October 10, 1988 in the village Ashukino near Moscow Sofrino on the basis of 504 training regiment of the explosive forces was formed operational brigade 21 OBRON, which became part of the Internal Troops of the USSR. The reason for the creation of the new part was the frequent cases of ethnic conflicts that took place in the Union republics in the late 1980s. For almost thirty years, the personnel of the brigade more than once took part in hostilities, and also guarded important state facilities.
Internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
This kind of troops in the Soviet Union existed since the late 1930s. The tasks of the BB included responsibilities for the protection of important government facilities and for maintaining public safety. In the 1990s, dozens of paramilitary units were territorially divided by the former republics.
The status of official troops of the Russian Federation VV acquired only in 1992, when the corresponding law was adopted by the president. During the first and second Chechen wars, brigades of internal troops were involved to restore constitutional order to zones of local armed conflicts. The Sofrinsky brigade was no exception. In the context of hostilities, the brigade personnel showed courage and courage. Many of the guys were awarded high prizes, some posthumously.
History of the Sofrinsky Brigade
Two months after the establishment of military unit 3641 in December 1988, the first oath of draftees took place, and already in February 1989, the personnel were transferred to Azerbaijan. Thus began the path of glory of the Sofrinsky brigade, military personnel participated in all serious conflicts that took place on the territory of the Russian Federation or the CIS from the late 1980s to the present. Particularly frequent trips to hot spots took place in the early to mid-1990s, when fierce clashes for independence took place in almost all former republics.
Today the brigade assists the internal affairs bodies during rallies, sporting events, and guards strategic military and medical facilities. Military personnel regularly patrol railway stations and have the right to detain suspicious persons. At the same time, in the case of local wars, personnel are always ready for an operational response and relocation to any point.
Participation in military conflicts
For two years (from 1989 to 1991), 21 Sofrinsky brigade visited Georgia, where they restrained an angry crowd during street rallies at Gruzteleradio, in Uzbekistan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Dagestan, North Ossetia, and Armenia. Since the beginning of the Chechen war in 1995, the personnel of the unit regularly took part in the liberation of the republic from radical Islamists. With the participation of explosives, several areas of the city were repelled. The history of the brigade’s glory entered the battle of Lysa Gora, when 34 servicemen were able to repulse the enemy, several times superior in numbers.
After the end of the first Chechen war, the brigade was deployed in Dagestan, where it carried out law enforcement and escorted convoys of military equipment. From 1999 to 2003 the soldiers of the Sofrinsky unit were on the territory of Chechnya. After the liberation of Grozny, they participated in the liquidation of the remnants of terrorist groups for several more years.
In the late 1990s, the Sofrinsk brigade, as part of the Northern Combined Group of Forces, carried out special operations in many settlements of Chechnya. So, Urus-Martan, Alkhan-Kala, Alkhan-Yurt were freed from terrorists . The personnel of the unit enjoyed fame not only among the Russian troops, but also among the terrorists who tried not to mess with the sofrinists.
Targets and goals
Many years of military experience, 21 Defense Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation was not in vain. Today this part is considered one of the most prepared in terms of solving important state problems. The main objectives of the explosives are:
- ensuring the internal security of the state and its interests;
- the implementation of public safety during mass events or in places of conflict;
- protection of the rights and freedoms of a citizen from criminal attacks.
The internal troops have a good technical base that allows them to respond quickly and quickly if necessary. At the disposal of VV armored vehicles, aircraft, marine vessels and motor vehicles. Since the 1990s, the troops have been operating their own intelligence, following the example of the army.
Heroes and rewards parts
Over 29 years of the military unit's existence, 109 people died and more than 500 were injured. The most tragic and at the same time heroic moments in the history of the brigade was the unequal battle near Lysaya Gora in Chechnya. The commandos courageously held for 5 hours the onslaught of the enemy, far superior in numbers. The detachment was able to complete the task, but when leaving, was forced to call fire on itself. Until now, the military merits of the Sofrinsk brigade in Chechnya are honored and remembered. Annually, memorial rallies are held on the territory of the unit with the laying of flowers at the monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers.
