Battles of Rzhev
Formed in 1942 during World War II as the 83rd Corps Artillery Regiment, the unit was made an elite Guards unit, the 83rd Guards Howitzer (Corps) Artillery Regiment in mid-1943 for its actions in the Battles of Rzhev. The regiment fought in the Battle of Smolensk and Operation Bagration before advancing into the Baltic states, ending the war in the Battle of Königsberg. Postwar, it went through several reorganizations and was relocated to Osipovichi in 1960, when it became the 121st Guards Artillery Brigade. In 1972, the brigade was expanded into the 51st Guards Artillery Division.