Award weapons of the Russian Federation: how to get and who is awarded
Leonid Brezhnev was a big fan of weapons
Photo: TASS
While deputies are arguing about the legalization of military weapons among the civilian population, the best people of our time have long ago acquired them - they have award weapons of the Russian Federation.
MAKAROV FOR WORK
Not long ago, Vladimir Kolokoltsev signed order No. 418 “On approval of the Regulations on the procedure for awarding civilian short-barreled hand-held small arms and bladed weapons.” Police officers awarded the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs medal “For Distinction in Service”, 1st degree, federal civil servants, employees of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs system, awarded the medal “For Labor Valor” and other persons for services to the state will be able to receive weapons from the hands of the minister and his deputies.
“Without the medal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation “For Labor Valor” you cannot receive an award weapon - and it can only be received after 15 years of service,” the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs explained to KP.
Those who are worthy of the award can count on a hunting rifle or carbine, 20 types of combat pistols and revolvers, checkers, daggers, sabers, broadswords, knives, and other antique weapons. But police officers will now be given guns only once a year - on the Day of Russian Internal Affairs Officer on November 10.
Along with the pistols, you will be given a holster and two clips of ammunition.
BREZHNEV COLT
In the 17th century, officers received oriental damask blades with gilded signatures from the hands of their commanders. In the 18th century - “golden” weapons of masters from Tula and Zlatoust. In the 19th, Russian swords, broadswords, checkers and dirks were awarded for bravery, and were decorated with gilded details.
During the Civil War, German Mausers and Caucasian checkers in silver were in fashion. Orders of the Soviet Republic were attached to their sheaths. During the Great Patriotic War, captured Mauser and Browning pistols were in demand. Generals and marshals, including Stalin, had them. At the front, personalized rifles were awarded to snipers, and other types of small arms were awarded to the sons of the regiment.
Leonid Brezhnev hunted with American army revolvers. Two Colt revolvers were given to him during a trip to the United States by western star Chuck Connors, and a couple more were brought to the USSR by President Gerald Ford.
WALTER ABRAMOVITCH
Boris Yeltsin loved to shoot from the Nagan. Viktor Chernomyrdin collected weapons - he had four award pistols. In addition to the general's small-sized PSM, he was later seen with a personalized Glock-19, which was handed to him in 1995 by the Bulgarian Minister of Defense.
Defense Minister Pavel Grachev gave away the most guns. He awarded them not only to officers and politicians - they began to give weapons to artists and journalists. Over the course of a year, Grachev could distribute up to five thousand PM and PSM.
The head of the already abolished Federal Tax Police Service, Vyacheslav Soltaganov, did not spare any money for awards before leaving office. Even Russian businessman Roman Abramovich received a Walter pistol from his hands in 2000.
Viktor Chernomyrdin collected weapons. Photo by Alexey Druzhinin (TASS)
SWORD OF KHAKAMADA
The First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, once owned a premium Saiga hunting carbine and a samurai sword, which he received from the Japanese while still co-chairman of the Russian Union of Martial Arts. There are rumors that he gave that sword to former State Duma deputy Irina Khakamada - he came to her with the sword for her birthday.
By the early 2000s, schemes appeared under which anyone with an extra 300-400 thousand rubles could receive a premium weapon. This is how former Russian State Duma deputy Denis Voronenkov, who was killed in Kyiv, received his Glock. He himself offered such pistols with documents to other deputies. It was only necessary to “invest” a sum with five zeros in the development of the material and technical base of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan. The enterprising Voronenkov imported a hundred of these guns with blank forms into Russia, but was detained for raiding.
Boris Yeltsin also loved to shoot
Photo: TASS
YANUKOVYCH'S PISTOLS
During the division of the USSR, most of the warehouses with small arms remained with Ukraine. And millions of obsolete revolvers went to the USA for ridiculous money, bringing down the market for short-barreled weapons. The Tsar's revolver can still be bought in the USA for 70-100 dollars.
Western manufacturers were even imposed minor sanctions to prevent Ukraine from flooding their domestic market with cheap Soviet weapons. Then our neighbors began to “water down” pistols, rifles, machine guns and machine guns, and sell them in Russia and the CIS countries. It was from such an “alteration,” according to the FSB, that Boris Nemtsov was shot.
At the same time, the Independent Forces mastered the production of Fort pistols; in Russia they are known by their clones, Jorge and Groza.
Ex-President Viktor Yanukovych awarded personalized “Forts” to Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev and ex-Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukov.
