22-year-old Marina Mkrtchyan, in just six months of service, learned to orient an artillery unit by the sun and can find a mistake when opening fire even from an experienced artilleryman. It doubles its track record, and as a result of the recent field exercises, along with other fighters of the brigade, she received a medal. The commander of the unit, Colonel Alexander Baranik, tells about all this, not without pride. Among his subordinates there are few women - only 3.5%. They serve on contract here.
At first they looked at Marina in the unit, some with distrust, some condescendingly, some with a grin, not taking her seriously. Outwardly, perhaps, a female figure in a bulletproof vest and field uniform weighing 10 kilograms is comical, she admits. Most of the colleagues were convinced that contract service was not a woman's business: which of this fragile girl was a warrior, what kind of toys did she find for herself?
Marina says that it was only after a while (especially after the first field trip) that the colleagues changed their attitude. They made sure that the girl endures all the complexities of the service no worse than them and knows how to perform the assigned tasks.
The military is the embodiment of strength, self-confidence, these are the people you can always rely on, she said. An example is her grandfather and uncle who dedicated their lives to military service. Marina came to the brigade with a law degree from a citizen. She moved to Adygea from another region, breaking away from her relatives.
“Every morning I open my eyes thinking about the upcoming joyful day and fall asleep thinking about tomorrow, which will definitely bring me new knowledge and new experience. Someone will twist a finger at my temple, but I’m actually very happy,” the girl smiles.
"Slaughter" brigade
The 227th Tallinn Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Artillery Brigade was recreated six months ago. It is also called legendary for a reason.
This military unit became famous during the Great Patriotic War and in two Chechen campaigns. In 2009, it was disbanded and on its basis a storage and repair base for equipment was created. Now, according to military experts, it is one of the most powerful units of the Russian army stationed in the south of the country.
The history of the unit originates from the 81st cannon artillery brigade, formed in January 1943, which went through almost the entire Great Patriotic War as part of the Leningrad Front, ending it on the 2nd Belorussian. For military merits, the unit was awarded the Orders of Suvorov and the Red Banner, and for the liberation of Tallinn received the honorary title "Tallinn". After the end of the war, the brigade was redeployed to Leninakan, where it was reorganized into a cannon regiment.
In 1992 he was transferred to Uryupinsk and again deployed to the 81st artillery brigade. She became part of the 8th Guards Army Corps, which was later commanded by Lev Rokhlin. For their courage and heroism in hot spots, 143 officers and warrant officers were awarded orders and medals.
In 2009, the then Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Anatoly Serdyukov announced a reform and ordered the disbandment of the legendary artillery brigade, creating on its basis a base for the storage and repair of weapons and military equipment. And it would be possible to write the military path of the brigade in history, but by the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the RF Armed Forces on December 1, 2016, the revived military unit was deployed in the Southern Military District. The task was set to make the 227th artillery brigade in Adygea one of the most powerful in the country's Armed Forces.
In addition to Msta long-range howitzers, Uragan multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and anti-tank complexes, the artillery brigade is equipped with reconnaissance and automated control systems. According to the Izvestia newspaper, in the future it should receive the newest self-propelled howitzers "Coalition" and the modernized MLRS "Uragan-M".
The personnel of the brigade is a powerful team, there are a lot of military personnel who have passed hot spots and have experience in fighting. There are 90% of them here. The exception is conscripts for military service. Most of them are staffed with recruits from the regions of southern Russia, but there are also natives of Siberia and the Moscow region. In the rocket troops and artillery, conscripts are selected according to certain criteria, including the basic level of knowledge and the upbringing received in the family. With such weapons, it is important to be a responsible person, in addition to the general outlook, to be friends with mathematics, geometry and physics. Within six months, soldiers are required to perform combat missions.
Without footcloths and concepts
The territory of the unit is perfectly equipped for everyday life. The barracks-type dormitory is a neat high-rise building where conscripts live in quarters for six people. There is everything here - from the medical part to pretty gazebos for relaxation.
The brigade's psychologist Zarema Stash notes that at the beginning of the service, recruits have problems with adaptation: it is difficult to get used to new living conditions, a changed environment, while new social ties are being established away from home. This is why she works with recruits individually and in groups.
Each call is examined in part in three stages, and then - as needed. For example, when soldiers are allowed to serve with weapons. At this stage, everything is checked - the psychological state, the personal qualities of the fighter and the environment from which he came to the army. In accordance with the results, the psychologist makes recommendations on the distribution of soldiers in different units, taking into account their abilities and characteristics, professional skills.
Based on the test results, individual or group correction, psychological, relaxation trainings are carried out. Today, in the subdivision of the art brigade, as in the entire Russian army, psychologists from all sides study the relationship of servicemen in the team, identifying the index of group cohesion, formal and informal leaders. The psychologist also works with the families of recruits, whose parents sometimes need psychological support no less than recruits, says Stash. She also notes that with the transition of the Russian army to a one-year conscription term, hazing has become obsolete.
Lunch on schedule
The territory of the unit seems deserted - everyone is in the classroom. The parade ground is also empty, a solemn march to the accompaniment of the orchestra takes place in the early morning.
The skill of marching is taught here, as elsewhere, but for this there are allotted hours. While there is silence - until the soldiers' dinner.
Above the entrance to the dining room there is an electronic menu, on which everything that is offered to the soldiers for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The list is varied: the first two and three meat dishes, side dishes, vegetable salads, compotes and juices. For dinner, the chefs prepare two types of fish, two side dishes and salads. In general, a balanced diet, which the younger generation does not seek to observe at home, in civilian life.
Ready to win
Every morning begins to the sounds of the Petrovsky March of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, the very one that personifies the centuries-old history of the victories of the Russian army. The march sets the gunners in the mood for the whole day, the military admits. The daily routine, according to the military regulations, is the same as elsewhere. For example, training under a combat training program twice a day.
The order for everyone is simple: building, sports exercises, breakfast, classes, lunch, classes again, dinner, after which there is a couple of hours of free time. Each soldier plans the evening hours of rest himself. For some, the priority is to build up physical strength and sports training, someone prefers to improve intellectually and prefers chess or books, watches television news channels, and sometimes just movies. There is not much time - until the evening formation, after which there is a retreat.
Even after a year of service, many pass this school successfully. It is no coincidence that more than half of the recruits, according to interviews with a psychologist, decide to serve on a contract basis or enter military universities. Not so long ago, such a fact was a rarity for guys who were demobilized for civilian life in Russia.
