Spilled blood - as a general to a general
In February 2021, shortly before the next anniversary of the armed conflict on Damansky Island, a rather lengthy and, to put it mildly, somewhat strange material was published in Nezavisimaya Gazeta. It was a big interview with retired Major General Vladimir Gorodinsky (Damansky Ostrov: battle by order).
To begin with, our correspondent Ratibor Khmelev asked about the publication in NVO, the Hero of the Soviet Union, now Lieutenant General Yuri Babansky.
Yuri Vasilievich, what can you say about this publication?
- Vladimir Ivanovich Gorodinsky used to be a generally good person, but some kind of wormhole started up in him, and from this he invents all kinds of fables, referring to historical facts and military magazines. He constantly writes that everything was different, different, but, how “otherwise,” he does not say. And when they begin to check, nowhere and never have this been.
General Gorodinsky (pictured), recently, unfortunately, also spoke on Damansky. I know him well: he is a military pensioner, now he is writing his memoirs. Wherever he climbed, all, frankly, traitors praise him, and we, the participants in the hostilities, condemn him, because we know the truth. I even talked to him on this topic, but everything is useless.
Then let's once again recall those events in Damansky
- It happened on March 2, 1969, on Sunday. The Chinese provoked a violation of the border, went out on the ice of the Ussuri River, began to bypass our Soviet island Damansky, demonstrating that they control our primordially Russian land. It is unacceptable. The outpost was alerted, and we drove to the place where the border was violated. The Chinese began to flee to their territory, showing that they were to blame, that they were afraid. But it was a trick that led us into an ambush.
It was specially organized at night, there were more than three hundred Chinese provocateurs prepared for an armed meeting with border guards. There were 32 of us. Five remained alive. The battle lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes. But we survived and won. The Chinese fled from our island.
We have gathered our killed comrades. There were few wounded. This provocation was sanctioned by Chinese high-ranking officials, including personally the "great helmsman" - Mao Zedong. Therefore, it could not be defeatist for the Chinese. Although they rang out to the whole world that we were the first to open fire, provoked an armed conflict and are to blame for everything. And they only demand their territory, which we seemed to have once taken from them and behave in bad faith.
On March 15, the impudent Chinese "comrades" again rushed to the island, this time in larger forces. And again they were rebuffed. Because we defended our land and were not going to retreat from it.
Veterans answer
And soon after the publication on our pages under the title "Damansky's Black Lists", the editorial office received a letter from retired colonel Vladimir Telegin.
He is the chairman of the regional branch of the Interregional Public Organization of veterans-border guards (pensioners) in Moscow and the Moscow region. The letter was named open, reviewed and approved by the Presidium of the UPU MOO on March 24, 2021.
We decided to publish it in full - without comments and without cuts.
Open letter "Who are you with, General V. I. Gorodinsky"?
“Some researchers of the hostilities on Damansky Island, after decades, when many have already forgotten why, why and how it all happened, criticize us for the fact that the outposts, they say, were aimed only at the peaceful expulsion of the Chinese. And this is presented as a mistake. What else should we be aiming for? Really on the use of weapons? On the contrary, even at the risk of his life, at that difficult time to do everything possible to maintain peace at the border, so that not a single shot would be the first to sound from our side. We had a peaceful mission."
- Major General Vitaly Dmitrievich Bubenin, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Retired Major General Vladimir Gorodinsky, who has appeared in the media with an interview preceding the release of his book, is trying to question these words that have been verified as an order to protect the state border. dedicated to the events on Damansky Island in March 1969.
The very organization of this interview leaves many questions, including its initial negative orientation. Setting the tone for the interview, journalist Nikolai Poroskov does not give a single name or name of the media, but uses a lot of general words: “some authors generally bypassed the question”, “abstract“provocateurs who came from the territory of some “neighboring state”, “in a number of newspapers it was reported that on the recommendation of officials in Moscow and Beijing "," the reaction of the country's population to such a strange position of the official authorities and many central media. " It is understandable, because you would have to answer for your words, but as the saying goes, "he crowed, but at least don't dawn there." If he turned to the Border Guard Service or a veteran organization, they would tell him everything in detail and even show him at the Central Frontier Museum of the FSB of Russia. Apparently, initially information of a different nature was needed, and the source for this was chosen ideally.
