Oleg Volkov, senior reserve lieutenant, former commander tank T-55, gunner of the 1st class gun: “We have been waiting for it for so long. Three long years. They waited from the very moment when they changed their civilian clothes to soldier's uniforms. All this time she came to us in dreams, in between exercises, shooting at firing ranges, studying materiel, outfits, combat training and many other army duties. We are Russians, Tatars, Bashkirs, Uzbeks, Moldavians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and other representatives of our multinational country. It was called simply: the Soviet Union, and we were called upon to defend it. It was our sacred duty. We all performed honestly, but still waited for her. She called simply: DE-MO-BI-LI-ZA-ZII.
And once the team sounded to build on the parade ground. It was done quickly. Numerous trainings have affected, and each clearly knew their place. After 15 minutes, the one-and-a-half thousandth regiment stood in even rows and waited for further commands. A colonel, a regimental commander rose to the rostrum, and read the order of the USSR Minister of Defense for the demobilization of servicemen who had served the legal deadline and congratulated everyone who fell under this order. Over the parade ground soared threefold "Hurray !!!" The soldiers did not spare their throats. Then the team “Freed!” Sounded, and the senior servicemen were ordered to fail and line up in a line near the podium, which was immediately executed.
The command of the regiment commander sounded: "Regiment, quietly! To the solemn march! Look to the right! In battalion! Sha-a-ag the march!"
The regimental orchestra started the march "Farewell of Slav".
Past us, demobels, chasing a step, walked one of the best in the Group of Soviet troops guards motorized rifle regiment. He saluted us! There were infantrymen, tankers, gunners, anti-aircraft gunners.
There was a modern Russian army! The regiment had participated in various parades more than once, but this time he gave honor to his colleagues who had been eating army porridge for three years, so the soldiers with special diligence cut the soles of their barren boots into the pavement: ЖАХ !!! Fucking !!! Fucking !!! I do not know how the rest of the demobels, but I personally had a lump in my throat, and my eyes were treacherously wet.
Many years have passed since then. Time rolled forever. Study, work. Study again and work again. Grown children. They already have their own lives. Toward retirement, my wife and I decided to change our comfortable apartment in Volgodonsk to a cozy house in the Romanovskaya village. Naturally, the military registration rose in the village. Once from the draft board of the Volgodonsk region I received a summons. The military enlistment office was then in the village council of the village. Found the desired door, knocked and went inside. The owner of the office, who was sitting at the table in uniform, pulled away from the papers, raised his head and asked: "What is needed?"
I silently held out the agenda. "Let's get a military ID," said the officer. He silently took the mobilization order, made a note on the ticket and, without saying a word, handed it to me. Himself again buried in the paper. Apparently, the papers were more interesting for him than the visitor. I stood in some confusion. "What, are there any questions?" - asked the owner of the office. I said that there were no questions, and left the office. The army at that difficult time (90-e) did not interest anyone.
So gray and casually ended my army service. Somehow it was bad at heart, and the “Farewell of Slav” march sounded in our ears: TA-TA-TA, TA-TA-TA, TA, TA-TA, and the hammered step of the soldiers' boots: HOT! Fucking Fucking
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It turns out that the concept of demobilization is interpreted by historical science in a different light than most people imagine, whose military service is coming to an end, and everyone is looking forward to the cherished word “demobilization”.
Only three times in the Russian Empire and the USSR demobilization was carried out - after the Russian-Japanese war, the Civil and Second World War.
“The first ones will be sent back home from the Primorye, Amur, Trans-Baikal and former Kwantung regions, because they were the first to be drafted into the army and more than others were at the front” 1904 years.).
When the Civil War ended, the second general demobilization was carried out, after which only about half a million people remained in the ranks of the Red Army.
23 June 1945 of the year issued the “Law on the Demobilization of Older Ages of the Army”. The demobilization process began as early as the beginning of July and was completed mostly by the beginning of 1948.
Afghan demobel music
In childhood, for Anatoly Kuznetsov, the idol was not a fictional literary hero, but his own grandfather — a war veteran, major general, hero of the Soviet Union, M.S. Senchenko, which played a crucial role in the choice of profession.
Having decided to become a professional military man, Anatoly Vitalyevich entered the Academy of Rocket and Space Forces in the city of Leningrad. I studied two courses. As Kuznetsov himself admits, he never was a good boy, so I had to change my cadet shoulder straps for soldiers. After graduating from sergeant’s courses in December 1979, the commander of the telephone line-link office, Kuznetsov, was sent “urgent” to Afghanistan.
- We were met with huge pancakes and flowers. Afgan is an amazing country. In the spring beautiful, blooming fields of tulips and poppies. In the summer, languishing from 40-degree heat. And from the habit, but on the armor, as on a hot frying pan, I'm sorry, a soft place. Unforgettable impressions, ”recalls Anatoly Vitalyevich,“ The local population was distinguished by decency and honesty, sometimes not entirely clear. I remember such a case that occurred in one of the towns. Buying goods in the shop, overpaid in haste and did not notice. And about three weeks later, driving past on an armored troop-carrier, we saw that some man, waving his arms, was almost throwing himself under the wheels. It turned out - the owner of the shop, which all this time was looking for me, wanting to return the change.
