Parts of the Airborne Forces in Belarus. Belarusian paratroopers. Big difference? Helicopters from Borovukha
The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus (SSO Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus) is the youngest branch of the armed forces. On August 1, 2007, the command of the SOF of the Armed Forces was created. The MTR command reports directly to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus.
The command is a body of military control of the Armed Forces and is intended to control subordinate formations and military units, to manage their combat and mobilization training; planning the activities of the special operations forces of the Armed Forces, organizing their construction and development, as well as solving other issues related to the competence of the command.
Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus - Major General Vadim Denisenko
The Special Operations Forces include:
- 5th detachment of Special Forces (Maryina Gorka),
- 38th separate mobile brigade (Brest)
- 103rd separate mobile brigade (Vitebsk)
- 33rd separate detachment of Special Forces (Vitebsk).
The organizational structure of the mobile brigades is as follows:
brigade management: headquarters, services;
combat military units and divisions
airmobile battalion;
2 independent mobile battalions
(in each BTR-80, MAZ vehicles, 82mm mortars, 40mm AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers);
artillery battalion (122 mm D-30 howitzers);
anti-aircraft missile and artillery division (BTR-ZD "Screeze", MANPADS "Igla");
combat support and communications units;
logistic and technical support units.
OBRSpN organizationally consists of:
Brigade management
-headquarters; services.
Combat military units and divisions
Special Forces units (detachments);
- communications department.
Support units
MTO division;
- headquarters company;
- medical company.
Based on the analysis of trends in the development of the armed forces of foreign states, the experience of military conflicts of the last decade and the exercises, it was determined that the special operations forces of the Armed Forces are designed to perform various tasks using special methods and methods, in order to prevent the escalation or cessation of the armed conflict against the Republic of Belarus from any aggressor, and are one of the main elements of strategic deterrence. Formations and military units of special operations forces are in constant readiness for timely use both in peacetime and in wartime. They can perform tasks independently or in cooperation with formations and military units of the Armed Forces, internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and internal affairs bodies, the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus, newly formed operational detachments of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus.
On March 20, 1992, a government decree "On the Creation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus" was adopted. On the same day, the parliament of the republic adopted the Law "On the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus", on the basis of which their formation began.
In November 1992, the Supreme Council adopted the Laws "On Defense", "On General Military Duty and Military Service", and "On the Status of Servicemen".
And on December 6, 1992, at the 10th session of the twelfth convocation, the parliamentarians of the republic adopted the Military Doctrine. Among the CIS states, Belarus was the first to adopt this document.
In accordance with the adopted legislative acts, the former troops of the Belarusian Military District (BVO) were reformed into the Armed Forces of Belarus in two stages.
At the first stage(1992) they were reduced by almost 30,000 people, their operational purpose was determined, and the main guiding documents were developed.
At the second stage(1993-1994) the reduction of the army was basically completed, its structural transformations were carried out, the command and control system was reformed.
The concentration of military units and formations in the republic was the highest on the European continent. One soldier accounted for 43 civilians. (For comparison: in Ukraine - by 98, in Kazakhstan - by 118, in Russia - by 634 people). For a republic with a population of ten million, such exorbitantly large Armed Forces were not needed, the costs of maintaining and equipping them were unacceptable. In addition, their total number, in accordance with the final act of the Helsinki Agreement of 07/10/1992, should not exceed 100,000 military personnel.
In this regard, in 1992-1996, more than 250 military formations that fell under the jurisdiction of Belarus ceased to exist or were seriously reformed, and the number of military personnel decreased by a factor of three and in 1997 stabilized at around 83,000 people.
At the same time, the arsenal of military equipment and weapons was significantly reduced. This reduction was implemented by the beginning of 1996.
By the same time, the process of structural reform of the army was basically completed: combined arms and tank armies were transformed into army corps, motorized rifle and tank divisions into separate mechanized brigades, and some of them into weapons and equipment storage bases, an airborne division and a separate airborne division. - airborne brigade - into the Mobile Forces, consisting of three mobile brigades, aviation divisions and regiments - into air bases.
Since December 2001, the Armed Forces have been transferred to a two-service structure - the Ground Forces and the Air Force and Air Defense Forces.
In addition to the tasks of maintaining the combat readiness and combat readiness of subordinate formations and units at the required level, the command of the Ground Forces is also entrusted with the function of directing the preparation and conduct of territorial defense. The city of Bobruisk became the place of deployment of the command of the Ground Forces.
On the basis of the 28th and 65th army corps, the Western and North-Western operational commands were created. By 2005, the total strength of the Armed Forces was 65,000 people (50,000 servicemen and 15,000 civilian personnel).
At present, the staffing of the Armed Forces with sergeants and conscripts is carried out mainly on a territorial basis.
Since 1995, in the Belarusian army, in the positions of privates and sergeants, contract service has been practiced.
The problem of training military personnel has been solved in the Belarusian army. Established in 1995 in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus on the basis of the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile and Minsk Higher Military Command Schools, the Military Academy trains officers for almost all branches of the Armed Forces and branches of service. The basis of the country's main military university is 10 faculties.
Along with this, Belarusian officers and cadets have the opportunity to receive education in higher military educational institutions of the Russian Federation. Basically, military personnel of scarce specialties, whose training is not conducted in Belarus, are trained there.
To replenish formations and units with specialists and low-level commanders in the Armed Forces, there is a wide network of training units.
