In recent weeks, the Russian media and the Internet have been covered by a whole wave of publications about the alleged return of such a criminal phenomenon as hazing to the army. The story of the execution of the guard by Private Shamsutdinov is being discussed in every possible way. Let me remind you that on October 25, conscript soldier Ramil Shamsutdinov opened fire on his colleagues on the territory of a military unit in the closed military town of Gorny near Chita, killing eight of his colleagues, two of whom were officers.
At the same time, the version of hazing was thrown into the field of public attention literally immediately after the news of the shooting, before any circumstances of the tragedy were clarified, and since then, like an echo, it has been walking around the Internet, collecting more and more likes, comments and causing whole discussions.
Experts immediately questioned the version of hazing. All the killed conscript soldiers were of the same draft as the murderer, which in itself excludes hazing, since it is based on discrimination against junior conscripts by seniors. Further more! During the investigation, it turned out that the two colleagues killed by Shamsutdinov were generally considered his friends and the private repented of their murder. Then it turned out that the main source of Shamsutdinov’s breakdown was one of the officers, who allegedly harassed him with his demands, and the topic of hazing was dropped as such. There is hazing!
But what's the difference? - one of the readers will say now. - This does not change the essence of the matter! There is bullying, and it provoked crime.
Nevertheless, there is a difference, and it is serious if we want to fight such phenomena and defeat them.
Confusing hazing with hazing is like a doctor confusing cholera with food poisoning! Hazing is a SYSTEM of discrimination against junior conscripts by senior ones, which mechanically applies to all military personnel of a unit or unit and is maintained and transmitted from one conscription to another.
And hazing is a whole category of individual or group violations of the requirements of statutes and crimes. And there are many different options. For example, compatriotism is the support of military personnel of one nationality for their fellow countrymen to the detriment of other military personnel. This is abuse of authority, a falsely understood concept of seniority, individual hostile relationships, when a serviceman does not have good relationships with colleagues, and much more.
Trying to classify these violations as hazing means simply making an incorrect diagnosis and then “treating” the disease with unsuitable means. For example, how to deal with hazing in the barracks, where compatriotism flourishes, if only a “countryman” drafted into the army is immediately placed in a privileged position in relation to “non-countrymen”, even if they have already served most of their service life?
According to the logic of the fight against hazing, it is necessary to deal with and punish those same old-timers who themselves are the object of bullying by a group of “countrymen” welded together...
So, today, despite all the efforts of both conscientiously misguided and quite consciously stirring up the topic of hazing, hazing as a mass phenomenon has practically ceased to exist in the army, having been reduced to isolated cases. There is simply no soil left for her! Service for a period of 12 months in a single conscription practically eliminates the “seniority” of one conscription over another.
There is also a fight against hazing. And here, of course, there is still a lot to be done, but it is hardly possible to completely exclude them from the life of the army simply due to the wide range of crimes and violations that fall under this concept. Thus, last year alone, the military prosecutor’s office identified 1,300 crimes against military service, which include violations of the statutory rules of relations between military personnel, the procedure for being in military service, performing special types of military service, as well as saving military property.
According to the acting head of the Directorate for Supervision of the Execution of Laws by the Military Command Bodies of the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office, Andrei Prokudin, at the end of 2018, there was a decrease in the level of injuries and offenses against military personnel in the troops. We are talking about the notorious hazing and hazing in departments.
The number of criminal cases related to violence against conscripts decreased by 18%. But 329 people suffered from so-called hazing,” said Andrei Prokudin.
According to the military prosecutor's office, the number of crimes in the army is decreasing compared to previous years. And most importantly, the crime rate associated with hazing is falling - by more than a third over the past 2018.
At the same time, hazing is a problem not only for the Russian army, but in general is the scourge of almost all armies in the world, even those that for many years we have been accustomed to cite as examples to follow - American, French, German.
1,300 “hazing” crimes of our army are just a drop in the ocean against the backdrop of internal Pentagon reports published by the New York Times, according to which about 10 thousand acts of sexual violence against military personnel are committed annually in the US Armed Forces. But the matter is not limited to rape and harassment! There are also serious crimes: mutilations, murders, mass shootings, escapes with weapons and murders of civilians. Also widely publicized was the case of Private Frederick Tanner of the 1st Infantry Division, who was periodically beaten by his superiors, leaving him disabled.
