Day of the military topographer. With a map on the front

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February 8 in Russia celebrates the Day of the military topographer - a professional holiday of military and civil servants, without which it is difficult to imagine full-fledged combat operations, reconnaissance, command and control of troops. Surveyors and topographers are called "the eyes of the army." Their service is less dangerous than the service of intelligence or paratroopers, but the army needs no less. A great deal depends on the results of the service of military topographers - and the effective actions of the army, and, accordingly, the number of casualties, and the equipment of positions and fortifications. Over the centuries, military topographers and surveyors have made a huge contribution to strengthening the defense capacity of our country.

By its roots story military topography goes to pre-revolutionary Russia. In 1797, his own Imperial Majesty Depot of Cards was created, renamed 1812 in the Military Topographical Depot, in the subordination of which the Topografov Corps functioned since 1822. After the revolution, the military topographic service retained many military specialists, in particular, the first head of the Corps of Military Topographers Corps was the colonel of the imperial army Andrejs Auzans. One of the most glorious and complex pages in the history of the military topographic service was the Great Patriotic War. Military topographers have prepared more than 900 million sheets of topographic maps for the needs of the fighting army. Many topographers and surveyors died in battles, being on the most advanced edge of the front as part of active armies.





During the second half of the twentieth century, the military topographic service in the Soviet Union was constantly strengthened and improved. Special attention was paid to the training of military topographers. Unlike many other services and types of troops, the military topographic service was lucky with the educational institution - the military topographic school in Leningrad preserved continuity with respect to the pre-revolutionary Topografov School (1822-1866) and the Military Topographic Junker School (1867-XNUM) In the 1917 year, due to the large-scale development of military affairs, the Leningrad Military Topographical School was transformed into the Leningrad Higher Military Topographical School. This unique educational institution was able to "survive" even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but in 1968, it was transformed into the faculty of the AF Aerospace Military Space Academy. Mozhaisky.

Difficult years for the domestic military topographic service began in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet state and the end of the existence of the powerful Soviet Army. In the first half of 1990, a clear anti-war line prevailed in the country, which was also manifested in the state’s inattention to the problems of the army and military service. Naturally, the crisis also affected the military topographic service. Many real masters of their craft, professionals with a capital letter, were forced to go "civilian." But, nevertheless, for many officers, ensigns, sergeants and soldiers the service continued. The consequences of not paying attention to the needs of the military topographic service had to be cleared up shortly after the collapse of the Union - in 1994-1996, when the First Chechen War went on. And they had to scare them down with the blood of Russian soldiers and officers.

Since topographic maps have not been updated for a long time, many of them did not reflect the real changes that occurred during this time on the ground. Professionals - topographers say that maps of busy areas - urban and rural settlements - need to be updated at least once every three to four years, at least once every five years, at least. After all, during this time, a variety of changes are taking place - some buildings and structures are being built, some are being torn down, the transport infrastructure may change. Therefore, during the Chechen campaign, in which military topographers who were part of a group of Russian troops participated, many maps had to be corrected on the ground. While the troops were fighting, topographers studied the terrain and made changes to the maps, and then immediately transferred the "fresh" sheets to the commanders and officers of the warring units and subunits.

Day of the military topographer. With a map on the front


By the way, this problem was faced by the Russian troops operating in 2008 in the combat zone in Georgia and South Ossetia. Here, during the post-Soviet period, many localities changed their names, which seriously complicated the tasks of the Russian military. Therefore, as in Chechnya, topographers had to promptly correct old maps and transfer them to the units.

Modern conflicts require the use of increasingly high-precision weapons, and this, in turn, increases the requirements for the quality of topographic and geodetic information with which the military topographic service supplies the troops. Even during the fighting in Chechnya, for the first time, analog topographic maps were used, which made it possible to significantly ease the task of using a number of units. Of particular interest to three-dimensional terrain models, as topographers later emphasized, were helicopter pilots and border guard commanders.

By the end of 1990's The country's leadership nevertheless realized that even in a changed world political situation, Russia could not exist without a strong army. Moreover, the “overseas partners” did not intend to abandon their aggressive policy - they launched an attack on Yugoslavia, and proceeded with the further expansion of NATO to the east. At the same time, the risks of local conflicts increased, including against terrorist groups that intensified on the southern borders of the country and on the territory of the republics of the North Caucasus. Therefore, the state has embarked on a gradual strengthening of the armed forces. This also applied to the military topographic service. Military topographers prepared much better for the beginning of the second campaign in Chechnya than for the first. It was possible to make new special maps, update the supply of troops with topographic maps, including electronic ones, which made it possible to more accurately determine the coordinates of targets, the location of terrorists and their bases.

