The creative project was prepared as part of an inter-district competition dedicated to the Day of Employees of State Security Agencies of the Russian Federation
Prepared by: 3rd grade student Finashina Victoria
Topic: Dedicated to border guards.
Content
1. Introductory part. Formulation of the problem
2. Main part. Creative project.
3. Riddle.
4. The meaning of the word “border guard”.
5. History of border troops. Ancient Rus'.
6. During the Great Patriotic War.
7. Modern border troops.
8. Border guard assistants.
9. We are proud of our fellow countrymen - border guards.
10. Future defenders of the Motherland.
11. Who doesn’t dream of becoming a border guard?
12. Drawings, photos, essays.
13. List of used literature.
PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS :
Project type : creative
By number of participants : personal
By duration : mini project
Implementation period : november
Project participants : students, teacher, parents, head of the school museum.
Target: I wanted to find out who the border guards were and which school graduates served in the border troops.
Tasks: Collect information from various sources about border guards. Systematize the acquired knowledge.
Ask classmates for help: drawings, essays, poems.
Meet personally with fellow countrymen - border guards.
Prepare the received material for participation in the competition, for use of the material in class.
To foster respect and a sense of pride for the defenders of our Motherland.
Reproduction of the main stages of the project
Selecting a topic.
Defining project goals.
Development of the main stages of the project.
Exhibition of drawings, essays, photographs.
Project issues: Find out more information about border guards.
Project product: presented the collected and processed information in the form of a presentation for the regional competition and for classmates.
Practical significance of the work: In the process of developing this topic, I learned the meaning of the word “border guard”, who the first border guards were and at what time, about modern border guards and loyal assistants of the border guards, and most importantly, I personally met the border guards - fellow countrymen who served in the border troops. I feel great pride for their courage, bravery, love for their Motherland, for their people. While the real defenders of the Motherland are serving on our border, our border is locked!
My presentation is dedicated to summing up the project “Dedicated to the border guards.” I acted as a historian, I was a reporter and a journalist when I questioned our fellow countrymen who served in the border troops, and talked with the head of the school museum. My mother, teacher, and classmates helped me in this project. I learned a lot of new and interesting things from various sources. I present my work in the form of an oral journal.
1 page. Who is he?
This is a border guard.
Page 2. What does this word mean?
Border Guard – servicemanborder guard;
Border – located or occurring near the border;
Border – dividing line between territories, border
(from the dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov.)
Page 3. From the history of border troops. Ancient Rus'.
Legends that have survived to this day have preserved the name of one of these defenders of the Fatherland, the first border guard - the hero Ilya Muromets.
Page 4. During the Great Patriotic War.
Marshal Georgy Zhukov famously said:
“I have always been calm about those sections of the front that were entrusted to the border guards.”
5 page. Modern border troops.
The Border Service is a structural unit of the Russian FSB.
6 page. Border guard assistants.
These are loyal dogs, German Shepherds.
7 page. I serve Russia.
Russian warrior
On eternal watch
By plane,
On the ship.
He guards
Peaceful sea
Peaceful sky
Peace on earth.
I. Gamazkova.
8 page. We are proud of our fellow countrymen - border guards.
Evgeniev
Konstantin Viktorovich
R Born on December 4, 1979 in the village of Alekseevka, Krasnoznamensky district .
In 1998, he was drafted into the ranks of the Russian Army in the Federal Border Troops as a private.
Chistyakov
Evgeny Alexandrovich
born in the village of Novokolkhoznoe, served in the border troops.
In 2003, while on duty at the outpost with his
colleague participated in the arrest of violators
borders - groups of Hindus .
9 page. Future defenders of our country.
10 page.
While real defenders of the Motherland serve on our border, our border is locked!
References:
1. Children's book "Spring"
2. Materials from the personal archive of Evgeniev K.V.
3. Ozhegov’s Dictionary.
4. Materials from the school museum.
5. Internet sites:APMV – ReporteR. RU
Children's book "Spring"
Characteristics
Types of labor Maintenance / Protection / Control
Prof. focus person - person / person - technology
Areas of activity Safety
Spheres of work Man/Technique
Description
The state border is protected and at the distances between border points, border guards ensure that nothing illegal happens at the border. The land border is patrolled on foot or by vehicle, while the sea border is patrolled by border craft or aircraft. In maritime spaces, the main method of security is round-the-clock technical and visual surveillance, which is carried out from a maritime surveillance center. In addition to border security, border guards are involved in marine pollution detection and search and rescue operations (for example, rescuing fishermen from collapsing ice). The work of a border guard is interesting and requires a lot of communication. But there is also routine work - periods of waiting and guarding, and one must always be prepared to respond to unexpected or dangerous situations (including contact with a criminal or terrorist situation).
Must know
The border guard must know state laws, legal acts regulating the border service, forensics, document verification and border security techniques. Representative communication also requires knowledge from the field of psychology, as well as knowledge of foreign languages.
Professionally important qualities
- discipline;
- loyalty;
- honesty;
- responsibility;
- ability to make decisions.
Medical contraindications
- neuropsychiatric disorders;
- decreased visual acuity;
- disturbance of color discrimination, binocular vision;
- hearing disorders;
- vestibular disorders, impaired sense of balance;
- hand tremors;
- speech disorders;
- Fear of heights;
- diseases of the spine, joints or lower extremities;
- chronic infectious diseases;
- allergies;
- respiratory diseases;
- diseases of the digestive and excretory organs;
- diabetes;
- pronounced physical disabilities.
Paths to obtaining a profession
To master the profession, you need a secondary or higher military education.
Related professions
Policeman, firefighter, rescuer, contract soldier.
A soldier in the border guard troops is a prestigious and responsible profession. What kind of person is this type of activity suitable for? What needs to be done in order to be able to defend the borders of the Motherland? will tell you a little more about the border service than you already know.
Not everyone is suitable for the role of defenders of the state boundaries: educational institutions conduct a careful selection among applicants. The health status and physical fitness of applicants are assessed, and professional and psychological selection is carried out (assessment of military-professional orientation and individual psychological qualities). Of course, one cannot do without the usual tests for applicants in the form of CT.
Honesty, discipline, resistance to stress, the ability to make quick decisions and work in a team are important personal characteristics of a fighter. The everyday life of a border guard is not monotonous: one day he struggles with routine, the next he resolves a situation in which people’s lives are in danger. Only a person who is steadfast in spirit and strong in body will be able to adapt to service in such conditions.
