The officer has always been in the center of attention and represented the basis of the national culture: for centuries it was he who was looked up to, and many young men sought to take their place in this slender row. But is there this series today? Can these traditions be renewed at today's level? After leaving in reserve, the officer still remains an officer in his soul.
A regular meeting of reserve officers of the National Association of Associations of Reserve Officers of the Armed Forces (Megapir) in the Southern Military District took place in Rostov-on-Don. The chairman of the Council of the officers' meeting, Marshal of the Soviet Union Dmitry Yazov conveyed his greetings and wishes for successful work to all the participants. For health reasons, he could not come.
There are not so many public associations of reserve officers in Russia. Basically, officers find a continuation of their military traditions in associations of various orientations. Basically, these associations are related to the military-patriotic orientation. To the best of their strength and capabilities, reserve officers try to transfer their knowledge and experience to the younger generation. But while these associations are practically nothing fundamental to each other, there is no common ideology and concept of work. So far, the state does not take on the cementing role. Although historically, it was the power structures that were concerned about the role and place of the officer in society and throughout history tried in every possible way to exalt and glorify a person who put on a well-formed uniform and shoulder straps. The eyes of people pay attention to the military man. From him and the demand was great. The officers began to feel their certain isolation long before the organization of the so-called “officers' restaurants, which began to appear in Russia around the second half of the 18th century. Historians say that in 1779 in the city of Tikhvin, officers of the Novgorod infantry regiment created their own club, and three years later, in 1782, a similar club was opened in St. Petersburg. But the matter did not go further. And only at the beginning of the 19th century, at the direction of the military department, "officers' restaurants" and military libraries appear in some garrisons and parts of the Vilnius and Finland districts, St. Petersburg, Varshavsky. In 1869, a special commission was created under the War Ministry to study and generalize the experience of the organization and work of officers' clubs, collections, and libraries.
The charter of officers' meetings was approved on November 4, 1874 by order of the military department. And in 1884, by order of the military department, the "Regulations on officers' meetings in certain units of the troops" was put into effect.
By the end of the XIX century. the creation of officers' assemblies in army units was practically completed, as a result of which a whole system of their work was formed. All over Russia, buildings appear, which are called so - the officers' meeting.
For example, in Crimea, the building of the Officers' Assembly was built specifically for the 51st Lithuanian Infantry Regiment. This is the only building in Simferopol, where for many years of Soviet power the symbol of the monarchy - the two-headed eagle, flaunted.
The activities of the officers' meetings continued until 1918. Back in 1917, the officers could somehow find the strength to unite, but in connection with the arrival of the new government, such work stopped. It was renewed only in 1943, when new insignia for officers - shoulder straps - appeared in the Red Army again.
In the same year, a directive was issued on the organization of officers' meetings in a number of military districts in order to maintain high morale. However, in the post-war years and until the 90s, this initiative did not receive widespread use. And only at the end of the 80s, the order of the Minister of Defense No. 186 appeared, according to which the Temporary Regulation on the Officers' Meeting was introduced. In 1990, 1992 and 2004, new orders and provisions were introduced regarding the future work of such assemblies.
In various regions of the country, on a voluntary basis, officers gather on their own, using commercial structures rather than the basic platform of the Ministry of Defense as a basis for their work. Often this became a chance for further fruitful work, ensuring the continuity of such work for many years and bringing new members into its ranks. The same "Megapir" has about 43 thousand people.
Quite often the proposals of the Yuzhny reserve officers are sent directly to the President, the Government, the Federal Assembly, as well as the Minister of Defense of Russia. Positive decisions were made on most of them, including legislative initiatives.
The authority of the Russian officers' assemblies also grows abroad.
On March 18 of this year, the five-year anniversary of the establishment of the International Advisory Committee of Reserve Officers' Organizations was solemnly celebrated. Despite such a young age, he received recognition abroad and politicians listen to his opinion. The committee brings together 29 organizations of military veterans, reservists and peacekeepers from 27 countries. In Slovakia, Austria, Kazakhstan, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Serbia, Switzerland and other countries, international conferences, round tables, discussions on strengthening cooperation for the sake of peace and friendship between peoples, countering the growth of military conflicts, international terrorism and extremism were held.
Oh, what balls used to be, as they used to admire in the past and before last centuries
For two years in the city of Pyatigorsk, the Day of Officer's Honor of Lieutenant Mikhail Lermontov, as well as officer's Lermontov balls, have been held.
By the way, at the suggestion of the officers' meeting, balls began to be held more and more actively, and after them, the holding of cadet balls is becoming more widespread. The geography is very wide: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Maykop, Krasnodar, Orel, Rostov-on-Don, Kabardino-Balkaria, Tomsk, Tver, Penza, Khabarovsk and other cities of Russia.
However, let's get back to work.
- The main work of the veteran organization should be aimed, first of all, at providing effective assistance to the command staff in the education of sergeants, - said Viktor Grishin, chairman of the Joint Council of Veterans named after the 4th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense, in his speech.
