A young soldier who had just joined the army. How they were initiated into “grandfathers” in the Soviet army. Elephants in the army

Army hazing is based on harsh hazing hierarchy soldier, based on the duration of the actual service period from the moment of conscription. All non-statutory ranks and titles listed below refer to a period of two years of military service.

The lowest level of the army hierarchy is military personnel before the oath. "Smell" or "Ethereal Spirit" on army jargon. Non-statutory rights are the same as those of “spirits”, that is, none. According to the regulations, such a serviceman must prepare to take the oath; due to non-statutory duties, he must endure various “jokes” of old-timers, which during this period are usually not excessive.

Second stage - military personnel after the oath and up to six months of service: “Spirit”; - the most common name. In some branches of the military they are called differently: “Sparrows”, “Cheks”, “Chekists” - internal troops; "Crucian" - fleet.

In some units, after the statutory oath, a non-statutory oath can also be taken. In this case, the “Spirit” with a mop instead of a machine gun should solemnly read something like this:

I, a new lad, a shaved goose,

I solemnly swear:

Sala, don’t eat the butter yourself,

Give everything to the old people...

The main non-statutory duties of the “Spirits” are to “rustle”, that is, to carry out all the “dirty” work in part, and also to be powerless objects for the psychological relief of old-timers, which, at best, manifests itself in a simple “quality” (significant physical exercise) and in unquestioning execution of absurd orders. And also “spirits” should be the objects of the traditional “humor” of “Grandfathers”.

For example, one of the standard army entertainments is “Musical Elk”. The “spirit” puts his hands to his forehead in the form of elk antlers (the palm of one hand to the hand of the other) and choruses: “Suddenly, like in a fairy tale, the door creaked…”, receives a blow to the “horns” and continues “... everything became clear to me Now".

The Russian soldier is famous for his ingenuity, and there are a great many similar rituals. “Catching butterflies”, “Drying a crocodile” and so on - in different parts soldiers have fun in different ways.

The third stage is military personnel from six months to a year of service. “Elephant” is an abbreviation for: a soldier who loves fucking loads. This is the common name. In some branches of the military they are called differently: “Raven” - internal troops; "Greyhound crucian" - fleet.

They are usually transferred to the “Elephants” from the “Spirits” with six blows on the backside from a soldier’s belt badge (since the soldier has already served for six months). The blows are carried out by “Grandfather”.

Non-statutory duties: “Elephant” either works the same way as “Spirit”, or “gives a hundred days” to some “Grandfather”, who appointed him as his personal “Elephant”. Such an “Elephant” must constantly perform basic everyday tasks for his “Grandfather” (making the bed, etc.), get him cigarettes or something else. Well, standard rituals, of course, like: “Allow me to report how long to serve grandfather” in various forms and with severe punishment for mistakes.

“Elephants” and “Spirits” do not have the right to tailor military uniforms to fit their bodies and carry their hands in their pockets.

The fourth stage - military personnel from one to one and a half years of service. "Scoop". The name most likely comes from the ladle used to transfer a soldier to the “Scoops” from “Elephants”. To accept the status of "Ladle" a soldier must withstand twelve blows to the buttocks with a ladle. The name "Skull" is also common. In the navy, the analogue is “Godok”.

Non-statutory duties: “Cherpak” must ensure that “Spirits” and “Elephants”, who do not have a “Grandfather,” do not shirk work.

“Cherpak” is already a privileged status.

Fifth stage - military personnel from one and a half years of service to the beginning of a hundred days. "Grandfather". This is the most privileged status. Has practically unlimited power over “Smell”, “Spirit” and “Elephant”.

The transfer to “Grandfathers” is symbolic in nature, and is carried out solely at the request of the newly-made “Grandfather”. The translation scheme is standard - 18 symbolic blows with a chair on a soft spot.

The basic rules of hazing concerning the “Grandfathers” themselves:

• 1. Grandfather is always right.
• 2. If Grandfather is wrong, then see point one.
• 3. Grandfather should not touch objects that are used for cleaning premises (rags, buckets, mops...).

