Railway Troops Day Russian Federation- This is a professional holiday for military personnel, persons liable for military service, workers and employees (civilian personnel) of the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation (ZhDV Armed Forces of Russia). This professional holiday is celebrated in our country annually on August 6. In 2017, the holiday date coincides with the Day of the Railwayman, which is traditionally celebrated in Russia on the first Sunday of August.
For the first time, the date of the holiday was officially established by the Decree of the President of Russia of July 19, 1996 "On the Establishment of the Day of the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation." Currently, the holiday is celebrated as a memorable day in accordance with the decree of July 18, 2006 "On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation".
Railway Troops- These are special troops whose mission is the construction, restoration, operation and technical cover of railways that are used for military transportation. These formations have been taking theirs since August 6, 1851, when Russian emperor Nicholas I, at the final stage of the construction of the St. Petersburg-Moscow railway, approved the Regulations on the composition of the management of this railway. Hence the modern date of the celebration - August 6. In accordance with this provision, the first special military formations were founded, designed to operate and protect the railway. They were ordered to protect the stations, bridges and transport hubs of the new road. For more than 160 years, military railway workers in our country have selflessly and selflessly served in the interests of their Fatherland.
Already during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878, military railroad workers ensured a continuous supply of Russian army formations along the specially built railway section of Bendery-Galati. The railway troops also played a very important role during the First World War, during which they built about 300 kilometers of broad-gauge railways and about 4,000 kilometers of narrow-gauge railways. Also, the railway troops restored more than 4.6 thousand kilometers of tracks.
After October revolution In 1917, a new stage began in the life of the railway troops. The Railway Troops of the Red Army were created already on October 5, 1918, after their formation was announced by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic. In the peaceful years after the end of the civil war in Russia, they were engaged in the reconstruction of existing and construction of new railway lines. Their contribution to the victorious for Soviet Union completion of the Great Patriotic War. Soviet railway units and formations managed to distinguish themselves in a special way during the defense of Leningrad, Moscow, as well as in Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk and other strategic operations on the territory of the USSR and countries of Eastern Europe. Performing their tasks in extremely difficult, very often combat conditions, they managed to restore about 120 thousand kilometers of tracks, as well as more than 15 thousand bridges, built more than 10 thousand kilometers of new railway tracks, neutralized and destroyed more than two million land mines and mines, contributing to the safety of railway transportation .
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the railway troops took Active participation in the restoration and reconstruction of railways destroyed by the war and the construction of new highways. The most significant of them are the railway lines Kizel - Perm, Ust-Kamenogorsk - Zyryanovsk, Abakan - Taishet, Tyumen - Surgut, Ivdel - Ob, Trans-Mongolian Mainline, Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM). At the same time, it must be remembered that every 9th kilometer of railways in the USSR was electrified with the help of military railway workers. At the same time, units of the railway troops were regularly involved in the elimination of the consequences of natural disasters, accidents and catastrophes, including man-made ones. In particular, military railway workers worked to eliminate the consequences of an accident on Chernobyl nuclear power plant, earthquakes in Armenia, floods in the Crimean region of the Krasnodar Territory.
In the period from 1991 to 2005, the railway troops were part of the power component Russian state, but were outside the size of the Armed Forces of the country. So in September 1995, by decree Russian President The Federal Service of Railway Troops of the Russian Federation was formed. This management structure existed until the integration of the railway troops back into the Armed Forces, the integration took place in 2005. On November 27, 2010, by order of the Minister of Defense of the country, the Regulations on the Main Directorate of the Chief of the Railway Troops were approved.
The modern railway troops, according to their organizational structure, include the Main Directorate of the Railway Troops, as well as the Directorates of the Railway Troops of the military districts. As part of the Russian railway troops, there are separate railway brigades of constant readiness, as well as units of central subordination. At this stage in the development of the Russian Armed Forces, the Main Directorate of the Chief of the Railway Troops is part of the structure of the central apparatus of the Logistics Support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (MTO of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation).
In their work, military railway workers actively use special equipment: overhead cranes, track layers, drilling and blasting equipment. Only in 2013-2014, the Russian railway troops received more than 500 vehicles and 40 units of various engineering weapons. As a result, the share of modern (with a service life of up to 6 years) models of automotive equipment for general use was increased to 35%. In general, like all the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the railway troops are actively re-equipping. In accordance with the current program of the State Defense Order until 2020, the share of new equipment in the troops should be increased to 75%. At the same time, the number of railway troops in Russia today is about 23 thousand people, of which about 5 thousand people are contract soldiers.
In 2013-2014, the Russian railway troops repaired about 140 kilometers of non-public railway tracks every year. It can also be noted that in 2015, a grouping of railway troops began the process of building a section of the Zhuravka-Millerovo railway in the territory of the Voronezh and Rostov regions Russia. They are building a road around Ukraine. Trains traveling from Moscow in the direction of Rostov-on-Don and Sochi were forced to overcome the section of the Lugansk region without stopping. The length of the new road under construction will be 122.5 kilometers; traffic on the new branch can be launched as early as mid-August 2017.
It should be noted that the main goal of improving the railway troops of Russia until 2020 is to give them an innovative look that will meet the needs of providing armed protection. national interests Russia, in accordance with the mobilization and economic capabilities of our country.
On this day, the Military Review team congratulates all military personnel, civilian personnel and veterans whose life path is still associated or was previously associated with the railway troops, with their professional holiday. Properly continue the glorious traditions of the Russian railway troops, because your work in the construction of railway lines is important not only for the army, it also provides serious support to the socio-economic development of the country.
Based on materials from open sources
The 857th training center of the railway troops of the Russian Federation, or military unit 11300, is located in the village. Zagoryansky, Moscow region. educational institution is engaged in the training of specialists of the railway troops and unit commanders.
Story
predecessor training center was the 1st railway training regiment, created in October 1918 for the construction of communication lines. The personnel and officers performed combat missions to restore and undermine railways during the Great Patriotic War. The formation also participated in the construction of several railway lines: Abakan-Taishet, Tyumen-Surgut and BAM. The training center was established in August 1996.
Distinguishing sign of the 857th UTSZHDVeyewitness impressions
The material and living conditions of the soldiers are different, because. on the territory of the center there are old-style barracks and new, kubrick ones. The canteen is staffed by civilians and military personnel are offered two meals to choose from during lunch. There is a chip. The connection is statutory, so there is no hazing. In addition, old-timers and new recruits live in separate rooms.
The unit also has a museum of railway troops and a dog training center. The classrooms are located in a separate building on the territory of the center. Training of specialists in military unit 11300 lasts about 3 months. Soldiers practice 8 hours a day using posters educational literature and examples of real technology. Before the beginning educational process be sure to talk to a psychologist.
Troop banner ceremony Near the center are several polygons. In particular, on a truck crane, the skills of driving near power lines, as well as unloading and loading goods into cars or gondola cars are practiced. At the bridge range, cadets work with pile drivers that lift and install piles. Employees are also trained in radio communications over short and medium distances.
At the end of studies, the distribution of specialists is carried out. Lists are compiled at headquarters. Some fighters remain at the training center, others are sent to units of the railway troops in Russia. The rest of the unit live in standard barracks, equipped with bunk beds and bedside tables. Personal belongings and civilian clothes are stored in the pantry.
The oath is usually held prior to distribution. The event takes place on the parade ground at 9.00 am. Parents need to arrive an hour earlier - register at the checkpoint and find the soldier's details in the posted lists. After the oath, a leave is allowed, but the soldier must change into civilian clothes.
In the barracks of the training center of the railway troops Relatives should take it with them.
