During the
Russian Empire from 1864–1917 the
Kazan Military District covered the Volga area. The Volga Military District was established on May 4, 1918 on the territory of the Kazan Military District, and included
Astrakhan,
Saratov,
Samara,
Simbirsk and
Penza Governorates, and the
Ural Oblast. Subsequently, the district boundaries were repeatedly changed. In 1941 the district included the
Saratov,
Kuibyshev,
Penza,
Tambov,
Voronezh areas and the
Orel Oblast,
Kursk and
Stalingrad regions of the RSFSR. The headquarters was located at Saratov. With the start of and during
World War II five armies, 132 divisions, 65 separate regiments, and 253 separate battalions were formed in the area. Polish and Czechoslovak military units were formed on the territory of the district. In October 1945 the
123rd Rifle Corps was at Kuibyshev. It became the
40th Rifle Corps in 1955 and then the 40th Army Corps in 1957, before disbanding in 1960. On September 14, 1954 in the
Totskoye range north of the village
Totskoye in the
Orenburg Oblast (within the specified period the territory of the Orenburg region belonged to the
South Urals Military District) under the leadership of
Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov was conducted the
Totskoye nuclear exercise with real nuclear weapons. In this doctrine, which were worked out operational issues combined arms attack, was attended by about 45,000 soldiers. From 1957 to 1960 the
110th Motor Rifle Division was part of the
40th Army Corps of the District. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on 15 January 1974 for their contributions to strengthening the defence capability of the USSR and its armed defence, the Volga and
Ural Military Districts were awarded the
Order of the Red Banner. By 1983, the Volga Military District included the territory of the Kuibyshev, Saratov, Ulyanovsk,
Penza and
Orenburg Oblasts,
Tatar,
Bashkir,
Chuvash,
Mari, and
Mordovian ASSR. The district headquarters was located in
Kuibyshev.
Formations and units in the late 1980s The following military units and formations were part of the district during the late 1980s. • Office of the commander (military unit 22223) (
Kuibyshev); • Headquarters (military unit 73428) (Kuibyshev); • 370th separate battalion of protection and support (Kuibyshev); •
43rd Training Motor Rifle Division (Reorganized into the 469th District Training Center) (
Kuibyshev) •
213th Motor Rifle Division (
Totskoye) •
96th Motor Rifle Division (5509th BKhVT) (Mobilization) (
Kazan) •
130th Motor Rifle Division (Mobilization) (Kuibyshev) • 238th Rear Defence Division (Mobilization) (
Kuibyshev) • 249th Reserve Motor Rifle Division (Mobilization) (
Yoshkar-Ola) • 256th Reserve Motor Rifle Division (Mobilization) (
Kuibyshev) • 274th Reserve Motor Rifle Division (Mobilization) (
Kryazh) • 73rd Reserve Tank Division (Mobilization) (Kazan) • 74th Reserve Tank Division (Mobilization) (Ulyanovsk) • 112th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Mobilization) (
Donguz) • 808th separate company of special forces (Kuibyshev); • 71st communications center (Kuibyshev); • 237th separate helicopter squadron (Kuibyshev); • 151st anti-aircraft missile brigade (Kuibyshev); • 49th separate communications brigade (Kuibyshev); • 28th anti-aircraft missile brigade (village
Donguz); •
1st brigade of chemical protection (n.
Shikhany); • 23rd aerosol countermeasures brigade (
Chapaevsk-11); • 112th material support brigade (settlement
Roshinsky); • 39th Radio Engineering Brigade OSNAZ (
Orenburg); • 315th Separate Radio Engineering Regiment OsNaz (
Saratov); • 950th Reactive Artillery Regiment (
Buzuluk); • 1113th anti-tank artillery regiment (
Buzuluk); • 991st reconnaissance artillery regiment (
Engels); • 73rd separate communications regiment (Kuibyshev); • 191st separate rear communications regiment (Kuibyshev); • 1413th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (
Buzuluk) • 14th reconnaissance and serif regiment (
Volsk); • 426th separate engineer-sapper battalion (
Penza); • 85th separate pontoon-bridge battalion (Penza); • 754th separate chemical protection battalion (Penza); • 1583rd separate EW battalion (Kuibyshev); • 796th separate engineer-sapper battalion (village
Totskoye); • 173rd separate air defense radio engineering battalion (city
Marks); • 5512th repair and restoration base (settlement
Kryazh); In total, in 1990, in addition to about 90 thousand military personnel, there were still 400 tanks, 700 armored combat vehicles, 200 guns, mortars and MLRS, 200 combat and transport helicopters, including those under repair and storage. The district's air forces included the
Orenburg Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots and the
Saratov Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots. In 1989 the district was merged with the Ural Military District to become the
Volga–Ural Military District (PURVO). It was split in 1992 and then the two districts were merged again in 2001. ==Commanders==