| 23rd Rifle Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | I Formation: 1922–1943 II Formation: 1943–1945 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch | .svg) Red Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Decorations |  Order of Lenin (1st formation)
 Order of Kutuzov (2nd formation) |
| Battle honours | Kiev (2nd formation) Zhitomir (2nd formation) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Mikhail Fedorovich Lukin Ivan Sivakov |
The23rd Rifle Division was aninfantry division of theRed Army andSoviet Army, formed three times.
It was formed in July 1922 in theUkrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, inheriting theOrder of the Red Banner from the predecessor Zavolzhskaya Rifle Brigade. On 23 May 1932 the division was awarded theOrder of Lenin for helping to construct theKharkov Tractor Factory. On 1 March 1943 it became the71st Guards Rifle Division[1] for its actions in theBattle of Stalingrad.[2]
The division was reformed on 2 May 1943 on the bаsе of the 7th Rifle and 76th Naval Infantry Brigades in theSteppe Military District. The division was awarded theOrder of the Red Banner, theOrder of Suvorov 2nd class, and theOrder of Kutuzov 2nd class for its actions. The division also received the honorifics "Kiev" and "Zhitomir".[3] The division was disbanded "in place" byStavka Directive No. 11095 of 29 May 1945, creating theGroup of Soviet Forces in Germany.[4]
It was reformed in 1955 by redesignation of the198th Rifle Division at Biysk.[5] On 25 June 1957 the 95th Motor Rifle Division was formed inBiysk,Altay Kray,Siberian Military District, from the 23rd Rifle Division. It was disbanded on 1 March 1959.[6]
 Divisions of the Soviet Union 1945–1957 | |||||||||
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| Airborne | |||||||||
| Artillery |
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| Cavalry | |||||||||
| Rifle |
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| Mechanised |
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| Other | |||||||||
Guards units marked inbold. | |||||||||