The rest of the time, layoffs are provided on weekends, from 9.30 to 20.00. If the cadet plans to spend lunch and dinner with relatives, he notifies the company duty officer about this. On working days, meetings with soldiers last no more than 30 minutes, but the leadership of military unit 11300 does not welcome this. As eyewitnesses note, per diem dismissals are provided in very rare cases, and only with excellent results in passing the standards of the FIZO and several articles from the charter. The exact rules for visiting fighters are as follows:
- weekdays - from 18.45 to 19.35;
- Saturday - from 15.40 to 19.40;
- Sunday - from 8.30 to 19.40.
Construction parade ground of the 857th training center of the railway Mobile phones are in the hands of cadets only during their studies. After distribution, they are deposited with the company commander and are issued twice a week - on Thursday and Saturday. The time allotted for communication is from 40 minutes to an hour and a half. On the birthday of a fighter, the phone is issued for the whole day.
The fighters spend their leisure time in the recreation room, where there is a library and a TV, at 16.00 on Sunday there can be watching movies on military topics.
The fighters receive monetary allowance on a VTB-24 card; money can only be withdrawn at a Sberbank ATM at the time of dismissal. The function of the hospital is performed by the local polyclinic, and the training center has a medical unit.
Taking military oath of soldiers of the military unit Information for mom
Parcels and letters
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
THE FEDERAL LAW
About the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation
(as amended on November 11, 2003)
Repealed from July 1, 2004 on the basis of
Federal Law of June 29, 2004 N 58-FZ
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Document as amended by:
(Russian newspaper, N 4, 01/06/2000);
(Parliamentary newspaper, N 212, 11/15/2003).
____________________________________________________________________
Real the federal law determines the purpose, main tasks, legal basis and principles of organization, functions and powers of the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Railway Troops).
Section I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1
1. Railway troops are intended for technical cover, restoration and blocking of railways in order to ensure the combat and mobilization activities of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies for the construction, both in wartime and in peacetime, of new and increasing the survivability and capacity of existing railways, for the restoration of railways destroyed as a result of natural disasters, as well as for performing tasks in accordance with international treaties of the Russian Federation (paragraph as amended, put into effect on January 6, 2000 by the Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ.
2. Technical cover of railways - a set of engineering, technical and organizational measures carried out in peacetime and wartime for the comprehensive preparation of facilities, structures and devices of the operated railway network of the Russian Federation, restoration and operational forces and means (military units of the Railway Troops, special formations and restoration organizations of federal executive bodies) to carry out work to eliminate the consequences of the resulting destruction.
Article 2
The Railway Troops are responsible for:
in peacetime - maintaining constant combat and mobilization readiness; organization and holding preparatory work on the technical cover and restoration of the most important objects of the railways of the Russian Federation entrusted to the Railway Troops; accumulation, placement, storage and timely replacement of weapons, military and special equipment, and other materiel for the deployment of troops in wartime; education and training of military personnel and civilian personnel of relevant specialties at transport construction facilities, primarily at defense facilities, as well as solving other tasks assigned to the Railway Troops;
in wartime - maintaining constant combat readiness to perform assigned tasks; technical cover, restoration and barrier of the most important railway facilities in the front line and in the depths of the country; demining and exploitation of the head sections of the restored railway lines; building and operation of floating railway bridges and inventory overpasses; increasing the capacity of existing and building new railway lines, bypassing junctions and bridges in the territories of strategic (operational-strategic) formations and in the rear of the country.
Article 3
The activities of the Railway Troops are carried out on the basis of the principles of legality, unity of command, centralization of control, recruitment of troops by military personnel serving on conscription and under contract.
Article 4
The legal basis for the activities of the Railway Troops is the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal constitutional laws, this Federal Law, other federal laws, international treaties of the Russian Federation in the field of activity of the Railway Troops, as well as the regulation on the federal executive body for the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation and the Regulations on the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation, approved by the President of the Russian Federation, and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation (article as amended by Federal Law No. 219-FZ of December 30, 1999, put into effect on January 6, 2000).
Article 5
1. Railway troops are integral part forces involved in the defense, and consist of the federal executive body for the Railway Troops, formations, military units, research institutions, organizations and military educational institutions vocational education(hereinafter military units) (paragraph as amended by Federal Law No. 219-FZ of December 30, 1999, entered into force on January 6, 2000.
2. Structure, staffing military personnel and the composition of the Railway Troops up to and including the connection is approved by the President of the Russian Federation.
Article 6
1. The President of the Russian Federation is in charge of the Railway Troops.
2. The Government of the Russian Federation exercises its powers in relation to the Railway Troops in accordance with federal constitutional laws, federal laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation.
3. The management of the Railway Troops is carried out by the head of the federal executive body for the Railway Troops - the commander of the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the commander of the Railway Troops) through the federal executive body for the Railway Troops and the headquarters of the Railway Troops.
The Commander of the Railway Troops is appointed and dismissed by the President of the Russian Federation.
4. The powers of the commander of the Railway Troops, as well as the powers of the federal executive body for the Railway Troops, are determined by the regulation on the federal executive body for the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation.
(Article as amended, entered into force on January 6, 2000 by the Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ
Article 7
1. The federal executive body for the Railway Troops solves the tasks assigned to the Railway Troops in cooperation with other federal executive bodies, executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, bodies local government on the basis and in the manner provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation and the regulation on the federal executive body for the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation (clause as amended by Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ.
2. Federal executive authorities, executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local governments are obliged to assist the Railway Troops in their activities to fulfill the tasks assigned to them.
Article 8. Property of the Railway Troops
1. Residential, service and technical and industrial buildings of military camps, educational facilities, technical and other property of the Railway Troops are federal property and are under their right of economic management or operational management (clause as amended, put into effect on January 6, 2000 by the Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ.
2. Land, forests, waters and others Natural resources, provided for the placement and implementation of the activities of the Railway Troops, are in federal ownership (clause as amended by Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ.
Section II. FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE RAILWAY TROOPS
Section II
FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE RAILWAY TROOPS
Article 9. Functions of the Railway Troops
Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ:
a) takes part in the development of the federal program for equipping the territory of the Russian Federation in terms of planning measures for the preparation of railways for defense purposes and in the implementation of these measures;
b) organizes the development and implementation of plans for the transfer of the Railway Troops to work in wartime conditions, a plan for the accumulation of mobilization resources;
c) develop a program for equipping the Railway Troops with new special recovery equipment;
d) organize the training of subordinate headquarters and military units for joint actions with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and other troops for defense purposes;
e) ensures constant combat and mobilization readiness of military units;
f) issues orders, directives on the activities of the Railway Troops and the special formations and restoration organizations attached to them in wartime by the federal executive authorities;
g) organize the education and training of citizens who are in the reserve and assigned to deploy the Railway Troops in wartime;
h) develops the necessary tactical and technical requirements for technical weapons, restoration materials, structures, standard restoration projects, as well as the necessary regulatory, methodological and organizational and technological documentation;
i) performs the functions of a customer for the development, manufacture and testing of special equipment and military equipment of the Railway Troops, adopts samples of new special recovery equipment and inventory structures;
j) organizes the production, economic and financial and economic activities of military units;
k) interacts with the railway troops and transport authorities of the Commonwealth member states Independent States, as well as other states in accordance with the international treaties of the Russian Federation.
2. The tasks and functions of military units are determined by the legislative acts of the Russian Federation and the Regulations on the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation (clause as amended by Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ.
