Memorial sign to the soldiers of the 21st Division of the People’s Militia of the Kievskiy district of Moscow
The 21st Moscow Rifle Division of the People’s Militia of the Kievskiy district was formed from July 3 to July 6, 1941. It was joined by workers, collective farmers, employees of Mosfilm and scientific institutions, young people who had not yet served in the army. On July 7, parts of the division committed a 40-kilometer march, concentrated in a forest camp west of Moscow near the village of Perkhushkovo and took part in the creation of the Mozhaisk line of defence. On July 24, the presentation of battle flags was organized in the camp. On August 15, the division occupied the defence strip on the Rzhev-Vyazma defensive line and became part of the 33rd Army of the Reserve Front (northeast of Spas-Demensk, near the village of Milyatino). At the end of September 1941, the division occupied the line southwest of Kirov (Kaluga region, former Pesochnya). On October 2, 1941, the offensive of German troops began against the troops of the Western, Reserve and Bryansk fronts. The enemy occupied the Kuibyshevskiy district of the Kaluga region, railway bridges. On October 3, the division was engaged in enemy infantry and tanks along. On October 5, in the morning, the enemy launched an offensive by the forces of the 17th Infantry Division, supported by 50 tanks along the Kirov-Sukhinichi railway. German tanks passed the rear of the division regiments. The division had to fight being surrounded. At night, the division command, the 3rd battalion of the 1315th regiment and a small group of partisans reached the village of Kotorets. The withdrawal of the main forces of the division was provided by the 1313th regiment, which continued to hold the defence on the occupied line. About 80 km south-east of Kirov, in the area of Kholmishchi – Medyntsevo, the division command joined with the 1313th and 1315th regiments. The personnel of the 1311th Regiment died on October 5. By order of the command of the Western Front, the division was withdrawn to the reserve and manned in early November. On November 4, 1941 it arrived in the Kashira area. A memorial sign dedicated to the 21st Division of the People’s Militia of the Kievskiy district of Moscow is located in Kutuzovsky Prospekt (Avenue).
Address: Moscow, Kutuzovsky ave., 39
