The border troops of the USSR are a structural part of the State Security Committee of the country. Their main task was to protect the borders of the Motherland, which includes the prevention and prevention of any encroachment on its independence and integrity. Outposts were located along the entire land border line, ships and boats guarded the sea borders.
The structure of the border troops of the USSR at the end of the 80s of the XX century
They consisted of districts, which included detachments - military units directly protecting the border, outposts, checkpoints, commandant's offices. Also worth mentioning are special forces and educational institutions. In total, the border troops consisted of 10 districts, which consisted of 85 units:
- Northwestern.
- Baltic.
- West.
- Transcaucasian.
- Central Asian.
- Oriental.
- Transbaikal.
- Far Eastern.
- Pacific.
- Northeastern.
The number of troops of the border troops of the USSR in 1991 amounted to 220 thousand people. From 1939 to 1989 they were in the Armed Forces of the country. Since 1946, they have been an integral part of the State Security Committee.
Main functions
The main task of the border troops of the KGB of the USSR is the protection of state borders of both sea and land. For airspace, air defense troops were responsible. Security included:
- Preserving the integrity of borders.
- Identification and detention of violators.
- Reflection of any attack on the territory of the country by paramilitary groups, gangs.
- Prevention of crossing, flying, moving the border in unspecified places.
- Passing of persons following abroad and back, goods in designated places.
- Protection of marks of the frontier troops of the USSR, demarcation lines and their maintenance in good condition.
- Suppression together with customs authorities of illegal transportation in both directions of prohibited items, currency, valuables.
- Ensuring, together with the police, compliance with the border regime.
- Collaboration in the protection of sea and river wealth with fishing supervision.
- Control in the territorial waters of the USSR of compliance with the regime by all vessels declared in the Notices to Mariners.
History of education
The border troops of the USSR since its inception have undergone a number of changes that were associated with the formation and development of the state. March 30, 1918 under the People's Commissariat of Finance of the RSFSR was established GU PO. But already on May 28, 1918, the Border Guard of the RSFSR borders was created as an independent unit. True, this did not last long. This date is considered to be the day of foundation of the border troops. In 1919, management was introduced into the People's Commissariat of Commerce and Industry. A year later, the function of protecting the state border was transferred to a special department of the Cheka.
In connection with the abolition of the Extraordinary Commission in 1922 and the formation of the Main Political Administration, and in 1923 the OGPU, a separate corps of troops was created. In 1934, the border troops were transferred to the GU NKVD of the USSR. In 1939, the GU of the border troops was created under him.
Participation in the conflicts of 1920-1940
In the prewar years, Soviet border guards took part in the fight against various gangs. They tried to move to the country with the aim of conducting military operations on the territory of the USSR. Collisions with them took place almost along the entire border line. Often large detachments of White Guards, who settled in China, Manchuria, Poland and the Baltic states, tried to break into the interior of the country. They burned outposts, killed the military and civilians. They were repelled by parts of the PV.
In addition, border guards made a great contribution to the fight against the Basmachi, who were trying to prevent the establishment of Soviet power in Turkestan. They participated in local conflicts on Halkin-Gol, Lake Hassan, on the CER, in the Finnish War.
Participation in the Great Patriotic War
Border guards of the USSR 06/22/1941 on a vast stretch from the Baltic to the Black Sea coast took the first blow of the Nazi troops. The Germans, accustomed to walking almost unhindered across Europe, did not expect such resistance. Most border guards fought to the last bullet, desperately resisting the armada of aggressors, holding them back for many hours, and sometimes even days. Especially fiercely fought over bridges, crossings over the rivers along which the border passed.
It was hard for the defenders who suffered a massive blow from the Army Center group. The outposts, according to the plan of the Nazis, were supposed to fall in 20-30 minutes, but suddenly they were furiously rebuffed. The soldiers of Lieutenant V. Usov held back the Nazis for 10 hours, after the cartridges ran out, they launched a bayonet attack. The garrison of the Brest Fortress under the command of Lieutenant A. Kizhevatov on the sixth day of defense, after the commander ordered to break through in small groups, refused to leave it. He held on to the last quarterback.
The courageous resistance of the border guards significantly delayed the advance of the enemy troops inland. The Germans suffered significant losses here. After moving away from the state border of the USSR, PV took part in battles as cover troops in rear-guard battles. Subsequently, as an integral part of the NKVD formed the main backbone for the protection of the rear.
Post-war years
In 1946, the border troops were subordinated to the KGB of the USSR. A difficult situation has developed in the pre-war regions of the Baltic States and Western Ukraine. An insignificant part of the population, most of which collaborated with the Nazis during the war, put up open resistance and went into the woods. They brutally killed military personnel, the local population, which adopted the new state system.
To combat them were deployed military units and border units. The strengthening of local authorities, the clear actions of the military allowed to protect the population from their influence by the beginning of the 50s, and by 1957 eliminate the last gangs. Soviet films about border guards, who have always enjoyed special popularity, are devoted to this topic.
The period from 1960 to 1991
The border troops in the USSR have always been elite units of the Soviet army. Many boys dreamed of serving at the turn. These troops received great attention. The following were approved: the medal "For Distinction in the Protection of the State Border of the USSR", special badges "Excellent Border Troops" of 1 and 2 degrees, anniversary.
A calm life did not last long. Towards the end of the 1960s, the situation on the Sino-Soviet border intensified. Here in 1969 a local conflict broke out between the Soviet troops and the fighters of the People's Liberation Army of China. The reason was Damansky Island on the Amur River. Losses from China amounted to 800 people, from the USSR - 58 people, 40 of whom were border guards.
Another military conflict is the war in Afghanistan. The border separating the USSR and Afghanistan was up to 1,500 kilometers long. There was a civil war in this country. The full-time number of Soviet border guards over the vast length of the border line was not enough. The number has been significantly increased.
The border points of the Afghan government were defeated. Chaos reigned in the country. Cases of drug traffickers on Soviet territory became more frequent. For its protection, the presence of border guards on the other hand was necessary. The situation was complicated by the fact that most of the outposts were in highlands.
After the Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, 2 combined frontier detachments were deployed here. They took the brunt of the Mujahideen. Outposts were located at a distance of 100 km from the border. Assistance in their protection was provided by regular troops. During the conflict, which lasted 9 years, more than 62 thousand border guards passed through the combined contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan.