Renaissance: New Schools for the Russian Army

Twilight Past

The economy must be frugal. This was precisely the motive behind those who destroyed Russian military education. However, frugality in this matter is the most illogical explanation. It is far more logical to accuse the authors of "optimization" of outright sabotage. The list of destroyed military schools is staggering. In the military alone aviation Sixteen educational institutions of various specialties were disbanded. Artillery schools were reduced by five. Tanker schools were reduced by two—in Chelyabinsk and Blagoveshchensk. And in 2011, the Saratov Military Institute for Advanced Training of Mobilization Specialists was closed. It's unclear to what extent this affected the efficiency and quality of the partial mobilization in the fall of 2022, but it certainly did. Serdyukov clearly outmaneuvered and destroyed everyone.

Three years of a special military operation would have to pass before the highest echelons even considered rebuilding what had been destroyed. And restoring the educational system is far from the scale of Serdyukov's reforms. In the 1990s and 2000s, several dozen schools of various specialties were closed, and now the Ministry of Defense intends to reopen only 15 educational institutions. Crucially, this will be done between 2025 and 2034.

Once upon a time, someone very smart said that major wars were not in the cards. The Eastern Bloc had collapsed, the country's global interests had significantly diminished, and NATO wasn't even against Russia anymore. Suddenly, people started playing with battalion tactical groups, which are compact, mobile, and deadly. But they lacked the manpower for a protracted military conflict, and their lethality wasn't always the case.

Generals always prepare for the last war—an important point, but it's especially poignant when these same generals (or military officials) are personally cutting military academies. The fruits of this slaughter aren't far to seek: the front is currently short of junior and mid-level command personnel. And not just lieutenants and captains, but officers with a military college education.

Many men are fighting in the SVO, either through contract or mobilization, having earned officer's epaulets after enduring fire and steel. They are excellent at defeating the Banderites, but they are not a professional army. They may even adapt better to the realities of special military operations than graduates of colleges and academies, but fundamental knowledge remains fundamental. In other words, too much practice will never replace a solid theoretical course. It is far more practical to train a commander. tank at a school far from the front, than under an abbreviated program at a training ground somewhere near Donetsk. Or even directly in combat conditions.

Since we're talking about tank crews, let's remember the Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School. It's a good reason to reminisce – its first cadets will graduate this year. It's symbolic that the Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School first emerged in 1941, a very difficult year for the country, as a response to an acute command shortage. And 66 years later, in 2007, it was disbanded.

A few figures about tank officers. The Kazan Tank School graduated just over a hundred lieutenants last year. Viktor Murakhovsky rightly points to three hundred graduates in Kazan in 1975. That year, remember, the Soviet Union was not at war with anyone. What does this mean? It means that years of optimization not only decimated the schools but also reduced the potential of those that remained. Military school graduation statistics are typical of a deeply peaceful time.

Saratov, Kstov and beyond

The revival of military education began in 2025, and it has a number of distinctive features. The teaching staff is actively recruiting heroes of the Soviet Military District. Long ago, after 1945, thousands of frontline soldiers came to Soviet military schools, and with their experience and military training, they trained generations of officers. History It's happening again. Just before the end of summer, the Saratov Higher Military Engineering School opened—and not just any school, but a specialized one. It will train NBC protection specialists. The newly opened specialties include "Technology of Materials and Coatings," "Chemical Technology of Organic Substances," and "Operation and Technology of Biological Defense Equipment." The school isn't new, but revived—it closed 15 years ago. And now it bears the name of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, Hero of Russia, Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, and Commander-in-Chief of the NBC Protection Forces, who was killed by Ukrainian terrorists.

After 13 years, the Kovel Red Banner Higher Military Engineering Command School in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod, is back in business. The school's history dates back to 1701—who could have brought themselves to close such a relic? Over the years, the school trained tens of thousands of engineering officers, with more than 250 of its graduates achieving the rank of general. The school is rightfully considered a training ground for a whole galaxy of historical figures: from the great commander M.I. Kutuzov to the legendary hero of Port Arthur, R.I. Kondratenko.

Here, Russian engineering thought was shaped by such masters as A.E. Telyakovsky, founder of the Russian fortification school; E.I. Totleben, organizer of the defense of Sevastopol; and Ts.A. Cui, emeritus professor and distinguished composer. The school also boasted such eminent scientists as D.M. Karbyshev, M.A. Bonch-Bruevich, and P.A. Ostryakov, whose names have become part of the history of world science.

In 2026, in addition to the aforementioned Chelyabinsk Tank School, the Ulyanovsk Higher Military School will open. Currently, it houses a department of the Krasnodar Flight School, but very soon the educational institution will receive independent status and will train pilots for military transport and long-range aviation, as well as specialists in drones and aviation fuel supply.

In 2011, the Novocherkassk Higher Military Command School of Communications in the Rostov Region was closed. Plans are underway to reopen it in a few months. The school is being built from scratch; the groundbreaking took place back in 2024. According to the plan, at least 200 young officers will graduate from the military academy each year, bringing the total number of cadets to over 1,1.

In keeping with traditions established during the Russian Empire, military academies will not only develop an educational process but also develop serious academic research. War has become much more complex than it was 10–20 years ago, and almost every soldier must now be an engineer. And also an operator. dronesThe new branch of the armed forces has been created, but a specialized university will not be established until 2027. For now, officers are trained in specialized departments. For example, the N. Ye. Zhukovsky and Yu. A. Gagarin Air Force Academy teaches the operation of ground assets and systems for unmanned aerial vehicle systems.

The Ryazan Higher Airborne School's specialist program in management includes the use of UAV units. But the first drone operators in military affairs were the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School, whose training profile closely resembles the realities of the Air Defense Forces. This is unsurprising—almost the entire faculty has served in special operations.

Is 15 military academies in 10 years a lot or a little? In a nutshell, it's quite modest. Especially considering the imminent creation of two military districts near NATO borders. However, we can't rule out an increase in the number of graduates from the remaining academies that successfully survived Serdyukov's optimization. It's time to move away from peacetime realities. Whether this will be achieved remains to be seen, but for now, let's rejoice in the revival of the glorious traditions of our country's higher military education.

Comments

[Uncle lee]

In the meantime, let us rejoice at the revival of the glorious traditions of our country's higher military school.

[Civil]

1. If only there were young people to fill educational institutions.
2. Given demographics, could we consider allowing women into certain specialties? Similar to what's happening in Israel and the US?

[Vovavvs]

In the regions, young people outside of cities literally have nowhere to go after finishing school if their parents lack the financial means. The only way to get a free education is through military academies. Incidentally, this was the case under both the Tsar and the Soviet Union.

[Netl]

Quote: VovaVVS

The only way to get a free education

Incidentally, this is also a good opportunity to turn young idiots into normal men if their parents can't cope. Because, whatever one may say, discipline at the Military Academy is stricter than in civilian educational institutions.

And for some, it's very useful, even necessary. And this was the case under the tsars and general secretaries, and it's the case now.

[quolta]

There are no extra girls except for doctors.

[alexoff]

3. I hope they don’t send degenerals like Lapin there to lead and teach them.

[Iris]

They're apparently planning to promote him to the Duma. To the Defense Committee!

[alexoff]

Oh my God, the house is gone! And whoever used to live there...

[dmi.pris1]

Where should we put him? He's... well, very loyal. And a tank commander doesn't necessarily need to be trained at a military school, even a command one. That's a sergeant's position. Opening training schools is definitely necessary. Specialties need to be aligned with the demands of the times, and even in advance...

[Ban Zai]

It's strange, he's the only one, an antihero?

[alexoff]

Well, there are plenty of such "military geniuses," but at least he was fired after the defense of the Kursk region. There are plenty of others in office, and we don't even know who screwed up where, they just sit there and keep quiet.

[Alekc]

Well, everyone knows about Akhmedov, but what's the point?

[alexoff]

None. We have no precedents of an important person being punished for failure to perform or poor performance of their official duties. For bribes, for loss of trust – yes, but for poor performance – never.

[alexandre II]

That's exactly what's strange. For example, everyone's blaming Serdyukov, but is he some kind of king or god? Who appointed a furniture maker as minister? After all, it wasn't his decision or his implementation—the collapse of the Supreme Council. Why aren't the names of the shadowy fixers and traitors being named? And what was the person who signed the decree appointing him thinking? They lied again...

[Alexfly]

Who went to military schools in the USSR?
1. candidates from military dynasties
2. Rural and urban youth from low-income (less) families - a ticket to the future.
3. Those unwilling to serve in the army (as a rule, this also included the children of high-ranking party officials)
4. adventurers in the positive sense of the word.

[dmi.pris1]

Point 3 doesn't add up at all. Studying at a military university is undoubtedly more difficult and stressful than military service.

[bk316]

Studying at a military university is undoubtedly more difficult and arduous than military service.

Even urgently across the river?
Even in the communications school?

[Yngvar]

What's not to like about the Signal Corps School? The general physical training is standard across all military schools, and the discipline and performance of official duties are the same as at other schools. Living conditions are the same: barracks, guard duty, training (sometimes in -30°C, living in tents), and other forced marches, cross-country runs, and "sports festivals," like the 30 km "skiing season" once a month. Studying isn't all roses either; knowledge and clever minds have always been prized, and (lousy) studying has also brought its share of punishment!
And you are talking, apparently out of ignorance of reality, about some kind of medical service in connection!

[bk316]

What don't you like about the School of Communications?

It's just that two of my subordinates graduated from SPVVIUS.
According to their stories, the workload is more modest than at the Mulino training camp. Well, I won't even mention the service.
Well, the studies and knowledge are simply not up to par compared to Moscow State University.
That's why I'm the boss.
And they didn’t ski at all, we were the ones who covered 50 km.

[Yngvar]

So, those are the "students"... I had a platoon commander who graduated from the Ulyanovsk Engineering Communications School. His equipment was fine, but otherwise, he was practically obsessed with the other side of the equation. While the command schools weren't like the Ryazan Airborne School, the physical and operational loads were more intense than in the engineering schools! And yes, after 85, the level of knowledge, physical fitness, and even discipline dropped significantly! Then again, in the troops, I encountered graduates from later years who had to be literally drilled in terms of service, equipment use, and tactical and special training... "Children of Perestroika"... The Poltava ones were especially "delightful"...

[bk316]

And yes, after 85 the level of knowledge, physical training, and even discipline dropped significantly!

This is not even after 85, but after 91.

Again, in the troops I met graduates of later years, who had to be literally trained in relation to service and the use of equipment and tactical and special training.

So I about it.
You just do not understand.
87, 88. Afghanistan is in full swing, deferments at universities have been abolished. Hazing is still a thing, at least the horror stories are telling.
It's not easy to avoid the army, and by the time you finish your studies, either the shah or the donkey will die (and you guessed it right). SO THEY WENT TO SCHOOL, hoping not to have to serve much later (and you guessed it right again).

[Ban Zai]

Not everyone was pulled out of the draft, although some, through department renovations, were handed over (well, not all, of course, but there were some wooden ones, and the national cadres, a complete nightmare), in our engineering artillery. But there's no need to tar everyone with the same brush. And those who served said their jackets were decent.

[Alexfly]

So, how do you compare it? School before or after?

[alexandre II]

In general, all the points don’t fit together. I went to school after my military service, and the guys who studied with me were guys who couldn’t be accused of shirking their military service, from quite well-off families, and they were excellent students (at school).

[kenig1]

About eight years ago, the Krasnodar Higher Aviation School started recruiting women. After graduation, where were they assigned? Right, to the headquarters.