Throughout all 1990-s, from 1992 to 2002, the Lieutenant-General, Candidate of Technical Sciences Vitaly Vladimirovich Khvostov (in the photo) was the most experienced topographer who graduated from the Leningrad Military Topographical School and headed the Military Topographical Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Military Engineering Academy, who had experience of participation in hostilities in Afghanistan. In 1980-s, Khvostov supervised the topographic service of the Turkestan military district, which gave him invaluable experience. It was during those years when Vitaly Khvostov led the Topographic Service of the RF Armed Forces that military topographers took part in the first and second Chechen campaigns.

In 2002, a new chief of the VTU General Staff was appointed - Lieutenant-General Valery N. Filatov, Doctor of Military Sciences. Like his predecessor, General Khvostov, General Filatov was a professional military topographer - he graduated with honors from the Leningrad Higher Military Topographical School, then the Military Engineering Academy and the highest courses for training senior personnel in the field of defense and security of the Russian Federation at the Military Academy of the General Staff. In 1996-1998 He headed the geodesic faculty of the Military Engineering Academy named after V.V. Kuibyshev, and then in 1998-2002 was the deputy chief of the Military Topographical Directorate of the General Staff. Under the direction of General Filatov, the large-scale improvement of the country's military-topographic service continued, topographers and surveyors received new equipment, and the topographic and geodetic information was updated.

In 2008-2010 The topographic service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was led by Major-General Stanislav Aleksandrovich Ryltsov, a graduate of the Omsk Higher All-Arms Command School, who served in the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff and then appointed head of the WTU.

In 2010, Sergey Viktorovich Kozlov, a personnel naval officer, a graduate of the Navigation Faculty of the Higher Naval School named after M.V., replaced him as head of the Directorate of Rear Admiral Sergey Viktorovich Kozlov. Frunze. From 1981 to 2010, almost thirty years, Sergey Viktorovich Kozlov served in the Naval navy The USSR and the Russian Federation, having gone from an engineer of the electronic navigation service to the chief navigator of the Navy. In 2006-2010 Sergey Kozlov led the Navigation and Oceanography Directorate of the Ministry of Defense - the Navy's hydrographic service, and in 2010 he headed the Military Topographic Directorate.

In 2015, a new chief of the Military Topographical Directorate of the General Staff, the Topographic Service of the RF Armed Forces, was appointed. They became Colonel Alexander Nikolaevich Zaliznyuk, who now heads the service. A graduate of the Leningrad Higher Military Topographic School and the Faculty of Geodesy of the Military Engineering Academy named after V.V. Kuibyshev, Colonel Zaliznyuk, passed all hierarchical steps in the topographic service, rising from the photogrammetric department of the aero-topographical section of the Moscow Military District to chief engineer of the Military Topographical Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Recently, the state has been trying to solve the problems facing the military topographic service. We have to do a lot. In the "dashing nineties" many cartographic factories were forced to switch to the production of products for general consumption. Chronic underfunding affected the quality of the equipment of the topographic service. Now, at least, financing has begun to grow, which means that it is possible to update and improve the material and technical part, to pay decent salaries to officers and contract servicemen. In recent years, space geodesy has been actively developed, the possibilities of which allow us to significantly improve the topographic and geodetic support of troops. Thanks to space geodesy, rockets can be launched with greater accuracy, and ammunition is saved during exercises. The digital information received by means of space shooting is processed, electronic topographic maps are made.

Special attention, for obvious reasons, military topographers today pay the southern borders of Russia. It is here that the risk of local armed conflicts and terrorist actions is highest. Due to the need to solve the problems of topographic support of troops in the South of Russia, in 2012, the 543 Center for Geospatial Information and Navigation was established. Among his tasks, a special place is occupied by the practical study of the terrain with the help of special equipment. In 2014, the Crimean peninsula returned to the Russian Federation, which means that military topographers added work to update the maps of the Crimea, which was under the control of Ukraine from 1991 to 2014. In January, 2018, the military topographers, received a new Volynets mobile digital topographic system (PCTS), which makes it possible to correct and supplement existing maps already in the field. In an interview with journalists, the head of the press service of the Southern Military District, Colonel Vadim Astafyev said that the new complex allows you to scan the terrain and convert the information into maps, as well as create 3D terrain models, which is very important in modern conditions of warfare.



Although progress in science and technology today greatly simplifies the work of military topographers, nevertheless, even today, service specialists have to act on the ground, including in areas with complex mountainous landscapes. The fighting in Syria has shown that, despite the latest technology, not in all cases, the commanders of units can count on electronic cards. Traditional maps come to the rescue, which are also being improved and modified - for example, they are now created with the help of special markers that are not subject to the effects of water, but are made on silk, which allows you to safely carry such cards in your pockets without fear of damaging them.