Monument to border guard soldiers in Grodno. Photo by Boris Mavlyutov He must know state laws and regulations that govern the border service, and understand the technology of document verification. To communicate you will need knowledge of psychology and foreign languages.
The main task of the border guard is to ensure that nothing illegal happens at a distance between border points. If it is a land border, it is usually patrolled on foot or by vehicle. If the border passes by sea, then floating vehicles and air equipment are used.
Reproduction of materials from the website is possible only with the written permission of the editor.
“Border guards are sacrificial troops”
The first border guards can be considered three heroes who defended Rus' from the visits of malicious “foreign tourists”. But legends are legends... The first documentary evidence dates back to 1512. Then, after another attack by the Crimean Khan, Grand Duke Vasily the Third established his lands with outposts. And on February 16, 1571, Ivan the Terrible determined the border regulations of the village and guard services.
The black date for Russian border troops is June 22, 1941. They are still fighting today. In April, a mining group from the North-West Federal Border Department went to Chechnya. The border guards have both reconnaissance and assault troops, who also have enough work to do. Major General of the Reserve Viktor Kharichev talks about them, and in general about the essence of the border service:
– Some people believe that our Fatherland needs to be protected only on the threshold of their home. And many people do not know that protection issues are being resolved far from the state border line. Our ancestors are now being criticized. But these were smart people. They ensured state security during foreign campaigns, for example in Italy, France, Turkey, Persia...
- Why?
– It is probably easier and more practical to defend the state not on its own territory. We forget the wisdom of the commanders of the past, which is why there is sharp criticism of the presence of our troops in Tajikistan and Chechnya. But for thousands of years our ancestors expanded the borders of the country. Russia simply could not exist without access to the Atlantic, North and Pacific oceans, that is, without a geopolitical structure. The ancestors were also smart because at sea borders it was possible to provide a border barrier with fewer forces. Mountain ranges: the Caucasus, Tien Shan, Pamir and others served the same purpose.
– Why do we need Tajikistan?
– So that we don’t catch the Taliban here, on the banks of the Neva or on the outskirts of Moscow. On the other hand, how many of our Russian-speaking residents are left there, how many are the graves of our ancestors?.. Evolution has been going on for centuries. And what? Now leave everyone? Live as you want. We also forget that 80% of heroin is produced in Afghanistan, that’s 45 billion a year. The endless flow of drugs flowing through Russia to the West and East must also be stopped. By the way, security is not just standing with a bayonet on the border, but a complex of political, military, security and diplomatic measures. We need Tajikistan like we need air! The Taliban set themselves the task of fighting the infidels by spreading poison. Who are the infidels? Those who do not recognize the regime, that is, the whole world.
Unfortunately, we have lost the border space as a whole, creating a lot of holes through which the shortest routes are laid. Agree, previously there were almost no problems with drug use in St. Petersburg, but now the city is simply overwhelmed...
– Are the border guards to blame?
– Border guards are just a fragment of the political system. But they are doing everything possible... Several tons of opium, raw opium and heroin are seized every year. In addition to protecting the border, it is necessary to combat drug trafficking or prevent a massive flow of refugees. And the North? It's no secret: we are losing it. The Far East has been invaded by Koreans, Chinese and Japanese - they are seizing Russian territory using specific methods. Visa-free tourists marry Russian women in order to obtain citizenship, create their own colonies, and then they will demand representatives in the government. To avoid occupation, the efforts of the emigration service, customs, tax police and border troops should be combined...
- Now it’s FPS...
– Previously, we were part of the KGB system, but after the collapse of the Union, an independent structure appeared – the Federal Border Service. It should be like this... Now it includes the central apparatus of the security service, which is located in Moscow, and regional border departments. Previously, instead of them there was a system of border districts. Rather, the change in names is due to the need to demonstrate the reduction of the Armed Forces.
Next... The district includes detachments - divisions and formations. They are divided into commandant's offices - separate battalions, which consist of independent companies, that is, outposts guarding certain sections of the border.
- And the special forces?
– In the border detachment there were reserve special units - motorized maneuver groups. For camouflage, we called them units of increased combat effectiveness. In principle, this is in-depth reconnaissance, which is necessary during periods of sharp aggravation of the situation or combat operations. The GRU has its own range, the army has another, our intelligence officers must work to a depth of up to 100 km from the border. Moreover, army units can operate in this area, so reconnaissance is transferred to the operational subordination of the army commander.
In general, the entire border service is special forces. Before us is a real enemy. Soldiers walk around with weapons every day, a cartridge in the chamber. In addition to border guards, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, now the Ministry of Justice, who guard prisoners, are, perhaps, in constant combat readiness.
I gave 45 years of my life to the border troops. He organized the entry of units into Afghanistan, supervised operations, and the last one, after Army Commander Gromov, left across the bridge. Then I commanded the Operational Group in the Termez direction.
In Afghanistan, the zone of responsibility of the border troops was the territory to a depth of 100-150 km from the border line. Our air assault and motorized maneuver groups worked in close cooperation with the special forces of the KGB, the Air Force, motorized rifles, and artillery. We were engaged in identifying Islamist committees, persuading gangs to side with the state, and carrying out special tasks in order to stabilize the situation without a fight and without bloodshed. Each special unit had its own sector. Basically, while covering up operational activities, we focused on propaganda work, because before using weapons, it is better to try to convince them or create an intelligence base. And when the Mujahideen wanted to fight in response, then, of course, it was necessary to carry out specific measures. Now, if OKSV acted in Afghanistan just like we did, then order would be restored quickly. But there were people there who were not ready either morally or psychologically, so the main tank units had to be withdrawn. There was no special training; commanders in the 40th Army were collected from all over the Union. Even from here, units were sent from the North-West... But here there are swamps, forests, and there there is heat, sand, highlands. You need mountaineering skills, but they just didn’t exist; not even all the paratroopers were able to withstand it...
Who then headed the task force? Marshal Sokolov is a tank driver. His main assistant is Marshal Akhrameev, also a tanker. From the border guards there was Colonel General Vertelko, the first deputy commander, also a tanker. But the tasks were different; there was no talk about tank wedges and theories of modern military art. It was necessary to go back several centuries, to study the experience of fighting banditry, Basmachism, green brothers, smugglers, which is what I did when I was the chief of staff of the Central Asian border district. After all, our service is based on operational work, aka intelligence. And intelligence, in turn, is the basis of military protection.
– Did you carry out in-depth reconnaissance on other borders?
– In 1967, the Chinese promised that we would celebrate the 50th anniversary of Soviet power in the trenches, and that’s when detachments of increased combat capability began to be formed. Tank battalions were brought to the border as reinforcement, since the border guards must hold the defensive line for about 1-2 hours or even more, until army forces arrive.
Our groups also operated during the Daman events. In general, the Chinese are a specific people. The river flows, its banks are washed away, and the border changes. In theory, such issues are resolved through diplomatic methods. But it is very difficult for the Chinese to prove anything. As a result, they invaded Damansky Island. Major clashes occurred. Due to certain circumstances, army units did not arrive on time, and the border guards suffered heavy losses. The head of the border detachment, Colonel Leonov, died. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The commander of the military district, Losik, was removed. In general, border guards are sacrificial troops. Thus, in the Second World War, almost all of the 279 outposts from the Barents to the Black Sea were killed.
History and modernity should, like nowhere else, be reflected in the training of border troops. We train personnel to fight sabotage and reconnaissance formations, and teach them to fight large enemy forces with a small contingent. By the way, the training process is longer than in other troops. In Afghanistan, our guys showed good fighting abilities because they were basically prepared. Over eleven and a half years, 518 guys died. All are buried in their homeland. Not a single one was captured, there are no facts of desertion. 9 Heroes of the Soviet Union, a total of 22 thousand were awarded, in particular with medals “For excellence in protecting the state border of the USSR.” After all, according to documents, we were not in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1982. We wore the uniform of the Soviet Army and acted according to the tactics of special forces. Then we had to get legalized, since the handwriting could not be disguised and any farmer understood that our psychology was different, we had the ability to work with the local population. We convinced the bandits to lay down their arms, demonstrated strength: helicopters flew, infantry fighting vehicles would spin their guns. You look, and the enemy has become quiet. Our fighters also acted as part of other special forces: they hunted gang leaders and protected the Afghan government. The best were taken to the committee’s “Alpha”...
– Did the press service say that you are connected with the border landing force?
“I initiated the creation of air assault units. This is an airmobile version of units with increased combat effectiveness. The guys wore green vests and berets. The calculation was made for greater maneuverability, because it is almost impossible to use equipment - armored personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles - in the mountains of Central Asia. Qualified helicopter pilots clung to the rocks with the wheels of their vehicles, and a landing force landed on a small area, operating in isolation from the main formations. So I had only myself to rely on. When covering a caravan or gang, there was no need to wait for help. In the landing version, only 82 mm mortars were provided. In some places in the mountains they used 120 mm to protect the base. After all, first, after the landing, a camp was created, and only then they went on raids. As a rule, they worked on the basis of intelligence data, sometimes they even had to buy information... And it’s a shame that the experience of the Afghan war has been little studied. Her mistakes were repeated one after another in Chechnya. Then the war was not over either. Gorbachev wanted to become a world leader, a Nobel Prize laureate, and on the tail of the emerging columns, the war penetrated into our territory. All the same, after the withdrawal I had to carry out several operations.
- Where?
– In Afghanistan, in the areas of Ishkashim and Kalai Khumb, at the junction of the Khorog and Moscow border detachments. The operation was carried out by Totsky, the head of the Khorog detachment. Then the bandits reached the border and began to destroy the population that supported us during the war. We could not leave them to their fate and threw the terrorists away. Until mid-91, aviation flew to the northern provinces, and six companies provided the delivery of humanitarian aid. And then we betrayed the Afghans.
Now the Taliban are in the news. But they appeared even before the April revolution. Already in 1973 there were 6-8 thousand of them. The revolution forestalled another war. By the way, the movement was organized by the US intelligence services, since Afghanistan is a “nut to crack.” It was once part of India. Under Peter, trade routes were established through Termez and Sherkhan. The British went there three times. But they lost. The West was simply afraid of Russia’s penetration further into India. And Afghanistan became a buffer state. His politicians supported neutrality: they did not allow the British in and did not speak out against us. It was profitable.
– So why did you enter Afghanistan?
– We were forced. In general, the operational formation of the USSR troops looked like this: the most powerful group in the West (border guards performed the functions of only the 4th echelon of state border protection), the second group was concentrated in the Far East against China. But the South turned out to be open, except for border guards and small training units there was nothing there. It is no coincidence that the Americans became interested. We were only a few hours ahead of their invasion. Today, talking about Afghanistan, some politicians are fixated: why did it surrender to us? Let's try to study the situation in the world... In Germany alone there were 108 ballistic missiles capable of reaching the Urals. And if the United States began to deploy its bases in the South, it would be able to fire nuclear weapons at the entire Union. In fact, we went to prevent the Americans from advancing into Iran. After the Mul revolution, they were thrown out of this country. But the entire Iranian-Soviet border was crammed with electronic reconnaissance equipment that monitored our aviation. They recorded all the information to a depth of 1000 km.
– Did special units of border guards work there?
– Each border detachment had small groups of 30-50 people. They selected guys who had undergone airborne training in flying clubs. Tactics were borrowed from paratroopers and special forces. But the groups did not operate on Iranian territory, since the attitude was different: not to give a reason to be drawn into provocations. The border was destroyed, and we guarded it unilaterally. Basically, only mass transitions of the civilian population were stopped. I led the operation in Hasan-Kuli, when about 5 thousand refugees were concentrated there: supporters of the Shah, former military personnel. We had to expel them and then prevent new attempts through a show of force. We used service dogs on long leashes, but still the refugees pressed against the border under our cover. Only foreigners working in Iran were allowed through.
– Do OPBS work in Tajikistan and Chechnya?
– Mainly in Tajikistan. There are few of them in Chechnya. The main task is to prevent the militants from being fed from outside - from Georgia and Azerbaijan... It is not the Chechen people who are fighting, but rabble from all over the world. Whoever is there, and all for money. In Afghanistan it’s the same thing, they say they started a war with the people. No. A simple farmer doesn’t give a damn if they don’t interfere with his work - grazing livestock. Mercenaries fought against us. 175 camps existed in Pakistan alone, some were in China, about 100 in Iran, as well as in Yemen, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Afghanistan is now an international incubator for terrorist training. And guarding the Afghan-Tajik border is not a friendly service. Detachments of increased combat effectiveness block paths and passes, work according to information received in advance - they carry out targeted tasks, unlike, for example, motorized riflemen. Leaders are destroyed.