The current head of the Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, received Yarygin’s personalized pistol from Vladimir Putin, while he was still the Minister of Emergency Situations of Russia.
If Yanukovych awarded about 18 people during his entire work, then the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov managed to present military pistols to more than 2.5 thousand people - all deputies of Ukraine received award weapons.
Dmitry Rogozin has collected a whole collection of weapons
Photo: Personal page of the hero of the publication on the social network
COLLECTORS - POLITICIANS
Former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov said that he has two PSMs - from two Russian defense ministers. There is a pistol from the Directorate of the Foreign Intelligence Service, from the Yugoslavs, and from the head of Jordanian intelligence. Vladimir Putin once presented Primakov with a hunting rifle, and a public organization with an officer’s saber.
6 award guns from ex-paratrooper, leader of A Just Russia Sergei Mironov. His gun safe contains a Makarov pistol, PMM, Vector pistol, GSh-18, Yarygina pistol and Nagan revolver.
In 2004, the head of the Russian FSB awarded the future Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin with a Makarov pistol. They say he amassed quite a collection of weapons, and received a patent for the development of “a weapon design with an additional spare magazine built into the weapon.”
SHOOTING...
After receiving the award weapon of the Russian Federation and ammunition for it, it must be taken to the branch of the Russian Guard within three days in order to register it. Carrying a gun in your purse is prohibited. Only on the body, in a holster, and you cannot drink. If they stop you with a weapon, and you don’t show up, your weapon will be confiscated. Forever.
It happens that award weapons shoot at their owners. General Lev Rokhlin and the head of aviation of the border group of the Federal Border Service in Tajikistan, General Vladimir Platoshin, were shot using the award-winning PSM. The faithful shot at them. And Colonel General Boris Pugo, a member of the State Emergency Committee, after the failure of the putsch, first shot his wife and then himself.
FSB Lieutenant General Alexander Komarov in 2007, in the Moscow region, crashed a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV into a Niva, where two women were driving. The driver was injured and her passenger died. The general took out his award pistol and shot himself on the spot.
Sometimes award pistols are stolen (on average about 30 per year).
It happens that award weapons shoot at their owners. This is how General Lev Rokhlin was shot. His wife Tamara shot him
Photo: TASS
ONLY NUMBERS
In 1999, there were 3,142 owners of award weapons in Russia, in 2017 there were more than 17.5 thousand. Among them, 2.3 thousand are owners of premium edged weapons, 458 are awarded smoothbore guns, and 14 thousand have premium pistols and revolvers. Over the years, more than 100 pistols were lost by their owners or stolen, and several dozen were confiscated from arrested persons and suicides.
What kind of weapons are awarded in Russia?
Photo: Alexey STEFANOV
WHAT ARE THE AWARDS?
For self-defense, the small-sized 5.45 mm pistols PSM and “Malysh” and 9 mm P-96 (Efa) and the revolver “Malysh” - OTs-21 are optimal. Weapons from the Great Patriotic War are also presented: 7.62 mm TT and Nagan. Most often, they are awarded the post-war 9 mm Makarov pistol, its modernized clone PMM, and new items in the same caliber are awarded: Gryazev-Shipunov (GSh-18), Yarygin pistol (Grach), Stechkin-Avraamov RSA Cobalt revolvers, R-92 and "Nickel" OTs-11. The most trusted security forces are awarded a PSA “Berdysh” OTs-27 pistol. It has interchangeable barrels for three types of cartridges. In 2011, four 9 mm foreign pistols were added to the domestic pistols: Austrian - Glock-17, German - Parabellum 08-P, Italian - Beretta-92 FS, Czechoslovakian - ChZ-75 BD. In 2015, two more compact Austrians were added: Glock-26 and STEYR M-A1.
These pistols cost about $700 abroad, while our Nagans cost no more than $200.
The minimum cost of a private's saber is about 80 thousand rubles; the award-winning edged weapons of officers of the Russian Imperial Army can reach several million.
Military traditions of awarding
Even in ancient times, Russian soldiers who distinguished themselves in battle with bravery and bravery were awarded honorary weapons. Moreover, the award was presented by the tsar himself.
Award weapons (usually checkers, sabers or broadswords) had a high-quality damask blade decorated with precious stones. And it was not just a reward and not just a weapon. Such a gift was considered a symbol of the honor and dignity of a military officer, be it a naval officer's dagger or a sword given to a nobleman. When an officer lost his honor, the award weapon was broken over his head as a symbol of shame.