Among the latest cases, we can mention the murder by fellow soldiers after much bullying of the Green Beret special forces soldier Logan Melgar. It is noteworthy that the maximum sentences for the killers did not exceed 4 years in a special military prison.
There is even a term for mass shootings in the United States - mass shooting, and the army here is not far behind the high-profile massacres in schools and universities. For example, in 2009, psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan shot 13 fellow soldiers and wounded 30 at the Fort Hood base. Five years later, at the same base, the tragedy repeated itself. This time, soldier Ivan Lopez, who returned from Iraq, shot his colleagues, killing three and wounding 16 colleagues.
Colleagues from the French Foreign Legion, historically famous for hazing and harsh treatment of soldiers and recruits, are not far behind the Americans. Thus, in 2015, a whole group of military personnel went to trial after a young soldier from Slovakia died as a result of their ill-treatment.
Even the German Bundeswehr is not free from problems of hazing and sexual violence. In 2017, a whole group of Bundeswehr soldiers went on trial for “sadistic sexual rituals” and hazing at a military base in Pfullendorf.
These examples in no way justify domestic violators of the charter and criminals, and any hazing should receive an appropriate legal assessment, no matter how they are justified. But they only emphasize how serious the phenomenon we are fighting is. And we must under no circumstances stop it or rest on our laurels. How unacceptable it is to use hot facts of hazing for unscrupulous propaganda purposes to discredit military service and the army as a whole.
1. Hazing in the army and the procedure for dealing with it.
1.1. Hello, if you have information about cases of hazing between military personnel, then it is best for you to contact the military prosecutor's office of the garrison to conduct a prosecutor's check and give a legal assessment to all participants in the hazing.
1.2. File a complaint with the military prosecutor's office.
2. Are there any punishments for hazing in the Russian army?
2.1. . Violation of the statutory rules of relations between military personnel in the absence of subordination relations between them
1. Violation of the statutory rules of relations between military personnel in the absence of subordination relations between them, associated with humiliation of honor and dignity or mockery of the victim, or associated with violence, -
is punishable by detention in a disciplinary military unit for a term of up to two years or imprisonment for a term of up to three years.
2. The same act committed:
b) in relation to two or more persons;
c) by a group of persons, a group of persons by prior conspiracy or an organized group;
d) using weapons;
e) causing moderate harm to health, -
is punishable by imprisonment for a term of up to five years.
3. Acts provided for in parts one or two of this article, which entailed grave consequences, -
shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of up to ten years.
3. Where can I complain about hazing in the army?
3.1. Hello.
To the prosecutor's office and attach evidence or false denunciation
4. Is there hazing in the army now?
4.1. Less than before. And, as before, everything greatly depends on the specific part.
5. Problems of hazing in the army.
5.1. Problems of hazing in the army
Valentina Ivanovna, regarding these problems, please contact the "Committee of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia"
5.2. Valentina Ivanovna!
You need to contact the committee of soldiers’ mothers or the military prosecutor’s office at your son’s place of service regarding hazing in the army.
I hope I helped you. Your feedback about my work is the best gratitude.
6. At work at Energy Supply Company LLC, located on the territory of the Uralmash plant, area 1 of the five-year plan, real hazing. The work is getting done somehow. There are people who work for others and do not do their job. Shift supervisors don’t do anything at all; others do the work for them.
6.1. Alexander, Hello! Thank you for using the legal services of this site. Please clarify your question in more detail. My subjective opinion on your question is the following: If you violate the norms of the Labor Code, contact the Labor Inspectorate or get another job. If nepotism, corruption, formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and luxury are thriving at your enterprise, then these are signs of the capitalist system and if you are ready to fight for your rights, then you should defend your rights by uniting in a trade union, unite trade unions into workers’ councils and achieve dictatorship of the working class in the country, instead of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.
7. Articles 188,286,163 and 158 - committed 15 years ago in the army (hazing plus minor theft). Will they refuse to adopt a child under these articles?
7.1. Hello, these circumstances will definitely be taken into account and the likelihood that you will be able to adopt a child is extremely low.
Good luck and all the best
7.2. Sergey, good afternoon!
Yes, they can refuse, since the guardianship asks for a certificate of criminal record, and their very presence will be negatively characterizing material.
Best wishes to you!