Article 10
1. The federal executive body for the Railway Troops (paragraph as amended by Federal Law No. 219-FZ of December 30, 1999:
a) develops and submits draft regulatory legal acts on the activities of the Railway Troops for approval by the President of the Russian Federation, federal executive authorities;
b) conclude contracts and agreements;
c) forms a program of educational and practical work of military units at facilities, primarily in the interests of the federal railway transport;
d) performs the functions of a customer-builder for its own construction, organizes the development of projects, examination and preparation for approval of design estimates for objects of its own construction;
e) carries out, within the framework of international treaties of the Russian Federation, foreign economic activity and scientific and technical cooperation, including on the supply of equipment, structures and other equipment for military units in order to increase the combat readiness of the Railway Troops in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation;
f) organizes the preparation and conduct of joint exercises with the railway troops of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States in order to ensure collective security in accordance with the international treaties of the Russian Federation;
g) creates, reorganizes and liquidates, in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Russian Federation, organizations necessary to solve the tasks assigned to the Railway Troops, appoints and dismisses the heads of these organizations;
h) acquires or leases buildings, premises, structures, other real estate on the territory of the Russian Federation, special equipment necessary to solve the tasks assigned to the Railway Troops, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation;
i) organizes work on the selection of candidates for military service under a contract and on the conclusion of contracts for military service in the Railway Troops in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and the Regulations.
2. Military units are legal entities. Their rights are determined by the legislation of the Russian Federation and the regulation on the federal executive body for the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation (paragraph as amended by Federal Law No. 219-FZ of December 30, 1999.
Section III EQUIPMENT OF THE RAILWAY TROOPS. MILITARY SERVICE IN THE RAILWAY TROOPS. LABOR ACTIVITIES OF CIVIL PERSONNEL OF RAILWAY TROOPS.
Article 11
1. The railway troops are staffed with military and civilian personnel.
2. Railway troops are recruited by military personnel in the manner prescribed by federal laws, on the basis of the conscription of citizens of the Russian Federation for military service on an extraterritorial basis, as well as by voluntary entry into military service under a contract, mainly by persons with railway, construction and other technical specialties graduates educational institutions primary, secondary and higher vocational education of federal executive authorities in charge of railways, industrial and civil construction, and citizens who have been trained on a contractual basis in other organizations that train citizens in military specialties by order of the federal executive authority for Railway troops through the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (paragraph as amended by Federal Law No. 219-FZ of December 30, 1999; as amended by Federal Law No. 141-FZ.
3. Railway troops are staffed with civilian personnel in accordance with federal laws.
The number of civilian personnel of the Railway Troops is established by the Government of the Russian Federation, and the list of positions filled by civilian personnel is established by the Commander of the Railway Troops.
Article 12
Military service in the Railway Troops, the procedure for its passage, the assignment of military and honorary titles, the awarding of state awards, dismissal from military service and pension provision are determined by federal laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation governing military service.
Article 13
The military personnel of the Railway Troops and members of their families are under the protection of the state and enjoy all the rights and benefits established for them by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
Article 14
1. Labor relations of civilian personnel of the Railway Troops are regulated by the legislation of the Russian Federation on labor and the legislation of the Russian Federation on public service, as well as by regulatory legal acts issued by the federal executive body for the Railway Troops (paragraph as amended, put into effect on January 6, 2000 by the Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ.
2. Civilian personnel of the Railway Troops are subject to the rights, obligations and benefits provided for civilian personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
3. The laws of the Russian Federation on labor issues, its remuneration, pensions, social and legal protection of citizens shall apply to the civilian personnel of the Railway Troops, regardless of the announcement of their entry into force by the military authorities.
Section IV. FINANCING AND PROVISION OF THE RAILWAY TROOPS
Section IV
FINANCING AND PROVISION OF THE RAILWAY TROOPS
Article 15
Financing of the Railway Troops (maintenance, purchase of weapons and military equipment, research and development work, capital construction) is carried out at the expense of the federal budget.
Article 16
1. Providing the Railway Troops with weapons and military equipment, technical means educational work, as well as technical, logistic, medical, financial and pension support is carried out in accordance with the standards established for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and in the manner determined by federal laws and the Regulations on the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation (paragraph as amended, entered into force on January 6, 2000 of the year Federal Law of December 30, 1999 N 219-FZ.
2. The purchase and supply of the most important types of material and technical resources of general industrial use to ensure the activities of the Railway Troops are carried out on the terms and in the manner provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation and regulatory legal acts adopted in accordance with this Federal Law.
Article 17
Military personnel of the Railway Troops are provided with monetary and other types of allowances according to the norms established for military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Section V. FINAL PROVISIONS
Section V
FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 18
This Federal Law shall enter into force on the day of its official publication.
Article 19
Propose to the President of the Russian Federation and instruct the Government of the Russian Federation to bring their legal acts in line with this Federal Law.
The president
Russian Federation
B. Yeltsin
Revision of the document, taking into account
changes and additions
prepared by legal
Bureau "KODEKS"
During the war years, it was called the "steel artery". It provided all offensive units of the Russian troops with ammunition, armored vehicles, provisions and technical equipment. It did not lose its strategic importance even in the post-war period, acting as a link between settlements, countries and even continents. We are talking about the most popular transport artery - the railway. It was thanks to the construction of railway lines that in the middle of the 19th century, scientific and technological progress in Russia developed by leaps and bounds, and already in the 20th century, the presence of a large-scale railway network with centralized control made it possible to carry out “high-profile” revolutions within the country, as well as win military confrontations. And even today, without a developed railway connection, it is also impossible to imagine an increase in the level of civilian, industrial and military cargo turnover in the country.
The intensive development of railway transport served as an impetus for the creation of separate formations in the Russian army - the railway troops (ZhDV). In peacetime, the "steel fighters" were assigned the tasks of maintaining and repairing railway lines, while during the period of active hostilities, soldiers provided support for almost all defensive and offensive operations. Their key tasks include the clearance of railway tracks, the repair and complete restoration of damaged sections of the track, as well as the construction of bridge crossings and protective fences. In addition, railway workers help the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the process of emergency response. emergencies natural and man-made character. Today, serving in the ranks of the ZhDV is as honorable and prestigious as undergoing special training in the Airborne Forces and the Marine Corps.
The railway or, as they are called in civilian life, the transport troops of Russia, according to the generally accepted military classification, belong to separate units of the rear support of the army and are troops special purpose. They are not only building railroads across the country, but they are also working hard to prevent them from being damaged and destroyed by enemy units. For more than 160 years, the soldiers of the ZhDV have been valiantly and steadfastly serving in the ranks of the Russian army, confirming their high status and professionalism. Their history is rich in significant events and amazing facts. Many pages from the "biography" are devoted to military operations during world wars and local conflicts with neighboring states. The process of development and formation of railway units is inextricably linked with the history of the armed forces of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation.
On the balance sheet of the Railway Forces, in addition to standard weapons, which practically do not differ from the weapons of the ground forces, there are also special technical equipment, tools and repair kits for the prompt restoration of railways, as well as mobile mechanized complexes designed for the construction or urgent "resuscitation" of individual sections of the railway ways. In addition to separate and link track-laying vehicles, the existing railway battalions are also equipped with:
- pile driving and drilling and blasting devices;
- mine-explosive special weapons;
- overpasses for carrying out assembly and dismantling works;
- technical means of emergency repair of railway tracks.
Separate divisions additionally use stationary and mobile overhead cranes, superstructures and diesel hammers for driving piles into the ground. In order to carry out construction and restoration work on floating railway bridges, soldiers are issued special diving equipment without fail. With such a rich set of equipment, railway workers are able to perform the most complex tasks in a short time.