[Joni_Sins]

Yes, there are young people, but they are all black-haired.

[tinkers]

If there is a decent salary, housing, nurseries, kindergartens, children of military personnel have priority admission to universities, a decent pension provision! then young people will join the queue!

[Akuzenka]

Do you think we'll have time to train them before the war? I don't think so. But trained personnel are one thing, they need experience, and the third thing is how to apply that experience—that is, the appropriate equipment. There's been no talk of reviving industrial production in Russia. Or will there be another wave of import substitution from dollars to yuan?

[ada]

Quote: AKuzenka

Do you think we'll have time to prepare before the war? I don't think so anymore.

Hello!
Theoretically, this is true, and this provision contains criteria by which to determine the various manifestations of factors influencing the evolving situation, devised by the enemy to shape the situation or conditions it desires in the pre-war period (part of the interwar period) and/or during the war (initial and subsequent periods), in accordance with its long-term military and special planning, in particular, the combat readiness of the armed forces of the country against which aggression is being prepared. But! There are nuances—there (the opposing side) isn't all that successful in terms of preparedness and implementation of its treacherous plans.

[Akuzenka]

I'd be happy to agree with you, although I don't know the figures, of course. But over the past 35 years, almost all production in Russia has been eliminated, and the system for producing and training qualified personnel has disappeared. But everything is intact there. Wars are won by teachers, not managers.

[ada]

Quote: AKuzenka

I would be glad to agree with you, ...

You are right - our situation is not the best, but we also have significant deterrent factors, they force the probable to build complex (including conceptual) schemes of special and military planning, which are very critical to the level of their implementation and, accordingly, have a low level of stability under external influence. To understand the issue, pay attention to current events that most clearly demonstrate the essence of our confrontation with the age-old enemy - the Western world and, in particular, with its main representatives, the USA and the EU. They are currently implementing individual elements of military planning to conduct a military conflict with us (I emphasize the importance of the term - namely "MILITARY", i.e. e. with the use of the armed forces of countries) proximal forces - the national armed forces of the Republic of Ukraine in a pre-prepared theater of military operations. The foundation of this military conflict was laid with the formation of the Donbas factor in our border territory, influencing the escalation component with the complication of interstate relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation (a border armed conflict with a sharply colored national component) and a number of other factors that formed the necessary situation at the beginning of this century, including the international one. This planning itself is more than 35 years old, and theoretical research in this direction is even more so, this is the end of the 80s of the last century. It should be added here that, in general, the military planning of all parties is usually well studied by these parties and there are no particular surprises here. Further, we will say hypothetically, but with a high degree of confidence (based on many years of observation of the process of military preparations of state entities, troop training, conducting special operations and military development of the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan and its infrastructure), that one of the main stages in the development of this conflict should have been military counteraction to the designated aggressor (the Russian Federation) by the Coalition Armed Forces of European countries, both those included in NATO and those not included in the bloc, but joined in a coalition manner with the support of the US Armed Forces (planning similar to the "Defender of Europe") and against the background of condemnation by the world community of the Russian Federation for aggression based on quickly adopted decisions of international treaty organizations, and where, as a result of a series of combined operations of the Coalition Armed Forces, our groupings of troops/forces, deeply wedged into the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, should have been inflicted a significant defeat with the rout of most of the SIVCh of the Ground Forces and the Black Sea Fleet, forcing us to leave the occupied territory, etc. d .. Now, I won't describe all the stages and main goals of this planning (I've done this here repeatedly, both before the conflict began and during it), but tell me - what has our enemy achieved from what was planned and mastered by their troops, embedded in state policy and economic decisions? Their failure is obvious at the moment, because it is true! And this was not just a plan - a geostrategic development, the basis for the development of the Great European War and, ultimately, a Limited Nuclear War (based on the criteria of the range of the carriers and the power of the nuclear warheads) in Europe.
Here.

[Akuzenka]

But tell me, what has our enemy achieved from what was planned and mastered by their troops, what was laid down in state policy and economic decisions?

It worked. They achieved the main goal: Russians are fighting Russians, considering themselves implacable enemies. And that's true. Moreover, they're solving another important problem for themselves—territoriality. Not to mention wearing down Russia in a clash with the Russian Federation. While Russians are fighting Russians, they're calmly and unhurriedly preparing to occupy territories not under Russian control. And plans are plans, after all, because they can be changed, just as Britain and America changed their plans for the USSR in 1943.

[ada]

Quote: AKuzenka

... And plans are plans because they can be changed, ...

A radical change in planning is a disaster for the troops!
You are, of course, right, in my opinion, to draw attention to our confrontation with the former brotherhood, to the kinship, but this confrontation must be painted with a clear, bright marker - these relatives launched a gang of murderers and robbers into our common hut in the hope of their fate, they traitors.

[napalm]

Quote: AKuzenka

Do you think we'll have time to train them before the war? I don't think so. But trained personnel are one thing, they need experience, and the third thing is how to apply that experience—that is, the appropriate equipment. There's been no talk of reviving industrial production in Russia. Or will there be another wave of import substitution from dollars to yuan?

No matter how much we fawned over the West, no matter how much we wagged our tails, we were our own, but we didn't accept them. Until the chips were down. Until a serious war loomed. We were still hoping for something.

[Akuzenka]

They were hoping for something.

Of course, they recognize people as reformers. But "There are no people beyond the canal." They chose to forget this British paradigm. And they "forgot" the "technologies" by which the white sahibs extracted the sweat and blood of the colonies. But everything was and is right there on the surface.

[Ban Zai]

That's right, this needs to be done the day before yesterday, we are constantly lagging behind our immediate rivals in some positions, and it's so-so to even make predictions about the future

[AK-1945]

It is good that the revival of military education has begun, but it is sad that such a path had to be taken to revive it and realize its importance.

[snow mountain]

Quote: AK-1945

for its revival and awareness of its significance

No one there I didn't realize anything. I was just overwhelmed.

[bk316]

I just got really hot

This is how, in most cases, awareness comes.
For example, I realized the need to wear a seat belt in a car after a month in the hospital.

[Major Yurik]

Medvedev recently rightly said that after the Second World War, the greenhorn should be caught and placed in a jar of alcohol in the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera as a warning to future generations. I think Serdyukov would look good on the next shelf; it's unclear which of them caused more harm to the army and the state.

[Per se.]

Quote: Major Yurik

that after the SVO, the greenhorn should be caught and placed in the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera in a jar of alcohol as a warning to future generations.

For the edification of posterity, first of all, we must give a proper assessment of the Moscow "Maidan" of 1991, during which, instead of democracy, the people were quietly foisted upon capitalism, which no one signed up for.

[paul3390]

You'd think this was a personal initiative by Serdyukov, who spontaneously emerged from the primordial protein broth as Minister of Defense...

[Wildcat]

You'd think this was a personal initiative by Serdyukov, who spontaneously emerged from the primordial protein broth as Minister of Defense...

Can.
True to tradition!
Hooray!

[Severok]

The mummy of the man who appointed Serdyukov as Minister of Defense must also be hung there.

[alexoff]

And where should Serdyukov's replacement go? To the Black Dolphin?

[Severok]

To live freely, with an average pension for Russia.

[Ture-Dog]

There won't be enough shelves there if we kill all the traitors on our side with alcohol.

[Akuzenka]

It is good that the revival of military education has begun, but it is sad that such a path had to be taken to revive it and realize its importance.

You can't even imagine the hardships officials had to endure to wrest a tiny trickle from their own rivers of money flowing where they should, for something beneficial to the country, not just for their own pockets. And imagine how they're suffering now.

[Ban Zai]

And who are the teachers? If there is a huge shortage of professional staff, if there has been a generation gap where there has been no transfer of traditions and knowledge, and who will guarantee that this is not an imitation, as everything was before?

[Alexander Rasmukhambetov]

They came to their senses after 30 years, it's good to see that the brains of our leaders are getting back into place, slowly but surely.

[Egoza]

Quote: Alexander Rasmukhambetov

Damn, they came to their senses after 30 years,

Better late than never. And let's hope that not all the faculty have passed away yet. They'll always be ready to get back on board, at least to help out initially.

[traveler 63]

Quote: Alexander Rasmukhambetov

They came to their senses after 30 years, it's good to see that the brains of our leaders are getting back into place, slowly but surely.

Oh, come on, you've "come to your senses." I'm certainly no "Skoromohov" to speak for everyone, but I will say this for my beloved AA: In the 80s, about 800 young lieutenants graduated each year (from two schools)! And now? I wanted to say a lot, but I'll just stick to an example: when a lieutenant (and a company commander at that), and a civilian at that, reports to Putin, it can only indicate one thing: a catastrophic shortage of officers in the platoon-company-battalion system! Although maybe I'm wrong? After all, we have enough colonels and generals for all the platoons for about 50 years!

[VlK]

, but for my beloved AA I will say: In the 80s, about 800 young lieutenants graduated (from two schools) every year! And now?

AA - Army Aviation? If so, what will they fly then, with so many produced each year? Probably, at this rate, the military should be recruiting UAVs, and it's still unclear what will happen to their pilots in a couple of years, if, for example, the bulk of UAVs are transferred to AI control.

[traveler 63]

Quote: VlK

AA - Army Aviation? If so, what are they supposed to fly, with so many produced each year?

You won't believe it, but there were a pilot shortages! Of course, things changed after the 90s and 2000s, and this was in the USSR, with 15 republics! And one more thing: one "medium" helicopter requires two pilots! The exceptions are the Mi-28 and Ka-52, where a navigator sits instead of a second pilot! Now tell me, how many navigators have they started producing? If in the 70s the image of a pilot was of a strong man in his 30s or 40s, now it's 50s or 60s! And then what? People don't live forever; I've already lost half my classmates! UAVs? Sure, they can extract an entire company, let alone a battalion, from encirclement! AI is also relevant... but AI can't think! It simply calculates algorithms and chooses the "best" one based on a database! Of course, it does this much faster than a human, but a human THINKS and can make decisions that don't fit into AI algorithms!

[Vasily_Ostrovsky]

All naval schools, except for the Leningrad Frunze Naval School, were merged, both literally and figuratively—somewhere three in one, somewhere five in one... and the fleet shrank so much that it was frightening... For a long time, they graduated not officers—navigators, gunners, missilemen, communications and radio-technical personnel, torpedo operators, mechanics, electricians, etc.—but specialists in the management of military collectives...

There's no way to protect trade routes, and there's no fleet of the required size and composition. And building a fleet won't take a year or two... in short, there are no personnel, no ships, and what we have isn't even sufficient for peacetime.

From here, as you say, comes the level of reports to the top - to check on his generals, the Supreme Commander calls a lieutenant-major-colonel...

And yet the generals still manage to lie...

[traveler 63]

Quote: Vasily_Ostrovsky

And yet the generals still manage to lie...

Vasily! When you're at sea and I'm in the air...what's there to lie about? Especially if the situation is, let's say, approaching disaster? You've described the rescue of the submarine perfectly! But sitting in your cozy offices, you can make up anything! I can't help but remember the Tu-134 crash in Petrozavodsk! I personally was passing the end of the runway at 22:40 p.m., and there was absolutely no visibility! 20 minutes later (I learned about the crash at home). The crew was blamed for everything! They even attributed blood alcohol levels to it! Now let's look at this event calmly and clearly. First, the crew was on their first flight to Besovets Airport! How does one approach an unfamiliar airfield for the first time? That's right! They take a reference book and study it in detail. Then they study the changes to the reference book! But there were no changes! Even though the magnetic landing course had been changed by 3 degrees two years ago! But it's easier to blame the crew than to "rummage around in cozy offices!" Eternal memory to the guys who didn’t give up until the very end!

