The regiment was disbanded in 1999, but the memory of service in it still unites many of those who passed here not only the school of combat, but also the real school of life. For them, the service here became an important stage in their life and seriously influenced their further destiny. All of them do not forget the alma mater and their fellow soldiers. We publish the story of one of the veterans of the Pechora training school in this issue of the magazine. Maybe one of his colleagues will respond to this material, tell about his military fate, and share memories of his friends in combat. After all, the story "in the first person" is always the most objective and the most sincere. So interesting.
In the 1950s, the first special-purpose units began to form in the Armed Forces of the USSR. The servicemen for the recruitment of individual companies of the special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate were recruited mainly from units of army, divisional and regimental intelligence. Many of them, especially the commanders, had combat experience. The rich combat experience of Soviet partisans and saboteurs was also widely used.
In 1968, a separate company was introduced to the staff of the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, which trained officers for special-purpose units and subunits. In addition to other disciplines, the training program included in-depth study of foreign languages.
Training units and regiment
With the development of special-purpose units and subunits, an urgent need arose to train junior commanders and specialists on the basis of a unified training methodology.
The history of the 1071th separate special-purpose training regiment began in November 1965, when a training company was formed under a separate special forces brigade of the Moscow Military District (Chuchkovo, Ryazan Region). Major A. Galich was appointed its first commander.
In April 1969, it was redeployed to the city of Pechora, Pskov region, and in June 1971, the 629th separate training battalion for special purposes was deployed on the basis of the company, which was entrusted to command Lieutenant Colonel Yu. Batrakov.
On January 25, 1973, the formation of the 1071th separate special-purpose training regiment began. On June 1, 1973, the regiment was fully formed. The battle banner of the military unit was presented on June 11, 1974. The first commander of the regiment was Lieutenant Colonel V. Bolshakov.
Regiment staff and structure
The regiment's staff consisted of the following subdivisions: management, headquarters, two training battalions, a school of warrant officers, a company for providing the educational process, a company for material support, a medical unit and a political department.
I will focus on training battalions. I myself served in the third company of the first battalion.
But first, a few words about the second training battalion, which trained radiotelegraph operators - "low power" (R-394 KM) and radio and radio intelligence (RTRR) specialists. These fighters landed and acted as part of reconnaissance groups and special forces reconnaissance detachments in the rear of the enemy, providing communication between the reconnaissance agency and the Center, and also carried out radio reconnaissance. Selection to the battalion was carried out after determining the cadet's abilities for radio business. For example, the ability to hear Morse code characters was taken into account. The communications officers had the primary right to choose from the young recruits. In fact, their selection began on the sports camp, continued in the course of personal conversations to determine the intellectual level of a person, and only after that the hearing was tested. Further service in Afghanistan taught me to treat with great respect radio operators - graduates of the Pechora training regiment, whose highest professionalism more than once ensured the timely completion of assigned tasks, saved more than one life. It was in Afghanistan that I began to pay tribute to the graduate officers of the Cherepovets Higher Engineering School of Radio Electronics, which trained highly qualified radio specialists. I remember Major V. Krapiva, Captains A. Bedratov, G. Pasternak, Lieutenants V. Toropov, Yu. Polyakov, Yu. Zykov. And especially engraved in the memory of the most combat officer of the battalion, Lieutenant S. Sergienko, champion of the Ukrainian SSR in judo, later the chief of physical training and sports of the regiment.
The first and second companies of the first battalion trained squad leaders. At the end of their studies, the cadets who passed the final exams with excellent marks were assigned the military rank of sergeant, and those who received at least one four became junior sergeants. The servicemen who did not cope with the final check went to the troops as privates.
My own third company trained demolition miners and operators of specialized guided missile systems (URS).
From the first day of service in the regiment, we, the cadets, understood that every minute we lived, every action we took was thoroughly thought out and controlled by chiefs of all levels - from the regiment commander to the squad leader. The intensity of the learning process was very high. They explained to us that we must become professionals in our field in a relatively short period of time. In the future, they instructed us, the knowledge gained will most likely be useful in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, allowing us to complete the assigned tasks and stay alive. In five months, the scouts had to master mine-blasting business, learn how to make parachute jumps with standard weapons and equipment to the forest, water, and a limited landing area. We had to study the tactics of reconnaissance and sabotage units, military topography, structure and armament of foreign armies, significantly improve the level of our physical fitness, learn how to fire from various small arms. And, perhaps, the most difficult thing: to learn foreign languages for interrogating a prisoner - English for someone, German for someone, and for me, a Khabarovsk resident assigned for the Ussuri 14th separate special-purpose brigade, Chinese.
