The 137th Rifle Corps was formed on 5 December 1945 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, part of the Far Eastern Military District, from the Kamchatka Defense Region. It was commanded by Lieutenant General Alexey Gnechko until May 1950. Gnechko was a Hero of the Soviet Union and veteran of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. The units of the corps were based in Kamchatka and the Northern Kuriles and included the 22nd Rifle Division, 101st Rifle Division and 255th Rifle Division. In 1948, the 101st Rifle Division became the 6th Machine Gun Artillery Division, which was disbanded in 1953. After the 1953 disbandment of the 14th Assault Army in Chukotka its 3rd and 8th Separate Rifle Brigades became part of the corps.