Armed Forces of The Russian Federation

Next week is Victory Day on 9th May.  This happens every year to commemorate victory over Nazi Germany in The Great Patriotic War, as the Russians call the Soviet part of the Second World War.  Parades are held in cities; the largest being in Moscow.  However, my host city, Saint Petersburg, will hold theirs on Palace Square, outside the Hermitage Museum.  This I intend to see and take some video footage, as well as some photos which I'll post on this blog.

 



So, the purpose of VD is to remember those who served in the Red Army, in defence of the Motherland and the final westward assault on the Third Reich ending in May 1945.  As time passes, fewer and fewer veterans of that conflict are able to attend.  However, they are not forgotten.  The parade will consist of members of the modern armed forces of The Russian Federation, including the city's cadets.

Palace Square with St Isaac's Cathedral in the background

 

 

Female soldiers and cadets (above) Russian veterans (below)

 

 

 

Russian Forces Today

The modern Russian army, air force and navy may not be on the grand scale of the old Soviet armed forces, but it is still a large size with a huge amount of firepower.  Eyes are now looking at the Russian military as the crisis in eastern Ukraine continues.  Of course the question is: will they be used to intervene in Ukraine in the near future?  Whatever the answer, the facts are quite clear about the Russian military:  they are well-equipped, have large numbers and have some of the best-trained and experienced special forces in the world.  A formidable foe for any army.

 

Russian Armed Forces (HD)

 

It is not uncommon to see young conscripts and cadets walking around the city in their uniforms.  I see them nearly everyday on the metro.  Some of the cadets attend a military school  I say school, because they are just schoolboys in military uniform.  When a young man reaches eighteen, if he is deemed physically and mentally fit, he is eligible to do a period of national service.  This can be delayed if the man enters university.  While thousands of young men avoid service each year (resulting in arrests), tens of thousands are fed into the ranks of the Russian military. 

 

 

 

Source:   http://www.ft.com

 

As you can see by the numbers above, it's a military that dwarfs my own country's numbers. 

 

The Army: Сухопутные войска Российской Федерации

 

    

 

Army uniform insignia with tricolour (above) VDV paratroopers (below)

 VDV: Воздушно-десантные войска - Air-Land-Forces

 

Special Forces - Speznaz

 

The first time I had heard of Speznaz (special forces) was a film from the 80s starring Dolph Lundgren.  It was called 'Red Scorpion' They were portrayed as the Soviet elite.  Today Russia's Speznaz can be found in the army and the Ministry of Interior/FSB.  GRU Speznaz are attached to the intelligence wing of the army - ГРУ ГШ) or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye Generalnovo Shtaba (Главное Разведывательное Управление Генерального Штаба) meaning Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff.  During the last decade or so, Speznaz have been used to fight against separatists in the Caucuses  - most notably in Chechnya and Dagestan.

 

 



 GRU Speznaz:  Russia's elite

  

 

The Airforce:  Военно-воздушные cилы России

 

 

 

 

MiGs and Sukhoi fast jets make up the fighter wings of the Russian Air Force.  The picture above is the new MiG 35 multirole fighter which was derived from the very capable and agile MiG 29 Fulcrum.  It first flew in 2007.

 

The iconic Hind attack helicopter has been revamped into the new Mi-35:

 

 

The Kamov Ka-50 below: 

 

 

 

The Navy:  Военно-морской Флот Российской Федерации (ВМФ России)

 

 

 

 

 

And finally... Russian Navy hovercraft lands on a crowded beach:

 

 

 



The Ukraine and Crimea

It has been on my mind for several months now.  When the Russians seized Crimea I thought this at the very least could trigger a new Cold War between Russia and NATO countries.  At the very worst it could trigger a Third World War - and we know how that would end? 

I'm not going to repeat what has already been reported about the on-going tension between my host country of Russia and it's neighbour Ukraine (and the west).  But, it has got me worried.  Now, at the best of times I am a natural worrier.  If there was nothing to worry about, I would still worry  - about the fact there was nothing to worry about.  So, when there was talk about the crises escalating into a possible military conflict in the region, I thought...oh shit, we might be at war very soon!  I thought and worried some more  Okay, if the proverbial hits the fan and I have to leave Russia, where am I going to go?  The airports may be closed or overcrowded with EU nationals clambering to escape the Federation.  Well, I am in Saint Petersburg, and that means there's always a land route to Finland.  I pictured myself getting on a coach to Helsinki, or if that was not viable, trudging across the border.