Stages of development of units of the railway troops
Military-railroad workers have gone through enough thorny path development and formation. Various innovations and changes that concerned the field of the military industry, as well as the socio-political and socio-economic spheres of life, left their mark on internal structure units and the appearance of transport troops. The staffing system was constantly modified, the range of basic tasks was expanded, and the principles of training military personnel were updated. At the same time, it should be noted that the process of development and modernization of transport troops did not occur on its own, but had a pronounced clear sequence and logic. In the history of the Russian railway troops, separate time intervals can be distinguished, which marked a fundamental change in the military command and control system. Starting from the moment of foundation and ending in 1918, there were 5 such key stages in total:
- 1851–1860 - the operating units of the transport troops were separate formations, which consisted of military-worker detachments. Their main task was the construction and maintenance of railway lines;
- 1870–1876 - the structure of the railway troops has undergone significant changes, special railway teams have been formed;
- 1877–1885 - there were reforms in the staffing and organizational structure, battalions were approved as the main operating units, which were part of separate sapper brigades;
- 1886–1903 - the army command decided to unite the battalions into brigades, which became the main tactical formations with an expanded range of combat missions;
- 1904–1914 - in the Russian army, for the first time, the concept of "ZhDV" was officially approved, and the military-railroad workers themselves left the command of the SMI and came under the command of the General Staff.
Thus, in the period 1851-1914. railway troops actively developed "on all fronts", keeping up with other branches of the armed forces. The reforms that affected the organizational structure clearly benefited, while the soldiers and officers themselves made a significant contribution to strengthening the country's defense capability. The stages of development presented above are only short episodes from the “biography” of the ZhDV, which focus on the most significant moments of their formation. In order to objectively assess the role of divisions throughout Russia, you need to go back in time and go through the difficult path of railway workers from beginning to end.
Railway troops of the imperial period
The date of formation of the first railway formations of the Russian army is the day of August 6, 1851, when the All-Russian Emperor Nicholas I ordered the formation of a railway company to maintain and operate the St. Petersburg-Moscow railway. Based on the approved regulations and rules on the composition of the management of the railway in the ranks of the armed forces of the current Imperial Army workers, conductors and a separate telegraphic company were created. In this composition, the military railway units of Russia appeared. And the first passengers of the railway were the imperial guards, who were transported from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
The formation of railway troops was a logical pattern. Already in those days, in view of the vast territory, it was required to use lifting and fast transport, which would be widely used for both civilian and defense purposes. Starting approximately from the middle of the 19th century, the active formations of the railway troops of the Russian army participated in almost all armed conflicts and wars in which the Russian Empire was directly or indirectly involved. At the same time, the first combat experience was obtained and miscalculations were discovered in the tactics of conducting hostilities.
New reforms in the army made it possible to adapt the railway troops to the realities of "field everyday life". The total number of units amounted to 4340 enlisted men and higher ranks of the officer circle. The lists of the railway battalion included Emperor Nicholas I himself and his son Alexei. This helped the “newly minted” army unit to immediately be on the list. elite troops. Since at that time the insignia and shoulder straps had not yet been invented, they used stripes that were sewn onto overcoats and tunics. The gunners wore red stripes, the pilots wore light blue or light blue, and the railway workers got black.
During the period 1877–78. soldiers of railway units took part in the war against the Turks. They promptly supplied the offensive units of the Imperial Army with weapons, ammunition and food. For "humanitarian" cargo transportation, a railway was used, connecting settlements Bendery and Galati. In many ways, thanks to timely supplies from the rear, the Russian soldiers managed to defeat the best Turkish army in Plevna, and also open the road to Constantinople. Until 1908, transport connections were on the balance sheet engineering troops, and in 1909 they were singled out as an independent branch of the army and transferred to the subordination of the VOSO bodies of the General Staff.
Railway construction at the end of the 19th century
Starting from the 1880s, the development of the capitalist economy required large material and technical resources. But the railway network that existed at that time was poorly developed and did not meet the needs of the industrial sector. The situation could be corrected only by the construction of new railways. Even then, the leader of the proletariat and a supporter of the capitalist system, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, said that it was urgent to connect the backward outskirts of the Asian and European regions of Russia with the capital and cities located in central regions countries. Therefore, the members of the state apparatus unanimously decided to take a course towards the intensive construction of new railway lines.
Since the involvement of civilian work force was not economically profitable, besides, there was a constant threat of an enemy attack near the borders of the Russian Empire, the construction of railways was entrusted to "universal" soldiers from the ZhDV units. At that time, they had already proved themselves quite well not only in military campaigns, but also in solving civilian problems in peacetime. In the 80s of the XIX century, new railways were laid in three main directions:
- western borders of Russia;
- Polissya region;
- Privislinsky region.
Later, the construction of transport railway lines was carried out on the colonial outskirts of the country - in the Central Asian region and regions Western Siberia. To connect the cities located in the coastal zone of the Black and Baltic Seas, the Romny-Kremenchug line railway was built. But most of all, the railway workers distinguished themselves in 1883, when they were instructed to lay a separate branch of the railway line in the Zhabinka-Pinsk section in Polesie. The total length of the new transport route was more than 130 miles. It was a relatively straight railroad - only 10 miles of track was laid on winding sections of the terrain. Appearance in transport system Russia's railway communication "Zhabinka-Pinsk" contributed to the development of trade and industry in the region.
In the spring of 1885, Emperor of All Russia Alexander III Alexandrovich issued an urgent decree, according to which the divisions of the railway troops were ordered to begin laying the Trans-Caspian railway. The total length of the railway track was more than 1000 miles. The new transport highway was supposed to connect the Turkmen city of Kizyl-Arvat with the Uzbek city of Samarkand. To this end, the second battalion of the ZhDV of the Transcaspian region was urgently formed, which was directly subordinate to the command of the General Staff of the Army. The personnel of the battalion amounted to about a thousand ordinary soldiers, more than 25 officers and 3 controlling persons from among the officials.
The construction of the Trans-Caspian railway branch was unique, since work on such a scale had not yet been carried out. This is the first experience in the world practice of laying a military railway by the forces of the ZhDV soldiers, the total length of which exceeded 1000 kilometers. At the same time, the highway itself passed through scorched desert areas, which required enormous endurance and stamina from the railway workers. Despite the difficulties, the work was carried out very quickly - in a year, about 50% of the entire distance of the railway track was built. On May 15, 1888, all work was successfully completed. In addition to 1101 versts of the railway, more than 600 bridge crossings and about 110 artificial culverts were also built.
Facts from the "biography" of the railway troops of tsarist times
In 1881, during the military campaign of General Skobelev, the first narrow-gauge military field railway appeared in the south of modern Turkmenistan. Before the start of World War I, several large units were formed in Russia, which were abbreviated as KPZhD - they served horse-drawn field railways used for the transfer of troops and transport supplies.
In the second half of the 19th century, the construction of the first passenger trains of the D series began, which received the nickname "two-park" because they had two pairs of driving wheels. These steam locomotives were distinguished by reliability and unpretentiousness in operation, and were capable of speeds up to 90 km / h. Later they served as a "prototype" for the creation of military locomotives.
In the history of the development of the railway troops in the tsarist era, Stanislav Ippolitovich Olshevsky, a Russian engineer of Polish origin, a graduate of St. Petersburg University and the Institute of Railway Engineers, occupies a special place. Railroads and bridges were built according to his designs. Central Russia, in the Urals, in the regions of Western Siberia, and the world's largest bridge across the Amu Darya River was also built.
In 1904, traffic was solemnly opened along the Circum-Baikal Railway, which was built in order to connect the part of the Trans-Siberian Railway torn by Lake Baikal. It was laid by the forces of the railway troops in just two years. In the middle of the 20th century, it was partially flooded during the filling of the Irkutsk reservoir.
