The division was part of the Moscow Military District and was disbanded by an order of 8 October 1921 with its troops used to form the 35th Separate Rifle Brigade.

[4] On 11 September 1939, after mobilization, the division was moved to the Murmansk area with its headquarters in that city, with two rifle regiments defending the coast of the Barents Sea.

[3][5][6] During the Winter War, it covered the Soviet border on the northern and northeastern coast of the Kola Peninsula as part of the Murmansk Group of the 14th Army.

[3] When the war began, the division was responsible for a 300 kilometer section of the front along the coast of the Kola Peninsula from Cape Svyatoy Nos to Kildin Island.

Elements of the German Mountain Corps Norway, after an artillery preparation and bombing raids, launched an attack in the sector of the division on 29 June.

The main forces struck the 95th Rifle Regiment, which suffered heavy losses and was unable to contain the German advance.

Division commander Aleksandr Zhurba was killed in an air raid during the day but was recorded as missing due to the capture of the only witness, his adjutant.

On that day the regiment was evacuated from the bridgehead and transported by ships to the main forces of the division in the southern part of the Bolshaya Zapadnaya Litsa Bay.

After three days of fighting the units managed to push the German forces across the Zapadnaya Litsa on 25 September, fully restoring the sector of the 14th Rifle Division to its previous positions.

[5] From 7 October 1944 the division took part in the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation,[3] advancing on the main line of attack northwest of Murmansk, participating in the liberation of the towns of Pechenga, Tarnet, and Kirkenes.

[6] During the war in the Arctic, the division suffered losses of 5,918 killed, 1,187 missing, 135 frozen to death, 217 frostbitten, and 16,351 wounded.