The first and most important question. For whom it all started?
No, it is absolutely clear that first of all, for foreign media. Then for the top TV channels. And then for everyone else. Since, by the will of fate, "Military Review" turned out to be in the "all others" category, here are our impressions of the events we visited.
Accreditation. We ordered it through the website of the Ministry of Defense on time and provided all the requested information. About myself, equipment, vehicle. Everything is as it should be. Why am I writing this in such detail? It will become clear a little later.
Alabino
Here, at the opening, they were still more or less equal. Everybody delivered buses, the best places were given to the Rossiya State Television and Radio Company and foreign media, the rest were arranged as best they could. Given some of our training, we did not feel particularly disadvantaged. Everyone was cramped, but somehow fit.
But it was at the opening that an announcement was made that a certain “Press Tour” was being formed, where, in principle, everyone was invited. Its essence was that the participants of this press tour of the Ministry of Defense drove to all the events of the Army Games. Airplanes, helicopters and other transport. The idea was not bad, but we abandoned it. We simply couldn’t allow ourselves to live in Moscow for two weeks, and decided that we would get to events that interest us.
The fact that we made a big mistake, we realized the next day.
Ryazan, Aviadarts
It was my fourth “Darts”, and, to be honest, I waited more from them than from the Voronezh stages. New polygon and all that. What a sin to conceal, there were some complaints to the Voronezh stages of conducting, but as it turned out, I was furious with fat.
So, immediately after the end of the opening ceremony in Alabino, we moved to Dubrovichi. And arrived there in the early morning. We arrived at the checkpoint of the test site, passing two checkpoints, where we were easily missed when we saw the accreditation cards at the Games. At the checkpoint we were met by the captain Seliverstov, who in rather harsh terms demanded that the car be removed for the first post. He argued this by a personal order of Colonel Klimov, the head of the press service of the Air Force.
I called Klimov. And he, about a miracle, confirmed it. Since we were not accredited through the headquarters of the Air Force, we could not have a proper pass, because the machine for the checkpoint and on "on general grounds". That is, on dedicated buses.
The “common grounds” on that day is a march on 4 km with cameras, tripods and other devices. The promised buses were not. Not from the Air Force, nor from the Ministry of Defense, nor from the governor of Ryazan. Everyone wishing to attend this holiday, walked.
When we reached the checkpoint, we found there a crowd that had come before us. The crowd tried to squeeze through the 4 framework of metal detectors. We approached the barrier and asked to let us through it. Really feared for the camera in the crowd.
Naturally, we were not allowed. Obviously in our baggage, MANPADS could be slyly hidden. Although luxury jeeps drove quite calmly and without inspections.
Thanks to the residents of Ryazan who missed us.
Once on the territory, we did not have time to relax. The press center also did not want to let us in, since we do not have passes. Arguments that the cards are issued in the press center were for the wimps. And on the protection of these did not stand. It took another call to Colonel Klimov and his appearance on the stage. Then we still missed.
Then it took some time in the press center to prove that we have the right to be there. Our accreditation for a long time could not find. And they found it only with the help of one captain, who was able to dig it out in the depths of the computer. Moreover, the ladies from the Air Force press service accused us of this. Say, it was necessary to be accredited through our service, would be like people.
Well, the last. When it was officially announced that the event because of the plane crash stopped, do you think there were buses for people? Correct, it was not. Another march. Thank you BBC!
In general, compared with the events in Pogonovo, Aviadarts in Dubrovich looked not just pale. No, he did not look.
Ostrogozhsk. "Masters ABT"
Taught by bitter Ryazan experience, we were ready for anything. However, we were not only missed without problems, but also along with our car. And for work, nobody really needed our accreditation. Although, at the entrance to the press center, seeing the lieutenant colonel of the Air Force, we were a little tense. Ryazan syndrome worked. However, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel Drobyshevsky turned out to be a real fellow correspondent. What is local, that those who were brought by helicopters as part of a press tour from Buturlinovka, where they threw it on the plane.
Work was given equally to everyone. And local, and flown. Exactly how to work as correspondents. For that special thanks to the command of the military unit 20155, and to the representatives of the press service Lieutenant Colonel Drobyshevsky and Lieutenant Polovodov.
I sincerely regret that next year ABT Masters are planning to spend in Chelyabinsk. In the Ostrogozhsky training center they are able to organize the process. And when work becomes a holiday - and work is easier.
Wide Karamysh. "Masters of Artillery Fire"
A visit to the Saratov region has become the apogee of our adventures. I admit that we were not ready for this turn of events.
We arrived there in the morning of August 10. In accordance with the instructions on the website of the Ministry of Defense, that on this very day everything will be shown to the correspondents. Here we come.
We were quite calmly missed, and we got to the press center. And then miracles began. I will not describe for a long time what happened, I will limit myself to not being expected there. They didn’t wait for anyone except the representatives of the “press tour”. Accordingly, they were given the opportunity to shoot everything, and to us - “on a general basis,” that is, on the podium. The problem is that this landfill is artillery. That is long. And I could not “get” from the stands to the most interesting places with my optics. Well, I don’t yet have lenses like the Muscovites. And Romina camera also can not 2 km. Therefore, we were ready to climb the closest possible distance; we still need to do something.
And then Mr. Colonel (he had no surname on his jacket) explained to me that we have accreditation, or not, he doesn’t care. There is an indication - to start the site only of representatives of the "press tour", and that’s all. The rest - to the podium. Point.
We were forced to give up work there. Having traveled 560 kilometers, half of which are on terrible Saratov roads, “putting” the car in one place, not in the best weather conditions (+ 43), we still wanted to work there. This is a principle. But - alas. We just began to ignore. It is very unpleasant to feel like talking furniture.
This is what I have as a media representative (albeit online media, but some!) Questions to the Ministry of Defense:
1. Who are these games for? If for a dozen mainstream media outlets in the country, then why accredit others?
2. If accreditation is granted, if a vehicle is declared in it, then why is it really impossible (Dubrovichi) to use it? And, on the contrary, in Ostrogozhsk I would pass these 300 meters effortlessly. But there - missed.
3. If there is accreditation, why do people just spit on it on the spot (Karamysh)? What is her price then?
4. What is the need to divide into first and second grade? The first one (press tour) is everything, the second one is a tribune. Will they write better or take it off? Perhaps, but each media has its own audience. Disinterest in the media, except 1 and 2 channels, "Stars", RT and "LifeNews" I saw. Appreciated.
"Army games" for me over. I do not know what will happen next, if in the same way as in this, then it will be easier to accumulate other people's photos, and this will be the end of it. And even easier - just watch the telly. And you don’t have to go anywhere, prove your right to work, and try to talk about how wonderful things are in our armed forces. Everything can be seen on the 1 channel. Or on the "Star".
The only question is whether these channels are watched by those for whom we are trying to work. That is, young people who live not in front of the TV, but in front of the monitor. And here I personally have an unequivocal answer. But the press service of the Ministry of Defense is clearly not clear.
PS Already when I wrote all my thoughts, they asked me a question: the Defense Ministry will now ban you for criticism, so what? And nothing. The spectator will go if need be. Because the correspondent of the third grade from the viewer is not very different. So nothing. Experienced and not so.