I don’t want to draw parallels, but even in a short interview one can see “signature cliches” of V. I. Gorodinsky, which echo the introductory part: my opinion "," according to the author of the article "," the Kremlin decided to play along "," but to my surprise, nothing like this could be found "," that's how it all happened "," a closer study of documents that have been known for a long time and have facts, led me to a firm conviction "," if you look closely "," with a significant degree of certainty it can be asserted "," in an amazing way "," one gets the impression "," approximately the same content of the record. " The sources are anonymous: "a group of frontier historians", "the majority of scientists, journalists, independent researchers", "domestic historians", "historians", "some authors", "a veteran of one of the special services." The apotheosis is the phrase - “we managed to find on the Internet a photocopy of the“Journal of military operations in the area of about. Damansky March 15, 1969 ". After that, it became clear, as usual, there was no question of any serious approach.
V. I. Gorodinsky is the author of a libel on the history of the Border Troops of the USSR, published in 2016 with an intriguing subtitle "Little-known pages of the service and combat activities of the Border Troops of the NKVD of the USSR in the initial period of the Great Patriotic War", in which fascism is whitewashed, it is argued that the Soviet border guards by their own actions provoked Germany to attack, while from the outposts they, in his opinion, were withdrawn in advance to the rear, and there were no battles on June 22, 1941 with German troops and the troops of their satellites on the western border, and there were many other similar unsubstantiated reasoning. Unfortunately, one cannot expect from him an objective and honest examination of historical events.
It is no coincidence that after the release of his first book, two participants in the Great Patriotic War, members of the Moscow Veteran Organization, turned to V. I. Gorodinsky with an open letter.
The person to whom the veterans contacted did not consider it necessary or did not dare to give an answer. Mogilevsky M. A. - died on April 30, 2020, and the now living 100-year-old Vasily Mikhailovich Lagodin is waiting for an apology from V. I. Gorodinsky. It's one thing to write a lie, and another thing to admit it and apologize to the veterans!
To begin with, the retired general seems to be frankly complaining that “March 2 marks the 52nd anniversary of the Soviet-Chinese armed conflict on Damansky Island. The date is not round. But the 50th anniversary of the battle for the island in March 2019 passed almost unnoticed by the authorities and the media. Only in some regions did veterans remember this date. The Border Guard Service of the FSB of Russia held two events at the Central Frontier Museum at the level of a veteran organization. And that's all. " However, these groans are entirely false, and the data he cited is far from the truth. Their main goal is to attract as much attention as possible to their own person. The proof of his duplicity can be a quote from his article in the newspaper "Russian Border for 2012:
"… a lot of effort and money is now being spent … on conducting" noisy "patriotic actions in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation … dedicated to anniversaries … Yes, all this is beautiful … At the same time, we rarely think about how effective this or that event is."
What to say: "I changed my shoes on two legs in one jump."
I will not advertise the upcoming “epoch-making creation” and the published interview of the retired general. There is text on the Internet that you can read and understand what it is trying to achieve. I will briefly dwell on the main blunders, there are enough of them in the interview.
A characteristic feature of VI Gorodinsky's “literary and historical activity” is the desire to “creatively” and very “freely rethink” the events associated with the history of the Border Troops. This time he swung at the events that Major General Vitaly Dmitrievich Bubenin, Hero of the Soviet Union, who was a direct participant in those events, sets out with protocol accuracy on the pages of his book.
“On one of the cloudy February days (1968), the“observation post”of the 1st frontier post on Bolshoi Hill reported that at about 10 am an impressive column of Chinese … began to move towards the island. The outfit named an incredible number of Chinese, which was hard to believe … We went out to the island and turned around in two lines, lined up a dozen meters away …
A harsh command sounded from the amplifier. The entire multi-hundred crowd turned in our direction. I was horrified. On the faces of the Chinese there was the very grimace of anger, hatred … The angry crowd, brought to a state of passion by skillful mental treatment, strongly supported by alcohol, rushed at us in the next instant … And so it began. A thousand selected, healthy, strong, angry fighters grappled in mortal combat. A powerful, wild roar, groans, screams, cries for help echoed far over the great river Ussuri. The tension was reaching its limit. At some point, I suddenly realized clearly that something irreparable could happen. The decision came unexpectedly. I scrambled out of the crowd and rushed to our armored personnel carriers that were not far away. He jumped into his car and ordered the driver, Private A. Shamov, to direct the APC directly at the Chinese. He protested, but he followed my orders. I did not realize why I was doing this, but I felt that there was no other way out. This was the only chance to save the situation. The APC rammed a dense crowd of Chinese, cutting them off from our soldiers. I clearly saw how, in fright, they shied away from the car and ran away. When they turned around, there was no one at the battle site.