[Vasily_Ostrovsky]

Andrey, unfortunately, the level of military stupidity and varnishing was constant during Soviet times. However, in my opinion, it noticeably increased every year from the mid-70s to the 90s. But at least they tried to curb the stupidity and varnishing. Then, it just went wild, crowding out military affairs proper. There are many reasons, and the main ones are the top brass. The further we went, the more such people became involved at the top. It was negative selection, damn it...
I won't delve further into the matter; this isn't the right format. But military education has suffered catastrophically, and it's even more inert than shipbuilding. Mistakes (or crimes) in assessing the global situation and the country's goals were bound to lead to the current state of affairs. These mistakes weren't made today—they were made in the second half of the 1990s and 2000s. Therefore, criticizing the leadership "for today" is utterly misunderstanding.
Children usually say:
"Leave me alone with the historical digressions and explanations of the reasons. What should we do now?" That is, the result of a deep understanding of the computer game mindset. But in real life, it doesn't work that way.
I wrote you a private message, please take a look.

[Stas157]

Quote: Alexander Rasmukhambetov

They came to their senses after 30 years, it's good to see that the brains of our leaders are getting back into place, slowly but surely.

The sad thing is that instead of replacing outsiders in power, we hope that over time their brains will fall into place.

[turembo]

It already looks like an attempt to jump on the last train that was scrapped 10 years ago. Politics isn't a five-year matter; it's a very long process, and decisions made 10-20 years ago have their value today. The attempt to create a pocket army was also presented as a revival, but all that was cumbersome, outdated, and so on, and a bunch of military academies were destroyed. Now they've realized that an army is needed, needed right now, and they're getting going, running around, but the problem is, tearing down is easier than building—time is of the essence. Now, thanks to "wise" and "farsighted" policies, our entire population is being transformed into something pocket-sized and compact. And, as the saying goes, the size of the future parcel determines the size of the army that will fit inside.

[snow mountain]

Quote from turembo

It already looks like an attempt to jump on the last car of the train,

Very accurately said!

[Vitaly.17]

Universities are more than just buildings and equipment. The most important thing about them is their faculty, who, after being cut, were unable to pass on their experience and knowledge to their successors. As a result, entire scientific schools will have to be rebuilt. And that would take decades, even with a sound military-technical policy.

[Uncle lee]

Quote: Vitaly.17

As a result, entire scientific schools will have to be rebuilt.

And this was said by V.I. Lenin...Today is his memorial day...

[Same lech]

God is on the side of the big battalions...this phrase was once said by a military specialist on a TV program.
Looking at how quickly the war in the North-Eastern Military District has changed, I am now racking my brains trying to figure out whose side God is on now.
The BTGs have retreated into the shadows...how can we conduct offensive operations now without delays and heavy losses?
The fighting has become viscous and drawn out...there are no rapid breakthroughs into operational space...the battlefield is more reminiscent of a lunar landscape with craters from the Verdun era of WWI.
It is unclear where military art is heading next.

[Uncle lee]

Quote: The same LYOKHA

It is unclear where military art is heading next.

This is an echo of Serdyukov's reforms... Tank commanders are becoming former privates who have risen to the rank of junior sergeant... and so it is everywhere.

[VlK]

Why does a tank commander need five years of military academy/military institute to command two subordinates? If he's "growing up" in the position, then maybe it would be more logical to send a promising cadre there later, one who's aiming for at least a company commander position? And not just for five years, either, since he already has the knowledge and service experience. But at least there would be fewer random people in the army.

[Uncle lee]

Quote: VlK

Why does a tank commander need 5 years of military school beforehand?

You reason like Serdyukov...
In my case, the tank commander was a driver, a corporal, and he was promoted to junior sergeant. And this was already his sixth T-72. That's how many losses there were.

[VlK]

You reason like Serdyukov...

I don't think so, rather, it's based on the current situation and trends. How much training did they give a tank commander in WWII, naturally taking into account the scale of the war? In a peacetime army, you could fill all vacancies with classically educated officers, specifically with an eye toward their inevitable future career advancement, given the lack of casualties, mostly replacing retired officers. What can you study for five years to operate a tank and command two subordinates?

[Uncle lee]

Quote: VlK

What can you study for 5 years to operate a tank?

You can learn to be a tank commander in battle, but that's the limit... So, in your opinion, officers are not needed.

[VlK]

They're needed, but most likely not in the lower ranks. It feels like our army has an overabundance of officer and general positions. Perhaps this is a historical development, dating back to the expansion of the military during WWII and the subsequent downsizing—somewhere had to go to dispose of the masses of distinguished officers who weren't eligible for demobilization. While a colonel of the General Staff was a figurehead in the RIA (Russian Imperial Army), now we hear the joke about "Hey, Colonel," which, in my opinion, is also a sign. Why shouldn't a properly trained sergeant be a tank commander, and only those certified for higher positions receive officer training?

[Uncle lee]

Quote: VlK

not in low-level positions.

There are always not enough of them...They are the first to be eliminated...Lieutenants are the most scarce cohort

[VlK]

That's exactly what I'm talking about. Surely, at least short training courses for NCOs aren't enough these days? In fact, the modern army's personnel policy itself, which ideally envisages the continuous advancement of all officers through rank and position based on length of service, has gone off the rails—the requirement that a commander must necessarily reach his level of incompetence hasn't been repealed.

[Iris]

The initial position for a tank school graduate, newly commissioned as an officer, is platoon commander. As for "what's there to learn in a tank?" Don't compare the T-26 and the T-90.

[kromer]

Quote: Uncle Lee

Quote: VlK

Why does a tank commander need 5 years of military school beforehand?

You reason like Serdyukov...

Excuse me, but it was Serdyukov, when downsizing the army, who ordered officers to be appointed tank commanders. In the Soviet army, a lieutenant was a tank platoon commander. In practice, a lieutenant was often the only officer in a tank company.

[traveler 63]

Quote: The same LYOKHA

God is on the side of the big battalions...this phrase was once said by a military specialist on a TV program.

And as I understand it, you studied military affairs from TV programs?

[kromer]

Quote: The same LYOKHA

God is on the side of the big battalions...this phrase was once said by a military specialist on a TV program.

Lord, what you can’t read on VO.
I didn't know that the 17th century French marshal Jacques d'Estampe de la Ferté appeared on television.

[Ilgizl]

The cake definitely stood out🤣🤣🤣

[Ilgizl]

"God is on the side of the big battalions" Napoleon said this, and before him Frederick (possibly).

[kromer]

Quote: IlgizL

"God is on the side of the big battalions" Napoleon said this, and before him Frederick (possibly).

Jacques d'Estamp de la Ferté.
These words are attributed to Napoleon and Frederick, but if they did say it, they certainly plagiarized it.

[Oleg 1968]

The subtitle "Fire", KSTOV, is a clear 2 in geography for the author

[traveler 63]

Quote: Oleg 1968

The subtitle "Fire", KSTOV, is a clear 2 in geography for the author

Please decipher it! I honestly didn't even understand the meaning!

[ada]

Quote: Traveler 63

Please decipher it! I honestly didn't even understand the meaning!

I also didn't succeed with the "snail" - apparently the maps are wrong, but in the list of populated areas there is this: "Kstovo is a city in Russia, the administrative center of the Kstovsky district (municipal district) of the Nizhny Novgorod region. ...", and some woman or fox - Alice (she started up in the PC herself, speaks inhumanly and writes the hell of a thing, I couldn’t kick her out - I don’t have enough knowledge) writes that the date of foundation is: 1588, population: 61,118 people. (January 1, 2025). That's it.
In general, there is a lot of Soviet heritage in Nizhny Novgorod.

[Pechorsky]

Someone must have been Serdyukov's protégé? Someone must have come up with the idea of ​​making the furniture store director Minister of Defense?

[cinnamon]

And before Serdyukov, what did Ivanov have to do with the army? And after Serdyukov, there was a general who didn't serve in the army. And now we have the same Belousov. So, 25 years, what's surprising?

[Ivan Kuzmich]

Hi, what does a furniture store have to do with it?
The thing is that there was no more reliable and loyal person at that time
Don't confuse scrambled eggs with God's gift

[FoBoss_VM]

My beloved S. O. Makarov Military Military School was incredibly lucky. Serdyukov was plucked from the ministerial trough, but he simply didn't have the time. Although everything was heading that way... The school was turned into a branch, and for one year there were no applicants at all; only 10 people were taken for the FSB's paramilitary ranks. They carved out half the grounds for a cadet school, destroying the school stadium, an old park from the 30s, and an obelisk to fallen cadets. They also destroyed the school club and checkpoint. Now they can't be restored...

[cukko55]

QUESTION? Why are there 27 bridges across the Dnieper? In my opinion, and as I was taught at the VUVZ, they should be blown up. And the entire Left-Bank Ukraine is cut off along with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The "Stalingrad cauldron." I don't understand. Tunnels, railway bridges, the electrical system hasn't been removed. Once again, the RUSSIAN SOLDIER will pay for this with blood. WHY DO WE PITY the Banderites? Hundreds of thousands of Soviet officers live there in Ukraine. So what? No one stood up to defend the grandfathers and fathers who died there in WWII. I have two uncles who died there in October 1943.

[Melior]

When in 1992 the choice arose between going to Russia or taking the Ukrainian oath, out of 1500 officers from the school and training regiment, only three went to Russia: two Georgians and a Ukrainian!

[cinnamon]

Because these bridges were built in Soviet times to withstand air and missile strikes, we don't have enough missiles to take them out. And the cost of missiles used to damage each of these bridges is many times greater than the cost of rebuilding them. It's more effective to use these missiles to strike other targets.

[Yaroslav Tekkel]

27 bridges across the Dnieper are standing for the same reason that Ukraine was not given any air force or tomahawks during the 4 years of war (and the 8 years before that).

[Li17]

I see Serdyukov is being blamed everywhere. But who appointed him and protected him? I'm afraid to say it outright. And then there's Shoigu, the construction battalion officer, despite having diminished Serdyukov's gay influence and even bringing a certain operetta-like beauty to the army, who still continued Serdyukov's case... It's too bad the culprits of this situation, as usual, have nothing to do with it! Optimization, as usual....

[Same lech]

Quote: lithium17

And who appointed him and protected him? I'm even afraid to say it outright.

Don't rock the galley.

[Li17]

Are you talking about it?
"I'm not ashamed before the citizens who voted for me twice as President of the Russian Federation. For these eight years, I've toiled like a galley slave, from morning until night, and I've done it with total dedication."

At a press conference in the Kremlin in February 2008"

[cinnamon]

No, it also says there that he is satisfied with the results of his work)

[kromer]

Quote: lithium17

I see that Serdyukov is identified as the culprit everywhere.

The most interesting thing is that before Serdyukov, there was Minister Ivanov, who closed military universities even more than Serdyukov, but everyone is silent about him.

[bober1982]

Quote from kromer

The most interesting

The most interesting thing is that military schools began to crumble even before the collapse of the Union, and then everything went on the rise, and very quickly.
And, in general, the Bolsheviks did not need to close the cadet schools, but why did they close them? - apparently, in order to then reopen military schools.

[kromer]

Quote: bober1982

And, in general, the Bolsheviks did not need to close the cadet schools, but why did they close them? - apparently, in order to then reopen military schools.

Well, that's all clear. For the Soviet regime, the cadets were, by definition, counter-revolutionaries.

"We will destroy the whole world of violence
To the ground, and then
We will build our new world" (c) Internationale.

[bober1982]

The Soviet military schools were finished (finally) by 1992; they were no longer a burden to anyone; there was no army as such, and officers were no longer needed.
Although the perestroika-era academy antics began around 1989 (in my opinion), and if graduates of my own school in 1990-1991 were still in demand in civil aviation, then from 1992 onwards they became of no use to anyone.
Well, then the post-Soviet horror began.

[Akuzenka]

For the Soviet government, cadets were, by definition, counter-revolutionaries.

Incidentally, about 15 years ago, while researching the history of the Red Army, I came across a small fact: 75% of the Red Army's commanders were former tsarist officers. This means that a very large number of "former" soldiers fought on the side of the workers and peasants in the Civil War. Indeed, almost all the celebrated marshals were "former."

[kromer]

Quote: AKuzenka

75% of the Red Army commanders were former tsarist officers.

Well, that's not surprising. War is a matter for professionals.

[Akuzenka]

Just read about the Red Army right after the Civil War. Or rather, what it was reformed into. And I think that's right. But the training of commanders was top-notch. As soon as industry allowed, the Red Army began to acquire world-class equipment, and ALREADY trained junior and mid-level commanders. Back then, they understood what was coming and prepared for it as best they could. And people understood why they had to fight, if anything happened. Now the situation is different, completely different. Both in terms of equipment, and especially in terms of people. Almost everyone understands why the SVO is needed, and this understanding is not encouraging. Perhaps only a small segment of the population at home and a huge number abroad.

[Vovavvs]

You're right to be afraid. Strelkov and Prigozhin will confirm this.

[Li17]

They forgot about Comrade Colonel Vladimir Vasilyevich Kvachkov!

[Alexey Lantukh]

I'm not an officer, but I'll say it anyway: there are auxiliary specialties in the army for which military schools also existed. For example, supply (rear services), financial operations and accounting, and vehicle operation. These were the ones that needed to be cut. And these absolutely essential specialties should be filled by specialists from civilian universities and technical schools, after training and honing them in annual and six-month courses.

[Li17]

Quote: Alexey Lantukh

I'm not an officer, but I'll say it anyway: there are auxiliary specialties in the army for which military schools also existed. For example, supply (rear services), financial operations and accounting, and vehicle operation. These were the ones that needed to be cut. And these absolutely essential specialties should be filled by specialists from civilian universities and technical schools, after training and honing them in annual and six-month courses.

You just mentioned the specialties that require real specialists, and as a non-military person, you fail to understand that such specialists can be replaced not only with additional training, but also after immersion in the service. And essentially, after civilian life, integration into the service requires practice, not theory, and service in rear-echelon positions is even more challenging than at the training grounds... And the articles there are serious: officers serve, not work in the accounting department!

[Alexey Lantukh]

One of my friends graduated from the Leningrad Institute of National Economy with a degree in accounting, which had a military department. After graduating, he served as a lieutenant as head of the finance department in a military unit with a construction focus in the Far East. Incidentally, a military unit is a budgetary organization, and the accounting and control of material and financial resources there is similar to that in civilian budgetary organizations. Of course, there are some specifics. And practice never hurts.

[ada]

Quote: Alexey Lantukh

...By the way, a military unit is a budgetary organization, and the accounting and control of material and monetary resources there is similar to the same accounting in civilian budgetary organizations. ...

Financial bodies in the Russian Armed Forces have long been separated from the regular structures of military units and are now separate organizations within the Ministry of Defense, serving military units and other organizations within the Ministry of Defense. The specifics there are astonishing.

[Alexey Lantukh]

The specifics there are "mama - don't cry"

It's quite unique. The property and money are in the hands of the military unit's personnel, but the accounting and control are handled by someone else. Small organizations typically do this to save money. But military units don't really fit in with small structures. But the military financiers probably got staff positions.

[ada]

Military financiers in the troops have been practically eliminated as a class. I don't know the operational staffing levels of the main or central financial agencies in the Ministry of Defense, but I'd estimate that the military there is striving for "zero." They are replaced by civilian personnel (the Ministry of Defense's General Staff) and additionally burdened with certain duties, non-staff military personnel allocated by commanders/chiefs out of desperation to interact with these agencies on financial matters and inventory accounting. There are no great "staffing" structures there—it's all about optimization and cyberneticization.
I already agree to microchipping of the personnel (multiple by limbs and main), units by completeness of the VVS and marking with elemental marks of other ZMS in bulk, including water (drinking, technical), even with a radioactive mark, maybe this will help

[AA17]

...Serdyukov definitely outplayed and destroyed everyone...

I wonder if Serdyukov appointed himself Minister of Defense?

Russian citizens will continue to feel the consequences of the actions of the great reformers for a long time.
Serdyukov ...

Fursenko - optimization of education. The result: reductions in schools and universities, the Bologna system; education as a service; the consequence: teachers' lack of rights over their clients (students); the cultivation of an advanced consumer, etc.

Golikova's healthcare reform. Russian citizens have felt the full impact...

[Alex 1970]

All well and good, of course, and better late than never, but where will we find cadets for so many schools? The summary below is a direct consequence of current policy, and the situation cannot be corrected by simply increasing the number of schools.

[Vovavvs]

Rural youth have no other way to get an education.

[Alex 1970]

Here is from open data
The exact competition rate for military academies in 2025 has not been publicly disclosed. However, it is known that in 2025, more than a third of Russia's military universities (25 out of 63) extended the application period until August 1. This was due to a shortage of applicants.

[Li17]

Quote: Alexey 1970

This was due to a lack of applicants.

From a recent conversation with a friend of mine who was a warrant officer for five years (three times his command promoted him to lieutenant, and on the fourth, he didn't even want to!)... Of the eight lieutenant graduates who arrived last year, six submitted their resignations! I don't know how things worked out for them. Of course, the one who wants to resign isn't the same bastard who defected, but I think they're the same type!

[2 Level Advisor]

Quote: lithium17

Of the eight lieutenant graduates who arrived last year, six submitted their resignation reports!

Nowadays, no one is fired, as long as there is a military service, and they are already forcing you to compensate for your education, and they are not collecting 100 thousand rubles, but several times more... But 15-17 years ago, yes, few people remained...

[Akuzenka]

However, it is known that in 2025, the application deadline for more than a third of Russia's military universities (25 out of 63) was extended until August 1. This was due to a shortage of applicants.

And you can’t even announce a Komsomol recruitment! Due to its complete absence. And those Komsomol members who would have been ready would no longer be able to pass due to health and age!

[Vovavvs]

True, for a long time, both sons of a relative from the remote backwoods dreamed of becoming military men. But after the military academies in the nearest (400 km) regional center closed, they "changed their minds" about trudging across half the country...

[Zyablicev43]

We have countless Serdyukovs... Kukuruznik builds his own Serdyukov. On ships - their own Serdyukovs... In aviation - their own. In mechanical engineering, metalworking, machine tool building, electronics... Healthcare, medicine... Where to find non-Serdyukovs? Question.

[Akuzenka]

Now you'll write something about needing to find who appointed these "Serdyukovs" and who pushed through their appointment. Now that's a crime! But it's a criminal offense. Or a political one?

[Vovavvs]

Truly so! And so it will roll down to those guilty of the Kursk, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions...

[Wildcat]

Whether this will be done is unknown, but for now let us rejoice in the revival of the glorious traditions of the domestic higher military school.

Could we immediately name these glorious traditions directly, if possible?
And here it is by year:
2022 - wasn't that a tradition?
2023 - wasn't that a tradition?
2024 - wasn't that a tradition?
2025 - wasn't that a tradition?
It's clear that a new year has arrived and that traditions will be revived starting in 2026, but which ones exactly?
And am I correct in understanding that the main problem is the lack of officers, junior lieutenants and above, who spend five years studying at a specialized school? So even a military department at a civilian university isn't "right" for a junior lieutenant?

[Idle_piston]

Note that first they destroy everything, then they rebuild it in a rush, and claim whatever they restore (if they restore it) as their own achievement. One professional Russian historian said, "If you think the country's leadership is run by people smarter than you, you're deeply mistaken."

[Wildcat]

Is 15 military academies in 10 years a lot or a little? In the grand scheme of things, it's quite modest. Especially considering the imminent establishment of two military districts near NATO's borders.

Just curious, how many military schools does NATO's largest army, the US, open per year (or how many schools with a five-year military education are there)?

[batmanxnumx]

There are only three of them there. They have enough. West Point - Army. Colorado Springs - Air Force. Annapolis - Navy. They train the elite and leaders there.
All other officers in the US Armed Forces are graduates of civilian universities.

[Yaroslav Tekkel]

Well, it's a bit more. The three mentioned above plus the Coast Guard Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy (despite its name, it also trains naval officers). Plus there are six "senior military colleges," which, while affiliated with civilian universities, offer barracks accommodation, uniforms, and military discipline.

[AdAstra]

Why would they? It seems they didn't break anything to discover anything.

[cinnamon]

Well, here's the logic: there are no good officers - let's open more military universities.
And if there are no good cars, let's open more car factories.
You can have one large school, or several smaller ones, but the problem here is far more complex and extensive. And if you start delving into it, you quickly become a terrorist and an extremist. Therefore, Serdyukov is to blame for everything!

[ism_ek]

It's far more practical to train a tank commander at a school far from the front than through an abbreviated program at a training ground somewhere near Donetsk, or even directly in combat conditions.

I don't agree with this at all. Experience shows that all the army's "scum" gathers in military academies. I'm sure, for example, that Mr. Muradov will surface in one of the newly created academies.
Poor officer training in theoretical specialties is the bane of our army, especially the navy. When the state spends Roscosmos's annual budget on ship repairs, our sailors destroy them in a single mission.
I understand, it's a flight school. A specialized school is essential, but why train a specialist in "Materials and Coatings Technology" at a military school? That's what civilian universities with military departments are for.
And there's no need to compare it with 1941. In those years, the country was still struggling with illiteracy.

[Black cat]

It's not enough to just open universities. Someone has to go to them. The demographics are terrible, the salaries are terrible, the prestige of the service is through the floor... Besides officers, we need sergeants like we need air. Where do we train to become sergeants, and are there many willing to serve?

[kromer]

Quote: Black cat

Where do we train to become a sergeant and are there many people willing to serve?

Well, there are plenty of sergeant training schools in the army. A sergeant isn't the kind of person who trains for years.

[Severok]

You can't support a family on a sergeant's salary. Pay scales need to be raised for squad leaders and deputy platoon commanders, and for naval petty officers too. Otherwise, when you ask a junior sergeant about his salary (and the guy's already approaching forty), you just want to cry with resentment for him. And not everyone wants to become an officer; some are simply content with being a sergeant. But you can't keep such people in line! After all, it's with them that the building of a military Collective begins!

[Same lech]

Quote: Traveler 63

And as I understand it, you studied military affairs from TV programs?

Of course not.
There is plenty of literature on military topics.
I really love military magazines... Independent Military Review, Aviation and many other military periodicals...there are many articles by various military theorists.
The army isn't just in a vacuum...everything that happens in it is visible to civilians...sometimes even to the naked eye.

[Stas157]

They optimized the army, medicine, education... and handed over the saved money (the ZRV piggy bank) to the enemy.

Now, instead of punishing the guilty, we pretend that nothing terrible happened.

[Million]

Serdyukov definitely outplayed and destroyed everyone.

He still holds good positions, even though he shouldn't have.

[bober1982]

The phrase ........ the economy must be economical, belongs to L.I. Brezhnev, which everyone made fun of during the perestroika era.
In my opinion, it is not quoted very well; it can be understood in different ways, and everyone can interpret it in their own way, including in relation to military education, both Soviet and current.

