There is such a profession - to defend the homeland! Russian officers are the pride and glory of our army and, of course, Russia. At all times, these people were on the eternal guard of the interests of their own country and always, despite the constant hardships and inconveniences, they protected its inhabitants with their breasts. That is why an officer is not even a profession, but a vocation. And they serve in the Russian army, not work. The life of officers and their families cannot be called cloudless and easy. But, in spite of everything, they set an example of devotion and honor.
Russian officers. History of becoming
They appeared in the Russian army thanks to the military reform of the 17th century. These were mainly exclusively hired foreigners. But over time, Peter I began to form the entire higher personnel corps of Russian nobles. Those who served the Motherland had the highest and most prestigious status in society. And no wonder it was in those days that Russia significantly expanded its own borders.
Over time and the change of numerous kings, the heroes who defended our homeland became more and more impoverished. They were almost completely self-sufficient and were forced to get into huge debts and losses. Nevertheless, their spirit was strong, and they regularly served the Fatherland, going through many wars and conflicts for its sake.
Officer honor was and is above all: power, money, love and life. Legends were composed in her honor, songs were sung and many films were made. And even today it is not just an empty phrase - it is a lifestyle.
Code of Officer Honor
There was a lot of talk about a special unwritten code of rules and duties that should be followed by all military men with ranks. All stories about the defenders of the motherland are saturated with these laws. But basically, these are general concepts and conjectures. The code of honor was fully formed during the Russo-Japanese War. Here are some of the rules that are honored by those who serve today:
- Do not promise if you are not sure of the possibility of fulfilling this promise.
- You need to stay simple and with dignity.
- Do not be too frank. Language is a real enemy.
- You can’t get it. This will only compromise the real officer.
- Avoid monetary relations with your closest comrades.
- Authority is gained by service and knowledge of business.
- Subordinates must respect, not be afraid.
- You cannot return a missed moment. Therefore, the best solution is action.
- Thinking better than knowing a lot.
These are the main elements of the Code of Officer Honor, thanks to which the military is appreciated and revered even today. Fulfilling these requirements, each of them becomes higher than circumstances and time.
Myths and reality about Russian officers
During the period of the Great October Socialist Revolution, there were many rumors and speculations about the nobles, the tsarist military and other pillars of imperialism. Most of these “facts” were simple anti-propaganda. But also there were many overt exaggerations created by supporters of Nicholas II. Among them, the most striking are:
- All officers of Russia (empire) are noblemen and landowners, bathing in luxury and wealth. - As a rule, they really were from noble families. But most of them were impoverished.
- The officers had their own land and a decent salary. - According to the stories of many contemporaries, both the senior and the younger members of the invincible tsarist army eked out a particularly miserable existence.
- Any military personnel could have a state secret in a cafe, for another shot of vodka. - A distinctive feature of the officers of that time was self-sacrifice, honor and morale. Therefore, betrayal or carelessness could not allow even in thoughts.
During the revolution, the leadership of the Tsarist Army had many excellent officers who personally went through several wars. It really was the "elite" of the Russian troops. And the phrase is especially applicable to them: "There is such a profession - to defend the homeland."
The system of military ranks and ranks
They determine the position of the military relative to each other. In addition, the title denotes the terms of reference, as well as human rights. For the first time the legislative system of ranks was enshrined in 1647. Peter I in the “Table of Ranks” consolidated all military ranks in a single document .
After the bloody and destructive October Revolution, all these ranks were simply abolished. They distinguished the military exclusively by their posts (commander, chief, etc.). Gradually, these posts were finalized.
The war period also made its own adjustments to the military charter. Special guard ranks and decals were introduced. And the defenders of the motherland, the revolutionary Red Navy and the Red Army, were completely abolished.
In 1994, the General system of military ranks of Russia was significantly updated. Now the general of the army can only be the leader of the Armed Forces. In addition, the ranks vary by type: naval and land.
The basic principles and dogmas of military and patriotic education of the military
Officers are people who give orders and sometimes command many thousands of people. They cannot be guided by simple emotions, be uneducated and near-minded. Self-development and improvement of Russian officers is one of the main tasks of training any military academy. Even Dragomirov, the acting general and writer, put forward such ideas of education:
- Defenders of the homeland must be disciplined and unconditionally obey orders.
- Education should be higher than education.
- Go from private to general. You need to learn something gradually, then connecting all the parts together.
- Training should be conducted more clearly, using concrete and understandable examples.
At the same time, Russian officers graduating from any military institution should possess the following qualities:
- Devotion to the Motherland.
- Decisiveness, courage and the ability to steadfastly and meekly endure all the blows of a difficult fate.
- Mutual assistance.