I stopped the armored personnel carrier, opened the hatch. There was an amazing silence … I suddenly realized that everything had ended well, that there would be no more fighting today … We went to our bank and began to put ourselves in order, to provide assistance to the victims. From the Chinese coast, a military gas car with a white flag rushed straight at us. An officer came out of it. They were no longer disguised as "broad masses". I approached and asked what the problem was.
“We demand that you and your representatives, together with us, record the death of our four peaceful fishermen whom you have just crushed.
"Wow, a claim," I thought. I immediately reported to Leonov. A command came in: remove the Chinese from our territory, do not enter into negotiations. So I did. But the officer continued to insist. After much bickering, he nevertheless left our territory. Several people had to be sent to the medical unit of the detachment. About fifty submachine guns and machine guns fell into complete disrepair. From them only barrels with belts remained. Fur coats, jackets are torn to shreds."
The picture is complemented by a fragment of an interview with Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General Yuri Vasilyevich Babansky:
“Hand-to-hand fighting ensued. We beat them, they beat us. There were many more. And our armored personnel carrier began to cut them. They would have crushed us with a crowd, they would have simply trampled us into the ice, one wet spot would have remained. And the armored personnel carrier cut them into small groups. And with groups it is easier for us to manage. And now the driver of the armored personnel carrier did not notice, he crushed the Chinese. He pressed it not with wheels, but with a body. He still jumped out from under the front end, ran for a while and fell. Blood began to flow from his mouth. We didn't touch it anymore. They, I suppose, finished it off themselves. And on this basis they raised a fuss that we deliberately suppressed it”.
Another excerpt from V. D. Bubenin's book:
“In December 1967, at night, the enlarged detachment on the island of Kirkinsky was headed by an officer of the intelligence department of the Iman border detachment, Captain Iozas Steponyavichus, who came to this island for the first time. The composition of the outfit consisted of soldiers who arrived from the maneuvering group for reinforcement. Closer to midnight, Steponyavichus reported that up to 50 Chinese arrived on the island in cars of the ZIL-151 type and a passenger car GAZ-69 and surrounded the border guard. The reserve from the outpost on alarm went to the island. At first, the Chinese did not show aggressiveness and did not openly show their intentions …
Soon, a Chinese man in a paramilitary uniform separated from the car. Approaching our border guards, in Russian he demanded that the soldiers tie up and give up their officer. Ours sent them to the right place. The assault began, which quickly turned into a fierce battle. The soldiers realized what danger threatened the officer, and took him into a circle. But the Chinese managed to break the ring. They grabbed Steponyavichus and dragged him to the truck. The officer heard the clang of the bolts behind his back and shouted with strength: “Don't shoot, don't shoot! Back to everyone."
But our soldiers in a rage rushed into hand-to-hand combat. A real massacre was already going on near the car. This time the Chinese were not just Chinese. From the way they clearly and harmoniously acted and skillfully applied hand-to-hand combat techniques, it was clear that this was a specially trained and prepared group. In the back of the car, the captain's arms were twisted, the pistol was seized from him, and his fur coat was torn from his chest. A Chinese man came up, shone a flashlight in his face, then on his shoulder straps. He shouted something evil to the others and waved his hand. The next moment, the captain flew out of the body and fell on the ice, because it was not who they needed. Although Steponyavichus was very similar in height and build to me."
“Hearing a cry for help, Ilya saw how our soldier, strangled by a belt, was being dragged to the car. He rushed there. But several people immediately pounced on him. While he was dealing with them, the soldier was already pushed into the UAZ. The car started to move. Kobets raised his machine gun and fired a burst on the wheels. The Chinese threw out the soldier on the move. Several more unauthorized automatic bursts followed. This time nothing happened. None of the Chinese were killed. Then they figured out for a long time who and why fired, how many cartridges were fired, who gave the command, who was to blame? In any case, many then realized that it was undesirable to send people to such a thing, who did not yet understand that even one shot at the border could lead to irreparable damage, without appropriate experience. Since then, the personnel of the outpost and one of the officers have always been included in the composition of any independently operating reserve."
It is very difficult to add anything to eyewitness accounts. There is a good Russian proverb “Die yourself, but help your comrade”, and this is how the Soviet border guards acted. What V. I. Gorodinsky asserts, I do not want to repeat at all. Apparently, the author of the interview has new friends? His uncle Grigory Vladimirovich, who served in "SMERSH" during the war and advised the young man to enter the "Chekist school", whose opinion was unshakable for V. I. Gorodinsky, would certainly not have approved the current position of his nephew.
