Штабс-капитан минной роты

[tobik]

In the course of my research for a book on anti-government postcards, I have recently come across a card sent by a certain И.И.Бородин, who describes himself as Штабс-капитан минной роты. He tells his correspondent to write to him on the Больдераа-Риго-Орловский Ж-Д.

Can anyone help with how his regiment should be rendered into English (Mining Regiment doesn't sound quite right), and why he might have been based on the railway?

Many thanks, Tobie

[Превед]

Can anyone help with how his regiment should be rendered into English (Mining Regiment doesn't sound quite right)

Common names for such regiments / corps in English:
Royal / Imperial Regiment / Corps of.....
Engineers
Sappers and Miners
Military Artificers

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapper#Historical_origin.

[Mike]

Captain Ivan Borodin was an officer of the Ust'-Dvinsk Fortress Mining Company, stationed at the Ust'-Dvinsk (Dünamünde) fortress, very close to Riga. The garrison of every Russian active military fortress in the early 20th c. included such a unit tasked with the fortress mine and counter-mine warfare defense. Later Borodin was transferred to the Vyborg Fortress Mining Company and promoted to lieutenant-colonel. He was murdered in 1917 by revolting soldiers.

[tobik]

Mike, thank you so much. This is super. FYI the postcard is a reproduction of Vladimirov's celebrated image of druzhinnik during the Moscow Uprising, titled Don't Go (http://newauction.ru/offer/vladimirov_ne_khodi-i12596967053859.html). On the reverse Borodin writes to his wife/beloved to express admiration for the qualities of expressed in the picture . Strange to feel a pang of sadness so many years later to hear he was killed in 1917, but then 1905 really was a very different period.