ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Army General Vatutin

The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front, as a result of a swiftly executed operation with a bold outflanking manoeuvre, today, 6 November, at dawn, took by storm the capital of Soviet Ukraine, the city of Kiev — the largest industrial centre and the most important strategic defensive strongpoint of the Germans on the right bank of the Dnieper.

With the capture of Kiev by our troops, the most important and most advantageous bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnieper has been seized, which is of great significance for driving the Germans from Right-Bank Ukraine.

In the fighting for the liberation of the city of Kiev, the troops of Colonel-General Moskalenko, Lieutenant-General Chernyakhovsky, the tankmen of Lieutenant-General Rybalko, the airmen of Lieutenant-General of Aviation Krasovsky, and the artillerymen of Major-General of Artillery Korolkov distinguished themselves.

Those who especially distinguished themselves were:

The 167th twice-Red-Banner Sumy Rifle Division of Major-General Melnikov, the 232nd Sumy Rifle Division of Major-General Ulitin, the 340th Sumy Rifle Division of Colonel Zubarev, the 163rd Romny Rifle Division of Colonel Karlov, the 240th Rifle Division of Colonel Umansky, the 136th Rifle Division of Colonel Puzikov, the 180th Rifle Division of Major-General Shmelyov, the 1st Independent Czechoslovak Brigade in the USSR of Colonel Svoboda, the 74th Rifle Division of Colonel Kuznetsov, the 23rd Rifle Division of Lieutenant-Colonel Shcherbakov, the 30th Rifle Division of Colonel Yankovsky, the 218th Rifle Division of Major-General Sklyarov, the 121st Rylsk Rifle Division of Major-General Ladygin, the 141st Rifle Division of Colonel Rassadnikov, the 226th Glukhov Rifle Division of Colonel Petrenko, the 5th Guards Stalingrad Tank Corps of Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Kravchenko, the 6th Guards Tank Corps of Major-General of Tank Troops Panfilov, the 7th Guards Tank Corps of Major-General [of Tank Troops] Suleikov, the 291st Voronezh Assault Aviation Division of Colonel Vitruk, the 202nd Middle-Don Bomber Aviation Division of Colonel Nechipurenko, the 4th Guards Assault Aviation Division of Major-General of Aviation Baidukov, the 264th Assault Aviation Division of Lieutenant-Colonel Klobukov, the 256th Fighter Aviation Division of Colonel Gerasimov, the 8th Guards Red Banner Fighter Aviation Division of Lieutenant-Colonel Chupikov, the 208th Red Banner Night Short-Range Bomber Aviation Division of Colonel Yuzeyev, the 10th Guards Stalingrad Fighter Aviation Division of Colonel Sryvkin, the 235th Stalingrad Fighter Aviation Division of Major-General of Aviation Lakeyev, the 17th Artillery [Breakthrough] Division of Major-General of Artillery Volkenshteyn, the 13th Artillery [Breakthrough] Division of Major-General of Artillery Krasnokutsky, the 3rd Guards Mortar Division of Colonel Kolesnikov, the 112th Guards Red Banner Gun Artillery Regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Tsesar, the 805th Howitzer Artillery Regiment of Major Teterin, the 839th Howitzer Artillery Regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Chistyakov, the 12th Independent Mortar Brigade of [Colonel] Nemov, the 9th Guards Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade of Lieutenant-Colonel Chernov, the 491st Mortar Regiment of Major Plokhunov, the 492nd Mortar Regiment of Major Glushchenko, the 222nd Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment of Major Kodyakov, the 316th Guards Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Karozin, the 868th Red Banner Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment of Major Chekh, the 1666th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment of Major Berezin, the 1075th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment of Major Andreyev, the 4th Guards Red Banner Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Ponomartsev, the 24th Guards Gun Artillery Brigade of Colonel Brozgol, the 60th Independent Spotting Aviation Squadron of Captain Rastorguyev, the 811th Independent Reconnaissance Artillery Battalion of Captain Barinov, the 8th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division of Colonel Kamensky, the 21st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division of Colonel Gudkov, the 268th Independent Engineer Battalion of Captain Tsitsishvili, the 7th Independent Engineer Battalion of Major Zhukov, the 1505th Independent Engineer Battalion of Major Arteyev, the 1st Guards Gun Artillery Brigade of Colonel Kerp, the 3rd Guards [Bakhmach] Light Artillery Brigade of Colonel Zhagaly, the 65th Guards Mortar Regiment of [Lieutenant-Colonel] Pavlov, the 98th Guards Mortar Regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Tikhonov, the 1157th Gun Artillery Regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Nazarenko, the 497th Mortar Regiment of Major Molchanov, the 59th Independent Tank Regiment of Major Skornyakov, the 150th Independent Tank Brigade of Colonel Ugryumov.

