Conditions in the Russian Military
Conscripts suffer abuse while serving in the armed forces.
Young Russians are drafted into an armed forces with too many officers and extreme hazing practices. Russian military conditions can result in the death of its soldiers.
The Russian military is not what it once was – a gigantic force to be feared, a human-powered machine to be reckoned with. Today it is severely atrophied in potential and in practice. Morale is low, suicide numbers are high, and servicemen who have no other options join its ranks with dread.
Conscription in Russia is required for two years. The practice of second-year conscripts initiating new draftees has a special name: dedovshchina. This form of hazing can come in extreme doses. Beatings, rapes, and murders are not unheard of – in one case, a soldier lost his legs and genitals to amputation when gangrene set in after he was beaten by peers. While the government is aware of the problems, and The Human Rights Watch has called for this violence to cease, broad military reforms will have to take place before the Russian military becomes a humane and desirable place for servicemen to be. After all, a myriad of other problems contribute to the conditions in the Russian military – poor pay, insufficient supplies, and absence of proper training are just a few issues to be found within the armed forces of the former USSR
Historically speaking, Russia’s identity has been wrapped up in its military might. From its inception under Peter the Great, to its battles with encroaching Nazis in the Great Patriotic War (WWII), the Russian military has been a point of pride for Russia. While the serf system was still in place, peasants were conscripted as soldiers and members of the nobility took positions as officers. Today, it is hardly surprising that this tradition of hyperbolic authority for upper ranking servicemen is maintained. In a recent case, officers forced young soldiers to act as prostitutes then pocketed the illicit income. The Russian military has more officers than necessary. Bored and embittered, they turn blind eyes to misbehavior or encourage abuse.
Many young Russians avoid joining up. All manner of excuses, bribery, and influence is used by families to prevent their young men from serving in the armed forces. Those who find themselves there are those who are already disadvantaged in some way, lacking in financial, educational, or social resources. Thus, the Russian military has a reputation for being an employer of criminals; this creates a greater stigma for current and potential soldiers. In 1995, it was estimated that only about one-fourth of eligible young men were effectively conscripted and that number may have further diminished – the rest evade the draft with little threat of repercussion, with good reason.
The Russian military did not always boast such horrific conditions. Russian literature gives examples of its previous organization and prowess, like the memoir of Nadezhda Durova, a female soldier in the 19th century who posed as a man with little problem.
References
Golts, Alexander M., Putnam, Tonya L. “State Militarism and Its Legacies: Why Military Reform Has Failed in Russia.” International Security, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Fall 2004), pp. 121-158.
Lambeth, Benjamin S. “Russia’s Wounded Military.” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 74, No. 2 (1995), pp. 86-98.
