One of the few Jews who served in the Guards was Abel Aaron Itskovich Ashansky, a sergeant in Her Imperial Majesty Maria Fedorovna's Mounted Guards Regiment. Ashansky entered military service at the age of 21, in 1846. After 17 years of service as a stove-builder at a military company, he was transferred to the Mounted Guards Regiment. After the expiration of his term of service Ashansky chose to re-enlist. Already an old man, he was appointed superintendent in charge of sick soldiers in 1890. Ashansky stayed in this position until his death in 1899.
Starting in 1894 he signed several petitions to the authorities on behalf of all the Jewish residents of the Rozhdestvenskaya section of St. Petersburg who petitioned for reopening of a prayer room which had been closed by the authorities in December 1893. He signed these petitions as the oldest Jewish resident of the Peski area. Ashansky was highly esteemed in the Jewish community of St. Petersburg. In accordance with military statute, the coffin with the sergeant's body was carried by all former commanders of the regiment in which he served. These people occupied the highest positions in the Russian army. Thus, the oldest of St. Petersburg's Jewish soldiers was buried with unprecedented honors.