The Syrian campaign also actively uses three-dimensional maps that were tested during the hostilities in Chechnya. For example, three-dimensional maps of Aleppo and Palmyra were used, which significantly increased the effectiveness of the Syrian army's actions to destroy terrorists. It’s hard to imagine missile launches, flights of our military aviation with attacks on enemy positions, without topographic support.

Thus, the profession of a military topographer remains very important and in demand today; it is impossible to imagine the armed forces without military topographers. “Military Review” congratulates all active military topographers and service veterans, civilian personnel on the Day of Military Topographer, wishes good service, the absence of combat and non-combat losses and the continuous improvement of military topography capabilities.
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24 comments
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  1. +19
    8 February 2018 06: 58
    Congratulations!
    Extremely Important Specialty
    The main thing is not to get lost - under no circumstances. Attach to the area)
    1. +2
      8 February 2018 09: 13
      In a distant youth I read a book (I can’t remember the name), about Military Topographers, as they were in the late forties, in a group of specialist officers, in fact from scratch they created the Chinese army. Of the partisan units did the KLA. How was military topography explained and how to create and read maps?
  2. +4
    8 February 2018 07: 10
    Happy holiday, military topographers. Good luck to your service.
    1. +3
      8 February 2018 07: 12
      I am joining. We use your work even in peacetime.
  3. +4
    8 February 2018 08: 57
    Happy holidays Topiki! Work friends! I hope now in the military units of the military-technical cooperation the professional level is up to the mark !? It’s in civilian life now whoever you can’t meet. And sharazhok divorced like dirt. The ugly system of "tenders" - I don’t even want to talk about it, just foul language .. For kickbacks and leading aero-geodesic enterprises, they are renting large areas to everyone who is not lazy, but they are fighting their squabble.
  4. +1
    8 February 2018 14: 02
    The consequences of an inattentive attitude to the needs of the military topographic service had to be dismantled shortly after the collapse of the Union - in the 1994-1996 years, when the First Chechen War was going on. And I had to scare it terribly - with the blood of Russian soldiers and officers.

    During the Great Patriotic War, the Fritz had color maps, and we have black and white.
    During the Chechen war, I was surprised to see that we have color maps for the entire 3 division, and the unit commanders are in black and white, made on photocopy.
    So the system crash.
    Congratulations to topographers on the holiday, and I wish that finally, they build their work systematically in order to use our maps and exercises in a timely manner updated in the latest technology.
    1. +2
      8 February 2018 19: 12
      Quote: glory1974
      During the Great Patriotic War, the Fritz had color maps, and we have black and white.

      I am not a topographer, but in my understanding b / w cannot exist. Cards can only be colored. Here are copies of cards can be b / w or any other color. But since in those days it was hard with copying tools, I doubt the availability of b / w cards.
      The Germans copied our maps. How could the Germans create color maps based on our b / w? request

      1. 0
        9 February 2018 10: 37
        The Germans copied our maps. How could the Germans create color maps based on our b / w?

        I don’t know where you got the information that the Germans copied our maps. My grandfather told me that during the Second World War the German map was a valuable trophy, as it was colored.
        In the first company, and in the second, too, we really had photocopies from color cards, because there weren’t enough color cards for everyone. Well, I painted mine personally, making color. Not completely of course, but only "uplifted."
        1. +1
          9 February 2018 11: 37
          How could the Germans conduct topographic surveys on our territory? On my message above, our 1933 card is made, based on the 1915 card. and German map 1943. "copied" from our card. And the German cards at the beginning of the war are "copied" from the "royal" cards.
          I think the myth of "good" German maps came about because of the availability of small-scale maps with the Germans, unlike us.
          1. +1
            10 February 2018 09: 34
            I won’t say anything about the topographic location, I don’t know. But considering that the Germans and I were friends with the 39 years ago, I don’t see anything impossible.
            But I agree about the availability of cards for the Germans. A more developed industry has allowed saturate the troops with all the necessary cards of the required quality.
            By the way, the Germans also had a color film, unlike us. I saw shots of German color newsreels, but ours is not.
  5. +5
    8 February 2018 20: 21
    My schoolmate had a dad with a military topographer. Mexico City, Washington, London. You can say, grew up abroad laughing But I’m sure that our missiles will not miss, and the special forces will not get lost! drinks
  6. +2
    8 February 2018 22: 32
    Maps are our everything. You must be able to read cards from childhood. And to draw them is a whole science. But many people can’t snap on the map and read it.
  7. +1
    9 February 2018 18: 09
    [media = https: //topwar.ru/uploads/posts/2018-02/15
    17995838_98645_original.jpg] This photo was taken in a training near Zvenigorod, winter 1983-1984, the photo is my friend Andrei Kulikov, and I took a picture.
  8. 0
    10 February 2018 13: 36
    A friend of mine, after a geodesic technical school, served urgent under Peter,
    topographer, he said that their officers were in Antarctica.
    Oh, and the lieutenant who shot Brezhnev and got into the car with the astronauts was also from that battalion.
    1. 0
      10 February 2018 18: 46
      Quote: urman
      A friend of mine, after a geodesic technical school, served urgent under Peter,

      Expelled from the military department?
      1. 0
        10 February 2018 19: 26
        In my opinion, there were no military departments in the technical schools, the machine-building itself was finishing.
        1. 0
          12 February 2018 07: 54
          Quote: urman
          In my opinion, there were no military departments in the technical schools, the machine-building itself was finishing.

