What is the Russian National Guard and what does it do?

The request "National Guard of Russia" is redirected here; for federal service, see Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.

Troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation

(
VNG of Russia
) [K 1] - a state military organization in the Russian Federation, designed to ensure state and public security, protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen; converted from the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

They are part of the structure of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia).

Day of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation - March 27[5].

Content

• 1 History 1.1 Background
• 1.2 Internal troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs

History[ | ]

Background[ | ]

The troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation have historical parallels with paramilitary forces in the history of Russia. In 1566, a detachment of 1000 people was formed in the Russian kingdom, selected from the “oprichnina” districts (the beginning of the formation of the oprichnina army). Subsequently, the number of “oprichniks” reached 6,000 people. The Oprichnina Army also included detachments of archers from the oprichnina territories. But these are not residents. Tsar Ivan the Terrible introduced the institution of so-called “tenants” to “protect Moscow.” According to the orders of the governor, nobles were sent to “live in the capital”, who made up an army of up to 3,000 people, they changed every three months. Until 1565, the functions of maintaining public order were performed by guardsmen. Then the king created a special “oprichnina army” from them. Subsequently, “residential regiments” were stationed in the southern cities of the then Russian kingdom, which served as a kind of border guard.

“Residential regiments” were replaced by Peter the Great with “garrison troops,” a special type of troops consisting of the former city archers, soldiers, reiters and from people of the new regular regiments incapable (old, married, etc.) for field service. Until this time, their functions were performed by the royal infantry and city Cossacks.

In 1811, several decrees of Alexander I: from January 16 and 17, and from March 27, units called the Internal Guard Inspectorate

. On March 30, 1816 (based on the decree “On naming the internal guard the Separate Corps of the Internal Guard”), the units of the Internal Guard Inspectorate were consolidated and renamed the Separate Corps of the Internal Guard (OKVS),

On February 1 (13), 1817, as part of the OKVS, on the basis of the approved regulations “On the establishment of gendarmes of the internal guard”[6], gendarme units were formed. The duties of the gendarmes coincided with the duties of the internal guard, with the exception of collecting taxes and guarding public places and prisons.

In 1864, as a result of military reform, the Separate Internal Guard Corps was abolished and local troops were created.

In 1836, the gendarmerie units of the internal guard were transferred to the Corps of Gendarmes, created back in 1827 under the auspices of the III Department of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery. As a result, the Corps of Gendarmes was reorganized into the Separate Corps of Gendarmes, with the creation of several (first five, then eight) gendarme districts on the territory of the Empire.

Red Guard

- voluntary [7] armed detachments created by territorial party organizations of the RSDLP (b), allied organizations, Soviets of Workers' Deputies and Revolutionary Committees for the implementation of the 1917 revolution in Russia [7], the main form of armed organizations of the Bolsheviks during the preparation and implementation of the October Revolution and the first months of the Civil War[8]. The Red Guard detachments did not have an all-Russian command; they were created and disbanded by decisions of local party and Soviet bodies. In June 1918 it joined the Red Army.

After the October Revolution, the Soviet state faced an acute issue of organizing internal security. It required the creation of government bodies that could prevent both the counter-revolutionary movement and carry out the fight against crime in the territories under its control. For this purpose, from January to March 1918, the first armed detachments were created under the Cheka and local emergency commissions. Later in March 1918, the local units of the People's Commissariats were united into the Combat Detachments of the Cheka.

On July 10, 1934, the Central Executive Committee of the USSR decided to create an all-Union People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD). By the same resolution of the OGPU Troops

divided into
border
and
internal security
of the NKVD of the USSR, or internal troops (since 1946 - Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR). In the period from September 1, 1939 to March 21, 1989, the Internal Troops were part of the structure of the USSR Armed Forces and were subordinate to the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. On January 3, 1960, the Council of Ministers of the USSR abolished the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR, transferring its functions to the ministries of internal affairs of the union republics. Accordingly, the Internal Troops are distributed among the union republics and become subordinate to the republican Ministry of Internal Affairs on a regional basis. Since 1968, the Internal Troops again find themselves within the structure of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. On March 21, 1989, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Internal Troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs (along with the Border Troops of the KGB of the USSR and the Railway Troops) were withdrawn from the Armed Forces of the USSR. On December 25, 1991, as a result of the Collapse of the USSR, the Internal Troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs ceased to exist. Units and formations of the Internal Troops became part of the Internal Troops and Armed Forces of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States formed in the post-Soviet space.

Internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia[ | ]

Main article: Internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

The Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia were created on September 24, 1992 with the adoption of Law of the Russian Federation N 3534-1 “On the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation” after the collapse of the USSR. The troops included all former formations of the Internal Troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, stationed on the territory of the RSFSR.

The idea of ​​​​creating a national guard arose in the early 1990s, in particular, the Vice President of Russia (1991-1993) A. Rutskoy told the RBC TV channel [9].

On April 2, 2012, reports appeared about a new attempt to create a national guard in Russia, subordinate directly to the President of the Russian Federation on the basis of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and other law enforcement agencies, including at the expense of part of the forces and assets included in the army, aviation, navy and military police of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as units of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations[10].

The troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation were transformed from the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia by decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated April 5, 2016[11]. The legal basis for the activities of the Russian Guard is regulated by Federal Law of the Russian Federation dated July 3, 2016 No. 226-FZ “On the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation” (adopted by the State Duma of the Russian Federation on June 22, 2016, approved by the Federation Council of the Russian Federation on June 29, 2016, signed by the President of the Russian Federation on July 3, 2016)[ 12].