The status of a state secondary specialized educational institution with a military-professional direction of training and education of young men was received in 1995 by the Minsk Suvorov Military School. This educational institution has been returned to its original purpose - first of all, children of fallen servicemen, orphans, children from large and low-income families study there. Adolescents who have completed the 5th and 6th grades of secondary school have the right to enter the school.
The difficult international situation at the end of the 20th century required the creation of a sufficiently effective security system based on a political, economic and military alliance with the Russian Federation.
Having proclaimed the purely defensive nature of the Military Doctrine, the Republic of Belarus proceeds from the fact that at present none of the states is a potential adversary for it.
official website of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus http://www.mod.mil.by/
Landing units and formations
In the early 90s of the last century, the military and political leadership of the country faced the difficult problem of preserving the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, the 38th Guards Airborne Assault Brigade and the 5th Separate Special Purpose Brigade, which were part of the Armed Forces of the Republic Belarus, as well as rethinking the tasks that it is expedient for them to perform.
This was dictated by the proclamation by the Republic of Belarus of the Military Doctrine, which is purely defensive in nature.
The reform of the country's Armed Forces, which followed this, did not bypass the airborne units.
In September 1995, on the basis of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division and the 38th Guards Airborne Assault Brigade, mobile forces were formed as part of the 38th, 317th and 350th separate mobile brigades. On the basis of the last two in 2002, a formation was formed, which was given the name 103rd Guards Order of Lenin, Red Banner, Order of Kutuzov II degree, a separate mobile brigade.
The mobile forces were a branch of the Ground Forces, designed to cover the strategic deployment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, disrupt the special operations of the enemy and perform other suddenly arising tasks.
The process of comprehending the role of the newly created formations in the system of the Armed Forces has come a long way. Initially, in the mid-90s of the XX century, these formations were planned to be used similarly to combined arms. In the course of the exercises of those years, formations of mobile forces were most often used to conduct defensive and offensive operations, covering certain areas. Their main trumps: swiftness, onslaught and high maneuverability - remained unclaimed.
However, in the same period, the formations of mobile forces began to work out certain tasks of special actions, mainly related to countering illegal armed formations and airborne sabotage forces of the enemy. Special intelligence units worked out the issues of conducting special operations on the territory captured by the enemy. The theory and practice of special actions received further development during the preparation and conduct of the complex operational and operational-tactical exercises Neman-2001, Berezina-2002, Clear Sky-2003, Shield of the Fatherland-2004, Shield of the Union- 2006 ", command and staff (tactical-special) exercises with the 38th Guards and 103rd Guards separate mobile brigades, the 5th separate special-purpose brigade.
At the beginning of 2004, in connection with the further increase in the role of special operations forces in modern wars, the Directorate of Special Operations Forces of the General Staff of the Armed Forces was created, cardinal changes were made to the organizational and staffing structure of mobile formations and units.
In 2005, in the course of a bilateral command and staff exercise with the troops of the Northwestern Operational Command, a rather large range of combat use of special operations forces was worked out.
The result of painstaking work was the further reform of mobile connections and their management system. The first step on this path was the reorganization of the command of mobile forces and formations, the direct subordination of mobile brigades to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus and the creation of a department of special operations forces in the operational management.
In order to optimize the management of these formations, manage their combat and mobilization training, organize their construction and development, provide comprehensive support, coordinate actions in the course of fulfilling assigned tasks, plan the activities of special operations forces in August 2007, the command of special operations forces was created in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus .
Currently, the total number of special operations forces is about five thousand people. They are intended to perform reconnaissance, special and organizational tasks both on temporarily captured by the enemy and on their own territory. An equally important task is the fight against terrorism.
In modern conditions, mobile brigades, which form the basis of the special operations forces of the Armed Forces, are considered not as mechanized formations, but as special troops capable of conducting highly maneuverable, covert and effective combat operations in specific (non-traditional) ways. They involve actions by small units combined with active reconnaissance, effective use of existing weapons, equipment, engineering ammunition, and secrecy of actions.
One of the features of the training of units of special operations forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces is a mixed system of their recruitment - conscripts and contract servicemen. This allows us to prepare a trained reserve for understaffing units to wartime states and to replenish units when combat capability is restored.
The training of units of special operations forces today is carried out directly at the training and material base of formations and military units of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces.
By the end of 2010, on the basis of the training ground of the 103rd Guards Separate Mobile Brigade "Losvido", it is planned to create a training center for training special operations forces. This center will ensure the implementation of measures to improve the special training of the SOF of the Armed Forces.
In the Belarusian SOF, when conducting special operations, it is planned to widely use standard armored vehicles and heavy weapons.
That is why mobile formations and military units in Belarus are also called “heavy special forces”.
The composition, structure and strength of individual mobile brigades are practically the same, with the exception of the military equipment of individual mobile battalions.
The 38th Guards Separate Mobile Brigade is armed with BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, and the 103rd Guards Separate Mobile Brigade is armed with BMD-1 airborne combat vehicles.
The organizational structure of formations and military units of special operations forces provides for almost all issues that may affect the performance of a combat mission, while the emphasis is placed on mobility (reduction of "convoys"), long-term autonomy of actions of units and subunits without reducing their combat capability.
In addition, the main units are in a state of readiness and are able to carry out combat missions without additional staffing and equipment in the peacetime state.
In the training of units of the MTR of the Armed Forces, joint training with other troops and military formations of other power structures of the military organization of the state is widely used.