Islamist committees and leaders were confiscated in Afghanistan. And in Chechnya, leaders must be hired. A rough, hasty cleanup led nowhere: the militants hid their weapons and are waiting for the right moment. In such conditions, reconnaissance is very difficult. If we take the first Caucasian campaigns, then it turns out there were fewer dead than in the first Chechen war.
The Itumkala border detachment was recently created, which consists of the 121st garrison. Since April 10, 2000, he has been guarding 80 km 400 m of the border with Georgia in order to prevent the penetration of new gangs, stop financial assistance, the supply of ammunition and intelligence activities. Now the militants have switched to sabotage tactics. On April 5, military equipment was blown up in Argun. The next day it became known that explosive devices with thermal sensors were used. This has never happened in Chechnya before. On April 10, an entire train was blown up on the Argun route. In general, the war continues. And we, the border guards, and the rest of the troops need to do targeted work. And most importantly, contact with the local population.
Of course, the legs are there, the head is in a different place. If you think about it: everything is tied to oil, big money, spheres of influence. These treacherous Khasavyurt agreements set us back several years. After all, there were moments when the militants were seriously pressed, but for some reason the army found itself under attack. If the troops had been allowed to finish the job then, today there would be order in Chechnya. It is enough to eliminate major figures like Khattab, and everything will fall apart. Even the West is beginning to see the light: the sooner the Chechen war ends, the calmer it will be throughout the world. Why hasn't this incubator of terrorism been destroyed yet? Why are special forces’ hands “tied?”
From the "OP" archive
Viktor Nikolaevich Kharichev
Born in 1934 in the city of Przhevalsk in Kyrgyzstan. Graduated from the Alma-Ata Border Military Cavalry School of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. Since 1955, he served in the Tien Shan as a platoon commander, after which he served as head of the border outpost of the Frunze border detachment in Kyrgyzstan. Then, in Kazakhstan, he was the head of the school for sergeants of the Panfilov border detachment. After graduating from the Academy. Frunze became the chief of staff of the Osh border detachment. Every year the detachment stopped about 60 military-political provocations from China. For distinguished service, he was sent to the Higher Military Academy of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces. After graduating in 1978, he was sent to Ashgabat. He met the beginning of the Afghan events in the position of chief of staff of the Red Banner Central Asian Border District. Married. The son is a major of the border troops, the daughter is a captain. Now Viktor Kharichev is a major general in reserve.
The stages of development and formation of the Russian border guard are rightfully considered one of the most interesting and meaningful pages in the chronicle of the Russian state. The official date of birth of the first organized units of the border troops is considered to be May 28, 1918, when a supervisory body was created in the RSFSR - the Main Directorate of the Border Guard. However, in reality, the history of Russian border troops goes back to the distant past. Already in the middle of the 14th century, separate guard detachments were formed in the princely squads, which were on duty in the villages for days on end. Their primary tasks included constant monitoring of the established borders of Russian territories and alerting commanders about all movements of a potential enemy or other threats.
The Russian army has centuries of experience in organizing the protection and defense of its borders and outskirts - for 10 centuries, border guards have done everything possible to suppress any attempts at illegal invasion from the outside. From the very beginning of its existence, the Border Service made an invaluable contribution to the development and formation of the Russian state in the political, legal and economic spheres. The need to protect Russian borders was first thought about a thousand years ago. Historians believe that this is largely due to the baptism of Rus'. Many of the enemies’ campaigns were connected not only with a banal desire to plunder, but also had religious reasons. According to ancient chronicles, it was Prince Vladimir the Great who gave the decree to protect the borders of the Russian land and stimulated the creation of special squads.
The brave and courageous defenders of the Motherland were the first to meet the enemies and took the brunt of the blow in the event of a surprise attack. In addition to May 28, 1918, an equally important date in the history of Russian border troops is February 16, 1571, when the key foundations for protecting the country’s borders were laid. Looking ahead a little, we need to note another very important date in the history of the Russian state border service. This is May 28, 1958, when the “red calendar day” for green berets was adopted and officially approved in the armed forces of the USSR - the day of the Soviet border guard. Over the 100-year history of its formation and development, the border troops have undergone various reforms and transformations. And today they represent a completely different type of army. However, their key tasks in protecting state borders remain the same as before. Let's walk this thorny path together in order to better understand the “inner core” and the significance of the Russian border troops.
From the very time military science was invented, it was the border people, who were most often called watchmen or guards, who became the first trained and prepared soldiers on Russian lands. When nomads made sudden raids on Slavic tribes, which most often occurred at night, special detachments of vigilantes were forced to fence their territories with defensive structures in order to withstand the powerful onslaught of the enemy. Russian soldiers built earthen ramparts or, conversely, dug ditches. But the most widespread were the so-called serif features, which represented the simplest, but quite effective defensive fortification.
To do this, thick trees were felled with their crowns in the direction of the attack. It was almost impossible to overcome such an obstacle on horseback - you had to first clear the road, which took time. This gave the vigilantes the opportunity to plan a counterattack or strengthen their defense. In many Russian regions, even today there are settlements whose names contain the word “zaseka”. However, there is nothing surprising here. Back in the 14th century, on the orders of Grand Duke Ivan I Danilovich Kalita, entire defensive engineering communications were built along the borders of Great Rus' - the so-called serif lines, which extended for many kilometers. This was a necessary measure to protect the Principality of Vladimir from the invasion of warlike Mongol troops. Entire fortress cities were built on such serif lines: Murom, Kozelsk, Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, Serpukhov and Penza.
In the 14th century, regular border posts were already appointed on the Russian outskirts. And a faithful comrade-in-arms of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, the outstanding commander and hero of the capture of Kazan, Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky, was appointed to the position of head of the “newly created” border service. Later, in 1571, he personally drew up and certified to the tsar a detailed verdict of the Guard Service, which became the first official document that described in detail the key provisions of the border regulations on the lands of Rus'. In those distant times, when the troops did not have a clear organizational structure, the detachments of the Russian border service acted strictly according to the regulations and were divided into 2 categories: stanitsa and guard groups. For example, the villagers guarded the main line of the state border, the length of which was 400 miles. While the border guards served in a specific area of the territory.
It should be noted that the requirements for border guards were quite stringent, and failure to comply with the “standards” signed by the tsar was subject to extremely severe punishment. For being late to the outpost they were fined, for careless service they were flogged in public, but for leaving service without permission during a steppe raid they were most often thrown into prison forever or executed. At the suggestion of the head of the border service, boyar Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky, after some time in Rus', a memorial list of the Assumption Cathedral was compiled and approved, where the names of the dead Russian guards and villagers were entered. Thus, Russian border guards became the first soldiers for whom parishioners of the Orthodox Church read prayers. Until the second half of the 17th century, border guards celebrated an annual temple festival. And only several centuries later, the day of border troops was approved in the Soviet Union.