[Sergey_K]

Taburetkin is of course guilty and should be judged... but the realization of sabotage came... let's say - a bit late!

[Ingvar7401]

What new districts?

[Boris55]

The essence of Russian civilization is Bolshevism.

Quote: Ingvar7401

What new districts?

Moscow and Leningrad. After perestroika, all Russian Armed Forces from the West to the Urals were virtually eliminated.

[ada]

Quote: Ingvar7401

What new districts?

Quote: Boris55

Moscow and Leningrad.

Actually, we need a few more: a Special Baltic Military District, a Special Belarusian Military District, a Special Dnieper-Left-Bank Military District. And a few more in places, including along the Transcaucasian land crossing.

[Albert 1975]

In my opinion, the number of military schools graduating military medics and army special forces personnel needs to be increased. Previously, such schools were either closed or repurposed. Now, it seems, such specialists are no longer trained beyond the Urals.

[Boris55]

Bolshevism is the essence of Russian civilization.

Everyone criticizes Serdyukov - oh, he's such a so-and-so, oh, he's a tube-smoker...
I’ll say a few words for Serdyukov...

1. To purge the State Department generals, a man outside the system was needed, and Serdyukov became that man. And as in our tradition: when you chop down a forest, the chips fly. There were some excesses, too. Starting with the academies was the right thing to do. "Personnel is everything." The results are visible at the SVO. The results are excellent!

2. The second task Serdyukov tackled was creating an expeditionary army, and he succeeded. As a result (under Shoigu), our expeditionary army demonstrated its effectiveness in Crimea. The result was excellent!

I hope no one thinks that Shoigu, in less than a year as Minister of Defense, managed to create such an army.

Yes, the Air Defense Forces have demonstrated that expeditionary forces are incapable of waging modern warfare. The world is evolving, and we're not hiding from these new realities; we're solving problems in accordance with the realities on the ground. And we're meeting these new challenges with flying colors!

[Gardamir]

Am I the only one who thinks you hate Russia or are clearly in the pay of its enemies?

[Boris55]

The essence of Russian civilization is Bolshevism.

Quote: Gardamir

Am I the only one who thinks you hate Russia?

"If it seems so, you need to be baptized."
Russia is my homeland. You don't choose your homeland - it's fate.

I'll add - why we had a reduction in the number of military schools.

The perestroika people of the 90s not only withdrew all troops from the European part of Russia beyond the Urals, but they also reduced the size of the army to 200 thousand people.

In your opinion, how many military schools should there be for such a number of troops?

Today, the army numbers over 2 million. It's only natural that there should be more personnel to manage it.

[Gardamir]

In the 2000s, the size of the Russian Armed Forces underwent reforms, starting from approximately 1,2 million personnel at the beginning of the decade (after the cuts of the 90s) and gradually decreasing by 2010 to 1 million (as part of the Serdyukov reform). During this period, units of permanent readiness were actively formed and the number of contract soldiers increased.

Just don't talk about State Department generals and the vanished perestroika people. Yeltsin's legacy lives on and triumphs.

[Boris55]

Bolshevism is the essence of Russian civilization.

Quote: Gardamir

The Yeltsin affair lives and wins.

Not only him, but also Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, Gorbachev. Yeltsin is the apotheosis of their aspirations. Their dream of destroying the USSR and, as a reward, the right to advertise a hamburger on local US TV (hunchback) came true. But the problem is, Putin ruined all their fun.

As long as we continue to go to the polls and legitimize the legislative branch, which hasn't changed since perestroika, represented by the protégés of capital, advancing the interests of capital, nothing will change!

ps
There are still plenty of generals in the troops who received their stars and shoulder straps as a result of betraying Russia, especially in the General Staff.

[Gardamir]

It seems you forgot another last name?

[Boris55]

Quote: Gardamir

It seems you forgot another last name?

I won't guess - name it? Don't be shy.

[bober1982]

Quote: Boris55

The perestroika people of the 90s, not only did they withdraw all troops from the European part of Russia beyond the Urals

Quote: Boris55

How many military schools should there be for such a number of troops?

Boris Leontyevich, I completely agree with you - Serdyukov was the very man as Minister of Defense who cleaned out all the remaining rot - he cut useless schools, which had been actively cut before him, and he cut equally useless regiments, which had also been actively disbanded before him.
As for the withdrawal of troops from the European part beyond the Urals, of course this did not happen and could not happen, it’s simple - there was no one and nothing to withdraw, and there was no reason.

[cinnamon]

Is liberating a peninsula in a country where the government has just changed, the state apparatus is essentially non-functional, and where the overwhelming majority of troops are local pro-Russian citizens—is this an expeditionary operation? A large-scale and complex task on the level of Prague 68 or Normandy?
And Ivanov, who preceded Serdyukov, was also outside the system. And he wasn't a State Department general either—Putin couldn't have made someone like that Defense Minister. What was wrong with him?

[Wildcat]

Do I understand correctly that, for example, there is only one (ONE) Academy for the entire US Air Force? The United States Air Force Academy is a military educational institution that trains officers for the United States Air Force. The Academy is officially accredited by the United States government as a college; graduates who successfully complete the four-year course receive a Bachelor of Science degree and, as a rule,[2] the rank of second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.[i] [/ i]

[UA3QHP]

Do I understand correctly that, for example, there is only one (ONE) Academy for the entire US Air Force?

But it's huge, with over 4000 cadets. And the training period is four years.
In addition, the Marine Corps and Navy also have an academy, and they have their own aviation.

[Vovavvs]

You forgot about the US Army sergeants who successfully pilot helicopters and piston-engine aircraft...

[Yaroslav Tekkel]

In total, the US has the Air Force, Army, and Navy Academies, plus the Coast Guard Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy (which, despite its name, also trains naval officers). There are also six "senior military colleges," which, while affiliated with civilian universities, offer barracks-style accommodations, uniforms, and military discipline. So, in total, there are 11. Plus, there's one military medical university for all of them.

[Zoer]

It's symbolic that the ChVTKU first emerged in 1941, a very difficult year for the country, as a response to a severe command shortage. And 66 years later, in 2007, it was disbanded.

This isn't just symbolic. It eloquently explains the reasons for the possibility of the emergence of the SVO, as well as its course.

[seacap]

Did Serdyukov and his accomplice really start all this themselves, having watched too much Hollywood? Were the General Staff and the Chief of the General Staff just passing through? He's an executor of someone else's will. Taburetkin is all about cash, not military construction, because with his level of intellect and the mentality of a market trader, the whole "vertical" is like that.

[asher]

"It's time to move away from the realities of peacetime." We haven't done so in four years, and we'll continue to bend over backwards in attempts to preserve the profits of the country's new masters.

[seacap]

Along with the VU, the most technologically advanced and highly intelligent branch of the armed forces—the Air Defense of the Ground Forces—was also destroyed. There is no technology more complex than the SNR SAM system; it is the pinnacle of advanced engineering, where practically all of humanity's fundamental engineering inventions are concentrated in a single system. Training an officer to operate the system, its combat use, and its development requires a very long time and enormous resources. The enemy knew exactly what to destroy first, what would be practically impossible to restore later, let alone bring back to its former level. Most importantly, the fundamental and applied military science schools, along with their faculty, were destroyed along with the training schools. The main Orenburg air defense missile and control system, the Leningrad air defense missile and munitions unit, the Poltava air defense missile and munitions unit, and the Kyiv Air Defense Academy with its engineering faculty and academic and research facilities were destroyed, while the Smolensk air defense unit was "cobbled together" in the American style as a universal monster, supposedly teaching a little bit of everything at once. We're reaping the benefits.

[odisey3000]

The entire country is now experiencing the destruction of the Ground Forces' air defense system firsthand. What else can be added? Only the sadness and tears of the killed and maimed, their burned property. This is the result of thoughtless reform.

[Non-fighter]

I have written here, am writing and will continue to write.
The army is a tool in the hands of political leadership! And it is built in accordance with the tasks assigned to it and within the allocated funding.
Today's "History" section features an article about the German army before World War I. Read on, and I hope there's more to come.
As for Serdyukov...
We all remember the New Year's storming of Grozny? That's what the Soviet army had come to! When the army's primary focus was providing support to agriculture and maintaining the overall appearance of its military units with painted curbs and grass.
Something had to be done about this. Serdyukov, an outsider, was able to reform the system. Sure, not everything worked out, and they often "threw the baby out with the bathwater," but he did give the system a kick in the pants.

[strannik1985]

This is what the Soviet army has come to! When the army's primary focus was providing support to agriculture and maintaining the overall appearance of its military units, complete with painted curbs and grass.

This is a distortion. The SA in State A held 17 tank and 17 motorized rifle divisions, and did not hesitate to call up reservists if necessary.

[ada]

Quote: strannik1985

... reservists...

Well, modern "reservists" are a new "invention" of the Ministry of Defense and the country's leadership, influenced by the results of research into the development of advanced armies around the world and the methods and procedures for manning their forces. In particular, serious research was conducted on the methods of manning the armed forces in the World War II and the US Army. I believe that these very results, "pushed" to the leadership by interested parties and simply "useful idiots," of whom there are now a great many, have had a detrimental effect on our system of developing and maintaining the armed forces. I also believe that this was directly part of a special operation by several US intelligence agencies and their allies. The idea of ​​"reserving" a portion of the Russian Armed Forces' reserves gained momentum in the early 2000s and reached its apogee during the planning and implementation of the "New Look Army 2011" Strategic Concept. During the transition to the "New Look" in 2008-2009, the two-million-strong Russian Armed Forces, already heavily reliant on mobilization and struggling to maintain the abandoned edifice of the former Soviet Army, were ruthlessly reduced by more than half. The existing basing and deployment system, the provision of the military personnel, the mobilization system, and the personnel training system, along with a clunky personnel recruitment system and recruitment to the GP Armed Forces, were simultaneously destroyed (liquidated). At the same time, I believe that the "eight-day war" and other events in the southern regions during this period were not spontaneous and spurred the Russian leadership to take ill-considered steps. This "new guise" has transformed the Russian Armed Forces into an "insufficient freak," something that is now obvious and clear to many. It is also now clear that foreign models of military construction are unacceptable for our country, and the existing experience of their construction must be applied on a military-scientific basis, not at the level of religious incantations and political appeals. For the defense of the state, a national unifying idea is needed, not a set of privileges, high salaries, social mobility, and other baseless nonsense. Then, shared human resources will be the basis for both reliably manning the Armed Forces at the required strength in the World War II and for maintaining a reserve of armed forces for the Interior.
Help from a mentor is also needed from time to time.

[VlK]

So what was the point of trying to pull together a monstrous system—the successor to the SA—with its last remaining resources, designed for mass mobilization for a major war, given that the RA couldn't properly address its immediate needs even in local conflicts without overexertion and the formation of joint units, plucking people from wherever they could find them? Of course, there are plenty of questions about implementation, but generally speaking, such solutions don't just pop up.