There is a known case when, after the February Revolution, the Black Sea Fleet began to fall apart (as a result of the influence of Bolshevik propaganda), Admiral Kolchak announced that he was relinquishing his powers as commander and threw overboard his award weapon - a golden saber given to him for Port Arthur. The act of a true officer caused a resonance in both the domestic and foreign press.
The twentieth century. White Guards
Many leaders of the White movement had award weapons.
- The creator of the army of volunteers, Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseev (received a golden saber with the inscription “For bravery” for military services during the Russo-Japanese War of 1906).
- The leader of the White movement in the South of Russia during the Civil War, Anton Ivanovich Denikin (had two award weapons: the St. George weapon for the capture of Grodek in 1914; and the St. George weapon with diamonds for the liberation of Lutsk in 1916).
- The previously mentioned Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak, who was confirmed as the Supreme Ruler of Russia - a position that was subsequently abolished.
- Commander-in-Chief in the northwestern direction during the Civil War, Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich (was awarded the golden weapon “For Bravery” for his services during the Russo-Japanese War).
In the era of Peter and after
During the reign of Emperor Peter the Great, award weapons were awarded both to officers of the regular army for military merits, and to military personnel of irregular troops - various paramilitary formations, people's militia, units of various compositions and purposes.
In St. Petersburg, in the Artillery Museum on Kronverkskaya Embankment, you can find an award broadsword, on the blade of which is inscribed: “For Poltava. Summer 1709". Admiral Apraksin was one of the first to be awarded an award weapon in the form of a golden sword for his valor and the successful capture of the Vyborg fortress in 1710, which was occupied by the Swedes.
Under Peter II, Prince Mikhail Golitsyn was awarded a sword and cane studded with diamonds for his brilliant victory in the naval battle of Grenham. The prince had at his disposal only 29 boats and 61 galleys - that’s all he could oppose to the Swedish naval squadron. With strategic cunning, the prince lured the enemy to the sandbank and attacked.
For the brilliant defeat of the enemy troops, he received the above award. Officers were awarded a gold medal on the St. Andrew's ribbon, and lower ranks received silver medals.
The further fate of award traditions
During the War of 1812, officers were awarded golden weapons, whose portraits can now be seen in the “Military Gallery” of the Hermitage. Future revolutionaries received the same awards, and Kutuzov had the most expensive award sword, decorated with precious stones and gold wreaths.
General Skobelev was awarded three times:
- for the capture of Andijan in 1875;
- Kokand campaign in 1876;
- crossing the Balkans in 1878
Under Alexander I
The tradition continued. However, the sovereign resumed awarding gold weapons. And also officers awarded such awards were equated to holders of honorary orders and were included in special lists that were published in the “Court Calendars” - an annual publication published since 1745.
In 1812, Emperor Alexander issued a decree according to which military commanders received the right to award weapons for bravery. But the drawn up award certificates were approved personally by the tsar.
The twentieth century. Bolsheviks
The Reds also adopted the tradition, but in their own way. The award weapons, which previously belonged to Russian officers, underwent a slight change: crosses were removed from the hilts and the Order of the Red Banner was attached in their place; it was called “Honorary Revolutionary Weapon.” This award was received by approximately 21 people during the Civil War, among them S. S. Kamenev, V. I. Shorin, S. M. Budyonny, M. N. Tukhachevsky, I. P. Uborevich, M. V. Frunze , K. E. Voroshilov and S. S. Vostretsov.
December 1924 was marked by the first decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the USSR, according to which firearms were also included in the list of award weapons. A silver plate was applied to the handle of the revolver, on which was inscribed “To the Honest Warrior of the Red Army from the Central Executive Committee of the USSR” and the Order of the Red Banner. They were awarded to S. S. Kamenev and S. M. Budyonny.
Jewelry is a thing of the past
Since 1774, the tradition of inlaying Russian award weapons has gradually become a thing of the past. The sabers, swords and broadswords themselves take on a slightly different appearance: a golden hilt appears with the inscription “For bravery”.
The first person to be awarded such a high award was Field Marshal Prince A. Prozorsky for victory in the battle in the Ochakovsky estuary.
For the capture of the Izmail fortress during the war with the Ottoman Empire, many officers received many awards in the form of orders and medals, as well as golden weapons. At that time, Suvorov himself already had two golden swords: one was awarded upon the conclusion of peace between Russia and the Ottoman Porte, the second went to him for the victory on the Rymnik River.
The last recorded case of an officer being awarded a gold weapon was in 1796. We are talking about Matvey Ivanovich Platov and the Persian campaign, which was interrupted due to the coronation of Paul the First and changes in foreign policy schemes.
