The Russian 102nd Military Base (Russian: 102-я Российская военная база; Armenian Ռուսական 102-րդ Ռազմական Կայան) is a Russian military base in Gyumri, Armenia, part of the Transcaucasian Group of Forces. It was formerly the Soviet Army's 127th Motor Rifle Division of the Soviet Seventh Guards Army. The base is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
The 102nd Military Base traces its history to the 261st Rifle Division of the Soviet Union's Red Army. The 261st Rifle Division was originally formed in 1941. It was probably activated in the Odessa Military District in July-August 1941. It was assigned to the 12th Army of the North Caucasus Front later in 1941 and remained with that Army up to at least August 1942 but then was assigned to the Transcaucasian Front's Black Sea Group of Forces. It then spent much of the later part of World War II, from January 1, 1943, onwards with the small 45th Army of the Transcaucasian Front which was guarding the USSR's borders with Turkey. After the war ended, the 261st Rifle Division was briefly designated the 37th Rifle Division but then became the 127th Motor Rifle Division in 1965.