History of the Russian National Guard

Armed formations designed to maintain order, ensure state and public security, and protect facilities are a necessary attribute of state power. Moreover, in different countries they can be called differently, have different forms of organization, differ in some functions and features, capabilities for combat and operational use, the degree of legal regulation of their official activities, being a product of historical development and emerging social relations.

By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin dated April 5, 2016 No. 157 “Issues of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation”, in order to ensure state and public security, protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, a new federal executive body was created - the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation ( hereinafter referred to as the Federal Service, Rosgvardia).

The formation of the Russian Guard and its formation does not occur “from scratch,” but is based on the domestic historical experience of the functioning of structures that performed law enforcement tasks, as well as tasks in the field of ensuring state security and defense of the country.

LAW AND ORDER TROOPS IN THE PRE-REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD (BEFORE 1917)

The need to create army-type armed formations to ensure the internal security of Russia, a great country uniting hundreds of peoples located over a vast territory, is historically natural.

Organized on the eve of the Napoleonic invasion, the internal guard ensured the continuous replenishment of the active army, maintained order in populated areas, and streamlined the convoy of the flow of exiles and convicts.

The basis for its creation was the imperial decrees of Alexander I, issued in the first half of 1811. One of them, the Decree of March 27, 1811, was the basis for establishing the Day of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 16, 2022 No. 10).

The functions of the new formation, which was under the jurisdiction of the War Ministry, were set out in the Regulations for the Internal Guard, approved by the Decree of July 3, 1811, and covered various areas of activity. We are talking about both general military duties (the order of “service and obedience”) and special duties (in relation to the provincial authorities).

Organizationally, the internal guard consisted of internal garrison (provincial) battalions and district invalid teams, which formed the Separate Corps of the Internal Guard in 1816 . The first commander of the corps was Adjutant General Count Evgraf Fedotovich Komarovsky, who had been the inspector of the country's internal guard since March 1811. For more than 18 years he headed the internal guard and reached the rank of infantry general.

A separate corps of internal guards existed until its functions were transferred to local troops . They included provincial battalions and district commands of the abolished corps, “contained to perform garrison service in cities and maintain internal peace and order with the assistance of field troops where the latter will be located.”

The local troops began to be led by the head of the local troops of the military district with the rights of a division commander, and in each province a provincial military commander was appointed with the rights of a regiment commander. The commanders of local troops (districts, provinces, districts) were entrusted with the functions of managing all army military units located in the controlled territory.

In 1886, convoy teams were created, which formed the convoy guard of the empire. It had dual subordination: to the Main Headquarters of the Military Ministry and the Main Prison Directorate, which was part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and since 1895 - the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Empire. The guard convoy was led by the chief inspector for the transfer of prisoners and he was also the head of the transit and transfer unit of the General Staff.

In the year of the centenary of the troops of law and order on March 20, 1911, followed by “...The highest permission of Emperor Nicholas II to announce on March 27, 1911, on the 100th anniversary of the founding of local troops and convoy guards, the highest favor to the officers and class ranks and the Tsar’s thanks to the lower ranks troops and guards." A commemorative badge was established to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the local troops and convoy guards.

Local troops and escort guards were included in the military district system of the Russian Empire and stood guard over law and order and the internal security of the state.

During the First World War, troops ensured mobilization activities, restored order in rear areas, sent reinforcements to the army, helped the population carry out military conscription, and maintained material supplies for newly formed units. In the rear of the front, troops performed garrison and guard duty, assisted in supplying the army and, if necessary, participated in evacuation measures.

Thus, the internal guard, and then local troops and escort guards were part of the security system of the state. Along with the police and gendarmerie, they were called upon to ensure the internal security of the empire.

Troops of the Cheka – GPU – OGPU – NKVD DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND THE INTERWAR PERIOD (1917 – 1941)

The formation and development of the Cheka troops of the Soviet state took place in the difficult conditions of the Civil War.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the Soviet government created its own security and defense agencies. Along with the Red Army, auxiliary (or special) troops were formed, which included armed formations of various departments that needed combat strength.

Among them: Cheka troops, railway guards (subordinate to the People's Commissariat of Railways), food requisition army (subordinate to the People's Commissariat of Food), border guards (subordinate to the People's Commissariat of Finance), escort guards (subordinate to the People's Commissariat of Justice), etc.

The service and combat tasks to be solved included: preventing and suppressing open counter-revolutionary actions, combating banditry, espionage, suppressing the subversive activities of counter-revolutionary organizations, ensuring revolutionary order, protecting borders, railways and waterways, etc.

In the future, transformations and reforms of the troops, dictated by the time, take place. The following were formed: in 1918 - the corps of the Cheka troops, from 1919 - the internal security troops (VOKhR), in 1920 - the internal service troops (VNUS), in 1922 - the GPU troops, from 1923 - the OGPU troops, from 1934 - internal security of the NKVD, and since 1937 - internal troops of the NKVD of the USSR. At the same time, the volume of service and combat missions performed by troops increases significantly.

Regulatory and legal documents regulating the service and combat activities of troops are being adopted. Thus, in 1931, by order of the OGPU of the USSR, the Charter of the service of the internal troops was approved, in 1939, by orders of the NKVD of the USSR, the Charter of the service of the escort troops of the NKVD of the USSR, the Charter of the service of the NKVD troops of the USSR for the protection of railway structures were approved, and in 1940 - the Charter of the service of the NKVD troops of the USSR for protection of particularly important industrial enterprises.

During the formation of Soviet power and in the interwar period, the bodies and troops of the Cheka - OGPU were entrusted with the task of countering political banditry. Together with units of the Red Army, large armed formations of the internal counter-revolution were defeated.

A glorious page in the history of the troops is their participation in the fight against the Basmachi in Central Asia . The struggle began immediately with the establishment of Soviet power and continued intermittently until the mid-1930s.

