Volga Military District

The Volga Military District (PriVO) was an operational and strategic territorial association of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Russian Federation that existed from 1918 - 1989 and 1992 - 2001.

The district headquarters was located at Kazan, Saratov and Kuibyshev (Samara) at different points in time.

History
During the Russian Empire from 1864-1917 the Kazan Military District covered the Volga area. The Volga Military District was established May 4, 1918 in the original, which included Astrakhan, Saratov, Samara, Simbirsk Penza province, and Ural region. Subsequently, the district boundaries were repeatedly changed. In 1941 the district included the Saratov, Kuibyshev, Penza, Tambov, Voronezh areas and the Orel Oblast, Kursk and Stalingrad regions of the RSFSR. The headquarters was located at Saratov.

With the start of and during the World War II five armies, 132 divisions and 65 separate regiments, 253 separate battalions were formed in the area. Polish and Czechoslovakian military units were formed on the territory of the Volga Military District.

On September 14, 1954 in the Totsky range north of the village Totskoe in the Orenburg Oblast (within the specified period the territory of the Orenburg region belonged to the South Urals Military District) under the leadership of Marshal G. Zhukov was conducted the Totskoye nuclear exercise with real nuclear weapons. In this doctrine, which were worked out operational issues combined arms attack, was attended by about 45,000 soldiers.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on 15 January 1974 for their contributions to strengthening the defence capability of the USSR and its armed defence, the Volga and Ural Military Districts were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

By 1983, the Volga Military District included the territory of the Kuibyshev, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, Penza and Orenburg Oblasts, Tatar, Bashkir, Chuvash, Mari ASSR and Mordovia. The district headquarters was located in Kuibyshev.

Soldat.ru lists several motor rifle divisions in the district in the late 1980s:
 * 65th Motor Rifle Division (Perm)
 * 96th Motor Rifle Division (Kazan)
 * 166th Motor Rifle Division (Belebey)
 * 213th Motor Rifle Division (Totsk)
 * 238th Rear Defence Division (Kuibyshev
 * 256th 'Spare' Motor Rifle Division (Kuibyshev)
 * 274th 'Spare' Motor Rifle Division

In 1989 PriVO was merged with the Ural Military District in the Volga-Ural Military District (PURVO).