View source for Separate Operational Purpose Division

{{Short description|Russian National Guard division}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Other uses|Odon (disambiguation){{!}}Odon|Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment}}
{{multiple issues|
{{lead too short|date=September 2013}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2009}}
{{Expand Russian|topic=mil|Отдельная мотострелковая дивизия особого назначения|date=June 2009}}
}}

{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Separate Operational Purpose Division
| native_name                   = Отдельная орденов Жукова, Ленина и Октябрьской Революции Краснознамённая дивизия оперативного назначения Войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации им. Ф. Е. Дзержинского<br />ODON
| image                         = Great emblem of the Separate Operational Purpose Division.svg
| caption                       = 
| country                       = {{RUS}}
| type                          = [[Motorized infantry]]
| branch                        = [[Internal Troops of Russia|Internal Troops]] {{small|(until&nbsp;2016)}}<br />[[National Guard Forces Command|National Guard]] {{small|(since&nbsp;2016)}}
| dates                         = June 17, 1924 – present
| specialization                = Protection of public order
| command_structure             = [[File:MVD Badge (Gradient).svg|25px]] [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Soviet Union)|Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs]] (until&nbsp;1991)<br />[[File:Flag of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD of Russia).svg|25px]] [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia)|Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs]] (until&nbsp;2016)<br />[[File:Flag of National Guard of the Russian Federation.svg|25px]] [[National Guard of Russia]] (since&nbsp;2016)
| size                          = ~18,000
| current_commander             = Major General Nikolai Kuznetsov
| garrison                      = [[Reutov]]<br />[[Balashikha]]
| ceremonial_chief              = 
| nickname                      = [[Felix Dzerzhinsky]] Division
| motto                         = "At any time, any place - any task!"
| colors                        = 
| march                         = "My Division"
| battles                       = 
{{tree list}}
*[[World War II]]
**[[Winter War]]
*[[Tbilisi tragedy]]
*[[1991 Soviet coup attempt]]
*[[Russian constitutional crisis of 1993]]
*[[First Chechen War]]
*[[Second Chechen War]]
*[[Peace enforcement]]
**[[Sumgait pogrom]]
**[[Baku pogrom]]
**[[Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]]
**[[Osh riots (1990)|Osh riots]]
**[[First South Ossetian War]]
**[[War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)|War in Abkhazia]]
*[[Wagner Group rebellion]]
{{tree list/end}}
| notable_commanders            = 
| anniversaries                 = June 17
| decorations                   = {{Order of Lenin Decoration}}<br />{{OrderOctoberRevolution}} [[Order of the October Revolution]]<br />{{OrderRedBanner}}<br />{{OrderZhukovRussia}}<br />{{OrderSuvorovRussia}}
| identification_symbol         = 
| identification_symbol_label   = 
}}

The '''Separate Operational Purpose Division''' ('''ODON'''; {{langx|ru|Отдельная дивизия оперативного назначения|Otdel'naya diviziya operativnogo naznacheniya}}) or '''OMSDON''' (a.k.a. ''[[Felix Dzerzhinsky|Dzerzhinsky]] Division''), is a rapid deployment [[internal security]] [[Division (army)|division]] of the [[Internal Troops of the Soviet Union|Internal Troops]] of the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia)|Ministry of Internal Affairs]] of the [[USSR]] and then the [[Internal Troops of Russia]] [[Russian Federation]], currently part of the [[National Guard Forces Command]] of the Russian Federation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-27 |title=95 лет дивизии имени Ф.Э. Дзержинского |url=https://rosguard.gov.ru/Page/Index/otdelnaya-diviziya-operativnogo-naznacheniya |access-date=2024-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127111007/https://rosguard.gov.ru/Page/Index/otdelnaya-diviziya-operativnogo-naznacheniya |archive-date=27 January 2022 |language=ru}}</ref>

==USSR==
The precursor to the ODON was the 1st Automobile Fighting Detachment of the [[VTsIK]] ({{langx|ru|[[:ru:1-й автобоевой отряд|{{nowrap|1-й}} автобоевой отряд]]}}) which was created in February 1918. The detachment was tasked with guarding the members of the VTsIK and the [[Sovnarkom]] and providing them with passenger cars. After the relocation of the government to [[Moscow]] in March 1918, it was assigned to guarding the [[Kremlin]], along with the [[Red Latvian Riflemen]] and later the "[[Moscow Higher Military Command School|Kremlin cadets]]" ({{langx|ru|Кремлёвские курсанты}}). The detachment was renamed '''1st Armored Car Detachment {{nowrap|'[[Yakov Sverdlov|Ya. M. Sverdlov]]'}}''' in 1919, and was transferred to [[VChK]] in 1921. At the peak of its strength, the detachment had over 400 troops.