Kuznetsov served in Kunduz, an area that could be called the kingdom of deserts and wastelands, a pipeline passed through it, through which fuel and lubricants were supplied from the USSR to Afghanistan and, therefore, the territory had to be carefully guarded. Attacks and attacks were not a rarity, but Anatoly Vitalyevich doesn’t talk about it very willingly and as something unimportant. Two and a half years, according to Kuznetsov, flew by unnoticed. I waited to be sent to the Union, making inscriptions in camouflage with mascara: "I serve 3 year."
- Some have served for three years. While young you will wait for the change, while you learn. And time is passing. Zampolit Sergey Sokolov helped me to demobilize, with whom we became friends, accompanying the cargo "200" to my homeland. By the way, he is the son of the then Minister of Defense. This I learned after. So do not believe when they say: "The sons of big" cones "did not serve in Afghanistan." Seryoga gave advice: "Write a report with a request for admission to a military school." I followed the advice, - says A.V. Kuznetsov.
So Kuznetsov became a cadet of the Leningrad Higher Artillery Command School. Red October. Military specialty - commander of a tactical intelligence unit. After the school there were two ways - to serve in the Far East, from where you can’t get out earlier than in 10 years, or ... Anatoly Vitalyevich chose "or" and wrote a report asking him to send him to Afghanistan. And after two years he already had the opportunity to choose a duty station at his own discretion.
It seems to be a mercantile interest, and we can assume that Kuznetsov should not strive into hell in Afghanistan. But no! Our countryman didn’t run away from the war, what the awards say: the Order of the Red Star, the medals “For Courage” and “For Military Merit”, three wounds. He did not disgrace his grandfather and father, also a professional soldier. He served as an artillery spotter - aerial gunner. And that means - always on the front lines.
- The medal "For Courage" received for the Panjer operation in 1986 year. Our reconnaissance group by mistake pilots landed badly. We were covered with fire, shot down one helicopter. The losses were considerable. We spent a week under fire until help arrived.
Before I was awarded the Order of the Red Star, I received a big “stuck”. Held high-rise. With a comrade, a young soldier, we were injured and were sent to a field hospital, from where we were to be evacuated to the “big” land. And we fled to our own and fought for another week and a half. And the “conscript” I said: “Stay,” and he rested: “I will not abandon the commander.” After a mess, of course, they found us — they did not stroke the head. And already awarded later.
“He received the Medal for Military Merit Medal for a joint operation to sweep territory from bandit formations,” continues Kuznetsov.
When the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan was announced, a song appeared in many units:
“We leave, we leave, we leave.
Farewell to the mountains, you see,
who we were in the faraway land.
Goodbye, Afghan,
this ghostly world
it's not good to remember you like,
just something sad combat commander,
We are leaving".
After serving in Afghanistan, Captain Kuznetsov, as promised, chose a place of service at his discretion - Belarus. But the country began to fall apart, and Anatoly Vitalyevich again, one might say, was at war. He defended constitutional order in Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Latvia, Transnistria, Chechnya, and Ossetia.
- I was driving where they would order. The hardest thing was in Chechnya. Because the brain refused to understand what was happening, he admits.
In 1993, A.V. Kuznetsov was dismissed. Long service - 15 years, of which the most part - combat. Today he is working as the head of the electrotechnical laboratory of DonElectroservice LLC in the city of Volgodonsk.
Remembering his military life, captain Kuznetsov for some reason connects his "demob" with his favorite song about Afghanistan: "Just something sad combat commander."
And again, the historical "demob"
With the transfer to the reserve, there is a whole “heap” will accept and optional, in principle, rituals, which every year becomes more and more: the most interesting techniques of wires are invented, often inherent in each individual unit. Much depends on the kind of troops.
“Every conscript member prepares for demobilization.” These are pleasant chores, built over the years in ritual. First of all, the dress uniform was fitted, which was altered completely. Trousers from the knee went into a flare. High heels were stuffed on the shoes, the peakless cap was tied down, the ribbons on it were lengthened. New badges were inscribed, a demobilized suitcase was purchased, a demobel photo album was being prepared and many more various trifles were being prepared, ”described Viktor Pryadkin in his book“ Demobel, ”a leisurely process of collecting all the necessary things.
A prerequisite was the design of the dembelsky album and the so-called dembelsky chord, as well as a number of other unofficial army traditions, which at the official level tried to be firmly suppressed due to violation of the military charter. However, the formation of military traditions is one of the main components of military culture, which, among other things, rests on the law and customs. The non-statutory deviation from the form was particularly vivid, which can be divided into three periods: these are the 70-e - 80-s, when the military uniform was essentially close to the form of the 40-s and was replaced only by the 80-y of the last century. And the third period is the present days.
So, the 70's form consisted of a tunic and trousers that were sewn so that they could be easily tucked into boots, i.e. they were sharply narrowed to the bottom and were wide at their top. It was precisely that width that they tried to remove, and the tunic as much as possible to fit the figure, but so that these modifications were minimal and did not catch the eye of the picky foreman.
The sailors stand out with their legendary flared trousers, which could easily be taken free in the event of an “emergency”. The flares were made with their own hands right up to the 80s, either by inserting wedges or by stretching the fabric on special supports.
The arrows on the pants are a special song that began with a variety of tricks: from the wrong side of the pants rubbed with soap or glue. Sometimes the shooter was done with the help of a sewing machine, but it was also possible to get punishment for it, so this line was not often made, but it was still done in an effort to give its form a special solemnity and elegance.
Alterations and improvements related to almost every item of military uniforms: take at least the process of bringing to the mirror the form of a metal plate on a leather belt.