The 45th Rifle Division was formed in the autumn of 1935 in the Novgorod Volynsk region. In the autumn of 1939 the division participated in the invasion of Poland. Before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War the division deployed in the Kovel region. In July 1941 the division participated in battles alongside German units in Kovel. In August 1941 the division departed for Kiev. In September the division relocated to Voronezh to receive replacements for the large number of losses they suffered at the front. In December the newly refitted division was made part of the 40th Army and participated in the battles around Kursk. From April to July 1942 the division made a defensive stand at the Seim River. In July, with the German 6th Army approaching Stalingrad, the division was ordered to join the defense of the city. On July 12 a small number of the divisions soldiers (731 out of 11,000) managed to escape for the German encirclement of the city. The tattered remains of the division was relocated to the region of Kuibyshev to be reinforced and reequipped. By the end of September 1942 the division was back to full strength and was sent back to Stalingrad in October. Between October 25-30 the division moved into Stalingrad and fought around the "Red October" metal works. The division remained in Stalingrad until the German Army surrendered in February 1943.

For the heroism and determination shown by the division during the Battle of Stalingrad, on 1 March 1943 the division was renamed the 74th Guards Rifle Division. The division ended the war by storming the Reichstag in Berlin.

DIVISION STRUCTURE

Division Headquarters

10th Donetsk Rifle Regiment - Major Mazheiko

61st Bogunsky Rifle Regiment - Lieutenant Colonel Senkov

253rd Tarashansky Rifle Regiment - Major Bocharov