Russian army during the reign of Empress Elisabeth (1709-1761).
Empress of all Russia 25.11.1741 - 25.12.1761

by Vlad Gromoboy

Empress Elisabeth seized Russian Throne on November 25, 1741. She inherited Russian army consisted of:

Guard

… Horse Guard (5 squadrons)

… Preobrazenskiy Lieb-Guard (4 bat.)

… Semenovskiy Leib-Guard (3 bat.)

… Izmailovskiy Leib-Guard (3 bat.)

… Leib-company

Empress Elisabeth seized Russian Throne after military overturn. It was done by Grenadier company of Preobrazenskiy Leib-Guard regiment. After its efforts this company was named Leib-company & formed a separate elite unit of the Guard.

Field military

… 38 Infantry regiments

… 3 Cuirassier regiments

… 29 Dragoon regiments

… 4 Hussar regiments.

Garrison troops

… 20 Ostzeiskiy garrison infantry regiments

… 35 regiments & 3 separate battalions of the inner garrison infantry

… 7 regiments & 1 separate squadron (in Moscow) of the garrison dragoons

Landmilitia

… 20 horse regiments of the Ukrainian Landmilitia

… 3 horse & 1 foot regiments of the Zakamskaia Landmilitia

Nizovoi Corps - 12 regiments

Malorussian Cossacks - 10 regiments

Enlisted Ukranian Cossacks, called "companeiskiy" - 3 regiments

Slobodian Cossacks - 5 regiments

Artillery regiment (1 bombardier & 6 gunners companies)

Siege Corps (1 bombardier & 3 gunners companies)

Mecklenburg Corps

Changes in Russian infantry:

   Nizovoi corps

4 regiments of Nizovoi corps:

… Derbent

… Dagestan

… Salian

… Baku

were disbanded on February 5, 1743 & their personnel were converted to the Gallery Fleet.

Other 8 regiments of this Corps:

… Apsheron

… Shirvan

… Kabarda

… Nasheburg

… Nizovsk

… Kurinsk

… Tengin

… Navaginsk

were transformed to the regular infantry on November 29, 1745.

    On November 27, 1747 the staff of infantry regiments was increased. All regiments received the third battalion of 4 Musketeer companies. Regiment became of 12 Musketeer & 1 Grenadier companies, & Artillery detachment.

    On June 1753 2 Grenadier companies were added to infantry regiments. Regimental staff became of 3 battalions, each of 5 companies, & Artillery detachment.

    This staff again was changed on March 20, 1756. The third Grenadier companies from each Musketeer regiment were gathered in 4 constant Grenadier regiments. They consisted of 8 companies in 2 battalions. Other infantry regiments stayed in 12 Musketeer & 2 Grenadier companies till ascendancy of Peter the Third. Each infantry regiment also included an Artillery detachment.

    On September 30, 1756 the separate Observation Corps was formed. It consisted of 1 Grenadier & 5 Musketeer regiments. Each was of 4 battalions & Artillery detachment. The battalion of the "Grenadier regiment of Observation Corps" consisted of 4 Grenadier companies, & Musketeer regiment (numbered 1 till 5) of Observation Corps was of 1 Grenadier & 3 Musketeer companies.

Changes in heavy cavalry:

    On December 31, 1743 Cuirassier regiment Prince Braunshveig was renamed to His Majesty Duke Golstein-Gottopr (later Russian Emperor Peter III). Cuirassier regiment Field Marshal Minih was renamed to the 3-rd Cuirassier regiment on March 30,1756.

    On the same day 6 Dragoon regiments:

… Kargopol

… Narva

… Sankt-Peterburg

… Riga

… Riazan

… Astrakhan

were converted to Horse Grenadiers. And 3 Dragoon regiments:

… Kiev

… Novotroitsk

… Kazan

were converted to Cuirassiers.

   The staff of Dragoon regiment was 2 Grenadier & 10 Fusilier companies & Artillery detachment, but two regiments, stayed in Siberia:

… Olonets

… Lutsk

were of 1 Grenadier & 9 Fusilier companies & Artillery detachment.

    Cuirassier regiment was of 5 squadrons, 2 companies each.

    Horse Grenadiers were of 10 companies & Artillery detachment.

 

Light cavalry & settled Serbian military

On Dec.24 1751 ex-colonel of Austrian service Horvat was allowed to establish a separate Serbian settlement in the South of Ukraine. He received lands near river Dnepr, between rivers Kavarlyk & Amelnik. This territory was called Novaia Serbia (New Serbia), with administrative centre in Novomirgorod. From Serbs settled this colony, colonel Horvat recruited 2 regiments, one infantry (Pandurs) & one horse (Hussars), each of 20 companies.

On Jan.11 1752 Horvat raised one more Pandur & one more Hussar regiments, each of 20 companies.

Following Horvat were other Serbian leaders. On May 17 1753 lieutenant colonels (ex-Austrian) Shevich & Preradovich founded an other Serbian settlement on the South of Ukraine between rivers Bahmut & Lagunia. This territory was called Slaviano-Serbia (Slavonic Serbia). On Mar.31 1754 they raised 2 settled Hussar regiments, called after colonels (Shevich & Preradovich).

All this Serbian units (4 Hussar & 2 Pandur regiments) were settled military.

Sept.26 1756 Slobod Cossacks were transformed to Slobod Hussar regiment.

May 10 1759 Horvat was allowed to raise 2 more hussar regiments (not settled): Macedonian & Bulgarian.

On June 13 1759 Novomirgorod garrison was formed as separate constant unit. It consisted of 1 Grenadier & 3 Pandur companies.

On Dec. 11 1760 one more field Hussar regiment, called Zeltiy (Yellow), was raised from Serbs.

So, by the end of 1760 following Slavs (not Russian) units were formed on the South of Russia:

Field Hussar regiments - 8, each of 10 companies:

… Serbian,

… Georgian,

… Moldavian,

… Hungarian,

… Slobodian,

… Macedonian,

… Bulgarian,

… Yellow.

Settled Hussar regiments - 4, each of 20 companies:

… Horvat,

… Novoserbian (New Serbian),

… Shevich,

… Preradovich.

Settled Pandur regiments - 2, each of 5 Grenadier & 15 Pandur (Musketeer) companies. I have not found reference to any names for the infantry Pandur regiments. Probably they were just called the 1st and the 2nd.

Novomirgorod garrison. It consisted of 1 Grenadier and 3 Pandur (Musketeer) companies. Sometimes it is referred to as the Third Pandur regiment, but I think this is incorrect. It had the staff organization similar to that of a battalion of the Russian garrison infantry, and it is better to call it garrison battalion.