Now about the principled assessment of the actions of the border guards by the leadership of the KGB and the country and their alleged interest, according to the author of the interview, in aggravating the situation on the Soviet-Chinese border. I will cite an eyewitness account of the events, which is fundamentally different from the version of V. I. Gorodinsky.
“Several large Chinese men grabbed their weakest accomplice and began to beat him behind the second line. He struggled, screamed, cried. He was besieged by a blow to the head. He fell and was already being kicked while lying down. My soldiers were simply outraged by this atrocity. - Comrade lieutenant, maybe we will help, otherwise they will beat him to death. But at this time, the Chinese raised the hands and feet of a fellow tribesman who was still showing signs of life and threw them at our feet. At the beginning, we could not understand anything. But when a bunch of cameramen and press photographers from Xinhua News Agency rushed to film the episode, everything became clear. The episode has been worked out in a classic manner."
“Major General NA Kizhentsev, head of the Border Troops intelligence department, flew to the outpost. He and his officers watched and studied the situation for several days. One evening, being alone with me, Kizhentsev once again asked me to tell all the circumstances of that massacre. I honestly reported everything and expressed my suspicions. This interested the general. He chided me for not telling me earlier. The general was silent for a long time. It was obvious that he was making a rather difficult decision. - Do you know the island well? He asked me. - Just like the back of your hand. - I am planning to conduct reconnaissance on the island. You will lead a reconnaissance group. It is necessary to obtain evidence confirming or refuting that there are corpses. There should be no mistake. Tomorrow you will go … I will personally instruct the group. The next night, in three groups we stealthily advanced to the island … I looked in, shone my flashlight first into one, then into the other. Soldiers also dropped in. We made sure that there really were twisted frozen corpses, in other boxes it was the same. There was no doubt. These are corpses. Kizhentsev was waiting for us. I reported to him in detail, trying not to miss a single detail. He talked with the soldiers for a long time, clarified something. Then he walked around the small office for a long time. Sometimes he stopped and looked at me thoughtfully. I began to realize the whole tragedy of my situation. And suddenly, in the oppressive silence, I heard the general's voice: - Do you understand that you have just signed your own verdict? “I understand,” I answered firmly, because I knew for a long time that someday I would still be extreme … Now I felt it really. I suddenly became completely indifferent to everything."
“In mid-May (1968) Strelnikov phoned and conveyed Leonov's order to line up the entire personnel of the outpost on the shore by 12 noon. The head of the detachment will present the awards … The head of the detachment thanked the personnel for their excellent service and presented the medals "For excellence in guarding the state border of the USSR", badges "Excellent border guard", announced gratitude from the command of the district and the detachment … I was sincerely happy and proud of my soldiers … I called Strelnikov. - Thank you, brother. Have they forgotten you? "They said thank you for the service."
“We also remembered the medals that were awarded to our subordinates. Yes, we were proud of it. But they forgot about us. Resentment, they themselves did not really know at whom, broke through in us."
This is how the command and leadership of the KGB of the USSR defended the chiefs of the outposts - they asked them in full. That was the time. Comments are superfluous.
Now about the history of relations between the two countries. Not for the first time we have to admit that V. I. Gorodinsky is not friendly not only with history, but also with geography. In March 1937, the Soviet-Chinese border in the Far East "de jure" did not exist. In Manchuria, captured by the Japanese, on March 1, 1932, the puppet state of Manchukuo was created, which was completely controlled by them. The commander of the Japanese Kwantung Army was also the Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo and had the right to "veto" any decision of the emperor. It was the Japanese government that then believed that the USSR had misinterpreted the delimitation of territories, enshrined in the Beijing Treaty between the Russian Empire and China, but adhered to the then “status quo”. There is no need to mix Soviet-Japanese and Soviet-Chinese relations into one heap. Thus, there are no facts and it is interesting to know what other "genuine documents" are his links to.
“There were no border problems between Moscow and Beijing in the late 1940s and mid-1950s. None of the parties expressed any claims and comments. At the same time, the relations between the residents of the borderlands developed benevolent and friendly, which was supported by a number of documents on the procedure for conducting economic activities by the parties. An example is the implementation of an agreement on the procedure for navigation along the border rivers Amur, Ussuri, Salgach, along Lake Khanka. The Chinese authorities' requests for permits to use the Soviet islands for economic needs and fishing in the Soviet water area of the rivers were evidence of the recognition of the current border line by the neighboring state."