In the summer of 1910, the construction of the Zelenodolsk railway bridge across the Volga River began, which connected the city of Zelenodolsk and the village of Nizhniye Vyazovye. The construction of this crossing took place on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan. Emperor Nicholas II gave this bridge the name "Romanovsky". The official opening took place in the winter of 1913. The length of the structure is almost 800 m. On the occasion of such a significant event, a religious procession took place.
History of signals on the railway
The first railway warning signals were developed and implemented as soon as the Tsarskoye Selo road was built. All signals at that time were divided into optical and sound. The role of an optical signal was played by a ball, which was lifted with a winch onto a special wooden structure. Depending on whether the ball was raised or not, the machinist understood whether he could move on or need to stop. In fact, it was a distant "relative" of the semaphore. But very distant. These balls were controlled by signalmen, who stood along the railway every 1-2 versts. At the same time, railroad workers were flogged with whips if they fell asleep at the post or raised the ball incorrectly. It should be noted that this system optical signals was appropriate at short distances - up to 40 km. If we talk about the railway that connected Moscow with St. Petersburg (its length was 650 km), then it was already quite difficult to place signalmen every 1-2 versts. Therefore, to alert the drivers, they decided to use semaphores.
Beginning in 1857, when Nicholas I died and Alexander II came to power, the construction of new railways began, and then mainly foreign specialists were attracted. For example, for the laying of the Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod highway, which became the second in a row after the Petersburg-Moscow railway, well-known French and English engineers. Together with them, Western railway signaling systems "migrated" to Russia. The most widespread were the so-called warning discs, while the English semaphores were eventually abandoned, and there was a good reason for this.
The first version of the semaphore was invented in the early 1940s by the English designer C. Gregory. It was this model that they wanted to adopt, but it turned out to be ineffective in everyday use. And not because the semaphores were wooden. They just had one feature - the wing did not rise 135 degrees to the mast, like the current Russian-style semaphore. The wing, which was lowered by 45 degrees, served as a signal for further movement. This is the so-called English system of measures, called "Five o'clock". There was one cost in this design of the semaphore - if the wing completely fell down, then the driver took this indication as allowing, which very often led to disasters.
English semaphores were usually fenced off by railway stations. They were used to show the train driver that he could get to the station - the way was clear. In those days, there was still no auto-blocking and roadblocks, so it was necessary to use the available “handy tools”. However, over time, railroad workers began to invent their own innovations. For example, a very cunning signaling system was used on the Ural Mining Railway - a three-winged home-made semaphore on a wooden pole. Its wings resembled compass needles and were directed in different directions: one straight, the other down, which meant free passage. But this was a "gag", since each railroad had its own conditional warning systems. This was what the main problem. The Russian railway network needed a unified warning system.
In 1873, a unified regulation on signals was developed and implemented. English semaphores were temporarily replaced by warning discs. Red disk - passage is prohibited, the disk lies edgewise or green - you can go. In addition to optical signals, sound alerts were also widely used. Just as the marine “telegraph” with flags, developed back in 1895 by Vice Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov, was used at sea, so the generally accepted system of horns and locomotive whistles operated on the military railway:
- 1 long - forward movement;
- 1 short - brake test;
- 2 short - brake release;
- 2 long - backward movement, etc.
Everything was described in detail in a special railway instruction. From the moment of the foundation of the first railway line "Petersburg-Moscow", a signal bell was hung at each station. The instructions clearly stated that the signal for the departure of the train is given on railway station exclusively by the ringing of a bell. Three strokes of the signal bell should have sounded, then the whistle of the main conductor was heard, then a powerful whistle of the locomotive sounded, and only after that the train driver could move off. Violation of this peculiar "tradition" was severely punished.
In 1880, the remarkable scientist Yakov Nikolaevich Gordienko, who was also a leading professor at St. Petersburg University, first created a mechanical centralization of the arrows. He also invented the semaphore model, which is still used today. In a unified signaling system, warning discs served until the twenties. In 1924, the Soviet engineer Daniil Treger created an improved electrical unit. In the 1930s, auto-blocking and cab signals were introduced for the first time, which marked a huge breakthrough in the field of transport and military communication. This made it possible to multiply the throughput and carrying capacity of the Russian "steel arteries".
During the period of 1918–21, when Russia was mired in the Civil War, more than 20,000 kilometers of railways and about 3,000 bridge crossings were restored by the forces of the ZhDV soldiers. And in 1926, a separate railway corps of the Red Army troops carried out the topography of the Baikal-Amur region, on the territory of which it was planned to build the largest transport railway line in the USSR. The railroad soldiers rendered great assistance to the offensive detachments during active hostilities near Lake Khasan and on the Khalkhin-Gol River in 1938–39. Then, in just 2.5 months, the railway fighters laid the Borzya-Bain-Tumen railway with a total length of more than 300 km. During the Soviet-Finnish military campaign, in just 1.5 months, a railway line was built that connected the city of Petrozavodsk and the city in the Republic of Karelia - Suoyarvi. The total length was more than 130 km.
During the Second World War, the Railway Troops repaired more than 80 thousand kilometers of the main railway lines, as well as about 30 thousand kilometers of stationary tracks. Also, the soldiers in a short time built about 2.5 thousand kilometers of narrow gauge lines and installed over 70,000 km of communication lines. In 1946-50, according to official data from archival documents, thanks to the "steel fighters", about 37 million cubic meters of earthworks were carried out. In 1989, all active units of the Railway Forces, along with the KGB border troops and the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, were disbanded and expelled from the armed forces of the USSR. A new round in the development of the railway troops took place already in the federal period.
The decisive role of the railway troops in the war years
In World War I, Russian railway workers made an invaluable contribution to the victory by laying about four thousand kilometers of narrow gauge and about three hundred kilometers of "wide" lines. The forces of the railway troops restored more than 4,000 km of the upper tracks, as well as almost 5,000 km of telephone and telegraph military lines, which ensured continuous communication between the front-line units and the command of the Army General Staff.
After 1917, under conditions civil war, which was conducted mainly in the lane of the main railway lines, the role of armored trains increased sharply. It was then that the finest hour of these "battle monsters" came. Russian armored trains are whole fleets of mobile fortresses that moved around the country, bringing death and destruction. Like the ships of the Navy, each armored train had its own bright name. Armored trains of the White Guards: "Admiral Kolchak", "Ataman Platov", "Thunder of Victory". Armored trains of the Red Army - "Stenka Razin", "im. Petrovsky", "Ermak Timofeevich", "Morozov", "Red Eagles".
The most massive were military steam locomotives of the "E" series. These were real workhorses that "traveled" around the country since 1912. For the next few decades, the legendary steam locomotives, manufactured at the Lugansk Machine-Building Plant, "on their shoulders" took Russia out of all armed conflicts. In the early thirties, this "indestructible" heavy equipment was replaced by more powerful units. The most popular were the heavy trains of the FD series, the main freight steam locomotives of Sergo Ordzhonikidze, and the best on the entire territory of the European continent - the Russian trains of the IS series, named after the leader of the USSR Joseph Stalin. However, they were not going to say goodbye to the “E” series steam locomotives forever. During the war years with the Germans, they provided about 2/3 of all military cargo transportation.
For the railway troops, the initial period of the Great Patriotic War became the most difficult test, since most of the junction stations in the western direction were defeated. During the battle near Moscow, the General Staff raised the question "point-blank" about the complete disbandment of the transport troops. They wanted to throw the railroad workers into the general infantry formations. However, Joseph Stalin eventually canceled this decision. And, as it turned out later, not in vain. The volume of military cargo transportation in the initial period of the war amounted to almost 3 million wagons. However, the soldiers themselves were able to distinguish themselves in the fight against the German invaders.