“Grandfather” usually walks around in a tailored, faded military uniform. (The new form is a sign of the “Spirit”).

“Grandfather” usually has a personal “Spirit” or “Elephant” who performs daily work for him and counts the days until the order.

The sixth stage - military personnel from the beginning of the hundred-day period until dismissal.

"Demobilization" - has all the rights of a "Grandfather". The only differences are in the rituals: the days are counted not until the order, but until the end of the service, etc.

The procedure for transferring “Grandfather” to “Demobilization” is carried out as follows: the future “Demobilization” is hit on a soft spot with a thread through a layer of mattresses and pillows, and he screams as if in pain, or the “Spirit” should scream instead.

That's the whole hierarchy as a whole, tested for decades. As they say: “Every man must go through this.” It’s certainly difficult to begin service, but everyone has good prospects... After the Russian army switches to a one-year service period, all these titles and ranks will most likely sink into oblivion and will remain only in folklore.

For example, this army saying:

“If you are swollen without sleep, then you are certainly a Spirit; if you sleep poorly, then you are already Cherpak; If you slept through lunch, then of course you are Grandfather.”

Or, for example, this army song, which very well describes the non-statutory ranks of hazing:

Gop-stop, greens - download

On the other hand, even after the reform, soldiers will most likely quickly adapt to the changed situation and come up with something new instead of outdated rules. It is unlikely that something fundamentally different is possible in Russia. As the French say - c'est la vie...

We all know how difficult it is in the Russian army because of the hazing that exists there. Some were simply beaten half to death, and some were even driven to suicide. Grandfathers mock recruits and the saddest thing is that all this happens with the permission of the officers. Also, the situation with hazing is getting worse from year to year due to national hatred within the army. Read more creepy stories soldiers who were victims of hazing. Not for the faint of heart.

Anton Porechkin. Athlete, national team member Trans-Baikal Territory in weightlifting. He served on Iturup Island (Kuril Islands), military unit 71436. On October 30, 2012, during the 4th month of service, he was beaten to death by drunken grandfathers. 8 blows with a mining shovel, little was left of the head.

Ruslan Aiderkhanov. From Tatarstan. Drafted into the army in 2011, he served in military unit 55062 in the Sverdlovsk region. Three months later he was returned to his parents like this:

Traces of beatings, a knocked out eye, broken limbs. According to the military, Ruslan caused all this to himself when he tried to hang himself on a tree not far from the unit.

Dmitry Bochkarev. From Saratov. On August 13, 2012, he died in the army after days of sadistic abuse by his colleague Ali Rasulov. The latter beat him, forced him to sit for a long time on half-bent legs with his arms extended forward, striking him if his position changed. Also, by the way, Sergeant Sivyakov mocked private Andrei Sychev in Chelyabinsk in 2006. Sychev then had both legs and genitals amputated, but he remained alive. But Dmitry was brought home in a coffin.

Before the army, Ali Rasulov studied at a medical school, so he decided to practice on Dmitry as a doctor: he cut out the cartilage tissue from his nose with nail scissors, damaged during the beatings, and sewed up tears in his left ear with a household needle and thread. “I don’t know what came over me. I can say that Dmitry annoyed me because he did not want to obey me,” Rasulov said at the trial.

Dmitry irritated him because he did not want to obey...

Taking into account the fact that Rasulov conducted sadistic experiments on the victim for 1.5 months and tortured her to death, the verdict Russian court a sadist should consider it ridiculous: 10 years in prison and 150 thousand rubles to the parents of the murdered person. Compensation type.

Alexander Cherepanov. From the village of Vaskino, Tuzhinsky district, Kirov region. Served in military unit 86277 in Mari El. In 2011, he was brutally beaten for refusing to deposit 1000 rubles. to the phone of one of the grandfathers. After which he hanged himself in the back room (according to another version, he was hanged dead in order to imitate suicide). In 2013, in this case he would have been sentenced to 7 years ml. Sergeant Peter Zavyalov. But not for murder, but under the articles “Extortion” and “Excess of Official Power”.