Today, special border posts with the Russian coat of arms are installed on Russian borders, but earlier, back in the time of Ivan the Terrible, Russian borders were “marked” differently. At that time, on large trees (thick oaks were most often chosen) a Christian sign was cut - an Orthodox cross. However, there were no fewer people wanting to covet Russian lands, so the border guards always had a lot of work. But this is another page of history, which will be described in detail in the next chapter. In 1827, Minister of Finance Yegor Frantsevich Kankrin presented to the Tsar for signature a completely new Regulation on the organization and structure of the Russian border guard, which noted the main points requiring changes. Thus, already in the middle of the 19th century, the first unit commanders were appointed in the border troops of that time, that is, a clear hierarchy was built, and military uniforms were also determined. These reforms played one of the key roles in the centuries-old history of the development and formation of the Russian border guard.
The exploits of Russian border guards at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries.
In 1912, a Russian border guard in Beloretsk sat in the snowdrifts for several days in the bitter cold, carefully observing the actions of the Austrian spies. At the most crucial moment, he emerged from the ambush and thwarted the espionage operation that was being planned against the Russian Empire. The defenders of state borders performed such heroic deeds almost every day, making it clear to enemy commanders that for their enemies the Russian border was firmly locked. However, at the end of the 19th century, the political situation on the world stage was extremely nervous and tense. Many of the neighboring states bordering Russian lands tried to send different spies to find vulnerabilities in the defense of the borders. It should be noted that at that time of troubles there were more than enough people who wanted to “chop off” a tidbit from the vast Russian territory. Residents of many border settlements, which were located in the south-eastern lands, suffered from constant armed attacks by bandits from abroad. And it was the border guards who had to put an end to this lawlessness.
On June 27, 1894, in the territory of the former Erivan province, Russian guard detachments were able to detect and defeat the “local” armed gangs operating at that time. It was also restless on the Far Eastern borders - in December 1898, border guards from the tenth hundred of the CER security guards under the command of warrant officer Alexander Guskov, after a long and fierce firefight, detained the leader of the cruel Chinese robbers on the lands of the Celestial Empire, thereby stopping the constant raids on Russian lands. The main problem that border guards had to deal with almost every day was smuggling. Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov wrote about this in his story “Taman”. Attempts to illegally transport goods from abroad to Russia were due to completely natural reasons. Foreign traders, before introducing their goods into the country, had to pay a state duty. This money was necessary to replenish the royal treasury, which at that time was “broke.” Naturally, no one wanted to pay these taxes, so underground trade was widespread almost everywhere.
What smugglers have come up with to smuggle money or valuable goods. Personal property that was subject to tax was hidden in heels, sewn into hats, and even managed to be woven into bags. With the active development of smuggling on the border, it became obvious that the state treasury was losing huge amounts of money that were needed for the development of the army. Therefore, senior ministers and various sovereigns tried to solve this problem. In 1892, Minister of Finance Sergei Yulievich Witte proposed seriously developing the border service. Tsar Alexander III approved this proposal and signed an order, according to which a special state unit of OKPS was urgently formed in Russia. This helped quickly restore order at the border and reduce the level of illegal trade, and also became a huge impetus for the further development of Russian border guards.
Border troops in the era of the revolutionary movement
The Bolshevik revolution in Russia, which occurred in 1917, made new adjustments to the history of the state border service. Revolutionary figures, activists, as well as public educators, having come to power in the country, first of all began to reorganize and completely eliminate the previously functioning state apparatus. Having overthrown the tsarist principles of governance, the Bolsheviks began to build a new model of society - socialist. It was supposed to quickly bring Russia into the list of leading countries on the world stage. But this also required radical reforms in the Russian army. There were good reasons for this.
In the fall of 1917, the Russian border territories, located in the European part, were more or less controlled by the military only near the Swedish borders and in certain areas of the area adjacent to the White Sea. And starting from the territories of the Gulf of Finland and all the way to Persia at that time, there ran a wide front line that appeared as a result of the First World War. The security of state borders was almost completely disorganized on the territory of Turkmenistan and in most of Siberia, and there were no staffed border posts on the Far Eastern borders. The situation was critical. In addition, at the end of 1917, the OKPS, created under Tsar Alexander III, was actually abolished. Complete chaos and chaos also reigned on the outskirts of the empire. At the same time, every day the situation was getting more and more out of the control of the authorities.
At the end of October 1917, decrees were adopted that determined the course of state development and set the key guidelines for the foreign policy activities of post-revolutionary Russia. Vladimir Lenin, who then became the main “generator” of revolutionary slogans and actively advocated the overthrow of the tsarist government, proposed forming a government of people’s commissars. At the very first meeting, the question of organizing the defense of state borders was raised. This responsible task was assigned to the units of the Red Army. The “remnants” of the disbanded OKPS were also involved, which supported the revolutionary processes in the country. To control and ensure the most efficient operation of border detachments in Russia, a new military department was formed. After the end of the civil “skirmishes” and the settlement of acute social conflicts in the country, the Bolsheviks began to restore and strengthen the Russian borders.
In the fall of 1920, the government adopted a resolution according to which the decision on issues of planning and organizing complex measures to protect borders was entrusted to a special department of the Cheka. Thus, the new authorities made it clear that the renewed border service troops were assigned a key role in the formation of the state security system. At the same time, the first methods of defending the country’s maritime borders began to be introduced.
On the first night of World War II, from June 22 to 23, 1941, the advanced units of the Wehrmacht were thrown back beyond the state border. But the Russian soldiers decided not to let the enemy go, but continued to pursue the fascist occupiers. Being on German territory, Soviet soldiers were able to capture Przemysl, which was located on the Lviv-Krakow railway section.
Seasoned fighters of the combined battalion of the 92nd border detachment of the NKVD troops, whose number was just over 200 people, took part in the legendary military operation. With the support of a special company of machine gunners and anti-tank artillery of the 99th Infantry Division, Russian border guards immediately went on the offensive to prevent a second attack on a strategically important section of the state border. In cramped urban conditions, a desperate hand-to-hand battle ensued, and the superior enemy forces were unable to withstand the powerful onslaught of Russian soldiers. However, it should be noted that for the Soviet border guards who performed their duty in the Far East, World War II began much earlier than the official date.