[ada]

I wasn't talking about a "monstrous system," but about a very real and usable spatial system of the material and technical base of the RF Ministry of Defense Armed Forces and other troops and military formations of the ministries and departments of the RUSSIAN FEDERATION itself, designed to support them in peacetime and wartime. A significant portion of this base was lost in a manner unbecoming of a prudent manager and far-sighted statesman, despite the existence of every opportunity to preserve and expand it. But then, the country's leadership and the Ministry of Defense had to overcome someone politically and economically and recognize the failure of the idea of ​​a capitalist paradise in a single former socialist country, and that's a mortal struggle.
A local armed or military conflict within a country or border area doesn't arise out of nowhere, and its origin and development are usually known in detail to the military-industrial complex, as are the methods for stopping them. Our domestic conflicts are no exception, so disregard for the country's previous situation is no excuse for inaction against the leadership itself. Where did you get your information about the "overexertion" of the Armed Forces and other troops/forces of specialized agencies? Combined force/assets groups are commonplace, as is the assignment of individual military personnel to their commanders.
While the necessary measures to preserve the historical continuity of the Soviet Army's legacy in the Russian Armed Forces were being implemented by the country's leadership and the immediate command staff of the troops, the heads of the organizations of the Armed Forces of the Ministry of Defense and other departments, it was entirely possible to preserve their material and technical base to the required extent. However, at that time, this conflicted with domestic and foreign policy, and the result was a lack of military capabilities to mitigate or neutralize modern threats and challenges.
Right?

[strannik1985]

Well, what was the point of trying to pull together with all our might the monstrous system - the successor of the SA,

Such that the army must be scalable to the task at hand, from a local low-intensity conflict to a nuclear one. The structure of the SA itself was sound; in the 90s, the main problems arose with the high readiness of its components.

[Non-fighter]

I repeat myself again
There are basically two types of army: small, compact, or large, mass.
Next, we read Veremeev. He explicitly states that a small, compact army is good for:
1. Peacetime. Those who say it's expensive should count it in the "total" column. A professional needs to be paid more and provided with all the necessary conditions, but they'll damage/lose less military property.
2. For a small victorious war. You can make up your own list.
3. For a war with an equally professional army. "There's no defense against a crowbar except another crowbar."
Our country needs a completely different kind of army, a conscript army. Furthermore, we've already tried to combine the two: a main conscript army and a small professional one, like a private military company, or creating a separate expeditionary force. It didn't work.
ZY

Here, a national unifying idea is needed to defend the state.

So it all comes down to this. But the problem is that we don't have an official ideology; our de facto ideology is "Get rich!!!"—and you can't build an army with that, even if you import soldiers from, say, Bangladesh.

[strannik1985]

Our country needs a completely different kind of army, a conscript army. Furthermore, we've already tried to combine the two: a main conscript army and a small professional one, like a private military company, or creating a separate expeditionary force. It didn't work.

These were called permanent readiness units—5 divisions, 14 separate brigades, 21 regiments (in both cadre and separate divisions), plus airborne forces. I think the idea is sound, but with the stipulation that reservists and/or conscripts would be called up for major conflicts, including those outside the Russian Federation's borders.

[ada]

Yes, I understand you, I agree, but I propose not to simplify such a complex multifaceted issue as the construction of the Armed Forces and the defense of the state as a whole, especially such a huge spatial state entity as our country.

[seacap]

It is also worth mentioning the complete destruction of the primary education and upbringing system, when the rulers-traders, due to their wretchedness and incompetence, try to replace the ideology with a surrogate religion, mantras about mythical bonds and other empty words.

[ada]

Quote: seacap

It is also worth mentioning the complete destruction of the primary education and EDUCATION system...

You are very right to draw attention to this aspect as one of the preceding stages in the development of a warrior - defender of the fatherland.
Of course, the education system and its component - primary education - have not been completely destroyed, but there is no use for it today, and the educational role of the school has been effectively lost - this is close to the real assessment of general education.
After all, warriorship begins precisely with the nurturing process imparted to a growing person from a very early age. And if not in the family, then in a preschool or school, this guiding force must be purposefully nurtured—it's the roadmap for the next generation.
Currently, such upbringing is virtually nonexistent in families—it simply doesn't exist in a sufficient number of families with a full complement of generations, where grandparents or older children directly influence the development of younger children on a daily basis while the parents are busy with work or away. The state apparatus must assume this role in such small-family settings and develop preschools and schools to the required level of nutrition, education, physical development, sanitary and hygienic care, treatment of the sick, and preschool preparation for the general educational process by improving crèches, kindergartens, and their combined options. This is where a warrior begins, with his earliest childhood experiences, and without any military attributes, even primitive outline drawings on the wall of a playroom, we will have no defender of the fatherland, and everything will be lost and for nothing to the enemy.

[Art. TO]

a national unifying idea is needed

You've gone a bit too far here...:)
As soon as the term "national" is mentioned, it signifies the bourgeois (then capitalist-progressive) stage of social development. Nation is a political-economic characteristic. Automatically, the nation of this country—that is, its ENTIRE population—becomes liable for military service (without even declaring it, since it is a republican form of government. Notice how easily and naturally the Germans began to schedule an urgent draft into the army.
One would have to be completely ignorant of the basics of "social science" to be deluded about the rapid formation of an ultra-hostile "political Ukrainianism".
And just as surprising are the expectations of their refusal to fight. They are simply obliged to die to the last! Precisely because of the "sovereign national republican statehood." Do they really not swear allegiance? :) Not at all! This act abolishes all lamentations about "our former Soviet people," as well as the "friendship of peoples." These are not songs for national bourgeois states.
Hence, all talk of "brotherhood" is talk "for the benefit of poor Russians" (literally and figuratively). Because no one has revoked our oath. Therefore, the only acceptable approach in such "interethnic-state" conflicts is the quickest (for humane reasons), but also the most crushing military victory.
This is the price one must pay for betraying a higher level of social relations—Soviet-socialist relations. But back then, the populations of these countries were united not by "national" but by "international" ideas, which are only vaguely similar in sound, but the principle of unification is different, excluding the "accident of nature"—a "class" bond in relation to labor.
The Russians promised to teach everyone this..., but in reality they turned out to be simpletons and lazybones... in the ideological sense, of course :)) They take slogans for proof :) They couldn't even understand themselves. The outcome will be tragic.
But, if we still hope for the best, then for unification we should choose not a national idea, but the old, good, PEOPLE'S idea, which is what actually made the Russian people so different from the enemy Europeans.

[ada]

Quote: St. K

...the PEOPLE'S idea, which actually formed the Russian people...

Yes, consider the "national" a mistake on my part; I myself had previously relied on terminological constructions derived from "people" and "folk" as from the physiological, or more precisely, natural physical essence of this course of events - "birth," "genus," and their derivatives, which is close and understandable to me.
You have quite correctly corrected my mistaken simplification and developed this idea of ​​a unifying idea that I cannot help but support.
Regarding the "natural component" in the processes of community unification, I consider it a fairly stable component of exclusively planetary origin—the local physical conditions of human life in the surface layer of the biosphere on Earth. These conditions divide the spaces within a territory with a certain prevailing principle of coexistence between people—their communities, other species, and their associations—as well as the structure of planetary matter generation, particularly that emerging onto the surface and into the atmosphere, near space, and signal-level emissions. In the eastern and western parts of the surface layer, these factors differ in their impact, and their imprint lies on everything born or present there. Excluding the climatic component and the machinations of Martians, everything else is the result of the actions of people themselves; it is their thoughts and deeds that color the community with national characteristics.
I am for a unifying people's thought and action, and defense against the enemy is one of them, and yes—the entire population sacrifices themselves or their relatives or fellow tribesmen who leave to defend those who remain. This is not "military work," not "conscription," or "military duty"—it is a military sacrifice, that is, a military duty, and it is a family duty, and such a duty requires upbringing from the family, as they say, "with mother's milk."

[Art. TO]

the result of the people's own activities, it is their thoughts and deeds that color the community with national characteristics

I absolutely agree! To be more specific:)): it is precisely labor that is the totalitarian formative activity of individuals and communities. And the influence of environmental conditions on an organism directs its evolution (and, at the same time, its extinction:)))
Just in case (if and when it comes to blows :)), I'll let you know that I managed to uncover such a specific, unifying idea (and the case is actually attached) from a very, very trusted, including globally (!?), Russian. It's not a slogan, but a remark of surprise, incidentally, of political-economic content, which makes you think deeply about how this can be and what, accordingly, can follow from it. That is, in essence, it already provides a clear explanation for the "Russian miracles." I won't include it, as I had to research seven hundred pages, and if I were to "launch Berlaga":), then in the entire "totality of attentional circumstances." Incidentally, it was published in 14, but the "elevators of ideas" have been blocked by the global hubbub :))

[dnestr74]

Just don't talk about the storming of Grozny, they scraped together what they could from all over Russia, after 91 there was a complete collapse in combat training, officers worked as loaders and security guards, you're talking complete nonsense.

[Non-fighter]

Yes, that's how it was.
The storming of Grozny showed that the army was completely rotten; there was little left that was healthy, except perhaps the Strategic Missile Forces. Reviving the Soviet Army was impossible; there was neither money nor ideology. So it had to be reformed, and they tried to fit their clothes, while trying to introduce healthy elements.

[seacap]

Not quite true. Back then, the core of the command staff was still made up of officers and generals of the "old Soviet school," which allowed them to accomplish tasks at a fairly acceptable level. The targeted destruction of the SA began in the second half of the 1990s and 2000s, with widespread vilification at the state level and in the media, the creation of various "soldiers' mothers' committees," the cessation of pay, mass dismissals of officers under orders to "eradicate the Soviet spirit," a string of deaths of influential generals, and so on and so forth. All of these people are still in power, sleeping soundly and eating sweetly, beyond the reach of justice.

[cinnamon]

The army took Grozny, 400,000 strong, in just over a month. Compare that to the assault on Mariupol in 1922, which lasted two months. Where's the progress?

[strannik1985]

Which military bloc helped the Chechens? How much aid did they provide?

[cinnamon]

The siege of Mariupol began on March 1, 22. No military units had yet managed to deliver anything. And by the end of the assault, nothing delivered in March and April was used on this section of the front. And look at the forces that participated in the assault on Grozny and how many combined arms armies with attached divisions and brigades participated in the assault on Mariupol.

[strannik1985]

The siege of Mariupol began on March 1, 22.

What was happening on Ukrainian territory before that? What was the strength of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as of January 1, 2022? And what about other paramilitary formations?

No military units have yet managed to deliver anything.

But then they began mass deliveries of weapons and military equipment; for example, 5,000 and 8,000 NLAWs and Javelin ATGM missiles, respectively, were delivered. Training for the third-generation ATGM is minimal; a single video tutorial is sufficient.

And look at the forces that took part in the storming of Grozny and how many combined arms armies with attached divisions and brigades took part in the storming of Mariupol.

15 stormed Grozny, the godforsaken Wiki estimates the number of those who stormed Mariupol at 14, and the Pentagon, as of April 19, 2022, wrote about 12 BTGs out of 76 deployed in/in Ukraine.

[seacap]

In which of the four assaults? Sometimes over two months, sometimes over ten days, it was already becoming routine.

[odisey3000]

The key word is "reform." No, author, you're seriously mistaken. It's not reform, but rather the stripping and optimization of assets of the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD), deemed superfluous by reformers (testing grounds, land, buildings, bases, etc.), for the purpose of further enrichment. And the reform immediately stalled and failed, especially after the war with Georgia, when it became clear to everyone that we were heading in the wrong direction. Plus, there's unprecedented theft and corruption. The bottom line is, we have what we have, even after the reformer Shoigu.

[istoler]

And who was the supreme commander-in-chief when the schools were closed?

[ada]

"The Renaissance:..."? Well, actually, "renaissance" is a kind of term, but I suppose it's a concept, a process of "restoring" a former state. This is where the question arises: "Whose state?" In the photograph of the military ritual, I don't see the Red Banner; the only thing missing is a priest with a broom, sprinkling "holy water" on the "reborn," which is characteristic of the current era of "bourgeoisization" and the idiocy of our society, which rejects obvious reality and simple common sense, not to mention the legacy of our ancestors and the scientific approach to vital decisions at the state level, generally of global significance. It's all just rhetoric.