- The future of youth should worry us today and now. Who among us sitting in this hall thought that very close, in Ukraine, there would again be such a rampant Nazism, which could gradually take over other countries. And it happens. And we need to do so so as not to miss out on the younger generation, we need to fight for the spiritual condition of people who in 10-12 years will be at the helm of power, to protect the Motherland. There seem to be a lot of people in our organization, but about two dozen work effectively. We don't have enough people. Now we are receiving many applications for holding or participating in various events, in contrast to the time when we ourselves called schools and asked to speak, tell about the past war. But the situation with patriotic education has changed today. This makes me happy. But we have a lot of work to do, we must remember those who brought us the great Victory. It is necessary to speak in detail about each feat. And the main challenge is how best to pass on this spiritual heritage to the next generation, how best to organize the work of changing generations.
The director of the Neklinovskaya flight school, Leonid Goldberg, shared his experience, who spoke about the fact that he spoke at a similar meeting of officers and shared the numerous problems that the flight school faces in training students. As it turned out, the support of this particular meeting led to changes for the better.
“The General Staff of the Russian Army drew attention to us,” he said. - The commander of the Southern Military District, Colonel-General Alexander Galkin, issued an order to use our school as a basic educational institution for parachute jumping. Recently, representatives of DOSAAF visited us, who made a decision that the school will also become a base for flight training. Two Yak-52 and one An-2 will be transferred. It is noteworthy that the Taganrog Aviation Transport Regiment became our chief, and cadets can now gain experience from real pilots.
The preservation of the spiritual and historical heritage is of great importance. Valentin Gerbach, who heads the veteran organization of RAU graduates, spoke about this emotionally and bitterly.
“The RAU is no longer there, but we are and are memory,” he says. - On the territory of the school, as is known to all historians and officials to whom we have been unsuccessfully contacting for many years, the human remains of former prisoners of the concentration camp of death, which the Germans with cynical cruelty called an infirmary, were preserved and treated there supposedly sick prisoners of war. In fact, thousands of people died of disease and hunger there. According to various estimates, there were about 6 thousand such people. And if earlier there was a memorial complex on the territory of the school, today it has already been demolished, and concrete slabs were installed at the place of execution, on which ignorant cadets walk. It houses a center for training military specialists for the needs of aviation, and from September 1, a center for training warrant officers will be opened. And something must be done with this, it is impossible for the memory to be literally trampled on.
The presiding officer of the meeting immediately asks Gerbach to address a member of the Public Chamber of the Rostov Region present in the hall and resolve with him the issue of sending an appeal to the Governor of the Rostov Region Vasily Golubev. However, a member of the Public Chamber, whose name I do not want to name, for some reason asks Herbach if there is documentary evidence that the remains of the victims of the mass execution are now buried on the territory of the school. Gerbach answers this question hotly and noisily, proving that there is more than enough evidence, and the appeal to the governor was written a year ago, but effective measures have not yet been taken.
To a comrade from the public chamber, I would also say that I saw the remains of people with my own eyes. The situation around the RAU is not quite usual and requires an early decision: articles about this case were published several times on our website.
Such heated debates and questions show that today the officers' assembly has become part of the system of the life of society, but there is still a lot to be done.
The following decision was made, which was announced by the lieutenant colonel of the reserve Alexander Tkachenko:
“Continue to consolidate the veteran movement. Support, take care and rely on the vast life experience of the participants in the Great Patriotic War in every possible way. At the same time, to more actively involve veterans of combat operations, first of all, reserve officers, in organizational, propaganda and educational work. To involve young people in practicing military-applied sports, passing the TRP standards. Strengthen ties with DOSAAF Russia. Create all conditions for expanding the capabilities of this organization on the ground. To do everything for the reserve officers to bring their experience and knowledge to the general education school. This is not about the militarization of the consciousness of children and young men, but about the fact that officers, as true statesmen, convey to them the awareness of the responsibility and personal role of everyone in the fate of the country, form an understanding and desire to defend the national interests of Russia. It is important that we support and take the most active part in the formation of the children and youth organization "Russian movement of schoolchildren", as well as the revival of the youth army movement, the main goal of which is to educate the patriots of their Fatherland. All the best that we can bring, our experience and knowledge, methodological developments "Megapir" will use in this important work. At the same time, in our opinion, we must continue to work on the creation of a non-political youth organization in higher civilian and military educational institutions, and then in military units. Young people appreciate the opinion of their comrades. She has a sense of collectivism. It is important to oppose it to individualism, which largely erodes the consciousness and civic responsibility of young people, including military personnel. I am convinced that young officers, contract servicemen and members of their families will find their place in these organizations. Our task is to support talented students, cadets, Suvorovites and cadets in mastering knowledge. The National Association "Megapir" approved a scholarship for a Suvorov resident of the North Caucasian SVU. We participate in the Olympics of educational institutions of the Ministry of Defense and other power structures. It is important that the intellectual forces of the organizations of reserve officers directly in the regions get involved in this work."