Battle of Lake Khasan
The Khasan events of 1938, when soldiers of the Japanese Kwantung Army decided to conduct reconnaissance in force against the USSR, became a symbol of the boundless courage of Russian soldiers. The Japanese appeared in Manchuria back in 1931 - they quickly seized the peaceful territories of Korea and China, founded the puppet state of Manchukuo, and after capturing and establishing control over the Chinese Eastern Railway, Japanese leaders also planned to gain part of the Russian east. Since 1934, armed clashes on the border occurred regularly. Moreover, the threat was so obvious that the main headquarters of the army command had to urgently form an entire Far Eastern Front.
The top of the Zaozernaya hill is the pride of Khasan. It was here, on the eve of the war, that Soviet border guards showed themselves to be principled and fearless warriors. In 1938, many of them did not hesitate to give their lives to maintain the height at any cost. Japanese soldiers launched an attack from afar. The first to come under attack were the soldiers on duty at the Bezymyannaya hill, which was located nearby. The commander of the border outpost, Lieutenant Alexei Makhalin, and 10 of his soldiers held off an attack by more than 100 Japanese soldiers for several hours. In hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, the commander died - the forces were too unequal. When help arrived, the hill was defended by only 2 border guards, and four more were seriously wounded.
Immediately after this there was an attack on the Zaozernoye hill. For more than two days, a border guard detachment and a company of Red Army soldiers held back the attacks of regular units of the Japanese army and retreated only after the corresponding order from the Supreme Command. Based on the results of this battle, Soviet generals were able to identify weak points in the defense and “patch the holes.” Five border guards were nominated for the highest award - the Gold Star medal.
Kola Peninsula
On the morning of July 22, 1941, Wehrmacht troops went on the offensive along the entire length of the western borders of the Soviet Union. Over the following weeks, the fascist occupiers were able to significantly advance deeper into Soviet territory, adding new territories to the list of military “trophies.” In mid-autumn, the Baltic states, Belarus, Kharkov, Odessa and Smolensk were captured. German troops stood near Leningrad and Moscow, threatening Crimea and other Russian territories. But the invaders were never able to push through the section of the front where the famous border pillar A116 on the Kola Peninsula remained standing forever. German bombers deliberately shot it down and repeatedly bombed this area of the area, but Soviet border guards constantly restored it.
On the territory of the Murmansk region of the USSR, the enemy went deeper in places only a few kilometers, and only to the old border of 1939. The mountain rangers located on the Musta-Tunturi ridge stopped the German soldiers already in front of the Sredny and Rybachy peninsulas. The legendary height was called “Border Sign”. It was here that Soviet border guards, hiding in the rocks, successfully held back enemy attacks until the beginning of 1944.
Defense of Leningrad
In July 1941, the Germans rushed through the city of Lyubertsy to Moscow, but the command of the Third Reich was no less interested in the “Northern Capital” of the USSR - Leningrad. The city was not only of political importance, but was also one of the most important industrial areas on the territory of the Soviet Union.
The heroic defense of Leningrad actually began from the first minutes of the war, but only from the Gulf of Finland. At sea, the city was protected by a separate garrison of the USSR military base on the Finnish Hanko Peninsula, which was leased from Finland for 30 years before the war. The garrison also included a coast guard detachment of 700 people. The maritime border guards actively provided assistance to the main forces, and were also involved in sorting and transporting ammunition.
The defenders of the peninsula held the defense for exactly 164 days, and their courage knew no bounds. Even despite their numerical superiority, the Germans could not get through to the city through the sea for a very long time. And only in December 1941, the border guards, together with the sailors, were forced to leave the border and return to Leningrad, which was already squeezed into the blockade ring from land. Already in the city itself, border guards actively participated in the defense, for which, after the liberation of the city, they were awarded high awards.
Russian border guards, as part of the main offensive forces of the USSR, even reached Berlin, and the Act of Surrender of Germany was signed with the fountain pen of a Soviet border guard soldier, Sergeant Bergin, from the NKVD unit. This interesting fact is described in issue No. 13 of the Russian military magazine “Border Guard” from 1945.
The situation with border troops in the post-war period
After the victory in World War II, units of the existing border troops of the USSR were transferred to a peaceful mode of service. However, their work did not become less responsible. They still had to maintain round-the-clock vigil at their posts, conduct intelligence operations and prevent any illegal border crossing by potential enemies and trespassers among the civilian population. In the period 1965-89. Russian border guards detained about 50,000 people who tried to illegally cross the borders of the USSR. Moreover, more than half of those detained were citizens of foreign countries.
In 1979, an armed conflict broke out on Afghan soil, in which Russian soldiers from a limited contingent of the armed forces were involved. After the revolutionary coup within the country and the victory of the democratic movement, the Middle Eastern neighbors immediately turned to the Soviet government for help in order to maintain the new regime and suppress the constant attacks of the Mujahideen. After some deliberation, the USSR authorities decided to provide forceful support. In the winter of 1980, separate units of border troops were also transferred to the northern regions of the republic. Over ten years of fierce fighting, more than 60,000 Soviet border guards passed through “fire, water and copper pipes” in Afghanistan, and about 1/3 of the soldiers from this number were presented with high government awards.
“Test of strength”: border guards in the period of the 20th–21st centuries.
The total length of Russia's state borders is 61,000 km, while no one in the world has more neighboring countries - 16 states, including the United States. For this reason, ensuring reliable protection of a border of such length requires a colossal amount of forces, resources and technical means. Today there is not a single unprotected section of the border in the country. However, just a decade and a half ago, almost 13,000 km of borders were simply exposed. This happened just at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. After the abolition of the KGB government agencies, the border troops underwent numerous changes, reforms and transformations. Thus, in 1992, “independent” units of the Russian Border Troops were formed, which were directly subordinate to the Ministry of State Security. And a year later, at the instigation of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, it was decided to create a new body - the Main Directorate of the Border Troops of the Russian Federation, which soon received the status of a federal ministry. In 1994, Russian border guards had to get used to a new “name” - the troops were renamed FPS.
After the collapse of the USSR, a troubled and unpredictable time began. Almost the entire territory of the country was covered by a wave of painful changes. The nineties turned out to be difficult for the entire Russian army, and especially for the border guards. The former Soviet republics have now become sovereign states, and if previously a conditional border was established with them, then after the collapse of the USSR, state borders should have become not just a dividing line, but rather fortified positions. But the country simply did not have the means and strength for this at that time. Moreover, Russian border guards continued to protect the borders of the former Soviet republics, as was the case, for example, on the Tajik-Afghan border, where border troops units essentially found themselves between a rock and a hard place.