Often these principles of behavior and character of a real officer were not accepted, and sometimes even rejected by the military leadership. But after many years, they remain relevant.
The best military institutions that trained officers
Today everyone knows that there is such a profession - to defend the homeland. But where is this difficult craft taught? And what was and is the system for training military personnel in Russia?
During the reign of the Romanovs, future officers were trained in such educational institutions:
- Military academies. These are the highest institutions in tsarist Russia - a kind of universities. Then there were as many as six. The top command staff was preparing here, and getting here was almost impossible.
- Medium military institutions. These are mainly schools and imperial schools. Young people who had not yet graduated from school were recruited here. The training lasted 3 years.
- Cadet and Page Corps. It was a kind of military school, which prepared students for admission to military schools. But only 10% of graduates arrived.
If we talk about modern Russia, the most famous now are those military schools that survived even after the revolution and World War II. They pass on their historical traditions to future officers of the Russian Army. These include: military academies of ground and missile forces, military space academies and military institutes, Suvorov and Nakhimov schools, cadet corps, etc.
Who are junkers?
This rank was awarded to Russian officers until 1917. It has Germanic roots. It designated a young gentleman or master. In Russia, it was initially assigned to candidates for the first chief officer rank. Then they began to call all the students of Russian military educational institutions. Depending on the type of infantry, there were also fan-cadets, bayonet-cadets and standard-cadets.
They were taught martial art from their youth, starting in 1851 they began to call the newly arrived volunteers with higher education, and later, students of the educational institutions of the Navy, cadets in the navy. As a rule, such officers had a higher status than the same infantry, and belonged to the category of non-commissioned officers.
strategy and tactics. These boys did not know by hearsay what it means to defend their homeland. Honor and dignity were taught to him from the first courses of military schools. And they carried love for Russia through their whole lives and many wars and conflicts.
This title was awarded to many diplomats and officials. One of the most famous junk cameras was the same Alexander Pushkin. He received this title in 1833 from the sovereign himself.
Officers - Heroes of the Russian Empire
These names are probably known to every modern student. They went through history and will remain in it forever as commanders, strategists and heroes who defended our homeland. Their names were sung by both contemporaries and descendants:
- Suvorov. The legendary commander Alexander Vasilievich is known not only for phenomenal strategic and tactical abilities. This is an example of fierce self-discipline and self-improvement.
- Kutuzov. He was appreciated not only for his military abilities, but also for his cheerful character. From childhood, Mikhail Illarionovich was diligent in his studies and loved languages and history. He always cared for the population and Russian soldiers.
- Ushakov. Admiral Fedor Fedorovich is known for the founding of the Black Sea Navy, the development of new naval tactics and the winner of almost 40 battles.
History knows a lot of Russian officers who deserve their rank with sweat and blood. They will forever become an example for future military boys.
Heroes of the Great Patriotic War and Russia
The Great Patriotic War is still fresh in the memory of posterity. All the atrocities committed on Russian soil are correlated only with the courage and fearlessness of Russian soldiers and officers. It was they, and not the people in the Kremlin, who defended their homeland at the cost of many millions of their own lives.
Many of these heroes earned the title and learned what officer honor was already in the meat grinder of the war. Nevertheless, they were worthy of the assigned regalia. This is Major Ivan Vorobyov, a native of peasants, and subsequently the legendary pilot, and Bondarenko Mikhail Zakharovich - commander of a military air squadron, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseenko and many others. We must not forget about the great military marshals, such as
George Zhukov, Semyon Budyonny, Konstantin Rokossovsky,
Alexander Vasilevsky and many others. All of them became the key to the Great Victory.
After the collapse of the USSR, not much time passed, but during this short time there were a lot of military conflicts and operations. They proved that in the country there were still people for whom there was still such work, to defend the Homeland. They were awarded the great title of Heroes of Russia. Among them: Sulambek Oskanov, Valery Olovarenko, Sergey Arefiev, etc.
The best works about Russian officers
The Russian military is the defenders and pride of the country. No wonder many songs, poems, ballads are composed about them, a huge number of films and cartoons have been shot.
If we talk about music and poetry, the most famous of them are the composition “Lord officers”, “Ataman”, “Officers of Russia”, verses “One officer”, “Officers”, “There is such a profession, to defend the Homeland”, etc. Akhmatov, Gumilev, Tsvetaeva and many others devoted their works to them.
But most of all I remember the films: the legendary “Officers” with Yumatov, “Admiral” with Khabensky, “When the Cossacks cry” Sholokhov, “The White Sun of the Desert” and many other Soviet and contemporary films and series.
These works help not to forget about the exploits of Russian officers and foster a sense of patriotism and pride in the country.