The cadets serving in the regiment were special young people. The fact is that they all went through a high-quality multistage selection, which began after they received a certificate of registration. All of them were distinguished by absolute health, before the army they were trained in the DOSAAF system, many had sports categories and ranks. In addition, the selection of these conscripts for the regiment was carried out not only by the employees of the military registration and enlistment offices, but also by the officers of individual special forces brigades, who were far from indifferent to who would return from the training regiment in six months to recruit their formations.
The non-commissioned officers, selected from the best cadets of the previous editions, had their own "hierarchy". The deputy platoon leader was the real boss for the squad leaders. The sergeants were reasonably demanding of the cadets, did not let go of the slightest offense, but punishments very rarely turned into hazing. By tradition, the guilty cadet increased his physical endurance. The basis of the relationship between the cadets is equality, and one could not become stronger than the others, so they "swayed" in platoon.
Many years have passed, and I still maintain friendly relations with my deputy platoon commander Pavel Shkiparev.
Platoon commanders, mostly graduates of the special intelligence faculty of the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, sincerely loved their work and lived it. On their shoulders lay the main burden of training cadets and organizing their daily life. Being with us from the rise to the lights out in the field, on the shooting range, in the classrooms, they honestly gave us their vast knowledge. In comparison with graduates of other schools, in our cadet's opinion, "Ryazan" were seriously distinguished by their high professionalism, a more subtle understanding of the ways and mechanisms of achieving goals. Accordingly, the results of their work were high.
My first commander, Lieutenant A. Pavlov, a man of great physical strength, in a military school, has a good grasp of the military business. He was a self-possessed, caring officer who knew how to maintain discipline in the unit. Teacher from God. His principle is that the soldier should not be pitied, but protected. At first it was difficult, during the war I remembered his science with gratitude. Our cadet graduation was the first in the long and successful military career of Alexander Stanislavovich. Three years later, he took command of the second training company of the first battalion. Later, having fulfilled his dream, he transferred to the special purpose military unit of the Pacific Fleet, and acted in various countries of the far abroad. After serving more than thirty calendar years in special forces units and subdivisions, he completed his service in the Special Forces Center of the FSB of Russia with the rank of colonel. There he became the author of the first program of operational-combat training of units and special-purpose units of territorial security agencies.
By tempering our will, he brought up winners out of us, I was not afraid to find myself in a hot spot. Having got to Afghanistan in 173 OOSpN already a trained fighter, I was confident in myself. This helped me fulfill my military duty and return home. Even today I am proud of my friendship with Alexander Stanislavovich. The first army commander remains for me the standard of a special intelligence officer.
The company officers and sergeants treated our company commander, Captain N. Khomchenko, with a sense of deep respect for his human and commanding wisdom. Other officers and warrant officers of the regiment did everything that was required to organize the training process, provided us with everything we needed. Their concern for us was constantly felt. I remember the high professionalism and dedication of the regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel V. Morozov, the chief of staff, Major A. Boyko, and the chief of the clothing service, Lieutenant S. Tarasik.
Learning process
The daily routine was normal, but tough. At 6 o'clock in the morning the command sounded: “Rota, rise! Building up for the morning hour of physical activity in one minute! Dress code number 3 . Overboard minus fifteen. Winter.
I’m still sleeping, but my body works automatically: quickly and clearly. I wake up after about 100-200 meters of running. We have the most running platoon. As always, I see a platoonman ahead. Steam billows from his naked torso. We are moving to the Estonian SSR, to the settlement of Matsuri: four kilometers there, the same amount back. (Now it is surprising to realize that now the European Union and NATO are here.) During the run, all thoughts are reduced to one thing: endure, not give up, run. Every charge was always over. At the beginning of training - fortunately, further - simply, before graduation - unfortunately.
Personal time flashed, putting things in order, morning inspection, and now we are marching to breakfast with a song. All movements on the territory of the unit are carried out with a marching step or running. The food is unassuming, but of high quality.
After a half-hour morning exercise (usually drill or defense against weapons of mass destruction) - regimental divorce for classes.
Diverse activities are united by one of the main rules of the regiment: they cannot be started a minute later than the set time and finished a moment earlier. We start with theory in the classroom, but still “the field is the soldier's academy”, and whatever subject we studied, whatever topic we worked on, in the end everything was fixed in the field studies. The main goal is to develop cadets' practical skills in conducting combat operations in a specific tactical situation.
Oh, this situation! The enemy, usually one of the squads headed by the deputy platoon leader, pursues us on foot. To it is added an enemy controlled by the imagination of a platoonman on armored personnel carriers, and helicopters attack from above, which strive to strike with chemical weapons. Over time, we get used to the fact that in a working gas mask, you can also live and act. The forces are at the limit, but we know what we are "fighting" for and that we must break away from the persecution. At the same time, we are working out the methods of secret and silent movement, we are learning to overcome various obstacles, and transport the "wounded". And such an intensity in all disciplines.
Learning a foreign language is violence against a person. You cannot pamper a soldier with a warm class and cultural words in a foreign dialect. Languages are difficult for us, because we are not at the institute. Classes are conducted by special teachers, and for our deuces, demand follows from the platoon. Therefore, in self-training, he confidently depicts that he knows everything in the world languages, and, periodically applying specific forms of education, makes us military translators. I learned four of the eight options for interrogating prisoners of war in just two days, being on the guard during the command and staff exercises. True, for the awakening of linguistic abilities, I needed to spend all sixteen hours of the waking shift in a gas mask.
The course of mine explosives is of great importance. This is my military specialty. At first, some of the colleagues were upset by the lack of prospect of getting sergeant marks after graduation. Miners and radio operators were issued privates. At the same time, those who successfully passed the exams were awarded the qualification “third class specialist”. The platoon commander explained that the ranks to whoever needs to come, who does not need to - will be bypassed, and such a unique profession will remain for life. The training was complex: they studied explosives, means and methods of detonation, mines and charges, including surprise mines, the same products of potential “friends” and many other interesting things. The apotheosis of every major topic was practical subversive work, which was the first serious test of strength for us in our lives. Everyone must calculate, manufacture, install, and then detonate the charge himself. We began to understand that we mean something. The knowledge and practical skills acquired in the mining training company allowed me to successfully use mine explosives in Afghanistan, which often predetermined the successful completion of the assigned tasks by the group. I cannot but recall the chief of the regiment's engineering service, Major Gennady Gavrilovich Belokrylov, the highest professional who provided us with invaluable assistance.
Much attention was paid to firepower training. There were classroom lessons, training at the firing camp. Practical shooting from various types of small arms, grenade launchers, combat grenade throwing began.
An eight-kilometer forward march in a complex tactical situation familiar to us brings us to the shooting range. They all ran without loss. After the introductory part, we dispersed to the training places: we work out the standards, conduct reconnaissance of targets, learn to work with the commander's box, perform shooting exercises. Particular emphasis is placed on performing shooting exercises with silent and flameless firing devices. The conditions of 1 UUS from AKMS with PBS-1 (day and night) are as follows: you move to the line of opening fire, with the first shot you must hit the sentry that appears for five seconds behind the embankment, then secretly move forward and destroy the TV camera, then shoot the moving paired patrol (here there is an opportunity to correct the error, three cartridges are given). The sound of a shot is practically inaudible, only a light pop and the clang of the bolt carrier. After sunset, the shooting continues. We attach a night vision device to the weapon, which, together with a silent and flameless firing device, makes our usual Kalashnikov assault rifle outwardly unrecognizable. This no longer surprises us. Normal work. No matter how well we did it, the path to the barracks will again run through many obstacles set up by an insidious potential enemy.
Before serving in the Soviet army, I made more than 200 parachute jumps and was a first-grade student. However, it was only in the regiment that I realized the difference between sport parachuting, where jumping is an end in itself, and military, where it is one of the main methods of delivering scouts to the rear of the enemy.
If for athletes landing on the forest, water, a limited landing area are special cases, then jumps of increased complexity give us the opportunity to remain unnoticed by the enemy and secretly advance to the specified area. In addition to everything in the army, jumping was required with standard weapons and equipment. Ammunition, mines and charges, radio stations and dry rations were placed in the paratrooper's knapsack and cargo container.
