Historical memory of the 115th Kabardino- Balkarian cavalry division

In this article the problems of formation, combat operations and historical memory of the 115^th cavalry division are investigated on the basis of archival documents and other sources. Special attention is paid to acute and controversial issues such as the prerequisites for the formation and strength of the 115^th Kabardino-Balkarian cavalry division as well as its hostilities and losses. The author considers the issues of staff recruitment, logistics, military training of the division, deployment and defense of the southern bank of the Don river and covers the management problems of the 115^th Kabardino-Balkarian and 110^th Kalmyk cavalry divisions. Despite the courage and heroism shown by the fighters during the battles, the separate regiments of the division were surrounded by enemy troops and suffered significant losses (3019 people were killed, that is 67% of its composition). The author gives the analysis of these losses which shows that the number of dead was 877, drowned -1, the wounded - 846, the living - 5, missing - 1142, captured - 5, the evacuees - 8. It was revealed that out of 1142 fighters of the 115^th cavalry division about 700 people deserted from the division and returned to the republic (214 of them were subsequently convicted of desertion). The fate of 135 people is unknown, but the author believes that they were captured. Among the main causes of the tragic fate of the division are miscalculations of intelligence and command, insufficient combat training and scarce equipment of the division, superiority of enemy tank and motorized forces and the influence of other factors on a person in a war. The participation of the disbanded 115^th cavalry in the liberation of Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and Berlin is also being investigated in the article. It is noticed that many commanders and fighters of the division were awarded orders and medals of the country for courage and heroism in the battles. Special attention is paid to the efforts of state and municipal authorities and public organizations of Kabardino-Balkaria and Martynovskiy district of the Rostov region in perpetuating the memory of fighters and commanders of the 115^th cavalry division. As a result of the search work the names of 522 dead soldiers and commanders of the 115^th cavalry division were restored. All of them are listed in the memorial stella, built in the settlements of the Martynovskiy district and their names are assigned to schools and streets of the district. There are motor rallies and horse trips to the places of hostilities of the 115^th cavalry division, and meetings of children and grandchildren of the cavalry division soldiers with residents and students of schools are regularly held.

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