The fight against banditry and Basmachi in the national republics required the creation of national military formations. In the 1920s, about 40 divisions of the GPU - OGPU troops were created, bearing national names: 14th Bukhara division, 40th Buryat, 46th separate Gorsky, 47th Kuban-Black Sea, 48th Dagestan, 53rd th Chechen Cavalry and others. These formations played a significant role in establishing law and order in these regions of the country.

Soviet-Finnish War 1939–1940 became a period for the NKVD troops to master new methods of action. The measures taken to protect the rear of the Active Army made it possible to place all the most important facilities and communications under reliable protection and defense, and to stop attempts to penetrate the rear of enemy agents and sabotage groups.

For the exemplary performance of command assignments on the Soviet-Finnish front and the valor and courage displayed in this case, 12 servicemen of the NKVD troops were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, four departments were formed within the NKVD of the USSR, which exercised leadership of the NKVD troops:

Main Directorate of Border Troops of the NKVD of the USSR;

Main Directorate of the USSR NKVD troops for the protection of railway structures and especially important industrial enterprises;

Directorate of Operational Troops of the NKVD of the USSR;

Directorate of Convoy Troops of the NKVD of the USSR.

Two departments - the Directorate of Political Propaganda of the NKVD troops of the USSR and the Military Supply Directorate of the NKVD of the USSR and the Military Construction Department of the NKVD of the USSR carried out their activities in the interests of all troops of the NKVD of the USSR.

The general leadership of the NKVD troops was carried out by the Deputy People's Commissar of Internal Affairs for Troops, Lieutenant General (later General of the Army, Hero of the Soviet Union) I.I. Maslennikov.

NKVD TROOPS DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR (1941 – 1945)

The participation of NKVD troops in the Great Patriotic War is a special page in our history. Military personnel showed unparalleled resilience in all the hardest battles and battles: in the defense of the Brest Fortress, Riga, Tallinn, Mogilev, Leningrad, Kiev, Odessa, Tula, in the Moscow and Stalingrad battles, in the battles in the Caucasus and the Kursk Bulge. In total, military units of 53 divisions and 20 separate brigades of the NKVD troops took part in battles of varying duration.

The military personnel of the NKVD troops showed massive heroism and courageously defended their Fatherland.

The soldiers of the 132nd separate battalion of the NKVD troops located in the Brest Fortress fought until the last bullet. On the walls of the battalion barracks there was an inscription known to everyone: “I am dying, but I am not giving up. Goodbye, Motherland. 20.VII.41.”

The garrisons of the 9th and 10th divisions of the NKVD troops for the protection of railway structures, guarding transport communications on the territory of Ukraine, even when surrounded deep behind enemy lines, continued to defend the facilities for a long time until the last soldier. More than 70% of the soldiers and officers of these formations remained missing, but fulfilled their duty to the end.

Five divisions and two brigades of the NKVD troops distinguished themselves in the battles for Leningrad. Thus, the 21st Infantry Division of the NKVD troops, Colonel M.D. Papchenko defended the southern approaches to the city and subsequently, thanks to the courage of the division’s soldiers, became the 109th Red Banner Leningrad. 1st Rifle Division Colonel S.I. Donskoy for special distinctions became the 46th Luga Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree. 20th Infantry Division Colonel A.P. Ivanova operated on the famous “Nevsky Piglet”, lost more than half of her personnel, but did not retreat. The division sent landing troops behind enemy lines, which, according to the review of Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, “miracles of courage were shown everywhere.”

Four divisions, two brigades, a number of separate military units and three armored trains of the NKVD troops took part in the defense of Moscow. During this period, the 2nd regiment, a separate tank battalion, an artillery battery, and other units of the OMSDON im. F.E. Dzerzhinsky, 156th regiment for the protection of the arms factory in Tula, which became the Red Banner.

In the battalions of the 10th Infantry Division of the NKVD troops, which held defensive positions in Stalingrad, there were 10-15 people left, but the enemy was never able to get through the last 200 meters to the Volga. This is the only unit that was awarded the highest award of the Motherland at that time - the Order of Lenin.

Since 1941, the NKVD troops formed and transferred 15 rifle divisions to the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR. All divisions fought well, earned honorary titles and awards, two of them became guards divisions.

The general leadership of the NKVD troops since 1942 was carried out by the Deputy People's Commissar of Internal Affairs for Troops, Colonel General A.N. Apollonov.

In 1943, the Separate Army of the NKVD Troops was formed from the border and internal troops and transferred to the Red Army. It received the name of the 70th Army and, as part of the Central Front, received a “baptism of fire” in the defensive battle on the Kursk Bulge. For four days, rifle and artillery units of the army repelled 13 to 16 attacks by Nazi troops every day, but did not allow enemy tank columns to break through even the tactical defense zone (for the first time since the beginning of the war). Subsequently, units of the 70th Army distinguished themselves in many battles and battles, and one of them, the 140th Infantry Division, became five-ordered.

In a short time, the command of the troops deployed an effective system for protecting the rear of the Active Army, which aroused the admiration of foreign specialists. In addition, literally on the third day after the start of the war, the NKVD troops took thousands of objects and tens of thousands of kilometers of communications under protection, which made it possible to thwart the massive impact of German sabotage groups.

The NKVD troops played an important role in the development of the partisan movement . Thus, more than a thousand soldiers of the internal troops joined the partisan detachments of the Leningrad region alone in August - September 1941, and in 1942 another 300 fighters. Military personnel who emerged from the enemy encirclement joined the ranks of the people's avengers. Commanders and political workers were seconded to leadership positions in partisan detachments and formations. The NKVD troops trained reconnaissance and sabotage detachments and groups for operations behind enemy lines.