[AdAstra]

The patient is more dead than alive and mustard plasters have not yet been able to revive anyone.

[Vasily_Ostrovsky]

Just a reminder - the following schools have been closed (60 of them...):

1. Military Technical University (Balashikha) – disbanded in 2015
2. Military Red Banner Institute (Moscow) – disbanded in 1994
3. Military Institute of Radio Electronics (Voronezh) – disbanded in 2006
4. Samara Military Medical Institute – disbanded in 2010
5. Saratov Military Medical Institute – disbanded in 2010
6. Tomsk Military Medical Institute – disbanded in 2010
7. Military Veterinary Institute (Moscow) – disbanded in 2010
8. Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky) Higher Military School of Logistics named after Marshal of the Soviet Union I. Kh. Bagramyan - disbanded in 1999
9. Ulyanovsk Higher Military Technical School named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky – disbanded in 2011
10. Far Eastern Automobile Command and Engineering School – disbanded in 2007
11. Ryazan Military Automobile Institute named after General of the Army V.P. Dubynin – disbanded in 2010
12. Chelyabinsk Higher Military Automobile Command and Engineering School – disbanded in 2010
13. Volga Higher Military Construction Command School (Dubna) - disbanded
14. Gorky Higher Military Construction Command School (Kstovo) - disbanded
15. Kamyshin Higher Military Construction Command School - disbanded
16. Tolyatti Military-Technical Institute – disbanded in 2010
17. Khabarovsk Higher Military Construction Command School – disbanded in 1992
18. Military Financial and Economic Institute – disbanded in 2010
19. Military Institute for Advanced Training of Specialists of Mobilization Bodies (Saratov) – disbanded in 2011
20. Higher Officers' Courses of the Orders of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner "Vystrel" named after Marshal of the Soviet Union B. M. Shaposhnikov (Solnechnogorsk) - disbanded in 2009
21. St. Petersburg Higher Combined Arms Command School – disbanded in 1999
22. Omsk Higher Combined Arms Command Twice Red Banner School named after M.V. Frunze – disbanded in 1999
23. Ordzhonikidze Higher Combined Arms Command Twice Red Banner School named after Marshal of the Soviet Union A. I. Eremenko – disbanded in 1993
24. Blagoveshchensk Higher Tank Command Red Banner School named after Marshal of the Soviet Union K. A. Meretskov – disbanded in 1999
Chelyabinsk Tank Institute - disbanded in 2007
25. Yekaterinburg Higher Artillery Command School – disbanded in 2011
26. Kolomna Higher Artillery Command School – disbanded in 2008
27. St. Petersburg Higher Artillery Command School – disbanded in 1993
28. Kazan Higher Artillery Command School – disbanded in 2008
29. Saratov Higher Military Command and Engineering Red Banner, Order of the Red Star School of Missile Troops named after Hero of the Soviet Union Major General A. I. Lizyukov – disbanded in 2003
Tula Artillery Engineering Institute - disbanded in 2010
30. Kemerovo Higher Military Command School of Communications named after Marshal of the Communications Troops I. T. Peresypkin – disbanded in 2009
31. Novocherkassk Higher Military Command School of Communications – disbanded in 2011
32. Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications - disbanded in 2011 Tomsk Higher Military Command School of Communications - disbanded in 1999
Ulyanovsk Higher Military Command School of Communications - disbanded in 2008
33. St. Petersburg Higher Military Engineering School of Communications – disbanded in 2000
34. Nizhny Novgorod Military Institute of Engineering Troops – disbanded in 2012
35. Tambov Higher Military Command Red Banner School of Chemical Defense named after N. I. Podvoisky – disbanded in 2003
36. Saratov Military Institute of Biological and Chemical Safety – disbanded in 2012
37. St. Petersburg Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command School of the Order of the Red Star – disbanded in 1998
38. Orenburg Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile School (Military Institute) – disbanded in 2008
Air Force Academy named after Yu. A. Gagarin (Monino) - disbanded in 2011
39. Leningrad Higher Military-Political School of Air Defense – disbanded in 1992
Nizhny Novgorod Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command School of Air Defense - disbanded in 1999
40. Engels Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command School of Air Defense – disbanded in 1994
41. St. Petersburg Higher Military School of Radioelectronics – disbanded in 2011
Krasnoyarsk Higher Command School of Radioelectronics for Air Defense - disbanded in 1998
42. Stavropol Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots and Navigators – disbanded in 2010
Kurgan Military Aviation Technical School - disbanded in 1995
43. Barnaul Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots named after Chief Marshal of Aviation K. A. Vershinin – disbanded in 1999
44. Yeisk Higher Military Aviation Order of Lenin Pilot School named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union, USSR pilot-cosmonaut V. M. Komarov — disbanded in 2011
45. Kachin Higher Military Aviation Order of Lenin, Red Banner Pilot School named after A. F. Myasnikov (Volgograd) - disbanded in 1998
46. ​​Orenburg Higher Military Aviation Red Banner School of Pilots named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union I.S. Polbin – disbanded in 1993
47. Tambov Higher Military Aviation Red Banner School of Pilots named after M. M. Raskova - disbanded in 1995
48. Ufa Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots – disbanded in 1999
49. Irkutsk Higher Military Aviation Engineering School – disbanded in 2009
50. Tambov Higher Military Aviation Engineering School – disbanded in 2009
51. Achinsk Military Aviation Technical School – disbanded in 1999
52. Kaliningrad Military Aviation Technical School – disbanded in 1994
53. Kirov Military Aviation Technical School – disbanded in 2007
54. Lomonosov Military Aviation Technical School (Lebyazhye) – disbanded in 1994
55. Perm Military Aviation Technical School named after Lenin Komsomol – disbanded in 1999
56. Krasnodar Higher Military Command and Engineering School of Missile Forces – disbanded in 1998
57. Perm Military Institute of Missile Forces – disbanded in 2003
58. Rostov Military Institute of Missile Forces – disbanded in 2011
59. Stavropol Military Institute of Communications of the Missile Forces – disbanded in 2010
60. North Caucasus Military Institute of Internal Troops (Vladikavkaz) – disbanded in 2011.

[Vasily_Ostrovsky]

Let me clarify the list of destroyed military academies - a total of 67, not counting the naval ones, which were almost completely destroyed...

1. Merged into the Naval Polytechnic Institute (2012)
During the 2012 reform, three large engineering universities were liquidated as separate organizations and became faculties of a single institute in Peterhof:
Dzerzhinsky Higher Military-Engineering University (Saint Petersburg) is the oldest engineering school.
VVMIU named after V. I. Lenin (Pushkin).
VMIRE named after A.S. Popov (Petrodvorets) - school of radio electronics.
2. Merged into the Naval Institute - Peter the Great Naval Corps (1998)
In 1998, two of Leningrad's oldest schools were merged into one:
VVMU named after. M. V. Frunze (now the Faculty of Navigation and Hydrography).
VVMUPP named after Lenin Komsomol (Submarine School).
3. Schools that fell outside the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation in 1992.
The Caspian Higher Naval School named after S. M. Kirov (Baku) came under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan in the summer of 1992. The Azerbaijan Higher Naval School was established on its basis.
The Black Sea Naval School named after P.S. Nakhimov (Sevastopol) was transferred to Ukraine in 1992. Note: In 2014, it was officially re-established as part of the Russian Navy.
4. Reorganized into branches (lost the status of independent universities)
Some schools formally exist, but lack the status of independent universities, being branches of the Naval Academy:
Baltic Naval Institute named after F. F. Ushakov (Kaliningrad) - since 2012 it has been a branch.
Pacific Higher Naval Medical University named after S. O. Makarov (Vladivostok) – its status has changed several times; in 2026, it continued to function as a higher education institution (a branch of the academy).
Result: By 2026, there will be no fully independent naval academies left in Russia; all of them have either been closed/merged, or are now part of the Naval Academy.

[nordscout]

Vasily_Ostrovsky, regarding the "fate" of naval educational institutions - a complete "trash" with a transition to unprintable expressions....

[Bersaglieri]

In Saratov, the most famous school was SVVAUL

[Genius Yo]

And under which ruler did this happen?!
Only now are people starting to wake up and look around themselves, and realize that little has changed over the years: 3% of Russian citizens own 97% of the capital!!!
That's how we live...

[avia12005]

It's funny. Since 1985, the Armed Forces have been nothing but downsized and streamlined. To reverse the consequences, a reformer a la Peter the Great is needed.

[Pravodel]

Renaissance: New Schools for the Russian Army

One person can do so many stupid things that even a thousand academics can’t clean up all this stupidity.
Russia is vast, but its fools are countless. And, unfortunately, there are plenty of them even among the elite: in government.

[seacap]

"Elite" is an agricultural term. And who said the country's intellectuals are gathered in the "vertical"? The country is ruled (and ruled, not governed) by C-grade students, people with, to put it mildly, mediocre intelligence, with a huckster mentality, who got to their positions by chance, not by virtue of it. Therefore, all their "movements" are secondary, following instructions and laws written not by them, but from outside, by our enemies. They are not about development and progress, but only and exclusively about money.

[Russian Patriot]

The officer shortage did not arise due to a lack of military academies.
And because the "generals of the Soviet era" never learned how to fight during the Afghan war, Chechnya, Georgia and Syria.
The columns are still being led the same way.
There was no communication between the troops and there still is none.

As a result, there were large losses in the first years of their existence.
That's why there is a shortage of personnel now.

And opening new universities is a huge mistake.
Because there won't be a competition. Those who apply will be accepted.
Crooked, oblique, stupid... Do we need such commanders?

According to the author, they are necessary.

[odisey3000]

In the author's opinion, was it necessary to fight in Afghanistan? Did anyone defeat us there? No, the whole reason is the chaos in the country's leadership. Perestroika began. Then there's Chechnya, what does the military have to do with it? The military did its duty in Chechnya, and the terrorist state was defeated. And the chaos that was in the country under Yeltsin? What does the army have to do with it? There was no army at the time, just a semblance. Georgia and Syria, what's the Soviet training in that? Georgia got what it wanted, and now it sits quietly and whines. In Syria, the whole chaos is not from the military, but from the politicians. Reforming the country's military isn't like reforming a collective farm or a tax agency; the army is the life and freedom of the state. And those comrades who started anything resembling military reform had the brains of small shopkeepers and hucksters. There was nothing state-related in those reforms at all.

[Russian Patriot]

It's always someone's fault. So that's how it is.

Who is to blame for the losses?
Politicians.
Who is to blame for the technical backwardness of the armed forces?
Yeltsin.
Who is to blame for the reluctance of young people to serve?
The country's leadership...

Funny.

[odisey3000]

No, Uncle Vasya in uniform is to blame. He decides nothing. Of course, those at the helm of power, the ones making the decisions, are to blame. And these decisions are then translated into actions in the form of victories or defeats, and nothing else. Another issue is that none of the leaders wants to be the scapegoat, and that's understandable. Read the memoirs. And of course, a scapegoat is always appointed from the bottom. And there's nothing funny about that. The authorities are responsible for everything, and, according to one politician, they work for us like a galley slave.

[Ivanov IV]

From the recent "past"....
There was a Higher Flight School in Barnaul. That idiot Yeltsin handed it over to the police.
They say there was a good reason:
Rutskoi studied at this school. The mention of this name made the idiot's brain boil.
And the police are the elite of our society.
And for a long time they couldn't figure out what to replace the fighter jet on the pedestal in front of the school...
Maybe a "democratizer" in the form of a stele!!!!!!

