1st Finnish Rifle Regiment

The 1st Finnish Rifle Regiment (1-й Финляндский стрелковый полк) was a former Infantry regiment of the Imperial Russian Army assigned to the Grand Duchy of Finland. The regiment was one of the 24 Finnish rifle regiments that participated in World War I.

History
The 1st Finnish Rifles trace their history back to the Pskov Inner Provincial Semi-Battalion formed in 1811. Towards the end of the year, the battalion was renamed as the Pskov Inner-Provincial Battalion. By 1816 the battalion became the Pskov Internal Garrison Battalion.

Following the Crimean War the Imperial Russian Army was reorganised to be more organised and centralised. By 1854 the battalion was renamed as the Pskov Governor's Battalion. By 1874 the battalion was renamed as the Pskov Local Battalion. By 1877 the battalion was redesignated as the 14th Reserve Battalion but later disbanded. By 1878 the battalion was renamed as the 3rd Reserve Infantry Battalion.

By 1891 the battalion was renamed as the Izborsk Reserve Battalion and the next year became the 1st Finnish Rifle Regiment (2 Battalions). By 1915 the regiment was expanded to 3 Battalions. Just before the start of World War I the regiment was attached to the 1st Finnish Infantry Brigade itself under the 22nd Army Corps, with the regiment being stationed at Finnish capital of Abo.

Commanders

 * 1892—1910 Colonel Konstantin Mikhailovich Alekseev
 * 1910—1913 Colonel Peter Andreevich Tikhonovich
 * 1913—1914 Colonel Yury Nikolaevich Stepanov
 * 1914—1915 Colonel Alexandrovich Richter Alexander
 * 1915—1915 Colonel Vladimir Vailyevich Alekseev
 * 1916—1917 Colonel, later Major General Peter Sergeevich Shorin