Soldiers of the Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade for Special Purposes (OMSBON) made a special contribution to achieving the victory. The cream of Soviet sports, students, and the country's best intelligence officers were gathered here. 25 servicemen of the brigade became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

The transition of the strategic initiative to the Red Army in 1943 and the deployment of active offensive operations in connection with this required the strengthening and strengthening of the NKVD troops to protect the rear of the Army, as well as improving their leadership. By order of the NKVD of the USSR in 1943, the Main Directorate of the NKVD Troops for the Protection of the Rear of the Active Red Army was created, subordinating to it all the departments for the protection of the rear of the fronts and the military units that were part of them.

One of the tasks of the internal troops during the war was to provide radio countermeasures to the enemy . For this purpose, in 1942, the troops included special interfering communications radio divisions transferred from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Red Army to interfere with enemy radio stations on the battlefield.

In 1943, the internal troops received from the Main Communications Directorate of the Red Army 135 separate line construction companies of HF communications, which were consolidated into 6 regiments and 12 separate battalions with a total number of more than 31 thousand people. , the Government Communications Troops Directorate was created within the Main Directorate of Internal Troops . By mid-1943, under his leadership there were 12 separate regiments and 4 separate battalions of NKVD troops.

During the Great Patriotic War, NKVD troops also carried out garrison service in liberated areas, guarded railways, military factories and other important facilities, escorted and guarded prisoners of war, and fought against banditry.

In the final period of the Great Patriotic War, the service and operational activities of the troops were carried out over a large area along the front and in depth, and were characterized by great tension and a large number of military clashes. Thus, only to clear the rear of the 1st Ukrainian Front from the bands of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the remnants of the Ukrainian SS division "Galicia" in the Rava-Russkaya area at the end of August - beginning of September 1944, a security and military operation was carried out on a territory with a total area of ​​more than 3 600 sq. km. More than 6 thousand military personnel of the NKVD troops with artillery and armored vehicles took part in it.

In total, at the final stage of the Great Patriotic War, NKVD troops carried out thousands of security and military (special) operations to combat banditry and nationalist formations in the western regions of the Soviet Union.

Thus, the NKVD troops made a significant contribution to the victory of our country in the Great Patriotic War . For courage and bravery, more than 100 thousand military personnel of the NKVD troops were awarded orders and medals. According to the latest data, 306 Heroes of the Soviet Union are taken into account, including 4 twice Heroes, who at various times served in the NKVD troops. 29 military personnel were forever included in the lists of military units for their accomplished feats.

For valor and combat skill, 18 formations and military units of the NKVD troops were awarded state awards or honorary titles.

INTERNAL TROOPS IN THE POST-WAR PERIOD (1945 – 1991)

In the post-war years, a special place in the history of the troops was occupied by the fight against the nationalist underground in Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and the Baltic states. It began during the Great Patriotic War and continued until the mid-1950s. For many years, the Soviet state had to wage a grueling and brutal struggle against nationalist formations on the internal front, which in scale, military, economic and political significance can be compared with the largest strategic operations.

In 1946 alone, internal troops carried out about 20 thousand special operations to eliminate nationalist gangs. The total losses of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, operating in the western regions of Ukraine, amounted to about 50 thousand killed, more than 100 thousand bandits were captured.

In April 1946, to protect laboratories and enterprises developing the country's nuclear missile shield, special commandant's offices were created, on the basis of which special units of the internal troops subsequently emerged, and in 1966, special motorized police units of 10 thousand people were created as part of the internal troops. .

After 1968, with the advent of Lieutenant General of Tank Forces (later General of the Army) I.K. to the leadership of the internal troops. Yakovlev, a number of major measures were carried out in the construction of internal troops, and the management of the service and combat activities of the troops was improved. In August 1971, the Military Council of Internal Troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs was created. For better management of formations and military units, territorial (zonal) directorates of internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs are created.

Already in the 1980s, troops carried out patrol duty in 50 major cities of the country, guarded more than 300 particularly important facilities, more than 1 thousand correctional labor colonies and about 140 medical and labor dispensaries, and carried out the removal of convicts for 4.5 thousand. production facilities, protected artificial structures on the Baikal-Amur, Trans-Baikal and Far Eastern railways.

A special page in the service and combat activities of the internal troops is associated with the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986 . The participation of internal troops in eliminating the consequences of the accident and protecting the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant greatly contributed to reducing the consequences of this man-made disaster.

In the period from 1988 to 1991, the internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs were entrusted with the task of eliminating the consequences of interethnic conflicts in Central Asia, Transcaucasia and Transnistria . And the troops coped with this task with honor.

In battles with the nationalists, 66 soldiers, sergeants, warrant officers and officers of the internal troops were killed, more than 500 were injured.

In total, more than 4 thousand military personnel were awarded orders and medals for courage, dedication and courage shown in special operations in zones of interethnic conflicts.

INTERNAL TROOPS OF THE MIA OF RUSSIA (1991 – 2016)

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, formations and military units of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia continued to perform service and combat missions: they participated in the protection of public order, ensured public safety and the state of emergency; guarded important government facilities and special cargo, correctional labor institutions; escorted convicts and persons in custody.

At this time, a regulatory legal framework for the activities of internal troops and their command and control bodies was developed, and new operational command and control bodies were created in the North Caucasus (Temporary Operational Group in North Ossetia, Joint Command of a Group of Troops (Forces) on the Territory of the Chechen Republic).

Events 1994 – 1996 in the Chechen Republic became a test of strength for the personnel of the internal troops. The military personnel fulfilled their assigned tasks with dignity, demonstrated loyalty to military duty, courage, bravery and courage in battles with the separatists. About 10.5 thousand military personnel were awarded orders and medals. 25 of the most distinguished servicemen of the internal troops were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, 18 of them posthumously.

