Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School

The General V.F. Margelov Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne twice Red Banner Order of Suvorov Command School (RGVVDKU) (Russian: Ряза́нское гвардейское вы́сшее возду́шно-деса́нтное о́рдена Суво́рова два́жды Краснознамённое кома́ндное учи́лище и́мени генера́ла а́рмии В. Ф. Марге́лова) is a military educational institute of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It was first formed as the Ryazan Infantry Courses on 13 November 1918 – thus it is one of the oldest active military academies in modern day Russia.[1] It is the official military academy and advanced training center of the Russian Airborne Forces.

Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School
Location
Ryazan, Russia
Information
School typeMilitary school
Established13 November 1918
WebsiteOfficial website of the school

History
Cadets on Red Square.

On 13 November 1918, the Red Army established the Ryazan infantry courses, the basis of the current academy. On 29 June 1920, the courses were renamed the 30th Soviet infantry courses. The courses were renamed the 15th Infantry Ryazan School on 31 December. The Tambov Infantry School combined with the Ryazan school on 1 October 1924. The Ryazan school was renamed the Ryazan Infantry School on 9 October. On 12 January 1926, the Ryazan Infantry School was granted the honorific "Kliment Voroshilov".[1]

As a result of World War II, the Ryazan Infantry School was transferred to Ivanovo on 25 October 1941. It returned to Ryazan on 15 February 1942. The Ryazan Infantry School began the training of 500 platoon commander for the Berling Army on 1 August 1943. On 20 September, a Berling Army officer cadet school was formed. The Ryazan Infantry School was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 12 November. On 1 July 1944, the school introduced two-year training courses.[1]

The Ryazan Infantry School reintroduced three-year training courses on 15 September 1946. It was renamed the Ryazan Red Banner School "Marshal K.E. Voroshilov" on 18 March 1954. The school became the Ryazan Red Banner Higher Military Command School on 17 August 1958. The airborne school, formerly located in Alma Ata, merged with the Ryazan Higher Military Command School on 4 March 1959. With the majority of graduates being posted to the Airborne Troops, the school was renamed as the Ryazan Order of the Red Banner Higher Airborne School on 23 March 1964.[1]

With the increased Soviet support for North Vietnam, a special department for the training of People's Army of Vietnam officers and NCOs was established on 1 February 1965. The school was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for a second time on 22 February 1968. On 29 August, the school was renamed the Ryazan Higher Airborne twice Red Banner School named after Lenin Komsomol. In 1969, a special purpose 9th company was formed at the school. On 20 March, work on an airborne forces museum began, and the Airborne Forces Museum was completed on 28 July 1972.[1]

The school converted to five year courses in August 1994. A monument to Vasily Margelov was erected on 13 November 1995 and the school was named after Margelov on 12 November 1996. On 31 October 1998, the school was renamed as the Ryazan Institute of Airborne Troops. On 31 December 2004 it became the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School. On 19 June 2006, the school was awarded a pennant by the Russian Defence Ministry. The Ryazan Military Automobile Institute and Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications were created on 17 December 2009.

Heads since 1991
Major General Vladimir Krymsky at the graduation of officers in 2006.
  • Lieutenant General Albert Slyusar (17 December 1995-17 December 2001)
  • Major General Valery Shcherbak (17 December 2001—10 February 2008)
  • Major General Vladimir Krymsky (10 February-6 May 2008)
  • Colonel Vladimir Lugovoi (6 May 2008—December 2009)
  • Colonel Andrey Krasov (1 January 2010-27 January 2012)
  • Major General Anatoly Kontsevoi (14 September 2012-September 2017)
  • Major General Alexei Ragozin (September 2017-May 2020)

Graduates

The school's track record in relation to its alumni includes 53 individuals awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 85 individuals awarded the title of Hero of Russia, and thousands of cavaliers of military orders.[2] Among the notable graduates are:

Honors and traditions

The school was awarded the Order of Suvorov on 14 November 2013.[1] On 30 July 2018, the Bank of Russia issued a 3-ruble commemorative silver coin in honor of the centennial year of the school.[3]

Victory Parade

The school has the honor to represent the Russian Airborne Forces during the annual Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square. South Ossetian President Bibilov, being an alumnus of the school, cheered on and stood up for cadets of the school as they marched past the grandstand during the 2020 Moscow Victory Day Parade, which caused confusion as it was usually the foreign heads of state who stood up for the parade contingents from their home countries.[4]

Guards status

On 18 February 2018, to mark both the centennial Defenders of the Fatherland Day and the centennial of the modern Russian Armed Forces, as well as the centennial year of the foundation of the school, the Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, acting on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces and in the name of the Government of Russia, granted the school and its Regiment of Cadets a singular privilege among all educational institutions of the Armed Forces as the first ever school to be granted guards unit status, in honor of the sacrifices of the men and women of the academy and its thousands of graduate alumni in service as part of the Airborne Forces of the former Soviet Union and of the current Russian Federation for over six decades.[5]

Individual units

The guard of honor of cadets of the school represent the school and the Airborne Forces at celebrations. Many cadets in the guard are master of sports in military-applied sports. In 2020, it took part in the virtual Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo at the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces for the first time.[6][7]

References
  1. "Историческая справка". www.rvvdku-vi.ru. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  2. http://redstar.ru/rodoslovnaya-desanta-dlinoyu-v-vek/?print=print&attempt=1
  3. О выпуске в обращение памятных монет из драгоценного металла
  4. https://m.sputnik-ossetia.ru/South_Ossetia/20200630/10793346/Bibilov-o-Parade-Pobedy-gordosti-za-VDV-i-otkrytii-granitsy-s-Rossiey.html?mobile_return=no
  5. Распоряжение Правительства Российской Федерации / pravo.gov.ru
  6. "Расчёт почётного караула Рязанского воздушно-десантного училища — Спасская башня". spasstower.ru. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  7. function.mil.ru https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12312681@egNews. Retrieved 2020-09-07. Missing or empty |title= (help)

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