Soviet 33rd Guards Rifle Division Reenactment Group
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For the hobby of reenacting to function, all sides of the conflict must be represented. People always ask us why we represent the Communists.
The 37th Guards Rifle Division Reenactment Group is a group of non-political enthusiasts of history who portray combat soldiers of the Soviet Army's 37th Guards Rifle Division at public living history displays and at private reenactments. We are NOT a communist organization, nor do we subscribe to the ideas, ideals, goals, or aspirations of any extremist or far left-wing or far right-wing group, n
or are we affiliated with any such organizations. As such, our sole intent is to keep history alive and to honor the men and women that fought for their freedom in WWII. We do not preach hate, nor do we condone it and we will not accept it at our events! We are proud Americans and at all times support the Constitution of the United States of America. We usually answer that we are not representing communists, but rather the regular Soviet solider, for the most part an uneducated and poorly trained conscript - their "grunt". Usually, we will wear enlisted uniforms and do not wear medals or other commendations. We feel that we did not earn them as they are bought and paid for in blood and it would be a desecration, not an honor, for us to wear them to educate/entertain others. A few statistics from the Eastern Front:
During WWII 607 divisions of the Axis were destroyed by Soviets. In contrast, the Western Allies (without the USSR) defeated 176 divisions. In just the three battles of Moscow, Stalingrad, and Kursk over 2.5 million members of the German military machine were killed. Total War Eastern Front Losses:
Wehrmacht and SS - 6,923,700
Hungarian Army (German Ally) - 863,700
Italian army (German Ally) - 93,900
Romanian Army (German Ally) - 681,800
Finland army (German Ally) - 86,400
Total losses - 8,649,500
Statistics I have read indicate that up to 70% of all Germans (and their allies) killed, wounded, and/or captured were on the Eastern Front. These numbers answer the question, "Why reenact the Soviet Army?" Without them, Germany would have had a one-front war and Allied casualties would have been catastrophic. The Allies would likely still have won, but the cost would have been extremely high (and Japan would have taken even longer to defeat)
