The first commander of the 23rd Separate Rifle Battalion (SRB), Colonel Oleksandr Demchuk, presented the War Museum with the unit’s symbolic motivational banner.
The 23rd SRB was established in 2015 to defend Kyiv. Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the battalion began to be reinforced by volunteers from Kyiv, and by 25 February its personnel were already carrying out combat missions in defence of the capital and had suffered their first combat losses.
Later, the battalion’s soldiers took part in fighting in Donbas, particularly in the areas of Marinka, Velyka Novosilka, Zolota Nyva, Pavlivka, Torske, Zarichne and Kupiansk.
The 23rd SRB was reorganised into the 23rd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion as part of the 20th Army Corps. Accordingly, as its tasks and status changed, so did its insignia, while the rifle battalion’s motivational banner became a historical testament to its combat record.
The banner’s symbolism gives it particular significance. As the battalion was an infantry unit, Cossack muskets are depicted on the flag. At the same time, the military formation was established to defend Kyiv, so the central element of the banner is the Golden Gate, one of the capital’s best-known symbols. The muskets above the gate symbolise the defence of the entrance to the city: Kyiv is under the protection of its defenders.
The transfer of this artefact to the Museum makes it possible to preserve the history of the 23rd Separate Rifle Battalion and its personnel, its combat history and its visual identity, which reflects its purpose and connection with Kyiv.