“One of the most acute disagreements between the PRC and the USSR was the question of the ownership of separate territories. The leadership of the neighboring state began to point out the "inequality" of treaties between tsarist Russia and Qing China, although in the first years after the formation of the PRC this problem was not raised. The conflict in this area was accompanied by the reprint in Beijing in the second half of the 1950s of Zhao Chuan-cheng's book, published in 1930, "Tables of Administrative Divisions of China in the Qing Era (1644-1911)". A propaganda campaign "about the injustice of the borders of the PRC" followed.
During this campaign, officials of the neighboring country hastened to present territorial claims to the USSR for 22 disputed areas of up to 1.5 million square kilometers. Contradictions began to intensify between the PRC and the USSR regarding the passage of the state border line … The negotiations on border issues were difficult and practically unsuccessful."
And V. I. Gorodinsky has a different opinion. Therefore, it is extremely unusual to hear from an officer who has served for more than forty years in leading positions in the Border Troops, including on the Chinese border in the Far Eastern, Transbaikal and Eastern border districts, including the head of the political department of the Panfilov Red Banner border detachment, only a reference to some anonymous Russian historians that the Chinese fiercely disputed in those years a number of sections of the border Soviet territory. Have you not crossed the threshold of the Lenin rooms and with your feet, along with the soldiers, "did not measure the border"?
Another incomprehensible quote, as a vivid example of the "crafty creativity" of V. I. Gorodinsky:
"According to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary GV Kireev, chairman of the Russian delegation to the Joint Russian-Chinese Demarcation Commission," the delimitation red line reflected … only the designated border lines and could not be automatically transferred to the area."
There is no such thing in an interview with G. V. Kireev. Compilation of individual words, rather than exact quotations, is the hallmark of the “author of multiple books” style. I will add that border delimitation and demarcation are completely different processes. It is a pity that, unlike G. V. Kireev, the retired border general is confused in this.
I will quote the exact opinion of Genrikh Vasilyevich Kireev, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Chairman of the Russian delegation to the Joint Russian-Chinese Demarcation Commission:
“Twenty-five years after the conclusion of the Peking Treaty of 1860 … it was noticed that the borders within Primorye did not pass as it was established. The parties agreed to make certain changes in their passage. This was done by the so-called New Kiev Protocols of 1886. In 1924, when the Agreement on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the USSR was signed, the parties agreed to redemark the border. When discussing the border issue at the 1926 Soviet-Chinese conference in Beijing, the Russian draft documents stated: “The border line between the USSR and China was repeatedly moved by both the local population and the local authorities of both sides. As a result, it is necessary, first of all, to restore the original line in the form as it was defined by various agreements, protocols, etc. relative to the Russian-Chinese border "… The border along the Amur and Ussuri was not defined at all, and the islands have never been legally assigned to any state before."
“The author of several books on the history of the Border Guard Service” often still sins by the fact that he often forgets to indicate the sources of information. And after a while, he does not hesitate to refer to his books as a source of this or that information. For example: “A year after the fighting on Damansky Island, this topic practically disappeared from the media. Glavlit (the body of censorship in the USSR - "NVO") banned mention in the open press about Damansky Island. The phrase "events on the Ussuri River in March 1969" has come into use. No source specified. And here is the original source: “I entered the editor's office. In response to my report, Major Petrov listlessly handed me a piece of paper, a telegram from the GUPV: "Read it!" Before the leadership of the border districts and district newspapers (the executive editors then also fulfilled the duties of military censors), it was indicated that from now on, according to the order of Glavlit, the mention of Damansky Island in the open press is prohibited. All the details about the combat clash can be reduced to a short phrase: "Events on the Ussuri River in March 1969".
A large portion of the lie is contained in the interviews regarding the servicemen of the units of the Soviet Army, who provided timely and effective assistance in the battles on Damanskoye:
“… At 20:30, 18 BM-21 Grad combat vehicles fired a volley across the island. But when the smoke cleared, everyone saw that not a single shell had hit him. All of them flew 7-8 kilometers deep into the Chinese territory and smashed to smithereens the village, which allegedly housed the headquarters of one of the units, a hospital and several logistical units."
This information was obtained, apparently, after the analysis of "military documents of those days from the Internet." This is a blatant lie regarding the actions of the commander of the 199th Verkhne-Udinsky motorized rifle regiment, Colonel Dmitry Andreevich Krupeinikov, the commander of the Grad installation division, Major M. T. Vaschenko, the commander of the reconnaissance company of the 135th motorized rifle division, captain Sergei Nikolaevich Shpigun, Hero of the Soviet Union, junior sergeant Vladimir Viktorovich Orekhov and many other soldiers and officers.
