On November 27, the day of the 310th anniversary of creation of the marine infantry of Russia, the Central Naval Museum opened an exhibition "Where we are there is the Victory!", which presents paintings, drawings and sculptures, models of assault ships and boats, military banners of marine infantry units, personal belongings of marines, their clothing items and many other things.
Watercolors and paintings give the visitors of the exhibition an opportunity to have a mental picture of the most significant milestones in the history of the marine infantry from its creation and participation in the Patriotic War of 1812, the Russian-Japanese was of the beginning of the previous century, to the feats of marines in the years of the Great Patriotic War and participation in modern time operations.
Along with paintings the exhibition’s exposition presents the genuine topographical map of the city Grozny with which the personnel of separate guards Belostok brigade 336 of the marine infantry of the Baltic Fleet in was working the performance of a special task in the Northern-Caucasus region in 1995.
Ancient drawings depicting the ranks of the Guards crew in various uniforms in the exhibition’s exposition complement their real clothing items. This visual series is completed by the uniform of a modern marine complemented by specimens of both new and ancient weapons.
16 (27) November 1705 by the decree of Tsar Peter I a regiment of marine soldiers for boarding, amphibious, and general military service on ships started to be formed. Later on, marine regiments and battalions of the Baltic Fleet participated in all the wars of Russia with European powers: Sweden, Prussia, France, England.
In August 1785 three marine battalions for service on ships of the Black Sea Fleet were established. In April 1803 from the naval battalions formed the 1st, 2nd and 3rd marine regiments in the Baltic Fleet, 4th in the Black Sea Fleet, in June 1805 the Caspian marine battalion were formed out of the fleet battalions. The sailors fought valiantly on land during the Patriotic War of 1812.
During the Eastern (Crimean) War of 1853-1856, during the defense of Sevastopol battalions which fought bravely on land positions were formed from sailors.
During the Russian-Japanese War (1904-1905) and the defense of Port Arthur amphibious companies which bravely repulsed the offensives of the adversary from the sailors of the 1st Pacific Squadron and the Kwantung naval crew.
During the First World War (1914-1918) a number of successful amphibious operations were conducted in the Baltic Fleet against German forces on the coast of Courland. The basics of the modern application of marine infantry were laid. Sailors of the Baltic Fleet fought on land fronts as well as part of the Russian army. In 1915-1916 the Black Sea Fleet conducted a number of successful amphibious operations on the coast of Turkey.
In the years of the Great Patriotic War the marine infantry was especially developed. 21 marine brigades and more than 30 naval brigades, several separate regiments and battalions fought on the fronts. About 500 thousand sailors fought on land fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The navy of the USSR conducted more than 100 landing operations.
In the mid 1950s due to the existing subjective views on the dominant role of nuclear missile weapons and underestimating of other types and branches of the Armed forces the marine infantry was disbanded. But already in the 1960s it was recreated in all fleets of the Navy of the USSR. In the late '60s Soviet marines started to perform combat service in various regions of the World ocean.