At the same time, during the training of SOF units, the experience of the combat use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and special operations forces of foreign states in modern military conflicts is widely studied and taken into account. The content of the training of the military personnel of the SOF of the Armed Forces is as close as possible to the real conditions of modern combat operations. MTR units are constantly in readiness to perform suddenly arising tasks, in close cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and local administrative and executive bodies.
At present, a coherent system of views has developed on the conduct of special operations and the use of special operations forces of the Armed Forces, although theoretical and practical developments in this area of military art continue.
Based on the analysis of trends in the development of the armed forces of foreign states, the experience of conducting military conflicts of the last decade and the exercises, it was determined that the special operations forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus are designed to perform various tasks using special methods and methods in order to prevent the escalation or cessation of an armed conflict against Republic of Belarus from any aggressor and act as one of the main elements of strategic deterrence.
REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
At the turn of the 80-90s. of the last century, the rapidly developing instability greatly influenced all aspects of society. One of the important tasks was to bring down the wave of crime, to ensure order in society. Therefore, in the Republic of Belarus there are many special forces, and at each power ministry.
ARMY SPECIAL FORCE
5th SEPARATE SPECIAL PURPOSE Brigade
STORY
Formed in 1962 as an airborne reconnaissance unit, it has a high level of combat training and vast combat experience. Stationed in Maryina Gorka, Pukhovichi district, Minsk region. Participated in hostilities as part of a limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, conducted special events in the Transcaucasus during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The appearance of such military units and formations in the Soviet army is caused by the presence of, as it was customary to call it, our probable enemy in Europe, tactical nuclear weapons. The tasks of the airborne brigades included the destruction of command posts and missile launchers, fuel and ammunition supply bases, the collection of intelligence, sabotage on communications, and in the future - and the organization of a partisan movement on enemy territory. Spetsnaz was designed to carry out operations in the rear in small groups. All brigades were directly subordinate to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff. Soon a unique unit appeared - a company, consisting only of officers and ensigns, well-trained professionals. The best of the best were selected, who flawlessly mastered various styles of martial arts, shooting from all types of small arms, including Western models. Knowledge of foreign languages was a prerequisite. The servicemen also took a course in light diving training under the program of naval special forces, mountaineering and piloting a trike. The company was intended to carry out especially important tasks in the interests of the GRU of the General Staff.
PREPARATION
The main direction of training is reconnaissance and sabotage activities. Scouts are taught to overcome swamps, water barriers. "Field is a soldier's academy" - fighters spend about seven months a year at the training ground.
In order to complete the task without losses away from the main forces, the commando must be a universal soldier. In his arsenal - tactics of covert movement, knowledge of engineering, possession of hand-to-hand combat techniques and first aid skills. Distinctive features - skillful management of all types of army transport and the ability to shoot accurately from various types of small arms, including captured ones.
There are no mountains in Belarus, but there are many high-rise buildings. Therefore, the basis of training is urban mountaineering. Classes are held not only on the territory of the brigade, they are also organized jointly with colleagues from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB. Diving training is also provided.
Special forces are landing from the sky, and in a variety of ways. Landing with high precision day and night, in all weather conditions. To do this, new parachutes were put into service here, which allow scouts to jump from any height and at any speed of the aircraft. In addition to parachutes, there are in the arsenal of special forces and motorized hang gliders.
WEAPONS
Like many special forces of the former republics of the USSR, the army special forces of Belarus are equipped with weapons and equipment of Soviet and Russian production.
KGB Special Forces "Alpha"
The Alpha group under the USSR State Security Committee was established in 1974. In March 1990, the then chairman of the KGB V. Kryuchkov signed an order to create the 11th group of the KGB of the USSR with deployment in Minsk. The document listed the tasks of the operational-combat unit being created: localization and suppression of terrorist and extremist actions, especially dangerous criminal manifestations. Area of activity - Belarus and the Baltic republics.
From October 1991 to January 1992, the group was at the disposal of the main security department under the apparatus of the President of the USSR. Then she entered the structure of the central apparatus of the KGB of the Republic of Belarus. The fighters of the group carried out special operational tasks, and in 1992-1994. was involved to ensure the physical protection and security of the leadership of Belarus and members of foreign delegations. The range of tasks gradually expanded; now it also includes the fight against organized crime, as well as the illegal export of precious metals, material and historical values outside the country.
SELECTION
When creating Alpha, preference was given to officers with combat experience, former paratroopers, and professional athletes. Today, candidates must have higher education and military service. Particular attention is paid to the ability to endure great psychological and physical stress. The average age of the fighters is 30–35 years.
For some time, there were rumors that the Alpha fighters received military experience in Chechnya, but the group's leadership stubbornly denies this.
SPECIAL FORCE OF THE BORDER TROOPS
A separate service of active measures (OSAM) is a unit whose task is anti-terrorist activity in the border zone.
The history of the special forces of the border troops of the KGB under the Council of Ministers of the USSR began in 1981. The purpose of the group operating in Afghanistan was to fight the counter-revolutionary underground and agents of enemy special services.
OSAM appeared after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1993. Its first commander was Gennady Nevyglas. One of the primary tasks of the special forces was the fight against illegal migration. Later, new tasks appeared - the fight against economic crime and drug smuggling, countering terrorism and human trafficking.
On the uniform chevron of the OSAM fighter there are two crossed balls and a wind rose against the background of the contour of the country.
At one time OSAM was headed by the Chairman of the Border Committee Igor Rachkovsky. And the eldest sons of the President of the country, Viktor and Dmitry Lukashenko, served in the special forces.