In April 1921, VChK created the OSNAZ battalion which consisted of 1st Armored Car Detachment, three rifle platoons, a cavalry squadron, and various auxiliary units, with a total strength of some 1,100 men. VChK became OGPU in 1922, and the OSNAZ was renamed accordingly.

On 17 June 1924, the OSNAZ battalion, an OGPU rifle battalion and an OGPU rifle regiments formed the Special-Purpose Division (DON) of the [[OGPU]] Troops. The DON included 4 rifle regiments with an Armored Car detachment. In August 1926, the division was renamed '''Special-Purpose Division {{nowrap|'F. E. Dzerzhinsky'}} of the OGPU Troops'''. Throughout 1926, one more regiment and five more battalions joined the DON, raising its total strength to some 4,500 troops.

In 1929, the DON was reorganized as a full army division. In 1931, the Armoured Car detachment was reorganized into an armoured regiment. In 1934, OGPU was transferred to the [[People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs]] (the NKVD). The division fought on the front lines of the [[Winter War]] against [[Finland]].

With the onset of [[World War II]], parts of the division participated in the [[Battle of Moscow]]; the remaining unit guarded particularly important installations of the capital, patrolled the streets, and were involved in efforts to liquidate enemy infiltrator groups near the front and in the city.

Along with participation in hostilities, division elements in Moscow detained 485 enemy intelligence agents, 69,753 deserters, and over 320,000 offenders of the established regime.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

The division took part in the [[1941 October Revolution Parade]] on Moscow's [[Red Square]].

In the battle against German troops, the [[snipers]] of the 4 Cavalry Regiment (later four motorized infantry) distinguished themselves. On the first deployment of the two sniper Regiments in 1942, they killed 853 German soldiers and officers. In total, in 1942 sniper division has killed 6,440 German soldiers and officers.{{cn|date=August 2025}}

The OMSDON units protected the Allied leaders during the [[Yalta Conference]].

In preparation for the [[1980 Moscow Olympics]], an elite group of OMSDON troops was trained with special forces tactics; the core of this group later became the [[Vityaz (MVD)|Vytyaz]] unit. The final USSR designation of the division was '''OMSDON''' ('''Independent Special-Purpose Motorized Rifle Division of the [[Internal Troops of the Soviet Union|Internal Troops of the MVD of the Soviet Union]] {{nowrap|'F. E. Dzerzhinsky'}}''', {{langx|ru|[[:ru:Отдельная мотострелковая дивизия особого назначения|ОМСДОН]], Отдельная мотострелковая дивизия особого назначения ВВ&nbsp;МВД {{nowrap|им. Ф. Е. Дзержинского}}}}).

==Russian Federation==
[[File:Возложение венка к Могиле Неизвестного Солдата - 09.jpg|thumb|ODON soldiers marching in [[Alexander Garden]] on [[Victory Day (9 May)|Victory Day]] in 2015.]]
In 1994, the OMSDON was renamed as the '''Independent Operational Purpose Division''' or '''ODON'''. The unit has been once again named after {{nowrap|F. E. Dzerzhinsky}} on October 22, 2014,<ref>http://www.vvmvd.ru/news/news_5130.htm {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> returning therefore to the full title of the '''Independent Medals of Zhukov, Lenin and October Revolution Red Banner Operational Purpose Division of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia {{nowrap|'F. E. Dzerzhinsky'}}''' ({{langx|ru|Отдельная орденов Жукова, Ленина и Октябрьской Революции Краснознамённая дивизия оперативного назначения Внутренних войск МВД&nbsp;России {{nowrap|им. Ф. Е. Дзержинского}}}}). As always, they form the first line of security during important events held in Russia, and represented the Internal Troops during the yearly [[Moscow Victory Day Parade|Moscow Victory Parade]] and the Moscow [[October Revolution Day|November 7 Anniversary]] Parade (the latter because they attended that very [[1941 October Revolution Parade|October 1941 Revolution Day parade]] which was the only parade held in the midst of the Great Patriotic War).

With the formation of the [[National Guard of Russia]], the ODON was officially, in April 2016, retitled as the '''''Independent Orders of Zhukov, Lenin and October Revolution Red Banner Operational Purpose Division of the National Guard Forces Command of the Russian Federation named after {{nowrap|'F. E. Dzerzhinsky'}}''''' ({{langx|ru|Отдельная орденов Жукова, Ленина и Октябрьской Революции Краснознамённая дивизия оперативного назначения Войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации {{nowrap|им. Ф. Е. Дзержинского}}}}).

During the [[2018 FIFA World Cup]], the division's units simultaneously provided public safety protection in [[Moscow]] and [[Kaliningrad]]. In accordance with [[Decree of the President of Russia|decree]] of the [[President of Russia]] dated March 27, 2024 No. 215, the division was awarded the [[Order of Suvorov]].<ref>{{cite web|title=ОДОН им. Ф.Э. Дзержинского награждена орденом Суворова|url=https://rosguard.gov.ru/News/Article/odon-im-fe-dzerzhinskogo-nagrazhdena-ordenom-suvorova|publisher=Росгвардия|date=2024-03-27|accessdate=2024-04-01|lang=ru}}</ref> The Division marked its Centennial in 2024.