Nikolai Cherepanov, father of a soldier: “We sent this son to the army, but this is the kind of son he was returned to us...”
Nina Konovalova, grandmother: “I began to put a cross on him, I saw that he was covered in wounds, bruises, bruises, and his head was all broken...” Ali Rasulov, cutting out cartilage from Dima Bochkarev’s nose, did not know “what came over me.” And what happened to Peter Zavyalov, who for 1000 rubles. killed another Russian guy in the army - Sasha Cherepanov?

Roman Kazakov. From Kaluga region. In 2009 recruit of the 138th motorized rifle brigade (Leningrad region) Roma Kazakov was brutally beaten by contract soldiers. But apparently they overdid it. The beaten man lost consciousness. Then they decided to stage special case. The soldier, they say, was asked to repair the car, but he died in the garage from exhaust fumes. They put Roman in the car, locked him in the garage, turned on the ignition, covered the car with an awning to guarantee... It turned out to be a gas van.

But Roman did not die. He was poisoned, fell into a coma, but survived. And after some time he spoke. The mother did not leave her son, who became disabled, for 7 months...

Larisa Kazakova, mother of a soldier: “At the prosecutor’s office I met with Sergei Ryabov (this is one of the contract soldiers - author’s note), and he said that they forced me to beat recruits. Battalion commander Bronnikov beat off my hands with a ruler, I have a criminal record, the conviction was not expunged until 2011, I could not act differently, and had to follow the battalion commander's order".

The case was closed, information about hematomas disappeared from the soldier’s medical documents, and the car (evidence) unexpectedly burned down a month later. The contract soldiers were fired, the battalion commander remained to serve further.

Roman Suslov. From Omsk. Drafted into the army on May 19, 2010. The photo below was taken at the station before boarding the train. He had a one and a half year old son. To the place of duty (Bikin, Khabarovsk region) didn't arrive. On May 20, he informed his family via SMS about the abuse on the train by an officer and a warrant officer who accompanied the conscripts. On the morning of May 21 (the second day in the army) he sent an SMS: “They will kill me or leave me disabled.” May 22 - hanged himself (according to the military). There were signs of beatings on the body. Relatives demanded a re-examination of the causes of death. The military prosecutor's office refused.

Vladimir Slobodyannikov. From Magnitogorsk. Called up in 2012. Served in military unit 28331 in Verkhnyaya Pyshma (also in the Urals). At the very beginning of his service, he stood up for another young soldier who was being bullied. This caused the fierce hatred of grandfathers and officers. On July 18, 2012, after 2 months in the army, I called my sister and said: “Valya, I can’t do it anymore. They will kill me at night. That’s what the captain said.” That same evening he hanged himself in the barracks.

Pechenga, Murmansk region. 2013

200th motorized rifle brigade. Two Caucasians mock a Russian guy.

Unlike Caucasians, Russians, as always, are atomized. We are not in solidarity. They would rather mock the younger conscripts themselves than help someone during the lawlessness of national minorities. The officers also behave as they once did in the tsarist army. “Dogs and lower ranks are not allowed to enter” there were signs in the parks of Kronstadt and St. Petersburg, i.e. the officers did not seem to consider themselves and the lower classes to be one nation. Then, of course, the sailors, without regret, drowned their nobles in the Gulf of Finland and cut them into pieces in 1917, but what changed?

Vyacheslav Sapozhnikov. From Novosibirsk. In January 2013, he jumped out of a 5th floor window, unable to withstand the bullying from the community of Tuvans in military unit 21005 (Kemerovo region). Tuvans are a small people of the Mongoloid race in southern Siberia. The current Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation S.K. Shoigu - also Tuvan.

Ilnar Zakirov. From Perm region. On January 18, 2013, he hanged himself in military unit 51460 (Khabarovsk Territory), unable to withstand days of torture and beatings.

Sergeants Ivan Drobyshev and Ivan Kraskov were arrested for incitement to suicide. In particular, as military investigators reported: “... Junior Sergeant Drobyshev, from December 2012 to January 18, 2013, systematically humiliated the human dignity of the deceased, repeatedly used physical violence against him and made illegal demands for the transfer of funds.”