TASKS
The following tasks are assigned to the special forces units of the border service:
Carrying out operations related to the implementation of operational information about hostile activities on the state border and at checkpoints through it of special services of foreign states, extremist and criminal groups;
Protection in extreme conditions of premises, vehicles and other objects of operational bodies;
Implementation of reconnaissance and search activities;
Ensuring the security of activities carried out by the leadership of the border service;
Release of hostages from among the military personnel of the troops, bodies and organizations of the border service;
Studying the operational situation in the areas (places) of the alleged actions of the group, conducting reconnaissance of these areas (places);
Participation in the holding of special events related to the implementation of specific operational information, information of interacting law enforcement agencies;
Participation in the search and detention of armed groups and persons who have crossed or are trying to cross the border;
Ensuring the security of the leadership of the border service during trips around the country and abroad;
Ensuring the security of the operational staff of the border service during activities at the state border;
Ensuring the personal safety of PS servicemen and members of their families in cases provided for by law;
Ensuring the group's own security.
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
Armament - mainly Soviet and Russian production. The unit is equipped with modern radio stations. For cross-country vehicles, bumpers are additionally reinforced with rails, a steel bottom is welded, and a rubber mixture is poured into tires.
SPECIAL FORCE OF THE INTERNAL TROOPS OF THE MVD
3rd Separate Red Banner Special Purpose Brigade
The third separate Red Banner Special Forces Brigade (military unit 3214, Uruchcha) was formed on the basis of the 334th regiment of the 120th division. It is prepared both to disperse street actions and to participate in special operations. This is the shock part of the internal troops. The number of personnel is 1500–2000 people. The brigade includes special-purpose battalions, a special rapid reaction detachment (SOBR) and support units.
The main tasks of the brigade are the fight against terrorism, actions in case of emergencies, preparation in case of a military threat.
In peacetime, the fighters of the brigade participate in the protection of public order in the capital of the republic, often go on missions outside of Minsk. During opposition street actions, the brigade is usually kept in reserve and used only in the most extreme cases.
Soldiers receive comprehensive and varied training. The program includes acrobatics, hand-to-hand combat, strength training, athletic gymnastics, crosses. A lot of attention is paid to shooting from different types of weapons, as well as tactical and special training for actions in various situations.
In fact, the special forces of the Ministry of the Interior began with Almaz. True, then this unit was called "Berkut", and its main purpose was the organization of prison anti-terror. Similar detachments were created in other Soviet republics.
Today it is a rapid response unit. In 1994, the then head of Berkut and the future Minister of Internal Affairs, Vladimir Naumov, took the initiative to rename the special unit to Almaz. On the basis of the department for correctional affairs of the former republics of the USSR, they urgently began to form a prison anti-terror unit. The order was signed on January 2, 1992. Vladimir Naumov, then the commander of a patrol company, was appointed the first commander of the unit.
The main tasks to be solved at that time were:
Release of hostages;
Detention of armed criminals;
Elimination of riots in places of deprivation of liberty.
The forces of the then still small special forces carried out a number of operations to search for and detain dangerous criminals who had escaped from the pre-trial detention centers in Minsk and Brest. The hostages captured by recidivists in the penal colonies of Orsha and Minsk were released, and a mass escape from the colony in Shklov was prevented.
As the nature of crime changed, so did the unit. At this time, many different criminal gangs appeared. They started talking about the mafia, thieves' authorities, about the division of territories and spheres of influence. Not limited to the walls of the colonies and Belarusian terrorism. More extensive use of special forces was required. The question of reorganization arose. A review of all special forces units was held, and the best one was chosen - "Almaz".
Since the autumn of 1994, the unit has been transformed into a special unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus with subordination personally to the minister. On the shoulders of the fighters lies the responsibility for the most difficult tasks: the elimination of terrorist attacks, the release of hostages, the detention of various criminal armed groups.
The history of the name of the special unit is unique - in many countries such formations are still called "Berkut" or "Falcon", and Belarusians have chosen a different path. The new name was not chosen by chance - the diamond symbolizes hardness, purity, nobility. In a memo for fighters, their commander once wrote: "Always remember that a special forces officer must be clean and hard as a diamond."
Over the years of its existence, Almaz SPBT has accumulated vast practical experience, thwarted terrorist attacks and released about 100 hostages, together with the operational units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than five and a half thousand special operations have been carried out to search for and suppress the activities of organized criminal groups and organizations. One of the most resonant events of Almaz was the detention in Minsk of suspects in the murder of Russian journalist Paul Khlebnikov.
TASKS
The main tasks are:
Prevention of terrorist acts;
Detection and neutralization of explosive devices;
Carrying out special measures to detect and detain dangerous armed criminals, to seize counterfeit banknotes, narcotic, chemical and radioactive substances and ammunition;
Ensuring the physical security of the operational staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
Carrying out search and reconnaissance activities;
Protection of judges and persons of the controlling composition of the republic, high officials of the state and foreign delegations.
The combat readiness of the unit is evidenced by the following fact: in the event of an alarm, the "Almaz" must arrive at the base within 5-7 minutes. And within 20 minutes, reconnaissance and a combat group are sent to the scene anywhere in the country. After another 20 minutes, the second group leaves.
Basically, officers from similar units of the Ministry of Defense, police special forces, the security service of the head of state, and border troops come to Almaz. As a rule, these are people who have served at least five years and have already participated in special operations. Women also serve in Almaz - negotiators and snipers.
