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Russian-Greenland Legion
Российско-Гренландский легио́ны
Rossiysko-Grenlandskiy legiony
Lossy-page1-657px-Votkintsi2.tif
The Russian-Greenland Legion at their garrison in Pelevievo.
Active 1917 - 1922
Country Romanova
Allegiance Russian-Greenland Company
Size 2,400
Headquarters Pelevievo
Nickname "Greenlandics"
Colors Red, White, and Blue
Engagements Vaga River front

Operation Savior of Man
Romanovan War of Independence

Commanders
Current
commander
Konstantin Arafimov
Notable
commanders
Boris Mikoyan
Insignia
Flag Russia flag (Cabotia and Brasil)

The Russian-Greenland Legion (Russian: Российско-Гренландский легио́ны, Rossiysko-Grenlandskiy legiony) was a military unit of Greenlandic volunteers that was formed at the beginning of the Russian Civil War. The Legion was formed by the impetus of Oleg Yurievsky-Oldenburg, the imperial governor of Russian Greenland, with the goal of restoring the Russian Empire. Under its commander, Konstantin Arafimov, the Legion fought numerous battles against the Bolsheviks during the civil war. They are most noted for their last minute successes in rescuing Nicholas II and his family in Operation Savior of Man and other Romanovs at the mines of Alapayevsk in the early stages of the war.

Membership of the legion was entirely composed of Russian volunteers from Greenland. The vast majority of its members were security men from the Russian-Greenland Company's employ or veterans of previous conflicts. Although few in number, it is known that women also served in the ranks of the Legion. Under Arafimov's command, discipline in the legion was tough and members were frequently ordered to maintain their focus on the mission. As a result the Russian-Greenland Legion by most accounts performed admirably, with fewer counts of anti-semitism or looting recorded compared to other White units.

Numerically too few to stop the Bolsheviks from obtaining victory in Russia, the majority of the Legion withdrew from northern Russia to the territory of Russian Greenland in 1920. There they participated in the Romanovan War of Independence and played a crucial role in the White advance on Albanov late in the war. At the war's conclusion, the Russian-Greenland Legion was disbanded, with volunteers returning to civilian life, joining the Romanovan Army, or becoming members of the new Leib Guard.

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