Pogrom at the Volsk Academy: The Crisis of Military Education in Russia

Just a couple of days ago it hit the Internet a scandalous video about how 5th year cadets of the Military Academy of Logistics celebrated 100 days before graduation.  What are we talking about, you ask? I'm informing you. In anticipation of graduation from the school, and on the eve of being awarded the first officer rank - lieutenant, a crowd of 38th year cadets at the faculty of providing troops (forces) with rocket fuel and fuel, on the evening of March 12, 2023, walked through the Academy territory with flags, wildly expressing their joy. Since this fermentation of tipsy cadets did not cause, to put it mildly, bewilderment among the academy duty officer and unit officers, no one stopped them.  A young body with a still unstable psyche, and also warmed by alcohol, wants to “continue the banquet”. Therefore, someone in the crowd “promoted the idea” of going to the first-year barracks. For what? Well, probably to “teach the “new guy” some sense of reason!” Well, they taught me.

In a video that was leaked online, and which was apparently filmed by the 38th year cadets themselves, a freshman orderly can be seen saluting the incoming crowd, and how, smiling bashfully, an officer, probably from the freshman unit, steps aside and lets the crowd into the barracks. That is, he didn’t even ask himself why graduates were breaking into their barracks? But, after all, he had to, out of duty!

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Then the video shows that a pogrom is already underway in the barracks. And this is not an exaggeration!  Beds, tables and chairs were overturned and broken, and uniform cabinets were overturned. All this incredibly amuses the crowd, and no one even thought about stopping this madness. Insanity in the literal sense, because officers shouldn’t do something like that without five minutes.

However, this seemed not enough, therefore, as informed sources reported,  two first-year students, who, perhaps, did not share the delight of their older comrades at the fact of what was happening, to put it mildly, were “punched in the face.”  Nobody stopped! True, when one of the cadets began to pour champagne on everyone, one of the officers nevertheless intervened and, taking away the bottle, promised to break it over the head of the “naughty man.” Why the officer was outraged only by this fact, and not by the pogrom, remains a mystery.

But this attitude of commanders towards the event does not mean that no one is against it. All this disgrace was filmed on smartphone cameras not only by the rioters themselves, but also by their younger comrades. One of them sent the footage to his father, who is an officer himself. And, besides, with connections. Dad forwarded the video to his service comrades, some of whom turned out to be officers at higher headquarters. Thus, the information quickly reached the Ministry of Defense. The surprised military leaders called the head of the school to find out whether these actions of the graduates were coordinated with the command of the school? And it turned out that... no one from the command has any idea what is happening right now, in their educational institution!

Naturally, thunder and lightning flew from Olympus. As the same informed, but anonymous sources report, the matter took a very unpleasant turn for the participants in the events and their commanders to the very top. They say that a commission from the Ministry of Defense has begun work at the Academy. And, even without receiving the results of the commission’s work, the decision was made to send the entire course “as privates to the Eastern Front!” Under the command of course officers. Naturally, I had in mind being sent by contract soldiers to Donbass.  The decision, in my opinion, is quite fair. Because this public has not yet reached the level of lieutenant's shoulder straps. Perhaps those who, after a year, survive and still want to pass the state exams and gain the right to put an officer’s shoulder straps on their shoulders, will be given this opportunity. Or maybe not? These are just my thoughts out loud.

In Soviet times, the following measure was used in relation to underachievers or gross violators of military discipline - to be sent to the army as a sergeant for a year with the right, after a year, to pass the state exam. To tell the truth, the author of these lines himself did not shine with discipline, and for a gross misconduct during state exams, he almost became a sergeant in the army. Thanks to the old colonels from the state commission who believed that, despite being knocked out, I would become a real officer. And they were not mistaken. Without boasting, I will say that I managed to justify their trust. That is, I’m not trying to wrinkle my nose indignantly, like, how is this possible?

But, after all, it’s one thing to have an isolated incident with an individual gouge, and another thing, practically, to have a riot of an entire unit. Similar mass riots occurred during the decline and collapse of the “Indestructible Union”, in remote garrisons, when “demobilizations,” as a rule, united in so-called “community communities”, under the leadership of shadow leaders, organized something similar. But then the officers of the units who completed their service on the outskirts of the country felt their social insecurity and therefore “gave up.” The soldiers, left without commander's influence, committed such offenses.

What happened at the Volskaya Academy? Why did the course officers and the school command give up? The city of Volsk, Saratov region, is a small historical, cultural and industrial Russian center on the banks of the great Russian river Volga. Quite prosperous - both for living and for service. This is not a “wolf in…ear” in the Arctic. Many would dream of finishing their military service at the academy. Those who want to make a military career also have every opportunity for this. The Academy of Logistics is the only one in the Russian Armed Forces and therefore is in full view of the high command of the Logistics of the Russian Armed Forces. If you wish, you can always prove yourself properly and get promoted to the army. Why don't officers fulfill their direct duties? What's stopping them? What is the reason for such blatant disorder in a military educational institution that produces officers with an academic education! That is, this is the elite of the officers?!

How were these undergrowth prepared? The state of their minds and culture at present is not their fault, but their misfortune!

The problem is that back in 2008, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov began to destroy military education, reducing the number of military educational institutions, completely breaking the proven methods and training programs for officers of the Soviet and Russian armies. With the help of his active assistants, the National General Staff of the Army General Makarov, the State Secretary of the Defense Ministry, Army General Pankov, and Colonel General Goremykin, a military formation was destroyed, which was, even, according to our enemies, the best in the world.

They introduced the notorious Bologna system into the education system, which they are now starting to get rid of in civilian universities on the recommendation of the president. They also violated two basic Suvorov principles of training military personnel: “Teach what is necessary in war and the primacy of education over training».

I can’t judge how well these brawlers were trained in the military profession, but The lack of proper education is obvious.  At the same time, there is one important point that is worth paying attention to. After all, they trained rear officers, that is, as they used to say, quartermasters.  Officers involved in organizing supplies and providing the army with everything necessary.

“Any quartermaster can be safely hanged without trial after a year of service” - this phrase is attributed either to Peter I or to Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov.

However, it doesn't matter whether they actually said it. The important thing is that this is exactly how this idea has been preserved among the people for centuries.. Unfortunately, hanging is not accepted nowadays. Yes, and cruelly punish for violations that undermine the defense capability of the RF Armed Forces, too.

Let me remind you that on September 24, 2022, the Ministry of Defense announced that:

“Deputy Minister of Defense General of the Army Dmitry Bulgakov, who was responsible for the logistics of the Armed Forces, has been relieved of his post.”

True, he was not shot, imprisoned, or even dismissed from the Armed Forces. They were simply transferred to another position. By the way, Bulgakov also studied at the Volsky School of Logistics at one time.

I will not list all the problems of troops with logistics support during the Northern Military District, since enough has been written about this. And there are even more violations committed by the rear officials. What I mean is that officers responsible for material assets and supplying troops are particularly tempted to put their paws into the treasury, to one degree or another, depending on their position. And therefore, their upbringing and moral character should not even allow the thought of embezzlement. 

But, looking at the 38th year cadets of the Military Academy of Logistics, can we give them such a description? 

And who will return to the treasury the funds spent on training about a hundred fuel service officers over the course of five years?

Are the officers who headed the training units capable of training worthy officers?

Can the people who destroyed military education and the RF Armed Forces remain unpunished for many years?

And will it be not the “switchmen” who are responsible for the incident, but the high-ranking leaders who are responsible for the incident who will be punished?