[Andrey Andreev_2]

70 schools were razed by effective managers, the best academies were driven out of Moscow, losing their faculty... and who was held accountable for this betrayal of the Motherland? The Supreme Commander-in-Chief?

[Ross xnumx]

New schools are needed for the Russian Armed Forces. Both location and specialization are important... Furthermore, new military specialties have emerged, and combat tactics have changed... And naval, aviation, and missile schools must train specialists who can't just be found off the street.
The right direction and the right strategy.

[faterdom]

This year I attended the 40th anniversary of the graduation in Novocherkassk. The fact that the school is being revived makes everyone happy, including the townspeople. It's on the outskirts of town, but oh well, at least it's that way...
It will start working—and only then, in four years, will there be graduates. Incidentally, back then, in the 1980s, we graduated more than 400 people a year, and there were maybe eight or nine communications schools in the country, two engineering schools, and the rest command schools. Now there will be just one, and when it does, it will graduate 200 people.
Well, so that the difference in scale is clear.

[Goldmitro]

The economy must be frugal. This was precisely the motive of those who destroyed Russian military education. However, frugality in this matter is the most illogical explanation. It is far more logical to blame the authors of "optimization" for direct sabotage. The list of destroyed military schools is mind-boggling... Serdyukov definitely outplayed and destroyed everyone.

Now, having encountered the SVO, it is clear that we were talking about sabotage, the consequences of which we are reaping and will continue to reap. Given all this, isn't it time to hold the former furniture maker—the author of this "optimization"—to account?


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[Andrei from Chelyabinsk]

In the meantime, let us rejoice at the revival of the glorious traditions of our country's higher military school.

We will definitely be happy :)

[tank64rus]

Firstly, no one has been held accountable not only for the cuts, but also, more importantly, for the destruction of military science as such. Secondly, the military academies need to be revived—for example, the armored academy, as an academy with a focus on AI, robotics, and automation of the Ground Forces, in collaboration with Baumanka, etc.

[ada]

Quote: tank64rus

Firstly, no one was held accountable...

I believe this is predetermined, since all these actions to transform the Russian Armed Forces are also consistent with the transformation of the country from a Soviet socialist republic within the much more significant state entity—the USSR—into a separate, independent country with greater aspirations to sovereignty and the equality of its rulers and those in power with the Western elites. And look how things turned out...

[nordscout]

ada, but it all "turned out" with bloodshed, loss of international respect, trust, social security of the population, complete degradation of upbringing, education, culture, self-esteem...

[nordscout]

About the naval silence... Probably, in the Navy, everything is in "chocolate", even better...

[multi-category]

The level of awareness of the navy's usefulness as an active tool, leading to concrete, rational, proactive, and justified steps—that's where it all begins. So far, there's not even a hint of such a level of awareness in society, let alone the prerequisites. And without it, there will be no improvement in education. Even the existing maritime schools are, let's say, far from the current norm.

[Ingenegr]

The "terminator" of the military education system and some other, no less important ones, as if it had nothing to do with it, then? Again, "a good tsar with bad boyars"?

[Hiller]

Why is Taburetkin so well-off on this day? A question for the Russian Federation leadership. It's high time he started cutting his hair with nail scissors for a ration of prison gruel, but he's still living the high life! And his unforgettable friend Vasilyeva is hiding somewhere; she belongs there, not in a multi-room apartment in the center of the capital. Many questions for the "optimizers" of the Russian Armed Forces, but somehow the answers are unclear.

[Hiller]

"No thunder strikes..." Thunder did strike, and long ago. Now, with a wheeze and bloody snot, we are pulling the personnel situation out of... where it was shoved by the "optimizers" of rotten, crooked managers. The only educational institution that trained combined arms battalion commanders - the Higher Officer Courses "Vystrel" named after B.M. Shaposhnikov - where? Schools train platoon and company commanders (with a stretch), the Academy - formerly named after M.V. Frunze (now combined arms - you can't go inside without tears) - regimental level and higher. And the battalion??? Where is the weapons museum of this institution? There "the matter smells of a billion" and not just one, and not rubles? And where is the exposition of the disbanded Ryazan Automobile School? The same amounts are there. "Volga GAZ-21" of Yuri Gagarin? A sea of ​​questions. No answers.

[multi-category]

Quote: hiller

Why Taburetkin?

You don't seriously think that he himself lobbied for army reforms?
this is just a performer

[Vladislav Markov_2]

The Ministry of Defense intends to commission only 15 educational institutions.

The existing schools are short of students; they will build 15 more.

[sgrabik]

That's all true, it doesn't take much intelligence to pull off liberal optimizations "à la Serdyukovsky," but what were all these liberal-minded characters thinking when they did this to our military education system? Didn't they have the intelligence to consider the consequences? Although there wasn't much intelligence involved, it was a wild desire to make a tidy profit from such cuts, and meanwhile, serious damage was done to our country's national security. Despite this, there are still no culprits. As the saying goes, breaking is easier than building!!!

[Corvair]

Just recently, ten or fifteen years ago, the news on central television showed our soldiers always crowding around a church, mumbling something. The next news item was NATO troops conducting full-scale strike group exercises in the Indian Ocean. It was painful to watch.

[Pavel57]

Serdyukov merely embodied the idea of ​​the army that the non-socialist state had arrived at.

[sgrabik]

We must at least now acknowledge that all this madness with the wholesale reductions and optimization of the army was a huge and unforgivable mistake; we must learn from our mistakes and draw the right conclusions.

[multi-category]

Quote: sgrabik

It is necessary to learn from your mistakes and draw the right conclusions.

There was no mistake. They did exactly what they wanted.
I'm afraid you underestimate the depth of the problem.

[cytadell]

Thanks to the author for the article. Opinions about the rationality of maintaining an army in peacetime are quite mixed. The costs are substantial.
Perhaps it would be worthwhile to introduce a military training system into universities, as military departments. This would preserve some of the foundations of military education. The training process in these departments would provide, if not all students, then at least some of them with knowledge in a particular military field.
In my time, when I was studying at the former DPI, this was the case.
Given modern realities and better supplies in Russia than in the poor "motherland," future "casters" could be taught a thing or two, including practical skills.
I was in the air defense group, studying the Shilka. We didn't do much with our hands, didn't go anywhere, and never even held a weapon. But it was the late 90s, and the department had other things on its mind.
It's difficult to judge the appropriateness of any given measure now, but cutting off the military education system entirely was a mistake. The author is absolutely right:

...fundamental knowledge remains fundamental. In other words, too much practice will never replace a solid course in theory...

[sgrabik]

And it’s even better when a solid theory course is supplemented by equally solid and sufficient practice; a comprehensive approach will yield the best results.

[cytadell]

Is 15 military academies in 10 years a lot or a little? In the grand scheme of things, it's quite modest.

But it's better than nothing.

[sgrabik]

Better is better, but it is far from enough, they have "optimized" so much that now they need to restore and restore, the liberal "optimizers" have made a huge mess, there are no words, I wonder if they themselves now understand this, or still don't???

[Ivan Kuzmich]

Hello my dear brothers and sisters
In the USSR, there was no specialized military school that trained marine officers.
They were trained in various military universities, which, as a rule, had no connection with the Navy.
For example, the Blagoveshchensk Infantry School trained officers for the m/p in artillery schools.
Now our Putin is planning to create 6 divisions of marines, the number of these divisions should be at least 60000 bayonets.
I have a question: where is he going to get officers for these divisions?
The war is in its fourth year, the Marines are fighting gloriously, but our Commander-in-Chief still hasn't had enough (I don't know if it's time or something else) to create a specialized military school for the Marines.

[odisey3000]

There's just one question: where are we going to get so many people? Someone has to work in our factories and plants. And secondly, when carrying out some reforms, someone at the top thinks about the consequences of this or that step. Somehow this issue is a madhouse, sometimes we cut, sometimes we hire. And there is no money for hospitals, schools, pensioners. And where is the science anyway? There are certain parameters by which the military component of the state is built, such as the length of the border, what countries surround it, human resources, territory, economy, what kind of mobilization resource, roads, and so on. Why don’t we have any of this? The leaders in our country always want a small, mobile and fluffy army. Both the reformer Khrushchev and the reformers Medvedev and Putin. And what is the result? The result is the same: we read the article above and we are already fighting soon more than in the Great Patriotic War. Where is the science with the justification for what kind of Army Russia needs, not from some whimsical people? another leader, but in reality from the country’s needs in terms of defending itself from unruly neighbors.

[tank64rus]

It will be very difficult to overcome what has been done to the Army over these years of "reforms." There will now be a problem with recruitment to military schools. There is no ideology, and therefore no patriotic education of young people. Our recruitment posters are all about money, to put it bluntly, and service to the Motherland is nowhere to be found. The level of those who concocted this is evident. Therefore, those who join the Army are those whose parents are patriots and who raised their children in this faith. There are also those who think it's a money-making endeavor, but that quickly fades. Therefore, recruitment will be difficult.

[commander]

This is also all about the personnel who made the decisions and that's it. The article somehow doesn't name those responsible for the mess that went on from 2002 to 2012, when the military education system was torn apart and uprooted. Who was in charge of the Department of Military Education of the Russian Ministry of Defense during that time?

[Galina Mylnikova]

Return the Travel Palace building in Moscow's Petrovsky Park to the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, brazenly confiscated by that moron Serdyukov!

[multi-category]

I'll wait to rejoice in the revival for now. For now, there's only reason to be glad that the need for schools has finally been recognized. But in four or five years, we'll see if there's reason to celebrate the results of current events.

[Brother]

Funny! And disgusting!
What kind of "new" military schools are these!?
Some time ago! "Our" long-serving president! appointed a top specialist... albeit one who specializes in stools and furniture—to "steer" OUR country's defense!
The result of his "works" was the destruction of one of the BEST military education systems.
The President remains the SAME!

[RR_Vernadsky]

The Ulyanovsk Higher Military School will be opened.

We had three military schools in Ulyanovsk before Serdyukov took over: Communications, Technical (Logistics), and Tank. Now there's none. Which one are you talking about, Evgeny? And there's no Krasnodar Flight School either; there's the Ulyanovsk Civil Aviation School.

[Aleksey24]

When I hear talk of expanding the number of military academies, I grab my gun!! Why do we need to expand the officer corps of colonels and generals?! The military lacks lieutenants, and there's always a shortage of them during war, and no academy can help. Let's look at our sworn partners: the US only has five military academies. The rest are officers, or so we call them, "suit-ups," but even among these "suit-ups," not all serve; the majority go into the reserves. The secret here is the NCO corps: a young lieutenant is assisted by an experienced sergeant who serves not for a year or two, but for five or maybe 15 years under contract, not by conscription. The idea behind this system is that one academy can train generals and colonels, but many lieutenants are needed, so they created the ROTC system. And yet we still pump out lieutenants like sergeants.

[Fangaro]

In order for the higher echelons to think about the revival of what was destroyed, three years of special military

Finally, the Third Year of the SVO has arrived! In 2026.

Let the elderly work on old lathes and milling machines where they can still be used. But at least for the minimum wage, not for "machine rental 1234567 a month." Taxes, electricity, and you, oh, sorry, you, you need to pay something.
Of course, thanks for the Victory, but now everything is different. Even on this square, I swore to be a pioneer with a tie, and now we swear by this ******* and this ******.
Grandfather!
If anything happens, call us. We'll come. We're not from Moscow.