The armament corresponds to the armament of other special forces of Belarus.
Minsk Special Purpose Police Regiment
The regiment was formed in the fall of 2005 on the basis of a special police detachment. Both then and now, the main task of the regiment is the protection of public order during various mass actions.
Other tasks were:
Ensuring the personal and property security of citizens on the streets and in other public places;
Prevention and suppression of offenses, group violations of public order and riots;
Participation, together with other services and divisions of the internal affairs bodies, in the detention of armed criminals, the suppression of the activities of organized groups and criminal organizations;
Participation in special events and operations carried out by internal affairs bodies.
In addition, the fighters of the unit must be prepared for cataclysms, disasters, natural and man-made accidents.
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What are they, the Special Operations Forces of the Republic of Belarus? Defend Russia looks to its nearest neighbor to find out.
In addition to them, MTRs use the latest Russian assault rifles - for example, . This assault rifle has a buttstock made of shock-resistant glass-filled polyamide, which obviously lightens the weight of the weapon. Its weight is 3.6 kg, rate of fire is 650 rounds per minute, aiming range is 50 m.
Now MTRs have the latest sets of special clothing and weapons for different habitats of fighters. With a flag of the Airborne Forces, an “underwater paratrooper” coquettishly sits in a set of underwater equipment “SKUBA”. It is equipped with a breathing apparatus with a buoyancy compensator, a neoprene wetsuit with gloves and boots, fins and a diving mask. There is a "paratrooper" with a set of diving equipment SLVI-71, allowing you to work at a depth of up to 40 m.
The "beekeeper" is dressed in a "summer special" set.
And the sniper is dressed in a camouflage Leshy. To the right of it is the Gorka-E windproof kit.
The lyricism of the army names is continued by the set of winter paratroopers' uniforms "Melted Snow".
We continue to talk about the old military. This time we stopped at the "capital of the Airborne Forces" - Borovukha-1 near Novopolotsk. This town holds many stories that could be the script for films. For example, how Yanka Kupala worked here as a railroad worker. About World War II - how the local garrison successfully crushed Wehrmacht tanks for two weeks. You can also talk about the horrors of concentration camps: here the Germans destroyed thousands of prisoners of war. And also about Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan and about the crews of helicopters that extinguished the reactor at Chernobyl. In general, our story will be long and interesting.
Here was Kupala, Budyonny and " enemy of the people Uborevich"
The first information about Borovukha is associated with the construction of the Vitebsk-Rizhskaya railway. It was an ordinary Belarusian village and the station of the same name. The building of the old station is no longer there, but on the modern one there is a commemorative shield stating that in 1916 Yanka Kupala worked here in the railway team. This meager information will be given to you by a query on the Internet. But our guide to Borovukha and the surrounding area was a local enthusiast Vladimir Komissarov. In his stories, the history of the town is definitely not so boring.
Courtyard of the barracks in Borovukha in the 1930s. Photo courtesy of Vladimir Komissarov
The first Soviet units appeared here after 1918: it was necessary to strengthen the Soviet-Polish border. In the early 1920s, the first two wooden barracks were built for them. A cavalry regiment, artillerymen were stationed in the nascent military town, and a training base for balloons was located nearby on Lake Beloye. The town is growing, and already in 1924 a brick two-story school was being built here - its building still exists.
But more rapid development of the town began after 1928, and it is connected with the construction of the Polotsk fortified region. In addition to fortifications (to which we will devote a separate article), by 1935 seven four-story stone houses for the families of officers, a club, a bathhouse and a store were built here. And in 1937, Marshal Semyon Budyonny himself took part in the opening of the House of Officers.
View of the town from Borovukha station. Photo courtesy of Vladimir Komissarov 
During the war, an air bomb hit the House of Officers. This is how it looked after the war. Photo courtesy of Vladimir Komissarov 
On the streets of Borovukha in July 1941, the Germans immediately marked the Jewish population. Photo courtesy of Vladimir Komissarov
Vladimir Komissarov told an interesting fact: the old pre-war buildings were supplied with water through wooden pipes. They were laid in paterns - underground vaulted channels lined with bricks.
Before the war, a soldiers' club was also built. Of all the Voyenproekt buildings we have seen so far, it stands out primarily for its architecture: we have not yet seen such buildings. Now it is used as an Orthodox church. An interesting fact: on June 21, 1941, a gypsy choir performed in it, and on the 22nd they learned about the beginning of a big war.
The town also had its own amphitheater, built, as the documents say, “at the direction of the enemy of the people, Uborevich” (its designs can be seen in German photos).
Behind the pillbox you can see the amphitheater. Photo courtesy of Vladimir Komissarov
During the occupation period, the Germans organized the Staatlag 354 concentration camp for prisoners of war in the barracks of the tankers. , in which, according to various sources, from 13 to 25 thousand people were killed. The dead were buried in the pit of the amphitheater. So the place of rest and holidays in Borovukha turned into a cemetery. Now there is a memorial "Star" on this place.
There is a version that the bodies could be dumped into Bezdonka - a lake with swampy shores in the town. There is no confirmation of this, but the locals do not bathe in it.
However, on the outskirts of the town there are two more lakes - large, picturesque and suitable for recreation.
They say that Novopolotsk was originally planned to be built on the same bank of the Dvina as Borovukha. But in 1957-1960, here in Koptsevo there was a secret missile unit that received nuclear warheads. Accordingly, the city was built on the other side.