8. My wife has been working at the Pyaterochka store since September 1, 2016. The work turned out to be not what it was expected (due to a lack of employees, the workload was increased, on-site training was not provided, the moral and psychological climate was unbearable (“hazing”). There was no talk of a probationary period when applying for a job.
Wants to quit. Do you still have to work the 2-week deadline?
THANK YOU.
8.1. General procedure for working 14 days
8.2. Hello! Yes, two weeks notice is required. If he works on a probationary period, he can give notice of dismissal three days in advance.
8.3. Hello Dmitry.
As a general rule - yes.
At the same time, Art. 80 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides that, by agreement between the employee and the employer, the employment contract can be terminated before the expiration of the notice period for dismissal.
9. How long does it take for recruits to take the oath in the army? My son serves in the Novosibirsk region and on what days does the oath take place and is there hazing in the army and what to do in this case, I’m a single mother, he’s the only one I have.
9.1. These questions should be addressed to the unit command. And regarding hazing - to the military prosecutor's office.
10. How long does it take for army recruits to take the oath? My son serves in the Novosibirsk region and on what days. Hello, I have a question, how long does it take for army recruits to take the oath? My son serves in the Novosibirsk region and on what days and is there hazing in the army now and is there now? hazing in the army.
11. How long does it take for recruits to take the oath in the army? My son serves in the Novosibirsk region and on what days and is there any hazing in the army now?
11.1. Good afternoon There is no hazing in the army.
12. They put me on the 2nd shift on Fridays. I refuse, but they still bet! How to deal with hazing?
12.1. Start with a written statement to your employer.
13. My boy is 18 years old. I don’t want to serve, I don’t like hazing. My father was serving in Ashgabat when he was shaken at 67. But he himself was a bit of a boss, and hazing did not affect him, he eradicated it himself, because he hated it. What about today? God forbid they call you up, but what about there?
“Hazing” is hazing in the army between military personnel, which is prohibited and unacceptable.
What motivates old-time soldiers and sergeants to mock young soldiers? – The system that the officers created. They shift their work with personnel to non-commissioned officers and military personnel who have already “understood the service”; these are soldiers who have served for long periods of time, who are called “grandfathers” or “demobs”.
As a rule, officers are well aware of hazing in the unit, but do nothing. They are satisfied with iron discipline and strict obedience, and it does not matter by what means this is achieved.
Officers graduated from higher military schools and went through their “school of hazing” there and now believe that it is useful for lower-ranking military personnel to do the same. Therefore, dear conscripts, even if you end up in a training unit where there are no old-time soldiers, but there are old-time sergeants, it’s the same thing.
Photos of “hazing”, which exists but is prohibited in any army!
Have patience and courage, steadfastly endure the hardships of military service and always remember the main thing - “Your demobilization is inevitable”!
Look at these documentary photographs, but do not take everything to heart, in the army all this happens differently, so do not judge strictly for such a harsh selection of photos.
In the photo the “spirits” are young soldiers. They also have other names - for example, “mammoths” and so on... Why mammoths? — Because they run a lot and stomp loudly when they are engaged in drill training.
The old-timers are going home. Evening bullying of young soldiers mainly occurs when curfew has passed, there are no officers, and people have become bored.
The grandfather in his bed is also on the Murmansk-Makhachkala train going home. The spirits lift and tug the bed, creating the impression that this carriage is running on rails. Tu-tu - a long-drawn whistle from one of the spirits is heard.
The top photo shows a flight over enemy territory and targeted bombing.
Sometimes before going to bed, one of the young soldiers stood on a stool and shouted the following verses for the grandfathers:
“Chick - chirp, pussy - ku - ku! The old man's demobilization is coming soon! May you dream of a house by the river, a naked woman on the stove, a sea of vodka, a bowl of beer, and your order for demobilization!
And then he said that there were, for example, 100 days left before the order.
Punished. Whoever falls down first will go to scrub his ass. The next 3 are assigned to a company outfit.
The company duty officer has young orderlies. One is on the bedside table, the rest are also at work - entertaining the “young grandfather”.
Study their night vision devices. You can't get lost, and neither can you fall into an abyss.
Punished... or grandfathers are making fun of them for the coming nap.
Lost my dignity. He will clean the shoes and wash the uniforms of old-timers before their demobilization, mainly at night.
There are beatings. Of course, you can pawn your grandfather, he can even be imprisoned, but then the service will become morally unbearable. Outfits - to the kitchen, to the dishwasher, to the toilet, to mopping the floors at night with a “mash” (this is a kind of sweeper) and so on...