In reality, everything happened differently. An excerpt from the story of the commander of the 199th motorized rifle regiment:
“The artillery of the division was commanded at that time by Colonel Pensack … The division's artillery headquarters, when the border guards were fighting, spotted all eighteen enemy batteries, and the Grad strike subsequently fell on them and all manpower. The effect turned out to be sensitive for them. At the positions of the 4th company there was a speaking installation for the propaganda of the enemy. Her crew overheard the conversation of two Chinese on the radio. They had our radio stations in service, and the waves were the same. One says to the other: "We ought to give them back!" He asks: “And with what? All of our weapons have been disabled and only two people have survived."
When his own rich imagination dries up, V. I. Gorodinsky grabs it and, with no less enthusiasm, develops other people's delusional versions, allegedly connected with the involvement of the then Minister of Defense of the PRC in the events in Damanskoye, for example.
It is difficult for a normal person who knows firsthand the history of the Border Troops to imagine how many and what other absurdities and outright nonsense must be invented to make up a whole book. In this regard, it is appropriate to quote the words of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus: "Much knowledge does not teach the mind." And Peter I: "I will instruct the boyars in the Duma to speak according to the unwritten, so that everyone's foolishness can be seen."
The latter V. I. Gorodinsky constantly and unsubstantiated complains about the lack of available information on various historical problems. It turns out that someone is hiding information from him and other researchers, including on the Daman events of 1969. The question arises: does he really need this truthful information? In my opinion, they absolutely do not need such information, they need facts that can be presented in a negative light.
On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the events on Damansky Island, Vestnik of the Borders of Russia No. 3-4 for 1999 (pp. 26-37) published an extensive article “Days and Nights of Damansky Island” by Colonel Valery Sudakov, Head of the Central Archives of the Federal Border Service of Russia, and Jr. researcher of the archive of Vladimir Zapadny. On the basis of archival materials, it provides a detailed analysis of relations between the USSR and the PRC in the border sphere since 1949. The fighting on Damansky Island on March 2 and 15, 1969 is described minute by minute. But the materials of this extensive article are not used in any way by V. I. Gorodinsky. What is the reason? First - apparently someone hid her again? Or secondly, it does not fit into the framework of his task. Rather - the second, since he definitely read it and knows about its existence. Considering his reverent attitude towards his "literary works", it can be said with great certainty that the issue of this particular herald is at least kept in his personal library.
The whole intrigue is that it also published an article by the then deputy head of the North Caucasus Regional Directorate, Major General Vladimir Gorodinsky, under the heading "We inherited courage." I will quote only two theses of the article.
“The problem of promoting the history and traditions of the border troops, perpetuating the memory of the dead border guards, in my opinion, in recent years has acquired particular relevance for the Federal Border Guard Service of Russia. This is explained, first of all, by the fundamental changes that have taken place in the life of society and the border troops, the consequences of the so-called de-ideologization of military service, which ultimately resulted in discrediting such a concept as patriotism."
“… All of us, and above all the officers-educators … need to take care that the borders of the Motherland are protected not by Ivans, who do not remember their kinship, but by people who know the history of the border troops, who are proud of belonging to them, who are aware of their involvement with the heroic past of their illustrious predecessors … Nothing so discredits the historical past and does not harm the education of personnel, as a manifestation of ignorance, low culture by the organizers of this work."
This is very correct, but does the author of the article remember this or has he already forgotten?
I probably forgot. In the last 7–8 years, he has suffered from severe memory lapses, becoming in fact "Ivan, who does not remember kinship."
In conclusion, a short blitz for "the author of several books on the history of the Border Guard":
1. Do you consider yourself a patriot of Russia?
2. When were you sincere in your words and actions: in 1999 or now in 2021?
3. What reaction are you expecting to your new book? Another portion of praise from the traitor of the Motherland Rezun-Suvorov, who in the fall of 2020 on the Internet caressed you with his praise for the first book?
4. Who are you with, General Gorodinsky?
I have the honor!
Vladimir Telegin, retired colonel. Chairman of the regional branch in Moscow of the Interregional Public Organization of veterans (pensioners) of Moscow and the Moscow region.
The letter was reviewed and approved by the Presidium of the UPU MOO on March 24, 2021
Moscow, March 2021
