Viktor Baranets is a respected Russian journalist, publicist and writer. He gained his fame thanks to numerous articles and books written on military subjects. In addition, the writer often appears with a speech at military-political meetings, as he is a confidant of Vladimir Putin.
Victor Baranets: biography of early years and military career
Victor joined the army at the age of 19, becoming a cadet of a tank regiment. The army liked the guy's taste, and therefore he decided to continue his training in this direction. For this, he entered the Lviv Higher Military-Political School. True, Viktor Baranets chose journalism as the main specialization.
However, such an education was not enough for an ambitious writer. Therefore, after graduation, Victor entered the Military-Political Academy. Lenin. Here he stayed until 1978 and ultimately received a diploma of a military journalist with higher education.
Upon graduation, he returned to the ranks of the Soviet army. At first he served in Ukraine, then was transferred to the Far East. Here he became the main correspondent of the division and district newspapers. In addition, Viktor Baranets spent several months in Germany, working on articles for the periodical “Soviet Army”.
In 1986 he went to cover the events of the military campaign in Afghanistan. Repeatedly came under fire and became a member of the hostilities. Subsequently, his memories became the basis for writing several books.
Time after the collapse of the Soviet Union
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Viktor Baranets got a job as a military columnist for the Pravda newspaper. After General V.N. Lobov came to power, he was appointed head of the information headquarters of the Russian Ministry of Defense. He was awarded the Order "For Service to the Fatherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR."
In the mid-90s, he was a military correspondent in Chechnya, and then in Dagestan. Most of his works were published in the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. And in 1998, he completely became its official representative, gaining the place of military observer.
The authorized representative of the President
In December 2011, the press widely covered the conversation that took place between Vladimir Putin and Viktor Baranets. Its essence was that the journalist harshly criticized the modern army and its superiors. In response, the President praised the military observer for his honesty and directness, adding: “I need such people.”
As a result, a few months later, Viktor Baranets was recognized as a confidant of Vladimir Putin. Moreover, subsequently he began to comprehensively help the head of the country in the elections, despite the fact that in the past he had opposed his person.