Capital of the Airborne Forces
In the post-war period, construction continued: "Uncle Vasya's troops" were located in Borovukha - the 350th and 357th regiments of the airborne troops of the 103rd division. Since that time, the town has been called the "capital of the Airborne Forces."
Photo: Viktor Polyakov, zen.yandex.ru/polyakov
The town in the Union was given great importance: from here important objects in Europe are within easy reach. Especially for this, an airfield was built nearby, capable of receiving heavy military transport aircraft. Vladimir Komissarov says that the former paratroopers still have maps of the English Channel with important objects marked in their garages.
It was in Borovukha that the latest weapons and equipment intended for the Airborne Forces were tested. For example, parachute D-1/8.
Here they also practiced the landing of a BMD-1 airborne combat vehicle with a crew inside. The initiative for its creation belongs to the commander of the airborne troops, Vasily Margelov. To avoid injuries during landing, a simplified version of the space chair, Kazbek-D, was placed inside the vehicle. To reduce weight, the armored hull was assembled by welding from rolled aluminum armor plates.
The first paratroopers inside the BMD-1 were Alexander Margelov (son of the commander of the Airborne Forces) and Leonid Zuev.
The paratroopers from Borovukha participated in all the conflicts of the USSR. In 1968, during the unrest in Czechoslovakia, they took part in Operation Danube. The operation was exemplary from a military point of view: the paratroopers quickly managed to disarm and block the anti-aircraft artillery brigade, the weapons factory, the garrison commandant's office and a number of other important objects.
Museum of Technology in Borovukha. GAZ-66, or "shishiga", is a legendary car known for its unpretentiousness and maintainability. In order to adapt it as much as possible for airlift, the designers sacrificed a lot, first of all, comfort and ease of control. But the design could withstand an overload of up to 9g and a landing speed of 10 m / s while parachuting on a special platform.
In 1979, the paratroopers were the first to enter Afghanistan and the last to leave in 1989. Then the paratroopers of the 103rd division served in the Transcaucasian border district under the command of the head of the border troops of the KGB of the USSR (from 1990 to 1991). Here is what Russian General Alexander Lebed wrote about this in his memoirs: “There were “smart heads” who, using the growing tension in society, proposed a non-standard move - to transfer the division to the State Security Committee. No division - no problem. And ... they handed it over, creating a situation where the division was no longer "VED", but also not "KGB". Combat officers have been turned into clowns. Green caps, green shoulder straps, blue vests, symbols on caps, shoulder straps and chest - paratrooper. Among the people, such a wild mixture of forms was aptly dubbed the “conductor”.
Museum of Technology in Borovukha. When in 1981 this divisional-regimental airborne self-propelled artillery and mortar installation 2S9 "Nona-S" entered service, it was considered a secret vehicle. The main caliber of the 2S9 was a 120-mm rifled howitzer-mortar gun 2A51. The 120 mm caliber was also not chosen by chance: the self-propelled guns could also use ammunition of a similar caliber in service with NATO armies - it was assumed that the 2S9 would operate behind enemy lines, where the supply of ammunition was impossible.
In the already independent republic, the number of airborne troops was reduced: along with sovereignty, a purely defensive military doctrine was proclaimed, and the airborne units, the so-called first strike troops, did not fit into the new concept. In 1995, the 350th and 357th regiments were reorganized into brigades, and later included in the 103rd separate mobile brigade of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus.
Museum of Technology in Borovukha. Combat vehicle 9P148 from the anti-tank complex "Competition". Created on the basis of the BRDM-2, it was equipped with a liftable launcher for five missiles in transport and launch containers. Missiles were launched only when the machine was completely stopped. Reloading was carried out in one and a half minutes without leaving the crew from the combat vehicle. ATGM "Konkurs" is designed to destroy tanks and other armored enemy targets moving at speeds up to 60 km / h, stationary targets (firing points, fortifications such as bunkers, pillboxes) provided that the targets are optically visible.
However, the locals do not understand why, when the regiments were disbanded, it was necessary to create a brigade at a new location in Vitebsk.
In Borovukha, equipment from the boxes went straight to the landfill. And now paratroopers are being transported on trailers from Vitebsk to Liozno.
Airborne Forces Day in Borovukha is probably more valued than the New Year. Here is the only place in the country where this holiday is celebrated in an organized manner.
There have been no units of the Airborne Forces for 11 years, but still every year on August 2, festive events are held. Money is allocated for holding, for porridge, compote, a concert. Belarusian and Russian artists are coming.
On this day, a man who is not in a vest and without a blue beret male in the town will be a "black sheep". Just in case, it is better to know the answer to the question about the number of parachute lines - 32. But there is no fountain in the town.
Local residents say that earlier, in the 90s, there was a rather tense crime situation in Borovukha: it was scary to go out into the yard in the evening, there were constant fights. Therefore, they created a voluntary squad from the locals. The combatants quickly put things in order - now it is safe in the town at any time of the day.
Who is after us?
The 350th and 357th regiments were located along the edges of the town. The barracks of the “fifty kopecks” (as the 350th regiment is called here) are now empty. The buildings have survived: the marauders did not have time to work on them. Access to them was closed, security was provided. It will not be a problem to enter the territory: step over the barbed wire - and you are already there. But the signs on the other side say that it is forbidden to walk here - a fine of 500 rubles. And there is a dog here.