          In topographic was.
      2. 0
        10 February 2018 19: 29
        Quote: AllXVahhaB
        Expelled from the military department?

        The military department at the institute is an interesting thing,
        if he finished it, then two years as an officer, and if not, then a half as a soldier.
        It was so with the union.
        1. 0
          12 February 2018 07: 50
          Quote: urman
          The military department at the institute is an interesting thing,
          if he finished it, then two years as an officer, and if not, then a half as a soldier.
          It was so with the union.

          Speech, like, about geodesic Did you go to college?
          Firstly, such did not exist in nature! Technical schools were called topographic and there were only 8 of them (if memory serves))) throughout the USSR. Plus 2 institutes - NIIGAiK and MIIGAiK (Novosibirsk and Moscow, respectively).
          After graduation - 3-month training camp and you are a reserve officer. Personally, I (Semipalatinsk topotech), from the military department, was kicked out for a fight at the training ground. And although the parents "gottenten over" for the rest of the participants in the fight and restored them to the military commissariat, my mother (although there were opportunities and connections) decided that it would not hurt me to serve the urgent with my behavior, so I did not "bother" ... As a result, after technical school, I went to the 98th Airborne Division of Svir. Since there was a topotech behind him, he ended up in the BUiAR, in the top platoon. The first year they did what they should, the second year there was a complete collapse and degradation of the army, the officer position was reduced and I was appointed commander of the top platoon - sergeant. And the top platoon itself turned into a "regimental" orchestra, which brought together all the musicians from the division, so before the demobilization I was engaged in taking my platoon to the club for rehearsal and vice versa. And the top loader, based on the loaf, has rotted in the garage ...
          In 1993, we refused to take the Ukrainian oath and we were relocated to Ivanovo ... Next is not my story ...
          1. 0
            12 February 2018 07: 57
            Yes, I don’t argue, I just know that he worked in geodesy, and his technical school was called there, without a clue. And he served as a sergeant for an urgent period, my peer, 80-82, he was from Kemerovo, where he studied somewhere.
            1. 0
              12 February 2018 08: 07
              Quote: urman
              he came from Kemerovo and studied somewhere there.

              So Tomsk College ...
            2. 0
              12 February 2018 08: 09
              Quote: urman
              And he served an urgent sergeant, my peer, 80-82,

              80-82 years of service? So, they definitely kicked me out of the department, just like me wink
              And in the 90s the departments in topotechs were removed ...
          2. +1
            12 February 2018 08: 02
            Quote: AllXVahhaB
            there were only 8 of them (if memory serves)))

            I looked on the network - a little bit wrong, there were nine of them:
            Kiev Topographic College
            Leningrad Topographic College
            Moscow College (Topographic Polytechnic)
            Novosibirsk Topographic College
            Semipalatinsk Topographic College
            Tashkent Topographic College
            Tbilisi Topographic College
            Tomsk Topographic College
            Khabarovsk Topographic College

            For each region of the Union, one.
            Quote: urman
            In my opinion, there were no military departments in the technical schools, the machine-building itself was finishing.

            From the 60s to the 90s XX century, in connection with the increasing importance of topographic and geodetic support and the development of specific topographic services (in the Air Force, Strategic Rocket Forces, Air Defense Forces, etc.), additional training of reserve officers for the military transport aircraft was organized in the secondary specialized education system in a number of topographic technical schools.
            In topographic technical schools, military training departments were organized. The current officers of the military-technical cooperation taught, and former military personnel who were in reserve or retired were also involved in the exercises. All male students attended the training, at the end of the course they passed military training, passed the appropriate exams and were awarded the military rank of “junior lieutenant” of the reserve.
            1. 0
              12 February 2018 08: 12
              Quote: AllXVahhaB
              Additional training for reserve officers for the military-technical staff of the SA was organized in the system of specialized secondary education in a number of topographic technical schools.

              So the students were lucky, during the service they did not lose their skills.
              I studied at Mash those and also for a fight thundered to the end of the army., I retrained after service in the evening.
              I thought that I would get somewhere in armored (special-purpose pr-in wheeled-tracked vehicles, tanks) got in touch.
              In general, everything is like in k \ f They fought for their homeland, Cossacks in sappers and axes in their hands, Siberian carpenters in the cavalry.

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