== Composition ==
[[File:13April-Rehearsal-Alabino-06.jpg|thumb|250px|ODON division servicemen from [[Internal Troops of Russia|Russian Internal Troops]]. Photo by Vitaly Kuzmin]]

The division includes the following military units (as of 1 January 2013):

* Headquarters
* [[604th Special Purpose Center]], Military Unit 3179 formed in 2008 combining ([[Vityaz (MVD)|Vityaz]] and [[Rus (special forces)|Rus]])
* 2nd Operational Duties Regiment, {{nowrap|w / h 3186}}
** Honor Guard Company<ref>{{cite web |last1=Трофимов |first1=Андрей |title=Сергиев Посад наградил роту Почетного караула |url=https://altgazeta.ru/potok/2599-sergiev-posad-nagradil-rotu-pochetnogo-karaula |website=altgazeta.ru |access-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820042803/https://altgazeta.ru/potok/2599-sergiev-posad-nagradil-rotu-pochetnogo-karaula |archive-date=August 20, 2018 |language=ru |date=15 Apr 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

* 4th Operational Duties Regiment, {{nowrap|w / h 3419}}
* 5th Operational Duties Regiment, {{nowrap|w / h 3500}}
* 16th Training Center, {{nowrap|w / h 3421}}
* 319th Battalion for the protection and security training centers (Novaya and [[Noginsk]], [[Moscow Oblast]]), {{nowrap|in / hr 3058}}
* 344th Command Battalion, {{nowrap|a / h 6771}} (ORRiKS {{nowrap|in / hr 3486)}}
* Communications Battalion, {{nowrap|a / h 3128}}
* Repair and Refurbishment Battalion, {{nowrap|w / h 3187}}
* Selected Medical Battalion, {{nowrap|w / h 3532}}
* 4th Separate Company for [[CBRN defense|radiation, chemical and biological protection]], {{nowrap|w / h 3401}}
* Garrison quarters and operations area, {{nowrap|a / h 3492}}
* 441st Security Battalion, {{nowrap|in / hr 6909}} (formed in November–December 2012)
* 752nd Engineering Battalion, {{nowrap|w / h 6923}}
*[[Band of the Dzerzhinsky Division]]

Therefore, the entire division employs more than ten thousand personnel, hundreds of armoured vehicles, and divisional artillery (mortars and anti-aircraft guns).

On the territory of the division are:

* Main Military Clinical Hospital
* Central Communication Center
* Main Center of the Automated Control System
* Center for Engineering and Technical Support 
* [[House of Military Officers|Garrison Officers' House]] "Reutovo"

== Division commanders ==

* Sergei Filippov (1921–1923) 
* Pavel Kobelev (1923–1928)
* [[Mikhail Frinovsky]] (1928–1930)
* Commander Sergey Kondratiev (1930–1936)
* Commander Pavel Toroshchin (1936–1938)
* Lieutenant General Pavel Artemyev (1938–1941)
* Major General Mikhail Marchenkov (1941–1943)
* Major General Andrei Golovko (1943)
* Major General Ivan Piyashev (1943–1953)
* Major General Alexander Epanchin (1953–1956)
* Major General Pavel Korzhenko (1956–1965)
* Major General Andrey Kozlov (1965–1968)
* Major General Yevgeny Pozhidaev (1969–1974)
* Major General Dmitry Nalivalkin (1974–1982)
* Major General Yuri Bogunov (1982–1987)
* Major General Vitaly Bosov (1987–1991)

* Major General Igor Rubtsov (1991–1993)
* Major General Alexander Budnikov (1993–1995)
* Major General Gennady Tikhonov (1995–1998)
* Colonel Vladimir Manyuta (1998–1999)
* Major General Nikolai Turapin (1999–2002)
* Major General [[Sergey Melikov]] (2002–2008)
* Major General Pavel Bobkov (2008–2010)
* Major General Igor Poddubny (2010–2013)
* Major General Sergey Zakharov (2013–2016)
* Major General Dmitriy Cherepanov (2016–2021) 
* Major General Nikolai Kuznetsov (since 2021)

== See also ==
* [[Spetsnaz]]
* [[SOBR]]
* [[OMON]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{NKVD Divisions}}
{{Soviet Union divisions}}
{{Russian divisions}}

[[Category:Military units and formations of the NKVD]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1924]]
[[Category:Reutov]]
[[Category:Ministry of Internal Affairs (Soviet Union)]]
[[Category:Law enforcement in Russia]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the Soviet Union in the Winter War]]
[[Category:Units and formations of the National Guard of Russia]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine]]
[[Category:Gendarmerie divisions]]
[[Category:Divisions of Russia]]