Evening weekdays in the army. Debriefing for the day. Educational measures.
Gas mask joke.
Ushanka slippers on the head.
The spirit is looking out for grandfather's demobilization.
In the photo below, old men are transferring a young soldier to the “scoops”. A leather belt soaked in cold water is beaten from 6 to 12 times for half a year or a year of service in the army. The soldier is no longer a “spirit”, but a “scoop” or a “pheasant”. The names of different parts are different.
This is the length of service of a soldier - from spirit to demobilization.
In the middle is the spirit. I came across it by chance and took a photo.
Punished. Endurance exercise.
The next photo shows stupidity that will go to his girlfriend Alena in civilian life.
The soldier is a bad shot. Learns to aim.
Photo above - a soldier forgot his bayonet. If punished, he will wear a wooden one.
It looks like it's from below. Although the machine is made of wood, it is heavy.
The next one was smoking where he shouldn’t. Now he's running...
The fighter above was talking on the phone in the guard room. Punished.
New Year's "Hazing"
It is noticeably different from the everyday life of hazing. Particularly sophisticated competitions are being prepared for young soldiers. And all in order to brighten up the gray army days of old-time soldiers and sergeants in the army. For the “spirits”, this is not as funny and interesting as it may seem in the photographs, because this is the humiliation of a person.
Photos of hazing in the USSR banned in the army
Whether now or then, army morals have not changed. In the photo below, 2 grandfathers are sitting “astride” the spirits. They're having fun, they'll probably go home soon.
At the top there is a transfer to the next stage of army life. Such a tradition. Served for half a year - get it! Serve for a year - get it! One and a half - get it. Closer to two years of age, they put a pillow on the butt and beat it with a thread - it no longer hurts, it’s joyful, but the one who is hit with a thread must scream like a knife and pretend that it hurts.
Do not worry! Always remember that demobilization is inevitable!
What are reasons for hazing and what does it even mean? Experts still cannot understand where it came from. It appeared suddenly and became a kind of subculture. Hazing is hazing military personnel that arose in the Soviet Army in the early seventies of the last century. It has several varieties, one of them is to force military personnel of shorter service life to work in their place, or to exert physical influence on them. This clearly distinguishes the superiority of one group of employees from another in terms of length of service. Also, to move from one group of employees to another, there are many rituals of a physical nature, mainly the beating of junior military personnel with hard objects (stools, belt buckles) by older ones. Conscripts have to endure a lot of moral humiliation from this disastrous phenomenon.
Why hazing unable to force you out of the army? Conscript soldiers think like this: “Why was I humiliated, but I will remain silent?” "or in army jargon, a "spirit" is older than his older comrade in age. Hazing appeared due to the fact that the new generation has lost such qualities as friendship and respect. After the collapse of the USSR, chaos began in the army, which was one of the reasons for the emergence of this cult. Then, in order for the soldier to carry out the orders of the commanders, which, as is known, are not discussed, the officers had to use force, since the military personnel refused to follow the orders, which later developed into hazing. Also, after the collapse of the Soviet Army, military registration and enlistment offices began to recruit everyone into the army, while in the Union every conscript was checked. In the 90s, some criminals ended up in the army and began to establish their own “thieves” order in the army. This has become one of the main reasons for hazing.
The reason was criminals
The army began to open a lot of criminal cases against military personnel, as there were many cases of suicide and soldiers becoming disabled. Many soldiers could not stand the constant bullying from their senior comrades, as a result of which they decided to commit suicide. Thus, an example is the case of private Andrei Sychev, who served in the support battalion of the Chelyabinsk Tank School. On New Year's Eve 2006, on the orders of Sergeant Sivyakov, who was intoxicated, he sat in a “deep half-squat” position, after which he developed gangrene, thrombophlebitis and sepsis. As a result, Private Sychev's limbs and genitals were amputated.
Active fight against hazing
Now the army has begun an active fight against hazing, making it possible to minimize humiliation of soldiers. Management decided to eradicate this problem using several methods. One of them is physical activity, so that the soldier cannot think about anything else except rest, and he does not have the strength to mock the young. Appoint responsible soldiers from among the older ones over the younger soldiers. At the moment, our armed forces have decided to shorten the period of military service and transfer the army to a contract. In addition, by government decree, soldiers will no longer go on duty (cleaning, cooking), hired private organizations will do this for them, and the soldier will devote himself to service and studying military disciplines.