One of the servicemen of the Sofrinsk brigade, Oleg Babak, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously. He died in Azerbaijan, until the last fulfilling the duty of an officer. On April 7, 1991, together with a group of servicemen, he went to the village of Yukhary Dzhibikily, where a local resident was killed. Upon arrival at the place, the detachment was surrounded by Armenian militants. Babak was not taken aback and shot back until his death. Thanks to his heroic actions, his colleagues and civilians remained alive. In 2012, a monument to Oleg Babak was unveiled at the station of Ashukinsky Moscow Region.
Scandal
Despite the well-deserved fame of the Sofrinsky brigade of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, scandals did not bypass it. In 2002, at the Sofrino station, two special forces soldiers serving in military unit 3641 got into a bloody fight with the seller of a commercial stall. As a result, two people died and one was injured. Opinions about this incident diverged just the opposite. In part, they claimed that civilians provoked the soldiers into a fight, while the media said that the brutal military tried to forcefully pick up a bottle of vodka from the seller.
It is known that this evening several officers and soldiers who went through the war in Chechnya and other hot spots celebrated the birthday of one of their colleagues. And at night on an army truck, they went to a neighboring village for alcohol. According to one of the guards, drunken servicemen began to pester the girl-seller, a verbal skirmish and a fight ensued. Then the guard grabbed a rifle and shot first in the air and then at the officers. One died on the spot, the other was seriously injured. When the special forces escaped in a hurry, another soldier was crushed by a truck. The guard was detained on the same night, a criminal case was opened. And in the unit passed serious disciplinary checks.
Service Passage
Today, a separate operational brigade 21 includes: three battalions, an artillery division, a reconnaissance company and other additional units. For a soldier, getting here is considered an honor. There was an opinion about her as one of the safest and devoid of bullying parts.
Service is based on the general principles specified in Art. 37 of the Law on Military Duty. The soldiers of the Sofrinsky brigade undergo combat training, participate in exercises and perform work on the internal support of the unit. Since recently the unit belongs to the National Guard, there are some differences in the assigned outfits.
Soldiers live in barracks, designed for 70 people. Each draftee has his own berth, bedside table. Once a week, a bathing day is held in the unit. The territory of the paramilitary institution has a medical unit. However, in case of complex illnesses or injuries, soldiers are transported to nearby hospitals of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Information for parents of draftees
As of 2017, the amount of monthly allowance in the amount of 1,100 rubles has been set in the military unit. Such small numbers are related to the fact that part is financed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and not from the Ministry of Defense. Every soldier has the right to receive packages from relatives or friends. Postal address of the Sofrinsk brigade of the Ministry of Internal Affairs VV: 41250, Moscow Region, pos. Ashukino, st. Lesnaya, d.1a, military unit 3642 and full name of a soldier.
Wearing personal mobile phones is prohibited, you can contact the draftee through the command of a company or officers who are allowed to carry the phone. Arriving on a date is possible only on Saturday before lunch, a schedule is drawn up in advance. When visiting, you can transfer the necessary household items and food products with the exception of perishable ones.
Driving directions
Military unit 3641 is located 55 km from Moscow, you can get from the Yaroslavl station by train or from the station. m. "VDNH" on bus number 388 with a transfer to the stop. Sofrinsky Bridge to minibus No. 48. There are no civilian cars parked around the unit, so it’s best to leave cars in the village.
A meeting with a conscript is designed for several hours, there are no hotels in Ashukino, so if you cannot leave for Moscow, you can stay overnight in the nearby settlements: Mogiltsy, Sofrino-1 or Sergiev Posad.
Interesting Facts
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has always been at the forefront and participated in the settlement of many conflicts both in Russia and in neighboring states. The Sofrinsk brigade is in a special position in the Ministry of the Interior; it is considered one of the best in terms of combat training. The personnel earned the trust of the authorities back in 1993, when the command of the unit flatly refused to storm the Supreme Council building during the events of 1993. Officers and soldiers confirmed their allegiance to the oath.
In 2013, an experiment began on staffing 21 operational brigades with appointments as contract employees, the purpose of which was to create conditions for maintaining troops in constant combat readiness. According to the idea of the command, the Sofrinsk brigade in the event of armed conflict was to carry out a combined arms battle, as well as be able to navigate and conduct reconnaissance operations in cities and mountainous conditions. Thus, within a year of the experiment, a team of professionals was formed, capable of performing the most important combat missions.