As practice has shown, even the largest and well-equipped army is absolutely helpless in front of the enemy without the support of the railway troops. And the highest ranks understood this even during the Second World War. Tanks will not come by themselves, and shells need to be brought up regularly. It was possible to do this as quickly as possible only by railroads. Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov said: “When preparing offensive, in which several branches of the military are involved, then even if someone fails to arrive in time, with grief in half you can still spend fighting. But if the railway troops are not prepared, then the operation cannot be started - any plan will definitely fail.
In April 1945, the first Russian train solemnly arrived at the Lichtenberg railway station in Berlin. To do this, the railroad soldiers repaired and put together all the damaged sections of the railway track in a short time. In a telegram sent to the country's military leadership, Marshal Zhukov attached a brief but rather expressive resolution: "Well done!" With this phrase, the great Russian commander and skillful military strategist described the courageous feat of the brave fighters of the ZhDV. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, railroad soldiers participated in the overhaul and reconstruction of the “steel highways” of the country. Particularly significant was their participation in the construction of BAM. In terms of the height of the flight of engineering and technical thought, as well as in terms of scale, the construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway became a truly unique phenomenon in the history of Russia.
Great construction of the 20th century: how BAM was "raised"
In the early summer of 1974, members of the Central Committee of the CPSU, with the support of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, decided to begin construction of the largest Baikal-Amur railway line in terms of size. The scope of the upcoming "construction of the century" struck the imagination of thousands of Soviet citizens. However, not only the scale of the new railway was surprising, but also the very methods of implementing this project. The transport "steel artery" had to pass through a difficult area of terrain - mountains, seismic zones, full-flowing rivers and permafrost. The construction of BAM was planned to be carried out in the harsh climate of the northern regions of the country, where the average air temperature rarely dropped below -50 ℃, and the ground was hidden under a layer of snow, no roads or paths were visible.
To lay more than 3 thousand kilometers of track, it was necessary to additionally build over 3,000 engineering communications, carry out about 300 million cubic meters of earthworks, and also break through mountain ranges more than 25 km of tunnels. Obviously, this required incredible human efforts and huge expenditures of material and technical resources. Therefore, civilians involved in the construction of other sections of the “steel line” were also deployed to help the soldiers of the railway troops who worked on the eastern section of the BAM. At the same time, engineers developed technical documentation, geological and topographic reconnaissance of all sections of the railway track was carried out, issues of providing people with provisions, clothing and temporary housing were resolved in a short time.
In addition to developing a unified work schedule at BAM, Soviet engineers spent days on end over the drawings, racking their brains on how to adapt the mechanisms and construction equipment in order to ensure high level performance in permafrost regions. Bridges and viaducts were built by the forces of the Main Directorate for the Construction of Bridge Crossings. Separate mechanized columns in an enhanced mode carried out work on the construction of an earth embankment. Huge assistance to the railroad soldiers on the Eastern section of the railway track was provided by helicopter special squads.
The total length of the BAM was more than 3500 km. This unique construction of human hands can be seen even from space. The main goal of the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline was the desire to build a railway with the largest capacity not only in Russia, but also in the world. And this task was successfully completed. It was a huge national enthusiasm and, of course, a considerable material and moral interest.
Participation of railway workers in the Chechen campaign
In December 1994, communication between the Chechen Republic and the Federal Center of Russia by rail was unexpectedly interrupted. The task force led by General Nikolai Pavlovich Koshman was ordered to urgently restore traffic along the Northern direction to Kizlyar and Grozny. The main command raised the issue of transferring armored trains to Chechnya. But heavy armored trains could not quickly cover huge distances from Transbaikalia to Chechnya, since their speed was only 40-50 km / h. To transfer this bulky equipment, the Ministry of Railways and Communication would have to completely revise the timetable for all railway trains, but there was no time for this.
To accomplish the task, a special train was created for the railway troops, which became a new type of railway military equipment. He was armed with only 2 infantry fighting vehicles on platforms, to which wagons for personnel and recovery materials were attached. To enhance protection, the locomotive itself was surrounded by bags of cement and bulletproof vests. Wheel pairs were with sliders. If a mine exploded under the wheels of the platform, they quickly recovered and the train could move on. On December 30, the special train went on the route. Already 13 days later, the crew was ordered to urgently clear the bridge across the Terek River in order to restore normal traffic. On the bridge, sappers neutralized 16 anti-tank mines and removed two tanks of fuel to the nearest station, installed to enhance the explosive effect.
But it was not enough just to clear the bridge crossing - it still had to be held, as the militants began heavy shelling of the bridge, trying to capture it at any cost. The forces of the parties were unequal (there were more Chechens), so the soldiers of the special forces who accompanied the special train and the railway workers used a trick - they drove several diesel KRAZ vehicles to the nearest station. Their engines began to run at maximum speed, creating a deafening roar. At this time, the head of the task force, during a communication session with his subordinates, broadcast disinformation live, designed to intercept militants by radio.
The report said that a tank and several armored personnel carriers were sent to help counter the enemy attack. This misinformation had a sobering effect on the Chechens, and soon attempts to capture the bridge ceased. A little later, a second special train appeared in the group of railway troops in Chechnya. In total, during the first military campaign, thanks to the attracted special trains, it was possible to almost completely restore traffic by rail in the republic.
The help of armored trains was also needed during the days of the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus region. To provide the troops with weapons, ammunition, food and technical equipment, special detachments of the ZhDV were involved, which were assigned the tasks of transport support and technical cover for railway facilities. For this purpose, 5 new special trains were additionally created, which can be considered the heirs of the armored trains of the Soviet period. They served for the clearance of railways and bridges, engineering reconnaissance and escort of military cargo.
On July 12, 2002, the commander of one of the special trains received an order from the commander of the operational group to escort a particularly important echelon. There were 200 tons of explosives. According to intelligence, the militants were preparing to undermine this echelon. Upon the exit of the special train to the route, the observer of the first platform discovered an enemy ambush in the roadside thickets of reeds. The commander gave the order to open fire from all types of weapons. As a result of the shelling, the militants were destroyed, and later, during the engineering reconnaissance of this section of the railway track, two land mines were found ready for use. The special operation was carried out successfully, and the railway workers delivered the echelon with valuable cargo to its destination.
Railway troops of the federal period
In 1992, the military and administrative centers of the railway troops were taken under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation, and the Main Directorate (GU) of the Railways was reorganized into the Federal Directorate of the Railways. From this moment, the revival of subdivisions, units and professional training centers of the railway troops begins. In 1995, a unified Federal Service of Railway Transport Formations (FSZhV) was created. Only ten years later, in 2005, the ZhDV, as an independent branch of the military, became part of the Russian Armed Forces. The day of August 6 was officially recognized as the "birthday" of all railway soldiers - in independent Russia, a professional holiday has been celebrated annually since 1996.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the General Staff of the Army Command adopted new course development, modernization and re-equipment of the existing divisions of the Railway Troops, in accordance with the generally accepted concept of development of the RF Armed Forces. The main goal of improving the Russian railway troops is to bring the level of their combat capability to real-time conditions, as well as to give them a modern innovative look. Transport troops are being equipped with new types of weapons, technical equipment and high-performance equipment for the repair and construction of railways. A full-scale modernization of the railway line will minimize manual labor and maximize labor productivity.
Repeatedly, Russian railway workers repaired bridge crossings and railway lines outside the Russian Federation. The railway divisions worked in the territory of Abkhazia in 2008, and in 2015 they began to build a new double-track railway bypassing the territory of Ukraine. Today, more than 25,000 personnel serve in the ranks of the ZhDV. The units are recruited by the Military Transport University of the Railway Troops of Russia.