Today we’ll talk about a difficult topic. It is long overdue to write an article about what to do if you are beaten, bullied, or extorted money in the army. As always, before writing the article, I studied what had already been written on this subject before me, so as not to repeat myself. And I found out that all the advisers and commentators on the Internet are divided into two opposing camps:
- Was the boy hurt? Urgently call and write to the unit, the prosecutor's office, the State Duma, Putin, Shoigu, Trump!
- If they beat you, it means you deserve it! They don't just beat you in the army. And in general, this is a school of life! What kind of conscripts have gone, the first thing they do is complain to mom! Stop chewing snot, everyone has been through this, grit your teeth and be a man.
Let me tell you right away, the truth is somewhere in the middle. I will state my vision of the situation. If you disagree, write in the comments, it will be interesting to hear your point of view.
So, what should a soldier’s parents do if they bully them in the army, extort money, and beat them?
- Calm down
- Collect as much information as possible
- Act
Calm down
Easy to say, but difficult to do. When a child calls and talks about humiliation and beatings, no mother will remain indifferent. Every minute he will be haunted by the thought: “What if he is being tortured right now?” But panic prevents you from concentrating and planning your actions. And now you need to get together and act. The soldier is counting on you. You can really help him. So try to come to your senses.
Collect as much information as possible
Now let’s talk about the topic “they don’t just beat you in the army.” I agree with this 98.5%. Indeed, conscription service is not a place where you can come, open the door with your foot, and live your normal life, without adapting to local orders. You need to know how to behave in the army for the first time.
I myself have watched more than once how guys ran into trouble for using too long a tongue or unwillingness to strain themselves once again. For example, in civilian life they dressed haphazardly, communicated on their own wavelength, but here you always - even if you are incredibly tired - must have a decent appearance and answer according to the regulations. We, of course, had no hazing, and I wrote about it. But still. In other parts they may be charged for this.
In my opinion, this is not a reason to sound the alarm. Perhaps he will need more time to get used to it, to get used to the new way of life, to understand how to position himself correctly in the army. Keep in touch and observe. If the episodes of assault stop, it means that everything is fine.
Now – about the most difficult part. What to do if chaos is happening? Are they systematically beaten and humiliated, are they not allowed to serve normally, is there a threat to health and even life?
We collect as much information as possible:
- Who beat and bullied you and when? What exactly did he say and do? Names, titles.
- Was it just your son who suffered, or are there others who were similarly unlucky?
- Was this a one-time episode, or did the bullying become systematic?
- Is there a national community? Does the threat come from him?
- Are there any complaints about the order in the unit? We search on the Internet, on thematic forums.
- Are there any witnesses ready to confirm the fact of beatings and threats? (This is the most difficult because snitching is discouraged and potential witnesses may fear retaliation.)
Act
If the situation threatens health and even life, then we must begin to act.
- It’s better to contact the unit’s political officer, preferably in person.
- It’s also better to contact the unit commander on the spot.
- Call the help hotline for conscripts and soldiers (contacts at the end of the article).
- Contact the regional branch of the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers.
- If these actions do not help, you need to go to the military prosecutor’s office, first to the local one, then to the Main Office.
In any military unit there is a stand with telephone numbers of hotlines and the military prosecutor’s office, and in large units there are even representatives of the prosecutor’s office on duty, so the conscript can ask for help himself. But this is not always possible, so it is most likely up to the parents to act.
What not to do
A soldier should definitely not run away from his unit if there is no direct threat to his life. There is a penalty for such an offense. What to do if your son has already escaped from the unit? The first step is to take him to the hospital and document the beatings, if any.
But it will be difficult to prove that he received them in the service. The unit's command will insist that he escaped healthy, and that he earned the bruises while on the run. The second thing you need to do is come to the military registration and enlistment office and submit a written request to be sent to another military unit for service.
Is it manly to complain?
I know exactly what Not like a man:
- Attack one in a crowd.
- Humiliate and torture those who are weaker than you.
- Use your superior position to intimidate those who depend on you.
Each new episode of violence inflames even more the one who is the source of this violence. If your kid gets away with bruises, the next guy might end up in a cast, or worse. If your son and you see lawlessness, then it is your responsibility to do everything you can within the law and common sense to stop it.