On one side of the barricade, the new movement of the Islamic Renaissance of Tajikistan rapidly intensified, and on the other, Afghan armed gangs were operating. These forces tried to unite with each other in order to overthrow the legitimate government and establish their own order on the territory of the Republic. Soldiers of the Moscow border detachment of the Russian Federation found themselves on the way to transfer armed groups of weapons and drugs to Tajikistan. Hero of Russia Andrei Merzlikin in 1993, while still a young lieutenant, served at the 12th outpost of the Moscow border detachment. He received the title of hero for the courage and heroism shown during the events on the Tajik-Afghan border on July 13, 1993. Without exaggeration, we can say that this day became one of the most tragic in the history of the modern Russian border service.
In the summer of 1993, minor militant incursions became routine for outpost 12, and they had long been accustomed to them. Therefore, on the eve of the tragic events, the border guards did not have any bad premonitions - life went on as usual. On July 13, 250 Mujahideen almost encircled the border post. The fighters were at their fingertips, within direct shot distance. As it turned out later, in total, about 800 Mujahideen took part in the operation to destroy the 12th border outpost against 49 young and mostly unshot guys. They were taken by surprise, the fighters barely had time to figure out what had happened, and hastily took up firing positions if they managed to reach them. One after another, the outpost buildings were blown up, and it was impossible to stick your head out of the trenches. The encirclement ring rapidly tightened and soon the only infantry fighting vehicle was shot down. The head of the outpost, Mikhail Mayboroda, was mortally wounded. Lieutenant Andrei Merzlikin took command when the Mujahideen were already on the territory of the outpost. Of the 49 border guards, only 18 remained alive, and almost all of the ammunition had run out.
The reserve of the border detachment came to the aid of the 12th border post as soon as the first signal of the attack was received. However, it turned out to be impossible to approach the site of the fighting, since the only road was mined by the Mujahideen. The column moved slowly. When Russian helicopters arrived over the outpost, the militants were already collecting captured weapons. And only after massive air strikes with heavy losses were they forced to retreat to Afghanistan. Andrei Merzlikin led the survivors out of the encirclement 12 hours after the attack. This tragic day became exemplary. The border guards have once again proven that they are ready to defend the Motherland until the last drop of blood.
The beginning of the 21st century marked itself with fundamental changes in the foreign policy world order. Threats to state security have moved to a qualitatively new level. Of particular concern was international terrorism and armed provocations on the part of some Islamic states. All this required a completely different approach to ensuring the protection of Russia's national interests. Therefore, in 2003, the FPS was disbanded, and the president assigned the main functions of control over state borders to the FSB. As of 2017, the Border Patrol falls under the security service.
Where are border guards trained?
In 1932, when Soviet citizens, under the clear leadership of the Communist Party, completed the implementation of the first five-year plan ahead of schedule, the attitude towards the USSR on the part of neighboring states changed dramatically. The enormous successes of Russian society aroused the anger and hatred of enemies, who made every possible effort to disrupt the peaceful process of socialist construction at any cost. International reaction intensified subversive activities against the Soviet Union - armed provocations, industrial espionage, constant sabotage. The Russian border knew no peace. Under these conditions, the role of border guard soldiers in protecting state borders has sharply increased, and the need for experienced officers and ordinary soldiers has also increased.
On February 12, 1932, the formation of the third border guard school began. This made it possible to quickly organize professional training of human resources for military service. In 1937, the experimental school of the USSR border troops was renamed the Moscow Military School, and later for outstanding services to the Fatherland it was awarded the title of the Moscow Border Institute. One of the famous students of this educational institution was the hero of the Soviet Union V. A. Samsonov. About forty other graduates of the border school were awarded government awards of varying degrees. The Soviet leadership began to pay more attention to the professional training of soldiers, which had a positive effect on the overall combat readiness of the army.
Today in Russia, border guards are trained in 13 higher educational institutions, and recruitment to serve in the FSB border troops is carried out exclusively on a contract basis. In addition to the oldest Moscow Border Institute, you can apply to universities and academies located in Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Yekaterinburg and other cities. One of the most popular educational institutions is also the Golitsyn Border Institute, which operates under the FSB of Russia. Today this university is one of the best higher education and training institutions of the border profile in the structure of the federal state security. The combat chronicle of the border troops, which was conducted over centuries, captured many outstanding names - graduates of the Golitsyn Border Institute, who distinguished themselves in protecting and protecting the borders of their homeland. Among them, 17 heroes of the Soviet Union and 1 hero of the Russian Federation, as well as more than 70 graduates of the institute, were awarded the highest officer rank of general for exemplary performance of combat missions of the command. The Institute also has a separate branch in Stavropol. To get an interview, just leave an online application on the main website of the GPI administration.
Dogs in the Russian Border Service
The four-legged friends of border guards include nimble spaniels and powerful German shepherds, as well as some other dog breeds. They help detain criminals and find goods prohibited for transportation across the border: drugs, weapons, radiation elements. However, before becoming real specialists, animals undergo training at the FSB canine center. As they say, borderline dogs are not born - they are made. But first, healthy and trainable puppies must be born. And this happens in a special nursery of the center. Experienced nursery staff select suitable parents, and not just healthy dogs of a certain breed. Future candidates for the “position” of parents must undergo a rigorous selection process based on many parameters. They must be in good physical shape and undergo a full training course. The fitness of the parents for service is the guarantee that the puppies will then be fit for training with dog handlers.
If four-legged border guards are “workers”, physically trained and carry out a given amount of work without problems, then such parents will produce good offspring. That is why the FSB dog training center takes dogs very seriously. Future parents living in the nursery constantly practice on the obstacle course, look for conditional violators,, together with dog handlers, make multi-kilometer forced marches and hone other skills that may be useful in their work. Experienced veterinarians monitor the health of the dogs. Dogs that are carrying puppies or are preparing to become mothers are given special care and are under close veterinary supervision. Specialization of training, a balanced diet, work tasks - in general, everything happens almost like in humans. Many “graduates” of the dog kennel serve not only on the border, fulfilling their duty to the Motherland, but also take an active part in anti-terrorist and other special operations of the special forces of the border troops.
