Russian Guard Day to be celebrated at Pacific Fleet

01.09.2011 Pacific Fleet will celebrate a remarkable date on Sept 2 – Russian Guard Day.

This holiday was introduced on Dec 22, 2000 by presidential decree "in order to revive and develop national military traditions, improve prestige of military service and in honor of the 300th anniversary of Russian Guard".

Traditionally, Guard was picked, privileged, well-trained and equipped part of armed forces. Only those who masterfully used weapons, was ready-witted, courageous, brave, and healthy could serve in Guard units.

The title "Guard" was bestowed to Soviet military units, formations, and ships distinguished themselves in battles of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. A Guard unit received special colors, and its every servicemen – a title and a special badge. At Pacific Fleet (PF), since 1996 this honorable title bears the flagship and the fleet's proud – Guard missile cruiser Varyag. The ship took part in large-scale exercise Vostok 2010, twice hosted Russian president on board, many times was ranked the best ship in Pacific Fleet as of missile and artillery firings, and flew St. Andrew's flag in many foreign ports of Asian-Pacific region.

Guard colors flutters over Kamchatka as well. Here, this title bears PF nuclear-powered attack submarine Samara which inherited Guard St. Andrew's flag in 1997 from her predecessor – K-133. The crew of SSN Samara every year spends months in combat patrols, practices torpedo and missile firings, and executes various drills. Summarizing results of the Vostok 2010 exercise, SSN Samara was recognized the best in PF.

In Vladivostok, PF Guard Missile Boat Brigade bears this title since 1945 which conducts the most difficult harbor defense tasks.

In the previous training period servicemen of this brigade had successfully completed dozens of combat drills, including missile firings at simulated sea target. The Guard brigade won numerous Navy Commander's Prizes for missile firings, ranked the best positions in Pacific Fleet, and has bred a number of naval leaders like former PF Commander Admiral Viktor Fedorov.

PF Air Base Kamenny Ruchei is also among the fleet's Guard units since 1993. Pacific aviators regularly conduct multi-hour air patrols over "textureless" area – the Sea of Japan, Pacific Ocean, and Arctic.

They maintain missile and artillery fire drills of surface ships, search "enemy" submarines, and perform test launching of cruise missiles.

Perhaps, the most famous Guard ship in Pacific Fleet well-known to every resident of Vladivostok is memorial submarine S-56 staying on Korabelnaya Embankment. During the Great Patriotic War, S-56 carried out a number of unprecedented cruises and won 14 victories over opponent's ships. And whenever enemy reported S-56 was destroyed, she returned to homebase demonstrating bravery and proficiency of PF guardsmen.