Two barracks appeared in the 30s, during the active construction of the town. Polotsk residents were actively involved in their construction - they were brought here for subbotniks. Another one made of white brick is already the 70s. It looks, by the way, even worse than before the war.
But the beautiful building of the dining room is already in disrepair, and the ceiling has collapsed in one wing.
Canteen of the 350th Regiment
It is noteworthy that the former location of the regiment is mowed down, some buildings have acquired new doors. So they have an owner. And what, the place is excellent: a large area with its own park and access to the lake.
It was planned that the buildings of the unit would be transferred to the Olympic Reserve College, but so far they thought that the helicopter regiment had collapsed. Its territory seemed more compact and suitable for these purposes. 
In the location of the 357th Airborne Regiment, whose territory begins at the end of the current Army Street, life has not stopped. Now it is an “industrial Babylon”: it produces sewing, knitwear and rubber products, wooden windows, PVC windows and doors, building metal structures, furniture, plant protection products, instrumentation, building materials, equipment for processing secondary raw materials.
Location of the 357th Regiment
Soldiers Club. Now here is the church
The huge House of Officers, the same one opened by Budyonny, could have been demolished in the 2000s, but small businesses began to actively buy up its premises. The central part is currently undergoing renovations. We arrived to try on a secondhand sign on the left column of the front porch.
On the right there is a memorial plaque dedicated to the "bata" - the creator of the Airborne Forces Vasily Margelov. Did you know that he is Belarusian by nationality?
Old buildings are treated with respect. Instead of demolition - reconstruction
Opposite the House of Officers, a local museum was opened. The exposition was created by the inhabitants of Borovukha - who will bring a parachute, who will bring a tunic, who will bring a flight jacket, who will bring the door from the pillbox. Many exhibits are related to the Second World War - in the forests around the town you can find items from spent cartridges to the remains of a machine gun. There is even the lower part of the German ... body armor. By the way, Vladimir Komissarov also took a direct part in filling the museum. The description of the military operations of the Polotsk fortified area is his merit.
An open-air exposition was created across the road - airborne combat vehicles are presented here.
Helicopters from Borovukha
The neighbors of the paratroopers were pilots from the 276th separate helicopter regiment (Borovtsy airfield). From 1982 to February 1989, they performed combat missions in Afghanistan. On April 27, 1986, the personnel of the 4th squadron on Mi-26 helicopters and the 3rd squadron on Mi-8MT participated in the extinguishing of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant reactor. In 2003, the regiment was disbanded, and the remaining helicopters were transferred first to Zasimovochi, then to Machulishchi.
Territory of the helicopter regiment. Now it's an Olympic reserve college
Sergei Kozlov, pilot first class, lives in Borovukha since 1993. Now he is retired - he has 52 years of service. Twice I was in Afghanistan, there was a business trip to Chernobyl.
I have dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood. My brother was a helicopter pilot, and I, a ten-year-old kid, ran around Vitebsk in his uniform, I was terribly proud!
By the beginning of the Afghan war, the army was in dire need of army aviation pilots, so they recruited pilots en masse from the reserve.
Helicopter regiment. Photo: Viktor Polyakov, zen.yandex.ru/polyakov
Everyone was offered to write a report in which there were lines: I wish to serve anywhere in the USSR. Not a word about Afghanistan, but everyone understood where they would be sent. I volunteered.
For retraining for a new type of helicopter, Sergei was sent to the Syzran Higher Military Aviation Pilot School. Three months he studied on the Mi-24. Then he served for some time near the borders of NATO in the GDR, where the "crocodiles" were on constant combat duty.
Mi-26 (product "90", according to NATO codification: Halo) is a Soviet and Russian heavy multi-purpose transport helicopter. It is the world's largest mass-produced transport helicopter.
It is capable of transporting people (up to 82 people), equipment and various cargoes weighing up to 20 tons. The top speed is also impressive - 295 km / h. The helicopter can cover up to 800 km (with external tanks - up to 2350) and climb to a height of up to 6500 meters. Photo: safaniuk.livejournal.com
"Crocodiles" in the sky of Afghanistan
Sergei ended up in Afghanistan in 1984. At that time, most often they had to fly to escort columns, search for caravans, and it also happened to rescue paratroopers trapped in the mountains by dushmans.
The helicopter was reliable and well protected,” recalls Sergey Kozlov. - Frontal bulletproof glass withstood a single hit of a 30-mm projectile, and machine-gun bullets bounced off it altogether. The cabin was also protected by steel armor. The danger for us was represented by MANPADS (man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems), which the West actively supplied to the Mujahideen. In my memory, it was that they captured one instructor, a Frenchman with MANPADS, so then NATO sent a special plane for him.
The armament of the Mi-24 made it possible to cope with any task, although not everything worked flawlessly. For example, there were some problems with the YakB-12.7 four-barreled machine gun - it sometimes wedged. The problem was learned to solve in the field.
The weapon was powerful, and so that the machine gun would not fail in battle, only 500 rounds of ammunition were loaded into the tape instead of 1470, each of which was separately lubricated with a brush. Then the whole tape came out without problems. The rate of fire was very high, sometimes it was possible not to notice that the cartridges had already run out.
In addition to the machine gun, the Mi-24's arsenal included unguided aircraft missiles, Shturm-S anti-tank missiles, and other weapons.
