the decision to re-form the division was made by the state defense committee on 18 december 1941. it was decided that it would be formed in the moscow military district, in the city of balakhna, nizhny novgorod oblast. the division was officially labelled "lithuanian" to encourage enlistment of the lithuanians. personnel were assembled from staff and remnants of the 184th rifle division (former 29th rifle corps) and any lithuanian-speaking refugees that had fled lithuania after the german invasion. the officers of the division were mostly graduates from the vilnius infantry academy, who had been evacuated after the invasion to novokuznetsk, kemerovo oblast.