The troops lost 1,190 people killed. About 5 thousand military personnel were injured. The memory of the victims is immortalized in memorial complexes, monuments and obelisks, in a special Book of Memory. 80 military personnel who performed heroic deeds in the armed conflict on the territory of the Chechen Republic are forever included in the lists of their military units.

At the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century. The main purpose of the internal troops is to counter internal threats to national security, namely: attempts to violently overthrow the constitutional order, the activities of illegal armed groups, and terrorism.

In this regard, the status of the military command and control bodies increased: in February 1997, the post of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs - Commander-in-Chief of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia was established, and in April 1999, the main headquarters of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia was created.

As a result of the actions of internal troops in the North Caucasus between August 1999 and April 2009, a hotbed of separatism was eliminated, which destabilized the socio-political situation not only in the region, but also throughout the country. Since 2003, the command of the internal troops has been entrusted with the leadership of counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region.

Military units and subdivisions of internal troops received practice in conducting combat operations in a large city, mountainous and forested area. The Motherland highly appreciated the exploits of the internal troops during counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region. 70 servicemen of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, 47 of them posthumously.

In 2008, a reform of the military command and control system was carried out - internal troops districts were reorganized into regional commands within the boundaries of the country's federal districts.

Of no small importance for the organizational development and service and combat activities of the internal troops was the approval by the President of the Russian Federation on August 3, 2009 of the Charter of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation .

The main task of developing internal troops in 2009–2011. was to unify the structure of military formations according to the areas of their service and combat activities. During this period, a search was carried out for the optimal ratio of structural elements for the most effective implementation of the service and combat missions assigned to the troops.

Subsequently, the internal troops continued to carry out service and combat missions to participate in the fight against terrorism and ensure the legal regime of the counter-terrorism operation, providing assistance to the border authorities of the FSB of Russia in protecting the State Border of the Russian Federation.

Particular attention was paid to the preparation and holding of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi, the XXVII World Summer Universiade in Kazan and a number of other international competitions, for which temporary operational groups of internal troops were created.

Thus, as a result of the measures taken, the internal troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs have become more mobile, compact, equipped with modern weapons, military equipment and equipment. Their interaction with internal affairs bodies and other law enforcement agencies of the state continued to improve.

In May 2014, Colonel General (since November 2015 - Army General) Viktor Vasilyevich Zolotov was appointed to the post of First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation - Commander -in-Chief of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Tasks[ | ]

The National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation are entrusted with the following main tasks:

• participation in maintaining public order and ensuring public safety;
• protection of important government facilities, special cargo, communications structures in accordance with the lists approved by the Government of the Russian Federation;
• participation in the fight against terrorism and extremism;
• participation in ensuring states of emergency, martial law, and the legal regime of counter-terrorism operations;
• participation in the territorial defense of the Russian Federation;
• providing assistance to the border authorities of the FSB of Russia in protecting the State Border of Russia;
• federal state control (supervision) over compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of arms trafficking and in the field of private security activities, as well as over ensuring the security of fuel and energy complex facilities, over the activities of security units of legal entities with special statutory tasks and departmental security units;
• protection of particularly important and sensitive facilities, facilities subject to mandatory protection by National Guard Troops, in accordance with the list approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, protection of property of individuals and legal entities under contracts.
• ensuring, by decision of the President of the Russian Federation, the security of senior officials of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation (heads of the highest executive bodies of state power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation) and other persons.

The National Guard Troops may be assigned other tasks by decisions of the President of the Russian Federation adopted in accordance with federal constitutional laws and federal laws.

Functions and powers of the Russian Guard

The functions of the National Guard of the Russian Federation are very broad:

• Maintaining public order; • Conducting a full-scale fight against terrorist and extremist groups and entities; • Territorial defense of the country; • Protection of government facilities and critical cargo; • Assistance to the FSB in organizing the protection of border areas; • Regulation and control of private security activities; • Conducting private security; • Confrontation of organized crime; • Implementation of state policy in the field of arms trafficking; • Suppression of unauthorized large-scale actions, etc.

In addition, it is obvious that if martial law is introduced, the guard will be tasked with organizing rear protection and protecting the country’s communications, countering sabotage and reconnaissance groups, performing garrison service, etc. Simply put, the main task of the NG is to protect the country from external and internal enemies and protect the constitutional order, as well as the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens.

Structure[ | ]

The troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation were transformed from the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia while maintaining the structure of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and are headed by the Director of the Russian Guard - the Commander-in-Chief of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation.

Until 2022, it is planned to transfer to military service in the National Guard troops of employees serving in the special forces of SOBR and OMON of the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, the special purpose center of the rapid reaction forces and aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, who were operationally subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the corresponding heads of the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Russia. During the organizational and staffing measures, special attention during the reorganization into the National Guard troops will be paid to the higher state education of officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, their diplomas, faculties (specialties) and educational institutions.

By decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the staffing level of the central apparatus of the Russian Guard is 2,100 employees[13].

District National Guard Troops[ | ]

To control military units (units), districts of national guard troops operate in the territories, as a rule, of the federal districts of Russia of the same name.

The exception is the Eastern District of the National Guard Troops

, which manages military units (units) stationed in the Far Eastern Federal District.

