What is a construction battalion, in general terms, knows the majority of citizens, especially older generations. The unspoken name of these units is "Royal Troops". They can be attributed to the legendary military units of the times of the USSR. True, most often this is due to the negative side of reality, since many conscripts categorically did not want to get there, and some representatives of the military leadership opposed its existence at all. The essence of service and its features in the construction battalions are displayed in many anecdotes and comedy films.
Educational History
To understand what a construction battalion is, you need to look at the history of the creation of these units. Military construction detachments began to form in the winter of 1942 to repair and restore facilities in the territories liberated from the fascist invaders.
The concept of "construction battalion" was officially withdrawn from circulation in the 70s of the last century. Nevertheless, the term remained part of the military and civilian slang lexicon. The soldiers of the construction battalions called themselves ironically "Roy altroops." There are two versions of the occurrence of this name:
- Because of the large number of personnel. In the 80s, there were over 350 thousand people, which was several times greater than the number of fighters of the border troops, marines and airborne forces combined.
- The second variant of the origin of the self-name is associated with the designer S. Korolev, since all Soviet spaceports were built by the "construction battalion" forces.
Terms of Service
Among the Soviet conscripts, the construction battalion troops were not considered a prestigious place of military service. This attitude is due to the fact that these units were only formally related to military training. Despite this, young men joining the ranks of the construction battalions received a number of advantages over recruits from other military branches.
For example, in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Defense of 1977, employees of the construction battalion were paid a salary. True, fees for meals, cultural events, bathing and laundry services, and other types of allowances were withheld from it. The average amount held at that time in favor of the so-called "things debt" was about 30 rubles.
Financial Support
Let's continue to learn more about what a construction battalion is? The salary of the military of this type of troops varied from 110 to 250 rubles per month. The final figure depended on the speci alty of the fighter. The professions of crane operators and excavators were considered the most "expensive". The cash allowance was accumulated on the account of the serviceman, being issued on hand upon dismissalin stock.
In case of emergency, a fighter could send money to close people, with the permission of the commander of the corresponding level. During the service, a person could accumulate several thousand rubles. In addition, construction battalion workers often earned extra money on "hack-work". The fee for one working day was about 10-15 rubles. Ensigns and officers of these units received benefits that allow them to quickly solve existing housing problems.
Package
Many are interested in the question related to the construction battalion: what kind of troops? For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that officially these parts are called "engineering". In Soviet times, the detachments were replenished mainly by recruits who graduated from construction schools. Rural residents who know how to handle various kinds of tools have become frequent representatives of the “construction battalion workers”. Another segment of the personnel is disadvantaged youth, often with a criminal record.
One of the main selection criteria for construction battalions was a national sign, although this is not officially confirmed anywhere and is hushed up. It should be noted that the proportion of representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus and Central Asia was about 85-90 percent of the personnel of the "construction battalions". The type of troops in this category was considered acceptable for them due to poor knowledge of the Russian language. Many conscripts were frightened off just by the national composition of the units.
Critical remarks
Many top military leaders have criticized the construction teams andcalled for their disbandment. Experts, in addition to violations of constitutional rights, noted the poor organization of the production activities of construction battalions, along with low material and technical support. Marshal Zhukov himself, together with Chief of the General Staff Sokolovsky, pointed out that military personnel should serve in the armed forces, and not at construction sites and facilities of USSR civilian ministries.
What is a construction battalion can be understood from one of the real examples. In the fall of 1955, military construction unit No. 152 was located in an unfinished building. The arriving commission revealed flagrant violations in terms of the welfare and sanitary maintenance of soldiers. The temperature in the bedrooms barely exceeded three degrees, the fighters had not washed or changed their clothes for weeks, they suffered from pediculosis and other diseases.
Interesting facts
Serving in the construction teams, as it may seem at first glance, was not at all safe. The following facts testify to this:
- Liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. About 70% of the working contingent in the contaminated area were representatives of construction battalions.
- In 1988, units were sent to Armenia to rebuild settlements after a devastating earthquake.
- Construction of administrative and residential buildings, as well as the formation of fortifications during the Afghan campaign.
- In 1982, the construction battalion units were in the port of Stanley (Falkland Islands) to modernize the runway. Just in that periodthere was an invasion of the British military, contesting the rights to the territory with Argentina. Soviet fighters mined the approaches to the airport, held the object for three days, armed with captured weapons. Only an order from Moscow made it possible to stop the local confrontation, the soldiers had to lay down their arms.
Result
Engineer troops - is it a construction battalion or not? Definitely, this question can be answered in the affirmative. The fact is that the concept of "construction battalion" has not been officially used for a long time. The term was replaced by a different name - "engineering troops of the Russian Federation".