The most interesting thing is that in the nursery, expectant mothers even attend an antenatal clinic, where an external examination is carried out, the clinical state of health is checked, and much more. When the dog is ready for mating, a whole range of measures are carried out that are aimed at maintaining immunity, various immunotropic drugs are used, and preventive vaccination is mandatory. Already pregnant, the dog undergoes a diagnostic ultrasound examination. All these measures make it possible in 97% of cases to guarantee the birth of healthy and able-bodied offspring. The border dog is not just a symbol of Soviet and Russian border troops. This is a faithful assistant, a reliable comrade and a fighting ally who is able to help out in difficult and extreme situations.
Dogs expecting offspring and whelping are switched to an enhanced diet - they are given an additional allowance of meat and milk, as well as eggs and cottage cheese. At first, puppies feed on mother's milk, then their menu is gradually expanded. From about 3 weeks of age, puppies begin to feed complementary foods - dairy products are necessarily introduced into the diet, and every week a new ingredient is added to the menu. These can be fresh vegetables, a certain type of cereal and meat. As you get older, the standards gradually increase. Special preparation for future training also begins very early. At first it’s just physical activity with elements of an obstacle course, and then dog handlers begin to develop professional skills. Socialization is also required for young puppies, which will help them adapt to new stimuli. For the first lesson, young “fighters” are brought out together with their mother - as in the wild, the mother helps the offspring take their first steps. Gradually, the puppies begin to go out onto the playground on their own. And after 1.5 months, dog handlers teach them to be independent, reducing the time they spend with their mother.
The selection of parents, the bearing and birth of puppies, the first walks and games on the playground, increasingly complex activities and physical activities, meeting with a dog handler and the training course for a “young fighter” in the specialty - the path to graduating from school as a trained border guard assistant is long and difficult. And only when the young “green” puppy successfully passes all the tests, not just a well-trained dog is sent to the Russian border, but a powerful weapon and an effective means of reinforcement, a full-fledged combat unit, and most importantly - a true faithful friend who will never betray in difficult times .
How does the FSB border service work?
In just one year, about 160–170 million people cross the Russian border, with the absolute majority of them being law-abiding citizens. And only 10% of the total number of “defectors” pursue selfish or criminal goals. As a rule, these are smugglers who carry ancient icons, antiques and valuable works of art.
There are also many who deliberately bring death to Russia: narcotic substances infected with deadly viruses or poisonous poisonous substances. Some make a business out of illegally importing gold, foreign currency and securities. It is precisely 1/10 of the total number of people crossing the border of the Russian Federation that poses a fairly serious threat to the security of the state. Therefore, today there is no way to do without reliable border protection. How the FSB border service works can be assessed using a real example from practice.
Incident at the Brusnichnoye checkpoint
Smugglers are trying to smuggle drugs into Russia illegally by any means necessary. However, in 95% of cases this fails. One of these cases occurred in May 2015 on the Russian-Finnish border. The day before the arrest of the criminals, Vyborg customs received operational information “from above” that a vehicle was expected to arrive at the Brusnichnoe checkpoint, most likely containing smuggling. In this case, the type of car is approximately a jeep or minivan. In reality, identifying attackers is very difficult. In one day, about 4,000 cars cross the checkpoint, and 1/4 of them are jeeps and minivans. Thus, the border guards had to find one with contraband among 1,000 cars, taking into account that the drivers’ personal passports would probably be fine. However, the information was received and it was necessary to prevent the entry of contraband into the country.
Closer to lunch, a white minibus crossed the border, which came into view of the video cameras and matched the description from the orientation. In this situation, the customs inspector on duty made the only right decision - to send the car for a detailed inspection using an X-ray unit, which completely illuminates the interior of the vehicle. Figuratively speaking, Russian customs officers using such a complex can even detect a needle in a haystack. Many drivers don’t know about this, while others hope that maybe they won’t check them. But at the border, absolutely everything is checked. Since it is impossible to physically check every cargo, modern digital technology and electronics, as well as the latest engineering developments and scientific achievements, come to the aid of control authorities.
A check showed that there was white powder, presumably drugs, in the interior trim of the minivan. The inspector did not detain the smugglers on the spot, since they could have weapons, and there were many peaceful people around. Therefore, the minibus was allowed across the border, where literally a few minutes later the road was blocked by a special vehicle with a SOBR group. The criminals were detained, and a forensic examination, which was carried out right at the scene of the arrest, established that the seized white powder was heroin, weighing a total of 10 kg. This is roughly how the workdays of employees of the border service of the FSB of the Russian Federation go. Another interesting case from practice occurred directly in Russia.
Case at the Sea Façade port
In May 2015, a cruise ship arrived at the sea passenger port in St. Petersburg. It was an ordinary tour: a day or two in the city and back to the ship. The passengers were mainly tourists from Europe and the USA. Often, while waiting for passport control, people in line begin to get nervous and indignant: “why is it taking so long?”, “Can’t it be faster?”, but the border doesn’t like rushing. It is thanks to the vigilance of Russian border guards that the overwhelming number of civil offenses and criminal offenses can be prevented in a timely manner.
This happened this time too, when foreign tourists were already returning to the cruise ship. The passport control officer noticed that the young man from among the foreign tourists did not look like the photo that was in the passport. According to the instructions, the passport officer called the security service shift supervisor. The young man was escorted to the interrogation room, while other passengers on the cruise ship did not have time to notice anything unusual.
During the initial investigation, it turned out that the foreigner turned out to be a citizen of Russia. He did not have the opportunity to legally travel abroad, so he found those who agreed to help for good money. They picked up a man similar to him abroad and sent him to Russia - it was he who was on the cruise ship. After crossing the border, the “double” handed over clothes, a bag and a passport to the customer. A few days later, the “founded” tourist had to report to the police that he had been robbed. However, the brilliant plan was never brought to life. In approximately the same way, using forged documents, in January 2015, one of the terrorists who participated in the seizure of the building on Dubrovka in the fall of 2002, when 130 people died during the musical Nord-Ost, was detained on the border with Ukraine.
A large flow of people is concentrated at the border, among whom there may be a person who decides to commit evil. Therefore, border guards have no right to remain idle. Ordinary passengers need to understand that passport control is a mandatory measure, a guarantee of the country’s national security. Border guards have to deal with quite sophisticated people who have great resources and access to modern technology. For this reason, when it comes to the reliability of protecting the state border, FSB border service officers are obliged to always be one step ahead in order to be able to promptly prevent impending crimes.