Names of districts and cities in which they are located:

• Central Orsha-Khingan Red Banner District of the National Guard Troops - Moscow
• North-Western Order of the Red Star District National Guard Troops - St. Petersburg
• Volga District of the National Guard Troops - Nizhny Novgorod
• Southern District of the National Guard Troops - Rostov-on-Don
• North Caucasus District of National Guard Troops - Pyatigorsk
• Ural District National Guard Troops - Yekaterinburg
• Siberian District of the National Guard Troops - Novosibirsk
• Eastern District of the National Guard Troops - Khabarovsk

Parts (organizations) of central subordination[ | ]

The troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation of central subordination include the following units (organizations)[14]:

• Central command post of the National Guard troops.
• Central Communications Center (CCC) of the Main Command of the National Guard Troops, military unit 3472 (Moscow region, Pushkinsky district, Ashukino village).
• Engineering and Technical Support Center (CITO) of the Main Command of the National Guard Troops, military unit 6686 (Moscow region, Balashikha).
• Main Military Clinical Hospital of the National Guard Troops, military unit 3178 (Moscow region, Balashikha).
• 70th separate mixed special purpose aviation regiment, military unit 3694 (Kaluga region, Ermolino village): 6 units. Mi-8MTV-2, 4 units. Mi-24P, 3 units. Mi-26 (No. 26, No. 27, No. 30), 6 units. Il-76, An-12, An-26.
• 3rd separate mixed special purpose aviation squadron, military unit 3553 (Moscow region, Shchelkovo district, Shchelkovo, Chkalovsky airfield): 4 units. Mi-8MTV-2, 1 unit. An-72, 3 units. Tu-134, 3 units. Tu-154.

ODON at the rehearsal of the 2022 Victory Parade.

• Academic song and dance ensemble of the National Guard of the Russian Federation.
• Exemplary orchestra of the National Guard of the Russian Federation.
• Federal State Treasury Institution of Culture "Central Museum of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation."
• Scientific Center for Strategic Research of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.
• Central Archive of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.
• Center for State Expertise of Facilities of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.
• The main information technology center of the National Guard troops of the Russian Federation.
• Separate Orders of Zhukov, Lenin and the October Revolution Red Banner Operational Division named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky (odon).

Operational brigades[ | ]

• 21st separate operational brigade (21st defense), military unit 3641 (settlement Sofrino);
• 22nd separate operational brigade (22 defense), military unit 3642 (Kalach-on-Don);
• 33rd separate operational brigade (33rd defense), military unit 3526 (urban village Lebyazhye);
• 34th separate operational brigade (34th defense), military unit 3671 (Shumilovo village);
• 46th separate operational brigade (46th defense), military unit 3025 (Grozny);
• 47th separate operational brigade (47th defense), military unit 3702 (Krasnodar); disbanded October 31, 2017[15]
• 49th separate operational brigade (49 defense), military unit 3748 (Vladikavkaz);
• 50th separate operational brigade (50th defense), military unit 3660 (Cossack Camp village);
• 102nd separate operational brigade (102 defense), military unit 6752 (Makhachkala);
• 111th separate operational brigade (111 defense), military unit 6882 (Khabarovsk);
• 112th separate operational brigade (112 defense), military unit 6914 (Simferopol).

Special purpose formations[ | ]

• Centers
  604th Special Purpose Center - formed in 2008 as part of the ODON by merging the 6th OSN "Vityaz" and the 8th OSN "Rus", the legal successor of URSN.
• 607th Special Purpose Center - formed in 2022 by combining the 17th Avangard detachment (formerly Edelweiss) and the 242nd ORB Zelenokumsk. Located in Zheleznovodsk
• The 606th special purpose center was formed in 2022 by combining the 34th detachment and the ORB 46 OBRON. Located in Grozny
• Individual units
  7th special forces detachment "Rosich", Novocherkassk
• 12th special forces detachment "Ural", Nizhny Tagil
• 15th special forces detachment "Vyatich", Armavir
• 19th special forces detachment "Ermak", Novosibirsk
• 21st special forces detachment "Typhoon", Khabarovsk
• 23rd special forces detachment “Obereg”, Chelyabinsk
• 25th Special Forces Detachment "Mercury", Smolensk
• 26th special forces detachment "Bars", Kazan
• 27th special forces detachment "Kuzbass", Kemerovo
• 28th special forces detachment "Ratnik", Arkhangelsk
• 29th special forces detachment "Bulat", Ufa
• 30th special forces detachment "Svyatogor", Stavropol
• 33rd special forces detachment "Peresvet", Moscow
• 35th special forces detachment “Rus”, Simferopol
• special forces unit "Irbis" Dagestan
• Separate special purpose platoon “Wolverine”, Krasnoyarsk-26.
• Separate brigades
  115th separate special purpose brigade[16] (115th brigade), military unit 6942 (Kerch).

The tasks of the center and detachments include carrying out anti-terrorist measures in the operational service area, searching for and eliminating illegal armed groups, eliminating mass riots, detaining especially dangerous criminals, and releasing hostages. The tasks of the 115th brigade include guarding the Crimean Bridge.

Educational institutions of the National Guard troops[ | ]

• Novosibirsk Military Institute of the Russian Guard named after. Army General I.K. Yakovlev
• Perm Military Institute of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation
• St. Petersburg Military Institute of the Russian Guard
• Saratov Military Institute of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation
• Moscow Presidential Cadet School named after M. A. Sholokhov
• Yekaterinburg Cadet Corps of the National Guard of the Russian Federation[17]
• Perm Cadet Corps of the National Guard of the Russian Federation

Also at the Military University of the Russian Ministry of Defense there is a faculty that trains officers for the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation.

The training of artillerymen for the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation is carried out at the Mikhailovsky Military Artillery Academy.

There is also a faculty of “Tactics and Operational Art of the National Guard Troops” at the Military Educational and Scientific Center of the Ground Forces “Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” which trains officers of the National Guard troops of the Russian Federation.

Composition and structure of the Russian Guard

In accordance with the adopted law, the following units, which were previously structural units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, were included in the Russian Guard:

• SOBR;
• riot police;
• Police units exercising supervision in the field of arms trafficking and security activities (CLLR): Private security;
• Special Forces Center for Rapid Reaction Forces and Aviation, air units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• FSUE "Security";
• The so-called “Kadyrov special forces”.