Bridge units of the railway troops
Railway bridges and crossings are strategically important objects of the country. That is why, in any military conflict, enemy shells fly first of all at them. And if the crossing was destroyed, an alarm button lights up in the location of the bridge battalion - the soldiers, along with special equipment, urgently move to the scene of the accident. Bridge battalions of the railway troops are operational units. Only one hour is given for the collection of personnel. During this time, the servicemen are obliged to advance to the object that was attacked. Railway workers build temporary bridges that are supported by wooden poles. It is from them that the construction of the future crossing begins. That's just the logs get to the fighters "rough and uncouth", and only after machining they turn into piles, ready for subsequent use.
While one department is preparing the piles, the other is preparing the diesel hammer for work. It is impossible to move a massive installation for driving piles in assembled form (dimensions do not allow), so it is assembled on site. The assembly principle is the same as in the children's designer. A telescopic boom is assembled from several links. When preparatory stage passed, the next one begins - the process of driving piles directly. A powerful machine is capable of driving wooden piles weighing up to 800 kg even into “tightly” frozen ground. Such piles are driven both on land and on water. To build a bridge even across a small river or a shallow pond, there must be a lot of wooden supports, because not only passenger trains, but also trains with heavy military cargo will pass through it. Therefore, resource reserves must be foreseen in advance.
Actually, the railway troops are successfully coping with the task, since this is what they are intended for - in a short time to restore the destroyed railway facilities for the passage of passenger and military trains. After installing the supports, the fighters of the railway troops must put heavy steel platforms weighing 5 tons and more. This is jewelry work, where rush is not needed. For this, high-precision special equipment is used. But the laying of rails is carried out by other units.
The legendary Russian armored train "Baikal"
The heyday of armored trains in Russia fell on the 20s of the last century. In the era of harsh military romance, they were even given appropriate names: “Knight”, “Rosa Luxembourg”, and also “Freedom” or “Death” - during the Great Patriotic War, they also reached Berlin. But the armored train "Ilya Muromets" is considered one of the legends of the Second World War. In 1944, he knocked out several Luftwaffe aircraft with anti-aircraft guns, and also defeated Adolf Hitler, a German squad with the name of the leader of the Third Reich, who could not resist the powerful onslaught of the Katyushas of the armored hero.
IN modern history railway troops, the Russian armored train Baikal, which is on combat duty today, deserves special attention. In the era of drones and nuclear missiles he feels quite comfortable. In total, in the 90s, 4 mobile armored trains were created in the country: Amur, Don, Terek and Baikal. And although these armored vehicles were assigned mainly peaceful tasks, they were a rather powerful strike force capable of snapping back in response to enemy attacks. Even today, Baikal remains the pride of the Russian railway troops.
Thanks to satellite communications and navigation, the commander of the special train is able not only to predict the safest route, but also to contact higher headquarters in a closed communication mode. 200-mm armor protects personnel from bullets from heavy machine guns and sniper rifles. For self-defense, the special train has a T-62 tank, an anti-aircraft gun, an AGS-17 Plamya automatic grenade launcher and a 12.7-mm Utes heavy machine gun. Reliable protection against remote detonation of explosive devices is provided by a special electronic warfare car. In order to avoid mine explosions, two platforms with gravel and a firing point were installed in front of the special train.
This armored train is capable of covering 250 km in a day, and if necessary, it will spend half a month offline. Its "heart" - the diesel locomotive is securely hidden in the depths of the train, in front of which there is a cover platform (in the case of mining the rails, it gets hit first). Also, Baikal is equipped with a modern anti-aircraft system capable of repulsing an attack from the air, its own radio station and a special system that interferes with radio-controlled projectiles (“jammer”). This armored train looks like a small fortress. In addition to weapons and communications, there are wagons for personnel and a kitchen, which, having climbed onto the platform, turned from a field one into a railway one.
How do recruits serve in the railway troops today?
In addition to the Military Transport University and specialized schools, you can also get the profession of a railway worker at individual training centers of the Railways. One of these institutions is Center No. 857, which has been training professional personnel since 1996. Difficult soldiers are trained here - at the training grounds, "green" recruits will have to drive not tanks and armored personnel carriers, but track-laying vehicles. Unlike other ordinary soldiers, the first thing the railroad workers will pick up will be a wrench, not a machine gun. Nevertheless, the service in the ZhDV is very exciting and interesting. Along with army training, recruits learn to communicate with vehicles and complex mechanisms. Training in the center No. 857 is conducted in 12 specialties: crane operators, radiotelegraph operators, machinists, etc. In just three months (this is how long the training in the center lasts), a “newly minted” railway worker can master a new profession that will be in demand in the civilian world.
The curriculum in the professional center is quite dense and rich. The learning process for newcomers begins with an enhanced physical training, otherwise the recruit simply will not cope with heavy equipment and mechanisms. At the same time, the fighters undergo special technical training, and only then go to the training ground. Today, conscripts study for 8 training hours a day: five hours before lunch and three in the afternoon. On the territory of the training ground, future machinists and crane operators move in overalls and helmets - as it should be for safety reasons. By the end of the third month of training, cadets confidently perform any railway work:
- transport tons of cargo;
- driving piles into the ground;
- change damaged sleepers;
- laying railway lines.
All these operations are carried out using the most sophisticated equipment - from a conventional tractor tracklayer to lifting and leveling machines and powerful dosing tractors. Despite the fact that the fleet of special equipment is located on the territory of the training center, if necessary, the mechanisms will be promptly transferred to the accident site. So it was in 2009, when specialists from the railway troops participated in the elimination of the disaster on the Moscow-St. Petersburg railway.
Railway Troops of the Russian Federation- special troops designed to restore, build, operate, technically cover and block railways in order to ensure the combat activities of the Armed Forces and the uninterrupted operation of railway transport both in peacetime and in wartime. The railway troops are not organizationally part of the Ministry of Railways, but closely cooperate with its structures in matters of ensuring uninterrupted activity, the necessary carrying capacity and survivability of existing and construction of new railways.
The railroad troops are Federal Service railway troops of the Russian Federation (FSZHV Russia) formations, military units, research institutions, organizations and military institutions of vocational education. FSZhV has in its structure the office of the director of the Federal Service - the commander of the railway troops of the Russian Federation, the headquarters of the railway troops and independent departments and departments. FSGW, created in 1995 (instead of federal government railroad troops, operating since 1992 as government agency at the Ministry of Railways), directly supervises the railway. hulls, as well military units and institutions of central subordination.
The date of formation of the railway troops of Russia is considered to be August 6. 1851 - the day when Nicholas I approved the Regulations on the composition of the management of the St. Petersburg-Moscow railway, on the basis of which 14 military workers, 2 conductors and 1 telegraph company were formed. These were the world's first military railway formations. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 19, 1996 No. 1040 "On the establishment of the Day of the Railway Troops of the Russian Federation" announced August 6 as such a day. In 2001, on this day, the 150th anniversary of the railway troops in Russia was solemnly celebrated. The first permanent railway battalion in the Russian army was created in 1876, two more battalions - in 1877. Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878 the railway troops gained the first significant experience in the restoration, construction and operation of front-line railways on the territory of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, created the first transshipment area at the junction of roads with different gauges. In 1880-1888. in difficult conditions - in the zone of shifting sands and deserts - military railway workers built and then operated the island Trans-Caspian railway from the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea to Samarkand with a length of approx. 1500 km.