 



    

 

This would be a pretty cool way to cross the border  All I need now is a sleigh, some huskies and some snow!

 

 

 

Then there was a lull.  As you already know, Russia held a referendum in the Crimean peninsular, amidst an outcry of foul-play from the west and the new Ukrainian government.  In a short space of time Crimea was incorporated into The Russian Federation.  And now tensions are building up again.  Armed gunmen have seized police stations in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.  The Russian government have said that they would send in their special forces if the Ukrainian military try to act against them.  Claim and counter-claim from both sides.  This is politics and it is always the little man (the general public who just want to get on with their lives) who suffers.  The question is now:  will this lead to war?

 

 

 

 

I hope not.  A war between Russia and Ukraine would lead to a wider conflict and may be even nuclear war.  While the situation worsens and politicians on both sides fan the flames, they have forgotten that they are putting all of our lives in jeopardy.  I sincerely wish for a peaceful outcome to this crisis.  Both sides have something to offer, but please, for the sake of ordinary Russians, Ukrainians and the rest of the world, the politicians must de-escalate and stop playing with fire.  Nor, do I like the way that nationalists have taken this as an opportunity to voice their xenophobia - be they Russian, Ukrainian, or whoever.  As a Briton living in Russia, I think it is sad that neighbours, who have so much in common, are now at logger-heads.  Who's to blame?  Politicians with their own agenda and a minority of bigots in both countries.  This reminds me of the conflict in Northern Ireland with idiots on both sides of the divide stirring up hatred.  It has to stop.  I've heard and read some unsavoury comments - anti-Russian and anti-Ukrainian, in the last few weeks.  Most people, as I've already said, want to live in peace.  For those who want a fight, you are risking a lot - and for what?

 

As John Lennon once sang:  

 

In the meantime, I'm going to carry on as normal, teaching my classes and enjoying the Russian spring.  I still want to be here tomorrow, and the day after that, and not on some evacuation flight, or thousands of metres into the stratosphere!

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 



 



 

Ice, snow and Sochi

Winter Arrives

The first snow arrived on 27th November.  For the last several months we have had varying degrees of snowfall.  Due to its maritime climate and its urban micro-climate (I used to teach all of this stuff when I taught geography), Saint Petersburg doesn't experience the same kind of harsh conditions like Moscow, or even the countryside in the Leningrad District.  Not long after the first proper snowfall, the temperature began to plummet.  When it reached -8 degrees Celsius, I exclaimed to various people how cold I felt.  My Australian flatmate agreed.  In fact, he felt it worse than me.  As for my Russian colleagues and students, they brushed it off as being a rather mild start to the winter.  "Just wait until February" they said.  "It will get down to minus twenty five at least."  At the time of writing this, February has already passed, and it never got below minus twenty one.  Still bloody cold though!

First snowfall in St Petersburg - view from my window

Trudging through the snow carefully so as not to slip on the ice below, I could feel the icy wind on my cheeks.  It felt like my face was being eaten by the air (with a slight burning sensation).  I was grateful to have my new beanie hat on.  This weather is really not good for bald men like myself.  And the snood around my neck kept the cold out further.  But, my boots were really suffering.  I had previously taken advice about applying a water-proofing spray to them, however, the mixture of the salt and water would always leave a white deposit on the surface of the leather.  "The Russian winter will eat your boots" said one student.  How true!  Face and boots, both devoured by the weather. 

By the way, if you do come to Russia in the wintertime, do buy some of that spray.  It will prolong the life of your footwear.  And make sure you spray it onto your shoes or boots outside, or at least with the windows wide open, if you apply it indoors.  And it reeks!

Here's a little minute-long video I shot on the way to work.  This is around Ploschad Vosstaniya, just near the metro station, as already mentioned in an earlier post:

 

 

 

 

Traditional Russian winter headgear - The Shapka Ushanka (шапка-ушанка):

 

 

 

шапка-ушанка

 

The 2014 Winter Olympics - Sochi 

 



Years of preparation, marketing and hype later The Winter Olympics finally arrived in Russia.  Although I had no plans on travelling all the way south to Sochi, I was kind of looking forward to it.  I had this idea of getting addicted to watching the skiing and the biathlon and feeling the spirit of the games.  Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way.  I watched the ceremony and was impressed by the spectacle.  I liked the fact that the British team wore shapka-ushanka headwear, and how I laughed at the American and German teams' gaudy designs.  The intention was there - yes, I will follow it properly this time.  I am in the host country afterall.   However, my timetable clashed with the events I wanted to follow and I soon lost interest.  Oh well. 