American pilot senior non-commissioned officer Jeff Staton, who flew dozens of hours on the "twenty-four", highly appreciated the capabilities of the helicopter: "It is as hardy as a tractor. Put it in the barn for a year, then charge the batteries and you can fly right away. It runs smoothly, just like an old 1962 Cadillac. Lubricate it well and you can fly it for hundreds of hours.” Photo topwar.ru
When the ammunition ran out, and this happened often, the helicopter pilots did not leave the battlefield: they imitated combat approaches to the positions of dushmans.
Was it really possible to fly away when the dushmans were firing at the paratroopers? They did everything they could. I'll tell you: even such psychic attacks had a frightening effect on the Mujahideen. Imagine that a huge car with cannons and machine guns is flying at you, and you will understand that even an imitation of an attack can cause panic.
50 meters above the reactor
After returning from Afghanistan, the military service of Sergei Kozlov continued at the airfield in Zasimovichi (Pruzhany). In 1986, their helicopters were sent to Chernobyl.
Nobody announced alarms, the command simply gathered all the pilots who were in the town through messengers. The task was simple: to fly to Grodno to receive new Mi-24РХР helicopters. Already on the way, we learned that they were intended for reconnaissance of radiation in the area of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
Sergei stayed in Chernobyl from September 2 to October 19. The task of his crew is to hover at an altitude of about 200 meters (according to instructions) and measure the level of radiation. By this time, the fire was extinguished, but the study was still very strong - many of those who flew over the reactor are no longer alive.
We mainly worked at an altitude of about 150 meters - it's not so easy to hover at the right height. Sometimes, when circumstances so required, they dropped to 50 meters.
After working on the reactor, the command tried to deactivate expensive helicopters: they washed them with special solutions, but this did not help. Then they decided to remove the gearbox and replace it with a new one - it still phonates, they did the same with the engine - the result is the same. As a result, they refused to fly on these machines and allegedly sent equipment to the burial ground in Ukraine.
True, there is not a single repository of radioactive helicopters now. I think they were sold somewhere in Africa.
After dangerous work in Chernobyl, Sergei Kozlov had to return to Afghanistan again, where he stayed until the withdrawal of troops. I personally took three Mi-24s out of Kabul. Here he had a chance to try out a new system designed specifically for flying in the mountains.
The rarefied air in the mountains of Afghanistan led to a loss of power, so the designers developed a special system for injecting water into the engine. Its inclusion provided an explosive increase in power, allowing you to increase the height at which the machine can work. The cylinder providing the operation of this system was located right in the cockpit, and when we asked the designer what would happen if a bullet hit there, he answered: a small explosion. Why do we need this? We refused to fly with a balloon.
New Borovukha
After Afghanistan, Sergei served in Ukraine. I ended up in Borovukha almost by accident.
When the Union collapsed, it was necessary to look for a place where to serve. The first time I looked into Borovukha by chance. I looked and decided that I will never live here. Everything here was like in any military town: there is no hot water, the cold is rusty, the heating is weak, and there are frequent power cuts.
Pre-war DOS
But in the end, I "landed" all the same here. Then the order of the Belarusian military district was issued, which stated that it was possible to continue serving in the Belarusian army in the same position. I come to Belarus, I go to the head of the army aviation. I ask where they can send me. He received a military-style concise and honest answer: “Except for x. I can't send you anywhere else." In the end, they still assigned me to Borovukha. The part was staffed, there were no places, so at first I was only listed here: they paid money for two months for the title and half a year later they did not pay anything. My wife was still living in Ukraine with two children. And so we all survived on her part-time nanny in kindergarten.
Sergey recalls that it was a very difficult period in his life. Then, however, he returned to flight work, got an apartment, moved his family.
When I moved here, there was no crowding from the military: there were 1,400 schoolchildren alone, there were three shifts at the school. Now there are fewer children - about 450 people.
In 1993 a new school was built. Surprisingly, it has a pool! You can buy a subscription and come in the evenings and on weekends to swim. There was also a large gym, but it was recognized as dilapidated and demolished.
With the departure of the military, the question arose of what to do with the town, in which more than five thousand people live. In the noughties, it was first merged with the village council and transferred to the administrative subordination of Novopolotsk.
This had a positive effect on Borovukha: a major overhaul came to the old DOSs, roofs were changed for many houses, and facades were painted. Now the town looks very decent. Here they are not in a hurry to demolish old buildings - they will come in handy in the economy. The water pipeline, laid back in the Soviet years, was frankly weak. The problem was also that no one knew where and what pipes were. It was effectively solved according to the VDE: they increased the pressure in the system. So they identified weaknesses for replacement.
Kindergarten. There is another one in Borovukha, in a modern building
As a result, residents got access to all the benefits of civilization - central gas, hot water and uninterrupted power supply.
There are enough food and hardware stores in the town. There is also a mini market. At the entrance to the town - a decent-looking cafe with a tarzan park. You can also ride horses. 
On May 13, 2019, the village of Borovukha officially ceased to exist: now it is a microdistrict of Novopolotsk. City buses and minibuses already go here every half an hour. There are even buses for the disabled. Do not forget about the railway station - trains go to Polotsk through it.
The private sector is spread around Borovukha - these are village houses, dachas of Novopolotsk residents and former military personnel. Apartments here are in the price: for a two-room apartment for 45 "squares" they ask for 24 thousand dollars.
Any local resident will tell you that it is better to live here than in the city, - says Sergey Kozlov. - Dvina separates Borovukha from the large industrial center - everything is in order with the environment here. In Novopolotsk it smells of "Polymir", "Naftan", and here - a pine forest.
