Lithuanian Separate Corps

The Lithuanian Corps was formed on 1 July 1817 by Tsar Alexander I of Russia who made Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia its commander as the latter was already the commander of the Army of Congress Poland.[1][2] The Lithuanian Corps recruited in the five provinces of Vilna, Grodno, Minsk, Volhynia and Podolia and Belostok Oblast, all of which together made up the Russian Empire's so-called Western Krai.[2] The Corps was widely stationed throughout the territory of the governorates of Volhynia, Minsk and Grodno.[2]

The Lithuanian Corps consisted of 2 infantry divisions, each containing 2 brigades, 2 artillery brigades as well as guard and grenadier regiments.[2] Together with the Polish Guard, the Lithuanian Corps' Guards and Grenadiers regiments formed the Guard Reserve Corps, also established in 1817.[2] The Guard Reserve Corps was stationed in Congress Poland and was commanded by General Wincenty Krasiński.[2] The unit was disbanded in 1831.[2]

When it was created on 1 July 1817, the corps consisted of these units:[1][3]

• 27th Infantry Division
  • Brest-Litovsk Infantry Regiment
  • Bialystok Infantry Regiment
  • Vilnius Infantry Regiment
  • Lithuanian Infantry Regiment
  • 47th Jäger Regiment
  • 48th Jäger Regiment
• 28th Infantry Division (previously the 4th Infantry Division)
  • Volhynian Infantry Regiment
  • Minsk Infantry Regiment
  • Podolian Infantry Regiment
  • Zhytomyr Infantry Regiment
  • 49th Jäger Regiment
  • 50th Jäger Regiment
• 29th Artillery Brigade

Then other military units were included in its composition in 1817, including the newly-formed regiments such as the:[1]

• Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment
• Volhynian Life Guards Regiment
• Podolian Cuirassier Regiment
• Tsarevich Konstantin Pavlovich Uhlan Regiment
• Polish Grenadier Regiment
• 1st Lithuanian Grenadier Regiment
• 2nd Lithuanian Grenadier Regiment
• Lithuanian Carabinier Regiment

In 1818, the 1st Uhlan Division, consisting of the following uhlan regiments: Polish, Tatar, Lithuanian and Volhynian, was renamed as the Lithuanian Uhlan Division and included in the Lithuanian Corps.[1]

On 19 April 1819, the Lithuanian Artillery Division was formed from the 27th and 29th Artillery Brigades.[1] On August 10 and 17 October, new separate batteries were formed for the corps, which were the Life Guards Horse Artillery Battery №3 and the Life Guards Foot Artillery Battery №5.[1] Two years later in 1821, these batteries, together with batteries №1 and Light Grenadier №2, formed the Combined Guards and Grenadier Artillery Brigade of the Lithuanian Corps.[1]

On 20 May 1820, the 27th and 28th Infantry Divisions were renamed the 24th and 25th.[1] That same year on September 10, a special supply brigade was formed for the Lithuanian Corps on September 10.[1] In 1824, the Grodno Life Guards Hussar Regiment was formed for the Lithuanian Corps.[1] Finally, the Lithuanian Pioneer Battalion was formed under the corps.[1]

On 25 March 1825, the 1st and 2nd Lithuanian Grenadier Regiments were renamed as the Samogitian and Lutsk Grenadier Regiments, while the Lithuanian Carabinier Regiment was renamed to the Nesvizh Carabinier Regiment.[1]

All infantry of the corps had a silver device, yellow collars, cuffs and piping (the guards and grenadiers also had yellow lapels) and black leggings.[1][3] The Uhlan division was also distinguished by its silver equipment, and the applied cloth on its uniforms and caps on the regiments was crimson, white, yellow and blue.[1] The artillery had black lapels, while its officers had velvet lapels.[1]

• Uniforms of the units of the Lithuanian Corps
• 
  Drummer of the Lithuanian Pioneers in 1826
• 
  Musician of the Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment in 1826–1828.
• 
  Artilleryman of the Lithuanian Artillery Division in 1826
• 
  Officer of the Grodno Life Guards Hussar Regiment in undress uniform
• 
  Standard-bearer of the Grodno Life Guards Hussar Regiment

After the uprising of 1831, the corps was disbanded.[1][3][2] The Combined Guards and Grenadier Artillery Brigade was renamed into the 3rd Guards and Grenadier Brigade.[1] The Podolian Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment was made part of the Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment.[1]

• Kuzmin-Karavayev, Vladimir (1896). "Литовский отдельный корпус". Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). Vol. XVIIa: Ledier - Loparev.
• Sytin, Ivan (1914). "Литовский отдельный корпус". The Military Encyclopaedia (in Russian). Vol. 15.
• Encyklopedia PWN (2023). "Korpus Litewski". Internetowa encyklopedia PWN (in Polish).