They studied the material part and the device of the parachutes, erased the hands on the packs, trampled the airborne complex. On the day of jumping, frost is minus thirty degrees. We drive to Pskov on the Uralakh covered with tents. We arrived at the base of the 76th Chernigov Airborne Division. We put on parachutes. Have passed the inspection. We take off. Through the windows of An-2 one can see typical reinforced concrete buildings of the Shabany village. I look at the "first-raiders", I envy the feeling that they are now going to experience. The first step into the sky is always overcoming the feeling of fear inherent in every normal person.
It has come to pass. After landing near the village of Kislovo, at the assembly point of the landing site, in a solemn atmosphere in front of the platoon formation, the lieutenant presents everyone with the first in his life "Parachutist" badge. I notice how the look of my comrades has changed. In my heart I congratulate them on their entry into a new quality.
You can remember the fascinating hand-to-hand combat exercises conducted in the snow with weapons, orienteering on the map and without, day and night, studying foreign armies and many other subjects - everything was interesting, everything came in handy in the war.
An indicator of the quality of the training process in the regiment was the results of operational-tactical exercises, where the regiment's units constantly demonstrated a high level of professional training. Suffice it to say that in 1989, during the competition between the special forces of the Soviet Army and the Navy held at our base, after the first three stages, the Pecheryans confidently outstripped the rest of the participants. As a rule, the hosts of such competitions won. The legitimacy of their victories has never been in doubt. This time, the leaders of the exercises were declared out of competition on the final day of the competition. According to high-ranking judges, training cannot be stronger than combat brigades.
Combat swimmers
The officers of the naval special forces identified the most capable sailors who had served one year, and sent them to our regiment. After training, they already returned as foremen to their naval unit, where they served for another year and a half as squad commanders.
About 20 people came from all fleets and the Caspian flotilla. Our sea brothers talked about the romance of long voyages, the specifics of their service. Often we were interested in the possibility of further military service in the navy. With a pompous air, the "SEALs" explained to us what kind of "supermen" it was necessary to be and how difficult it was.
After removing the first shaving, it turned out that the sailors are good guys and good specialists.
It is appropriate to add that not only sailors, but paratroopers and border guards studied in the Pechora regiment. In the summer, the students of the Military Diplomatic Academy took a four-week course of study.
Warrant officers school
In 1972, a school of warrant officers was deployed on the basis of the regiment to train deputy commanders of special forces and company foremen. The requirements for candidates were very high. The direction was received by the most trained servicemen of special forces units, but not everyone earned the cherished stars. Until 1986, the course lasted five months, then with the introduction of the radio business, it was increased to eleven. The training was versatile. Listeners could perform any tasks, replace, if necessary, the commanders of the reconnaissance groups.
After graduation, young commanders departed not only in units and formations of district and army subordination, but also in the fleet.
In wars
In Afghanistan, as part of the 40th Army, there were eight separate special forces detachments, organizationally combined into two brigades, and one separate company. For ten years the regiment sent its graduates "beyond the river". Thousands of fighters have gone through this war. All of them, fallen and alive, have done their duty with honor. A fond memory of those who did not return home. Friends from the training platoon will forever remain in my heart: Sasha Averyanov from Ryazan, killed by a "spirit" sniper on October 27, 1985 near Kandahar, Sasha Aronchik from Khabarovsk, who died in a Kandahar hospital from wounds in February 1986, Shukhrat Tulyaganov from Tashkent, who died in the mountains near Ghazni in July of the same year.
During the Chechen campaigns, the regiment sent its servicemen to the North Caucasus as part of the combined detachment 2 OBRSPN. I am sure that the fighters fulfilled their assigned tasks with honor and in due time they will tell about what they had to endure at that time.
The disbandment of the regiment in 1999 came as a complete surprise to everyone. This event echoed with pain and frustration in the hearts of the officers. One ill-considered decision destroyed the uniform methodology for training junior commanders and specialists, which united all special forces brigades. Today, military personnel are trained at the discretion of the command of formations and units. The connection between generations has been interrupted, and young scouts cannot now feel the glorious spirit of the Pechora training regiment, which is passed on from graduation to graduation.
Epilogue
January 25, 2013 marks the forty years since the creation of the regiment. Soldiers, sergeants, warrant officers and officers will come to the city of Pechora from all parts of the former Soviet Union. They will remember, remember, sing. Every five years, the district center prepares for this significant event. For the city, the regiment is an integral part of local history. And no matter where the fellow soldiers live, in whatever capacity they work, they are always united by the school, passed in the 1071st separate educational intelligence regiment of the Leningrad military district.