The structure and divisions of the Russian Guard are currently being formed, which should be completed by the end of 2017. After the formation is completed, the structures of the Russian Guard will receive special official names:

• OMON of the Russian Guard;
• SOBR of the Russian Guard;
• FSUE "Security" of the Russian Guard;
• TsSN VO (Special Purpose Center for Private Security) of the Russian Guard.

That is, the National Guard included such services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that previously solved crimes related to illegal arms trafficking, guarded facilities, promptly responded to all sorts of incidents, mobile units, and rapid response forces (including air units subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs).

A few more important notes. When transferring to the Russian Guard, police officers retain their ranks. Currently, the head of the Russian Guard is Army General Viktor Zolotov.

Personnel [ | ]

The National Guard Troops provide for:

• military service;
• law enforcement service in the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (employees with special police ranks);
• state civil service.

The personnel of the National Guard troops include:

• military personnel;
• employees;
• civilian personnel (federal government civil servants and employees) of the National Guard troops.

The formation of the National Guard Troops is carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation:

• by military personnel - by conscripting citizens of the Russian Federation for military service on an extraterritorial basis, and by voluntarily entering military service by citizens of the Russian Federation under a contract;
• employees - through the voluntary entry of citizens of the Russian Federation into service in the National Guard Troops;
• federal government civil servants;
• employees.

Historical excursion

An interesting fact is that in our state there has already been an attempt to form the National Guard. In a difficult year for the country in 1991, B. Yeltsin at the August session of the Supreme Council put forward the initiative to create the Russian Guard in order to ensure the protection of the constitutional system and provide society with guarantees of law and order. To develop the concept of the future structure, a commission was formed from people's deputies, representatives of law enforcement agencies and state committees under the leadership of Vice President A. Rutsky.

The developers focused on the parallel existence of the new type of troops with the USSR Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies of the USSR and the RSFSR and other government bodies. Work on the project lasted 2 months, after which the commission presented B. Yeltsin with the general structure of the future guard, which included the organizational foundations, locations, composition of the control headquarters, special departments, brigades, etc. It was planned that the formation of troops would be carried out from the operational units of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RSFSR.

At the Supreme Council, the presented developments were approved by the majority of those present. However, the matter never came to official approval. The tense situation in the country and the confrontation between oppositions pushed into the background the project to create a people's guard. Moreover, very quickly the attention of government officials switched to a new structure - the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Be that as it may, everything has its time. At that time, the creation of such troops was premature and inappropriate due to the unstable situation within the country. Now the time has come to organize a new force that will guard law and order and justice. Now Russia has its own National Guard.

Ranks of military personnel of the National Guard troops[ | ]

Military ranks

assigned to military personnel of military units and formations of the Federal Service of the National Guard troops serving under a contract and appointed to the positions of privates, sergeants, as well as to the positions of warrant officers and officers.

In addition, in the naval military units of the Russian Guard, military personnel are assigned naval military ranks.

Privileges for employees of the Russian Guard

In addition to high wages, employees of the Russian Guard will be able to enjoy various benefits. Firstly, all needy ordinary soldiers and commanders will be provided with housing. For this purpose, the state has provided a savings-mortgage system (NIS), which, in accordance with the law, previously only military personnel could apply for, but now guardsmen can also count on it. In addition, guardsmen will be able to count on housing subsidies.

In addition, children of National Guard employees will be admitted to kindergartens without a waiting list. And if one of the National Guard members is wounded or dies while performing his duties, then in this case his family has the right to help from the state.

Symbol and flag[ | ]

The flag and chevron of the National Guard troops uses in its symbolism the claw cross used in the Middle Ages by the Knights Templar.

On December 20, 2016, the President approved the heraldic sign - the emblem, banner and flag of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation[20].

Heraldic sign - the emblem represents a crowned golden (silver) double-headed eagle with outstretched wings, holding crossed swords with silver blades in its paws. On the eagle's chest is a triangular shield with a rounded top. In the speckled field of the shield there is a horseman striking a dragon with a spear. The shield is bound in silver with gold fasteners.

The flag of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation is a rectangular double-sided white panel with a maroon four-pointed cross with flared ends superimposed over the entire area of ​​the flag. In the center of the cloth there is a heraldic sign - the emblem of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 2:3. The ratio of the width of the emblem to the length of the flag is 1:2.

Weapons of the Russian Guard

Since the service of Russian guardsmen is in many ways specific, the weapons that the guardsmen will use must be appropriate. It is impossible to say about the entire variety of weapons and equipment that enters service with the National Guard, but you should familiarize yourself with some of the latest models of such weapons in more detail:

• GM-94 hand grenade launcher. This grenade launcher is a unique weapon of its kind. Its main advantage is that the grenade launcher can be successfully used during combat in confined spaces: in buildings, on city streets, among large crowds of people. In addition, with the help of a grenade launcher you can create smoke screens, as well as hit vehicles with light armor. Another advantage of the grenade launcher is that its charges can destroy stone, concrete and wooden walls. The grenade launcher can be loaded with three shots at the same time, and comes with a variety of shots: non-fragmentation high-explosive grenades, grenades charged with tear gas, shots with rubber bullets;
• A special shield with which you can fire flash-noise cartridges;
• Special grenades filled with irritating aerosols that blind with a strong flash of light;
• Robotic combat modules. Such robots can replace an entire infantry squad. They are capable of detecting and destroying enemy firing points, and can operate in the epicenters of fires, in centers of chemical and radioactive contamination. Such modules are controlled remotely, and the control is very simple.