In 1903, military formations were transferred from the Main Engineering Directorate to the submission of the General Staff. IN Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905 troops ensured the operation of the CER, built and operated narrow-gauge railways in Manchuria. During the First World War 1911-1914. the role and number of railway troops increased significantly. Each front included 2-3 railway brigades, which carried out work on the restoration, barrier and construction of new roads. For the first time, head repair trains were formed in the Ministry of Railways, which, together with the troops, participated in the restoration work. By the end of the war, the number of railway troops was approx. 130 thousand people.
The Red Army Railway Troops were created in October. 1918 in the form of separate companies, in 1919 they were reorganized into divisions and consolidated into brigades. In 1918-1920. military formations of railway workers restored 22 thousand km of track, more than 3 thousand bridges, repaired more than 16.5 thousand wagons and ensured the operation of front roads. For military merit, 5 divisions were awarded the Honorary Red Banners of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. In the 20-30s. railway troops participated in the construction of new lines Orsha-Lepel A32 km), Chernihiv-Ovruch A80 km); led the restoration of the railways of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Far East. In 1932, a Special Corps of Railway Troops was formed, numbering 68 thousand people, for the construction and reconstruction of roads in the Urals and the Far East on the instructions of the NKPS. At the same time, part of the formations was subordinate to the NPO of the USSR (Office of Military Communications).
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. as part of the railway troops, there were 13 brigades with a total strength of approx. 100 thousand people. By the end of July 1941, their number had increased to 170,000. Most of the units were sent to the fronts to block and technically cover roads. During the counteroffensives of our troops near Moscow, Rostov and Tikhvin, the railway troops began to restore roads in the territory liberated from the enemy. Due to the fact that the dual subordination of military formations made their work difficult, the State Defense Committee on January 3. In 1942, he adopted Decree No. 1095 "On the restoration of railways", according to which all railway troops were subordinate to the NKPS, in which the Main Directorate of Military Restoration Works (GUVVR) was created. It also included special formations of the NKPS, and the Directorates of Military Restoration and Barrage Works (UVVR) were created to lead the railway troops of the fronts. To lead the troops within the GUVVR, the Directorate and Headquarters of the Railway Troops were created. Special formations were transferred to the position of military units.
A bright page in the history of the troops will remain their actions on the Leningrad front during the blockade of the city. Along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Finland, the troops built 28 km of defensive lines, blocking the approaches to the city from the side of the bay. In the shortest possible time, a railway was built from Shlisselburg to Polyany with a total length of 33 km. Leningraders called this route "Road of Victory", along which 4,700 trains passed in 1943 alone, delivering 4.4 million various cargoes to Leningrad. The construction of the Lyubytino-Nebolchi line E3 km) in the summer of 1942 and the reconstruction of the Tikhvin-Budogoshch line G5 km) in 1943 were also of great importance, providing access from the Oktyabrskaya to the Northern Railway bypassing the city.
From July 1942 to January 1st. In 1943, 3269 echelons with troops and 1052 trains with ammunition, weapons, fuel, food, medicines and other material and technical means were delivered to the Stalingrad region. Soldiers-railroad workers and fighters of the special formations of the NKPS on the Stalingrad, South-Western and Voronezh fronts restored a total of about 3 thousand kilometers of track and more than 300 bridges.
In the area of the Kursk Bulge, at the request of the Military Council of the front, the State Defense Committee decided to build the Stary Oskol-Saraevka line with a length of 70 km (the task was completed in record time - 32 days). Unprecedented in bridge restoration practice was the construction of a low-water bridge across the Dnieper near Kyiv; the 1059 m long bridge was built in 13 days (7 days earlier than planned) with a construction rate of 81.5 m per day. On the territory of Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia, railroad soldiers restored approx. 24 thousand km of railways.
The military work of railway soldiers was highly appreciated: 18 formations and units were awarded orders, the 28th railway brigade was transformed into the 1st guards brigade (commander N. V. Borisov), a number of formations and units received honorary titles. About 40 thousand military railway workers were awarded orders and medals, V. P. Miroshnichenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 26 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. After the war, units of the railway troops continued to carry out intensive restoration work; especially significant was the contribution to the restoration of railway facilities in Donbass. Military railway workers helped restore rail transport in Eastern Europe (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary). One of the major objects that the railroad soldiers restored in the first post-war years was the bridge across the Danube near Belgrade.
During the first post-war five-year plan, the builders of the railway troops laid 6320 km of tracks, overhauled 2632 bridges, 227 locomotive depots, 57 stations and 437 thousand m2 of living space. A lot of work was invested in the development of the railway sections of the Moscow region coal basin, in the restoration and reconstruction of the Moscow-Leningrad, Moscow-Kiev, Moscow-Smolensk lines, the roads of the Caucasus, Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, the Kizel-Perm line.
At the beginning of 1950, the GUVVR was disbanded, the railway troops became special troops armed forces USSR, subordinate in matters of production activities to the Ministry of Railways, and since 1954 - to the Ministry of Transport Construction of the USSR; in relation to the organization and service of troops, combat, political, special and mobilization readiness - to the military ministry of the country. In 1953-1956. railroad warriors laid a 700-kilometer Trans-Mongolian highway that connected the city of Ulaanbaatar with the south of the country - the city of Dzamyn-Ude. From 1953 to 1965, 1720 km of virgin railways, 30 machine and tractor stations, 33 grain warehouses were built.
In difficult conditions, the construction of the Abakan-Taishet line, rightly called the "route of courage", was going on. This 650-kilometer railway was the final part of the South Siberian Railway and provided a second exit from Eastern Siberia to Kuzbass, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. At the end of Oct. 1965 The first electric locomotive went from Taishet to Abakan. From March 1959 to April. In 1967, lines were laid through the taiga and swampy regions of the Urals and the Tyumen north, including Tyumen-Surgut, which gave access to the rich oil and gas fields of Western Siberia, as well as the largest new building of the 20th century. - Baikal-Amur Mainline. Construction of the line in 1974-1984 from Tynda station to Komsomolsk-on-Amur - the Eastern section of the BAM - were military units. In a solemn atmosphere on 28 April. In 1984, the “golden link” was laid, the Eastern section was docked, and on 27 October. 1984 traffic was opened along the entire Baikal-Amur Mainline. During the construction period, more than 1,449 km of the main track and 330 km of station tracks were laid, earthworks in the amount of more than 220 thousand m3 were completed, 1,217 artificial structures were built (including 45 large and 296 medium bridges). On Eastern section BAM there were new cities and towns, 25 operating stations and 69 sidings. In total, over the years of construction, more than 440 thousand m2 of housing was commissioned, 21 schools, 27 kindergartens and nurseries were built. The work of the military at BAM was highly appreciated: thousands of railroad soldiers were awarded orders and the medal “For the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline”, and generals and officers G.I. Kogatko, V.V. Kupriyanov, M.K. N. Palchuk, A. A. Shvantsev were awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.
The railway troops showed high readiness when performing special tasks to eliminate the consequences of natural disasters, accidents and catastrophes in the 1990s, taking part in ensuring the survivability and increasing the capacity of the railway during the elimination of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, an earthquake in Armenia, etc. By decision Government of the Russian Federation since Jan. 1995 to Dec. In 1996, military railway workers performed the tasks of restoring and maintaining the railways in the Chechen Republic in readiness for operation.
The railway troops of the country were headed by prominent military figures: I. I. Fedorov A918-1919), E. F. Domnin A919-1920), N. A. Prosvirov A942-1945), P. A. Kabanov A945-1968), A. M. Kryukov A968-1983), M.K. Makartsev A983-1991), since 1992 - G.I. Kogatko.
In other countries, the Armed Forces also include railway troops, which have various names and subordination.