   



 

He also looks familiar


But wait....here comes The Empire!



          

 



The good, the bad and the downright crazy! (Russian videos)

Here is a small collection of the mad, bad and crazy videos that come from Russia:


1.  Dash Cams

Russian dashboard camera video uploads are everywhere on the internet.  The reason for this is connected with insurance claims and a safeguard against police corruption.  Such footage includes close-calls, crashes, nutty drivers, weird payloads, road-rage and the famous Chelyabinsk meteor explosion.  According to Wikipedia, the Russians have added some new words to their language based on this phenomenon, including железобетонное очко (zhelezobetonnoye ochko) – Anus of Reinforced Concrete (i.e. one whose anus is made of reinforced concrete, an honorific for an especially skilled driver reacting adequately to an emergency situation).

 

 

     

 

The Chelyabinsk meteor:

 

 

 

 

 

Road-rage:

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                          



2.  Crazy Stunts

 

Just like the dash-cam craze, there have been many videos posted to the internet that show average Russians performing stunts (something akin to Jackass in style) which can only be described as downright crazy and dangerous.  But, they are fun to watch!

 

This video contains a mixture of dash-cam and stunt footage:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  The Russian Armed Forces

 

 

 

Of course the Russian Armed Forces mean serious business, but they are not always so serious.

 

 

   

 

 

 

 







 

SpongeBob Square Paaaaants!

 

 

 

4.  Cats

 

Russians love cats.  Fact.  As you can see from these clips, Russian cat videos are very popular.

 

 





 

He looks familiar

 

 

 

 

5.  Crazy Dancing

 

Vodka plus the internet equals The Harlem Shake:

 

 

 

These didn't have vodka - may be some catnip instead

 

 

 

...or beer.

 

 

And finally, a not-so-crazy video, but you can dance to this after a few vodkas:  Kalinka

 

 

 



Christmas and New Year - Russian Style

Christmas is just not the same in Russia.  I know that Christmas is celebrated in different ways around the globe, but in Russia, it barely features.  For Orthodox Christians, it is truly a religious celebration and is held on 7th January, according to the Orthodox calendar.  For the majority of Russians, who aren't religious, New Year's is the main holiday of the season.  And how do Russians celebrate New Year's?  Of course, with a sit-down meal with the family.  Okay, that sounds familiar, but what do they eat?  Turkey?  Chicken?  No!  How about some juicy roast pork instead?  Definitely not!  Hmm, okay.  Are they like their Slavic brethren in the Czech Republic and opt for carp with a potato salad?  Nope - wrong again!  So, what do the Russians eat on Новый Год  (New Year's)?  Olivier salad (Салат Оливье) - that's what!  It surpised me, because I imagined that it would be at least something meaty or fishy.

Russian Olivier salad



Here's a link for a meat version of Olivier Salad:

http://www.ruscuisine.com/recipes/appetizers/meat/n--50

But, when it comes to Christmas and New Year in Russia, there is at least one familiar face (apart from baby Jesus) - Santa Claus!  Well, he looks like Santa, and does similar things that our red and white beardy friend does.  It's just that he is called Father Frost  - Дед Мороз  - pronounced Ded Moroz (a bit like Dead Morose...yeah).  And he arrives on his sleigh with his granddaughter Снегурочка  - Snegurochka, which means The Snow Maiden.  And together, the duo hand out presents. 




As far as my Christmas and New Year went, it was pretty tame.  There was the company Christmas party with a 'Secret Santa.'  Thank you to whoever gave me some lovely gifts, including a copy of The Master and Margarita, some death metal cds, chocolates and a pimp hat and bling...less said about that the better.  And where was the pimp stick?  I think Ded Moroz kept that for himself!  Biatch!  And my flatmates and I had a few guests round on 25th December for some traditional Anglo-American Christmas food.  The full works, including brussel sprouts.  Yummy!