Be jealous! Strunko! National krok rush!
The Ukrainian authorities are once again increasing the combat effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by dressing up, masquerade balls and fighting against military traditions, depersonalizing the under-army to “NATO standards.”
New versions of the “military uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” often cause a flurry of caustic remarks. Thus, the change of clothes and the first fashion show of Defense Minister Poltorak in new clothes made him look very similar to the famous American “hawk” General MacArthur, who was never able to snatch victory in the Korean War.
The appearance of Ukrainian Navy personnel at the parade on the occasion of “Independence Day” in camouflage uniforms “under NATO” and at the same time in non-“decommunized” totalitarian caps and vests also caused an explosion of ridicule and mocking comments. In fact, if we follow the fashionable political trend, Ukrainian sailors should have been dressed in embroidered shirts with ships from the ancient Armed Forces of Ukraine and shoulder-mounted pans with ribbons.
Quite recently, it was announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will wholesale replace headdresses with berets, where each branch of the military will be assigned a beret of the appropriate color. In addition, each branch of the military will wear its own insignia on its beret, which is also very NATO-like. True, there were some dissatisfied people: military personnel of the special operations forces of the Ukrainian Naval Forces are outraged that they will have to wear on their berets not a shark or some kind of octopus, but a harmless and slow-moving seahorse.
The most heated discussions erupted around the replacement of Margelov’s blue berets for the Ukrainian “air graves” with the burgundy ones traditional for other armies.
It should be emphasized that in this case, the “decommunization” of the Airborne Forces berets did not occur fully, since the first berets introduced for Soviet paratroopers were just crimson in color. And only before Operation Danube, on the initiative of the commander of the USSR Airborne Forces, General Vasily Margelov, the paratroopers received their famous blue hats.
The first takes the Soviet Airborne Forces
Considering that the “Ukrop ones have their own pride,” one can replace headdresses ad infinitum, introducing the colors of either “Cossack military greaves” or “Bandera forest greaves.” Not to mention the bottomless topic of “mastering” the budget.
But, in general, it should be recognized that all this dry cosplay is justified if only by the fact that the military personnel of the Wehrmacht and the heirs of the “military glory” of the UPA will no longer desecrate and discredit the features and characteristics of the Soviet and old Russian Army that survived before the “reform”.
If the Bandera monkey wants to be like its owner, then so be it.
Down and Out trouble started. From the lair of the Lyashko Radical Party faction they report that deputy Lozova approached the chief dill governor Poltorak with several questions about increasing the defense capability of Ukraine and (seemingly) convinced him to abandon the Prussian military step in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Lozovoy and Lyashko
Lozovoy motivated his request by saying that “it’s beautiful, but unsafe for the health of the fighters.” Poltorak promised to study world experience and prepare a proposal for him to sign.
It must be said that this is not the first time that the Ukrainian Armed Forces has encroached on the traditional march. Back in 2009, the “orange” guarantor of hope, who did not get an aesthetic thrill from contemplating how his army marched in the Soviet way, demanded to march in a different way. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reacted with delight to the new product and even filmed a methodological video that talked about the advantages of the “national combat step” over the traditional one. But that was the end of the matter.
At that time, the position of “any friend” and the Ukrainian economy were greatly shaken thanks to the management of “orange” economists on the one hand and the global crisis that broke out at the end of 2007 on the other. In addition, the presidential race with a “vegetable” revenge was approaching, so the “orange” did not have time to replace the army step.
As for the initiative of Deputy Lozovoy, his aspirations are clear. A group of radicals is trying to talk Poltorak into abandoning the Soviet printed military step, which Lozovoy calls Prussian.
I don’t know what the new “national combat step” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be like - either in the form of elements of a combat hopak, or a ceremonial passage on all fours, but the deputy is clearly not in the subject.
The Prussian printed marching step, introduced by King Frederick II the Great, was once transferred to the Russian Army by the great Prussophile Tsar Paul I. But, as usual, the foreign ceremonial step was rethought by the Russians and again rethought in the Red Army. But not only. The People's German Army of the GDR also abandoned the Prussian step, citing the fact that this was how Nazi troops marched.
As a result, the Russian/Soviet marching step is a separate aesthetic masterpiece and is related to the Prussian only by a high leg lift, an extended toe, straight legs and a strike with the entire foot on the ground. Otherwise, there are differences.
So, for example, by watching newsreels, you can compare how Wehrmacht and SS units marched in parades with a ceremonial Prussian step, lifting their swing leg high and standing on the toe of their supporting leg. In addition, the pace of walking is important. Prussian troops march at a pace of 75 steps per minute. In Russian/Soviet - 110 - 120 steps per minute with a step length of 70 - 80 cm.
Prussian march of Hitler's troops
The DPRK army troops march in parades very similar to the Prussian drill.
In addition, the ceremonial step with a high rise of the fly leg is inherent only in honor guard companies, and the line units of the Soviet/Russian Army march according to the regulations, raising the leg by 18 - 20 cm, or, as they used to say, under the cut of the boot top.
If Lozovoy’s initiative passes, and a group of military and historical “experts” decides on how Ukrainian military personnel should march, then Poltorak’s signature alone will not be enough.
Poor Ukraine will have to change the provisions of the Military Regulations, which, like all military regulations, are adopted at the level of legislative acts. In addition, you will have to train a corps de ballet of at least fifty combat drill instructors who can clearly demonstrate to the Ukrainian military personnel the “national marching step” in every detail - how to lift your legs correctly, how to slap them on the parade ground, with what sound and at what angle, how to maintain formation , and what kind of facial expression it should have.
As for the statement “marching in the old way is harmful,” we’ll leave that to the conscience of the radical deputy. You can foolishly break and fight off anything.
Of course, step training in the army is not the most exciting discipline, which is characterized by monotony and routine, but unless we are talking about honor guard companies and disciplinary battalions, for which drill exercises on the parade ground constitute a significant period of military service, no one has ever died from them. In addition, no one has canceled the main task of drill training - developing in soldiers a sense of comradeship and the ability to maintain formation in battle.
Honor Guard Company Training
Ukraine is not the first of the post-Soviet republics to abandon the traditional Soviet military step.
In 2008, the Estonian operetta army switched to an easy walking gait. Last year, the drill step was adjusted for the army of Kazakhstan. But not radically - they reduced the pace of the passage and reduced the angle of lifting the leg.
Now the Kazakhs march like this
But the PLA of the People's Republic of China, having adopted the Soviet military step as a basis, remains faithful to it. And why? Developing rapidly, the Chinese do not change traditions. Unlike the degrading Taras, who do not remember themselves.
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