Unlike many older units of the imperial Russian Army, the Volinsky Regiment neither was attached to nor originated from the land of Volhynia, after which it was named.

Instead, it traced its roots to a single militia battalion formed by Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia in Strelna on 12 December 1806 (Old Style).

Its main task was to serve as a personal guard of Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich and to counterbalance the forces of the Kingdom of Poland should they mutiny.

Withdrawn from the front to Saint Petersburg, the soldiers of the regiment rebelled, killed their officers, and participated in the Bolshevik Revolution.

The regiment remained in Petersburg until October, when it was disbanded and its men formed the core of the new local Red Army units.

Faced with this demand, which was echoed by his generals, deprived of loyal troops, with his family in the hands of the Russian Provisional Government and fearful of unleashing civil war and opening the way for a German conquest, Nicholas had no choice but to submit.