An important note: despite the fact that the Russian Guard has already been nicknamed “an army fighting in peacetime,” they place their main emphasis on equipping them with non-lethal weapons (that is, weapons that cannot kill a person).

Gender discrimination[ | ]

In 2022, five girls from Tolyatti, citing Article 19 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantees equality of rights and freedoms of man and citizen regardless of gender, and the international practice of the Israeli and Norwegian Armies, in which women undergo compulsory military service, attempted to challenge the secret secret in court. order of the Minister of Defense dated April 24, 2022 No. 025 and secret order of the director of the Russian Guard dated July 11, 2016 No. 01 “ On approval of the list of military positions filled by soldiers...

”, prohibiting females from filling in-demand military contract positions: shooter, sniper, driver, mechanic, tanker, artilleryman. The Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian National Guard were declared defendants. The girls' forced march received wide coverage on the federal television channels NTV, Channel 5, 360, Mir, Dozhd. The defendants themselves called the girls' legal attempt aggressive feminism[21][22][23][24][25][26].

A year later, in 2022, one girl managed to break through the defense: the Supreme Court of Russia, on the third attempt, accepted the claim of the girl Yana Surgaeva[27]. However, following a closed court case, on August 22, 2022, the court denied the girl the right to serve in combat positions in the army[28][29][30].

Notes[ | ]

1. The final number of troops of the National Guard (Russian) (August 1, 2016).
2. Search by OGRN/TIN or legal name. faces. FGKU "UVO VNG of Russia for the city of Moscow" (OGRN 1027739533260) (unspecified)
   .
   Information on state registration of legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, peasant (farm) households
   . The Federal Tax Service. — Egrul.nalog.ru. Access date: January 25, 2022.
3. Search by OGRN/TIN or legal name. faces. Federal State Institution "UVO VNG of Russia in St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region" (OGRN 1127847446088) (unspecified)
   .
   Information on state registration of legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, peasant (farm) households
   . The Federal Tax Service. — Egrul.nalog.ru. Access date: January 25, 2022.
4. Search by OGRN/TIN or legal name. faces. FGKU "UVO VNG of Russia in the Altai Territory" (OGRN 1122225009961) (unspecified)
   .
   Information on state registration of legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, peasant (farm) households
   . The Federal Tax Service. — Egrul.nalog.ru. Access date: January 25, 2022.
5. https://www.kremlin.ru/acts/news/53736
6. Decree of Emperor Alexander I The highest approved position for the Gendarmes of the Internal Guard (unspecified)
   . February 1 (13), 1817
7. ↑ 1 2 Rex A. Wade.
   Red Guards (English) // Encyclopedia of Russian History / Ed.-in-Chief JR Millar. - New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. - P. 1274. - ISBN 0-02-865907-4.
8. Konev A. M.
   Organization of the first detachments of the Red Guard and their weapons // Red Guard in the Defense of October / Responsible. editor N. N. Azovtsev. — 2nd ed. - M.: Nauka, 1989. - P. 19-21, 23-28. — ISBN 5-02-008463-8.
9. “Why do we need the National Guard?” 05.49 min., RBC broadcast from 04/06/2016
10. “A National Guard of the President may appear in Russia”
11. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 5, 2016 No. 157 “Issues of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation”
12. Federal Law of the Russian Federation dated July 3, 2016 No. 226-FZ “On the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation”
13. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 20, 2016 No. 482 “On the staffing level of the central apparatus of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation”
14. Parts (organizations) of central subordination
15. farewell
    ceremony took place in Krasnodar . Official website of the Russian Guard (November 1, 2017). Date accessed: December 19, 2022.
16. SERGEY CHENCHIK INSPECTED DEPARTMENT DIVISIONS IN THE CRIMEA (unspecified)
    (August 10, 2018). Access date: December 22, 2022.
17. Yekaterinburg Cadet Corps of the National Guard of the Russian Federation (unspecified)
    . Date accessed: December 5, 2022.
18. Costume of the statutory Russian Guard, moss
19. New uniform of the Russian National Guard OVO “Blue Pixel”
20. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of December 20, 2016 No. 685. “On the establishment of a heraldic sign - the emblem, banner and flag of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation” (undefined)
    .
    Vol.
    No. 52 of December 26, 2016 (parts I-VI), art. 7606 . Collection of legislation of the Russian Federation. — With the Regulations “On the heraldic sign - the emblem of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation”, “On the banner of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation”, “On the flag of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation”, and with Descriptions of the “Heraldic sign - the emblem of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation” , “Banner of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation”, “Flag of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation”. Access date: January 25, 2022.
21. “They are future mothers!”: the military registration and enlistment office in the Samara region explained why they do not take girls into the army // Komsomolskaya Pravda dated August 22, 2018
22. Residents of the Samara region are seeking the right to serve in the army through the courts // Komsomolskaya Pravda dated August 22, 2018
23. “I want to shoot!”: in the Samara region, women are suing for the right to serve in the army
24. In Togliatti, girls are suing the Ministry of Defense due to their refusal to serve in the army // Channel 5 08/30/2018
25. Residents of Togliatti are seeking the right to serve in the army as snipers in court // NTV 08/29/2018
26. Women against the Ministry of Defense: a high-profile trial starts in Togliatti on YouTube // 360° (TV channel) 08/28/2018
27. “Not every guy can handle me”: a girl from Togliatti has been seeking the right to serve in the army for a year
28. Case No. AKPI19-221//RF Armed Forces
29. “I’m condemned by dead bodies with purchased military IDs”: monologue of a girl who is suing the Ministry of Defense for the right to serve in the GRU special forces // Rain (TV channel)
30. The Supreme Court rejected a Togliatti woman who fought for the right to serve in the army