Marina Lagutina on Vesti.FM: Savage Division was one of the most efficient units of the Russian army

The Savage Division, whose soldiers fought for the Russian Empire in the First World War, was the first unit of the Russian army formed from different peoples of the North Caucasus, Vestnik Kavkaza's analyst Marina Lagutina told in the National Question program on Vesti FM..

The National Question is a weekly program on Vesti.FM, during which various aspects of national relations, primarily in Russia, are discussed.

Lagutina recalled that Ingush, Chechen, Dagestani, Azerbaijani or Tatar, as it was called at that time, regiments were a part of the Savage Division.

“Although, according to laws of the Russian Empire, peoples of the Caucasus were exempted from military service, two days before the beginning of the First World War, commander-in-chief of the Caucasian Military District, Count Vorontsov-Dashkov, suggested to Emperor Nicholas II to form a military unit from the 'belligerent Caucasian peoples.' He agreed,” expert noted.

According to her, this step demonstrated the successful integration of mountain peoples into Russian society, since soldiers of the Savage Division were grandchildren of those who opposed Russia in the Caucasian War.

"This division became one of the few units that remained efficient and loyal to military duty until the end, even when the Russian army and the state as a whole were wrapped in chaos of the revolution," Marina Lagutina concluded.