Today we’ll get some more experience about Russian soldiers’ lives in Khankala city by visiting a motorized rifle brigade.
Let’s visit the garrison in Khankala city first.
Soldiers stay in one- and five-storey barracks and hostels. That’s what the barracks look like inside.
Soldiers spend their free time in the room.
Sports ground.
Not all the soldiers have flats of their own yet and have to stay in barracks. Why is there such a shortage of flats? During the time of the brigade formation soldiers who came to Chechnya didn’t take their families with them.
Later, when the conflict was over it was found out that there is not enough space to accommodate new arriving officers and their families. The garrison also needs at least two kindergartens and a school. Local school is designed to embrace 200 children only whereas there is a need in two schools that could embrace 500-600 kids. Another problem consists in the lack of entertainment as soldiers have nowhere to go after their duties for a day are over. In some places local people treat soldiers good as they spend much money at shops thus constituting the only source of income for many local families. But it is not safe for soldiers from the garrison in Khankala to leave the place as locals treat them much worse.
This is a local club where invited artists give a play.
This costumes were used while celebrating the New Year.
Billiard-room.
Library.
Many soldiers come from Caucasian republics. They get around around 800 US dollars per month and bonus. The sum is not huge but many soldiers say that they can’t earn more at home. Besides, many get pensions as veterans of military operations. To become a veteran one needs to spend at least one day at the area of counter-terrorist operation. Participation in military actions is not obligatory.
Text information is presented in the small museum.
The garrison in Naurski region of Chechnya.
There are different barracks on the garrison territory which have one, two and four floors.
The room is occupied by three people.
The tea room.
Sports ground.
Sleeping room.
Things that can’t be kept in a sleeping room are stored in the place.
Weapons are stored in the room.
Another barrack.
Sports ground.
It is planned to reconstruct the hall in future and make a separate gym out of it.
Contract soldiers don’t have special gear that’s why they gave to buy gears of the same color and design chosen by the unit commander.
Tug-of-war.
Bicycle race of soldiers’ kids.
Average age of soldiers accounts for 28.3. Many of them have families of their own and need flats where they could stay together. Nowadays it happens that two-room apartments can be shared by two families. To make Chechnya attractive for soldiers additional sum of money is added to their salaries. Thus, it is planned that starting from January 1, 2012 the salaries will be increased twice.
Tea house.
Local house.
Monument to Heroes of Russia in Khankala.
Celebrating Day of Russia.
Location: Khankala
via twotower
This is just the main base of the 42nd. It’s real strength, the Voskod and Zapad battalions are based elsewhere along with a lot of the tanks.
Why this garrison has so many “sports grounds” ? ? ? ? Are these “sports grounds” use for “Lego” soldiers ? ? ? ?
What are “Contract soldiers” that don’t have special gear.
They do. Check out the Barmitsa systems. If they don’t count as combat gear, then what does?
ayaa you seem to know what is meant by the term “contract solider” is this a person who has joined the armed forces willingly and signed a contract term of enlistment(this is how all US military members enlist) in other words the person was not conscripted(drafted) or has a “contract solider” signed a contract agreeing to serve in a given region?(something not done in the US)
I take it that you know that Russia has conscription. 12 months in the army. That is mandatory. After 12 months, you can choose to stay. In other words, you are volunteering. You don’t have to sign a contract. But that may have changed. I’ve been a reservist since 2008, so I’m not 100% sure, but I think that it is becoming mandatory for all red-tabs to become contract servicemen. But, who knows, Makarov might manage to kill another good idea, too.
ayaa My question was real. I have copied the next line straight from the article.
” Contract soldiers don’t have special gear that’s why they gave to buy gears of the same color and design chosen by the unit commander”
Exactly. Not true. I was active for over 7 years, and I never had to buy my Ratnik, or Barmista or even my Kovboy.
ayaa, Thank you once again. I thought the line “no special gear thats why they gave to buy” must be a wrong translation. But I wanted to know what is a contract soldier.
So you sign no contract(or papers) after the 12 months surely you must sign some contractual paper work even upon conscription?In the US one signs two different contracts the first one can back out of the second is signed after swearing an oath to defend the Constitution of the US and to obey all orders given by officers and NCOs after you take this oath what you signed to on paper(term of service) is set and must be met.
Perhaps a different term is used in Russia for what I am referring to.I gather from what you say that the soldiers shown have already completed the 12 month term and they decided to stay in.
An all volunteer military is a noble idea but based on my time in the US Air Force I find that it can also be overly taxing on men because at least in the US post Vietnam our government will never use conscription again and that means that less troops have to deploy over and over and over again.I am sure you know the hardships military life can be.In Russia this idea is new hopefully if they go with it they will make it more fair than our volunteer system is over here.I have friends in the US Army and Marines that have been to Iraq and Afghanistan 7 and ever 8 times that is a almost a decade in a war zone.
Yeah. I know. The green-tabs are needed to maintain enough numbers. The red-tabs are needed to have enough quality to beat back any threat that the quantity of the green-tabs can’t overcome.