To commemorate the victory won, the formations and units that distinguished themselves in the fighting for the liberation of the city of Kiev shall be awarded the designation "Kiev."

Henceforth these formations and units shall be named:

167th twice-Red-Banner Sumy-Kiev Rifle Division,

232nd Sumy-Kiev Rifle Division,

340th Sumy-Kiev Rifle Division,

163rd Romny-Kiev Rifle Division,

240th Kiev Rifle Division,

136th Kiev Rifle Division,

180th Kiev Rifle Division,

74th Kiev Rifle Division,

23rd Kiev Rifle Division,

30th Kiev Rifle Division,

218th Kiev Rifle Division,

121st Rylsk-Kiev Rifle Division,

141st Kiev Rifle Division,

226th Glukhov-Kiev Rifle Division,

5th Guards Stalingrad-Kiev Tank Corps,

6th Guards Kiev Tank Corps,

7th Guards Kiev Tank Corps,

291st Voronezh-Kiev Assault Aviation Division,

4th Guards Kiev Assault Aviation Division,

264th Kiev Assault Aviation Division,

256th Kiev Fighter Aviation Division,

8th Guards Red Banner Kiev Fighter Aviation Division,

208th Red Banner Kiev Night Short-Range Bomber Aviation Division,

17th Kiev Artillery [Breakthrough] Division,

13th Kiev Artillery [Breakthrough] Division,

3rd Guards Kiev Mortar Division,

112th Guards Red Banner Kiev Gun Artillery Regiment,

805th Kiev Howitzer Artillery Regiment,

839th Kiev Howitzer Artillery Regiment,

12th Kiev Independent Mortar Brigade,

9th Guards Kiev Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade,

491st Kiev Mortar Regiment,

492nd Kiev Mortar Regiment,

222nd Kiev Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment,

316th Guards Kiev Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment,

868th Red Banner Kiev Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment,

1666th Kiev Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment,

1075th Kiev Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment,

4th Guards Red Banner Kiev Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment,

24th Guards Kiev Gun Artillery Brigade,

60th Kiev Independent Spotting Aviation Squadron,

811th Kiev Independent Reconnaissance Artillery Battalion,

8th Kiev Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division,

21st Kiev Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division,

268th Kiev Independent Engineer Battalion,

7th Kiev Independent Engineer Battalion,

1505th Kiev Independent Engineer Battalion,

1st Guards Kiev Gun Artillery Brigade,

3rd Guards [Bakhmach-]Kiev Light Artillery Brigade,

65th Guards Kiev Mortar Regiment,

98th Guards Kiev Mortar Regiment,

1157th Kiev Gun Artillery Regiment,

497th Kiev Mortar Regiment,

59th Kiev Independent Tank Regiment,

150th Kiev Independent Tank Brigade.

The 202nd Middle-Don Bomber Aviation Division, the 10th Guards Stalingrad Fighter Aviation Division, and the 235th Stalingrad Fighter Aviation Division, which have distinguished themselves for the second time in fighting against the German invaders, shall be recommended for the award of the Order of the Red Banner.

The 1st Independent Czechoslovak Brigade in the USSR, which distinguished itself in the fighting for the liberation of the city of Kiev, shall be recommended for the award of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Class.

Today, 6 November, at 17:00 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland salutes our valiant troops who liberated the city of Kiev, with twenty-four artillery salvoes from three hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent combat operations I declare my gratitude to all the troops under your command who took part in the fighting for the liberation of the city of Kiev.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the struggle for the freedom and independence of our Motherland!

Death to the German invaders!

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union I. STALIN

6 November 1943 [No. 37]