Day of food and clothing services of the Armed Forces of Russia
Until the middle of the XVII century in our country there was no organized power supply system for military personnel. The state simply did not allow the army to pay for food, so all the concerns about food were placed on the soldiers themselves, who purchased food for themselves and feed for horses from their personal funds, including the salary they received. At the same time, servicemen who went to the training camp, brought some of the food from home, and some of them were purchased from local residents. Food was usually prepared with the help of the dishes that were at hand. For example, as the chroniclers noted, under Prince Svyatoslav, the meat in the cauldrons was not cooked, but baked on charcoal. Bread was usually baked in peasant ovens, and then just took it with you.
Everything changed radically in the Petrine era, after Peter I 18 in February 1700 established in Russia a special post of general of provisions, who was responsible for the procurement and distribution of grain stocks for the needs of the army. Along with this, similar posts were introduced as part of each regiment, and people appointed to these posts began to be called food maisters. At the same time, the first food allowances for the soldiers were formed. On the basis of the decree of Peter I, an Okolnichy S. I. Yazykov was appointed to the position of “Provisional General”.
In fact, a new order was created in Russia, which, in accordance with the title of the post of his chief, began to be called provisional. This event marked the beginning of the centralized provision of the army with food products and determined the date of the birth of the food (food) service. With the introduction of food allowances (cereals, flour) for the soldiers, as well as the release of funds for the purchase of meat, vegetables and salt in Russia, an organized feeding system began to take shape, and at the same time the governing bodies for supplying troops with food and fodder went on.
On the same day of February 18, 1700, in Russia, a “Special Order” was formed, on which Peter I laid the responsibility for supplying the regiments with equipment, uniforms and salaries, as well as horses, weapons and carts. With the creation of a truly regular army in Russia under Peter I, all soldiers and officers were dressed in a uniform that was strictly regulated and issued for a specific period. Field Marshal D. A. Milyutin, who served as Minister of War of Russia, was the initiator of radical changes in the army of our country, especially in matters of its clothing provision. Today, the date of February 18 is celebrated as the Day of food and clothing service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, most recently this service celebrated its 315 anniversary.
During this time, the service has come a long way, which has accommodated all the warriors and conflicts in which the armed forces of our country were involved. The most serious test for food and clothing service was the Great Patriotic War, which required a tremendous strain of resources from the whole country. For all the years of the war, the Red Army only in the Soviet Union harvested 3,6 million tons of grain products, of which 2 million tons were sent to the front, and the remaining 1,6 million tons were delivered to meet the needs of the civilian population. For all the years of the Great Patriotic War, our armed forces received more than 38 million overcoats, over 11 million pairs of boots, 73 million blouses and a large number of other items of clothing, without which it was also impossible to imagine victory in this terrible war.
Centuries succeed each other, the titles of positions, the allowances of servicemen and their composition change, but food and clothing services still continue to exist in the Armed Forces of our country, fulfilling the very important task of organizing a full-fledged and good-quality clothing and power supply for all Russian military personnel. Today, with all the numerous nuances of army life, no one will deny the fact that the nutritional standards for the Russian Armed Forces are set in accordance with the requirements of physiological standards, and also meet the criteria for rational and balanced nutrition. The organization of food servicemen has become today a very real science.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, at present in the country's armed forces, military personnel are provided with food at the 21 standard of food rations. The main of these rations include more than 40 of various food items. Thanks to this, a great variety of dishes has been achieved, and the military catering itself has been organized today in more than two thousand canteens and galleys.
The army canteens are being transferred to catering with elements of a full-fledged buffet. In February 2015, 835 canteens were transferred to this form, which required equipment of the order of 1,4 thousands of salad bars. Every year more than 700 thousand tons of various foodstuffs are spent on the allowance of the Russian military personnel. At the same time, more than 44,5 million units of household equipment, as well as almost 6 thousands of units of special equipment are being operated in military canteens today. More than 6,5 thousand tea rooms were equipped in the subunits especially for improving the life and living conditions of military personnel of the Russian army, for which thousands of tea pairs and 101,3 thousand teapots were supplied to the troops.
Impressive figures are presented and clothing support servicemen. Constantly in personal use is more than 50 of millions of different items of clothing, annually issued more than 15 million units. The provision of military personnel of the Russian army today is organized according to 54 supply norms using more than 3 thousand items of clothing. At the same time, over the past few years, progress in improving the equipment of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation seems more and more obvious. Since 2014, all Russian military servicemen, as well as cadets, are provided with travel bags - unique sets for the personal hygiene of military personnel.
Also in Russia, the transition of the Armed Forces to the wearing by all categories of military personnel of an all-season field uniforms kit (WCPP) was completed. This kit stands out for its functionality and allows Russian military personnel to perform all types of combat and special missions in a variety of climatic and weather conditions of our vast country.
February 18 team "Military Review" congratulates all military personnel and civil servants, as well as veterans of the food and clothing service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on their professional holiday!
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