Systematically humiliated the human dignity of the deceased. The system is like this, so what can you do? The army is only a special case of general lawlessness in the country.

“Hazing” in the army and navy of the USSR arose in the 60s and early 70s of the twentieth century. This shameful phenomenon has been inherited by modern Russian army– from time to time information appears in the media about the tragic consequences of the bullying of “young” by old-timers.
For millions of Soviet citizens who served in the army in the 70s - 90s, the word “grandfather” became not only a designation of the degree of kinship.

Who are the “grandfathers” and where did they come from?

“Grandfathers” are a privileged category of soldiers, corporals and sergeants who served in the army for a year and a half (when they served in the USSR for another 2 years). According to unspoken rules, “grandfathers” are “not supposed” to perform a number of army duties due to their length of service. The work must be done for them by “spirits” (newly called) or “scoops” (those who have served for a year).

“Grandfathers” are such “godfathers” in uniform. By the way, many explain the emergence of such a caste division in the Armed Forces of the USSR precisely by the fact that from a certain time people with criminal records began to be drafted into the army. The construction battalion consisted of almost half of them.

As researchers of the phenomenon of Soviet (Russian) “hazing” note - this phenomenon could not have arisen without criminal, deliberate connivance on the part of the officers - it was beneficial for them that the “grandfathers” “build” the younger ones on conscription, because this way it is easier to control the unit entrusted to the commander: It’s easier to ask a relatively small group of old-timers than to monitor the entire platoon (company).

What the “right” “grandfather” will never do

“Grandfather”, of course, will not wash the floors - this is generally a bummer. And in principle, any burdensome work is not for him. "Grandfathers" don't go to morning exercises, don't get blown up jump off upper tiers beds in the barracks on the command “Company, rise!” Firstly, only “dushars” and “bespontovnye” “scoops” sleep upstairs. Secondly, the “grandfather” is “supposed” to be slow due to his service life - others should “take care” for him, he jumped back. “Grandfathers” are trying to take “warm” places in the army - they are privateers, grain cutters.

In the Soviet army, “grandfathers” could be unmistakably distinguished by their appearance. Appearance is the “grandfather’s” passport, his indispensable attribute. A self-respecting “grandfather” will never look “spiritual.” Distinctive features, which were supposed to indicate the highest social status conscripts were present in almost every item of clothing and footwear of the old-time serviceman. The buckle of the leather belt, which is certainly curved inward, shines, polished with “goyim paste”, like a mirror in the sun. The cockade on the cap (in the cold season - on the hat) is curved in the same way as the belt badge. The hat itself is a “bucket” (a special form of the “grandfather’s” headdress, obtained after equipping the hat special inserts and subsequent ironing).

“Paradka” - a dress jacket - immaculately ironed and new (more often - “wrung out” from the “spirit”). It should have all the badges that it is possible to get - from Komsomol to Guards. The uniform is cotton, like the overcoat (peacoat) - sewn. Boots - cowhide, shortened, heels cut to a cone, with horseshoes. Hairstyle - forelock in front, according to the rules in back, with edging. In winter, under cotton - “louse” (sweater or something else, also non-statutory, but warm).

“Hemming” (collar) - no standard “dukhov” ones, just a snow-white piece of a torn sheet or pillowcase neatly folded in several layers, preferably almost as thick as a finger - this is a special chic. The “grandfather” is hemmed (or rather, the “spirits” are hemmed) only with black thread. “Grandfathers” - “demobilization” (soldiers and sergeants after the order of the Minister of Defense on the demobilization of their conscription) wear an embroidered “DMB” sign on the “file”.

Dressing style: hat (cap) - on the back of the head, the top button on the jacket - unbuttoned, a cotton hook is not used at all. Boots - accordion. The belt hangs on... (on personal belongings, let's say so).

The “correct” “grandfather” does not chase away “spirits” - this is the lot of the “scoopers”. “Grandfathers” also try not to go to the canteen - food should be carried to them by “spirits” “Grandfather” - “demobilization” with thoughts already “there”, in civilian life. He gives his breakfast butter to the “spirits”, and he finishes putting his carnival demobilization uniform in order.