded the Southern Group of Forces during the 1960s.

"The right to command the newly created divisions went to people who knew and the theory and practice of military art - the graduates of the M.V. Frunze Military Academy. The Heroes of the Soviet Union Colonels KI Provalov, ID Zinoviev and AI Petrakovsky were appointed to command the 383rd, 393rd and 395th Rifle Divisions, respectively). So on, the 20th August 1941 they were summoned the offices of the People's Commissariat for Defence."