81st Guards Rifle Division

81st Guards Rifle Division (March 1, 1943 – June 4, 1957) 81st Guards Motor Rifle Division (June 4, 1957 – June 1, 2009) 57th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (June 1, 2009 - present)
Active	1943–2009 2009–present
Country	Soviet Union  Russia
Branch	Red Army (1943–1946)  Soviet Army (1946–1991)  Russian Ground Forces (1991–present)
Type	Division
Role	Infantry
Engagements	World War II Battle of Kursk Belgorod-Khar'kov Offensive Operation Battle of the Dniepr Kirovograd Offensive Uman–Botoșani Offensive First Jassy-Kishinev Offensive Battle of Târgu Frumos Second Jassy-Kishinev Offensive Siege of Budapest Vienna Offensive Prague Offensive Operation Whirlwind
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner  Order of Suvorov
Battle honours	Krasnograd
Commanders
Notable commanders	Maj. Gen. Ivan Konstantinovich Morozov Col. Sergei Grigorevich Nikolaiev Col. Mikhail Andreevich Orlov

The 81st Guards Rifle Division is an infantry division of the Russian Ground Forces, previously serving in the Red Army and the Soviet Army. It was formed after the Battle of Stalingrad from the 422nd Rifle Division in recognition of that division's actions during the battle, specifically the encirclement and the siege of the German forces in the city. The 81st Guards continued a record of distinguished service through the rest of the Great Patriotic War, and continued to serve postwar, as a rifle division and later a motor rifle division, until being reorganized as the 57th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade in 2009 in the Russian Ground Forces. Most of its postwar service was in the Soviet (Russian) far east, where it was originally formed as the 422nd.