The bosses received gold (Hero of Russia) stars by secret decree. What soldiers from commando group ‘Alpha’ wrote us about it.

This is certainly not the top story of the week, but sometimes we find out a day’s news after a year, sometimes after a century, or after a millennium. What I learned, I learned last Thursday.

I remember how we were talking on that October night on Dubrovka. How the doctors, members of parliament, and journalists — including those from ‘Novaya Gazeta’ — hauled water for people who found themselves held hostage by terrorists. How we cried together over those who could not be saved. In principle, it was all a normal day on the job in an abnormal situation.

But there were some guys whose names we did not know back then, and whom today we still do not know — those who took by storm that world-famous theatrical center. Together we laughed about how some members of the Moscow city parliament awarded themselves badges for taking part in the rescue operation, and even blushed for them, since in reality only commandos from ‘Alpha’ and ‘Vympel’ (Pennant), two special operations divisions of the FSB of Russia, were worthy of awards. Then suddenly…

From the following letter, you can see what exactly is meant by “suddenly”:

“Writing you are commandos from ‘Alpha’ group of the FSB Special Operations Center who took part in the storming of ‘Nord-Ost’. Right after New Year’s, orders and medals of were awarded to FSB security force officers who participated in the assault. Among these, five received the high title of Hero of Russia. Of these five, there was one soldier each from group ‘Alpha’ and ‘Vympel’ decorated with the Hero of Russia medal, and these guys deserved it in every way: they had been at every hot spot. And who are the other three ‘heroes’ riding other people’s coattails of merit? There is first deputy director of the FSB, General V. Pronichev, who was the head of the hostage rescue headquarters, and General A. Tikhonov, head of the Special Operations Center. Pronichev and Tikhonov are responsible for the fight against terrorism in Russia. Not only did they not suffer any punishment for the terrorists infiltrating right into the center of Moscow, they also got Hero of Russia stars, in fact, depriving those who are much more deserving and risk their lives. The fifth Hero is the chemist who released the gas into the theatrical center — the man who became savior and murderer of many of the hostages. Respectfully, commandos from ‘Alpha’ group.”

I went and tried to find out: could this be true? What is this, are they now giving Hero of Russia medals to people who were not even involved in the rescue?

It turned out to be the truth. President Putin himself, in a secret decree, rewarded his former colleagues, two generals from the FSB, and personally handed the stars of Hero of Russia to his colleagues in the FSB of Russia.

So why were the guys from ‘Alpha’ and ‘Vympel’ offended? It turns out, during meetings in the presence of their superiors, they decided to reward only those who were there in that building, in that darkness and nightmare.

As usual, however, there are those who make for themselves a bright future in the darkness and nightmare.

I do not understand what it is with these closed, secret decrees conferring the title of Hero of Russia. These things used to be more for covert agents and nuclear academicians, but only just recently there have been secret decrees making FSB director Patrushev, Security Council Secretary Rushailo, and Prosecutor General Ustinov into heroes. Do these people have to be rewarded in secret, out of fear for their lives? But generals Kazantsev and Troshev are never shy about wearing their hero medals.

Rushailo, Ustinov, and Patrushev were made heroes because of their successes in the Chechen war. So how many other secret heroes do we have out there?

I phoned the Association of the Heroes of the USSR and Russia, which is headed by General Varennikov. I was told the exact figures, how many Heroes of the Soviet Union were awarded during the 9-year war in Afghanistan: 40th Army — 44 awards, KGB — 6, Interior Ministry — 1, Border Guards — 7.

When we tried to find out how many Heroes of Russia medals had been awarded for the Chechen war, we were told that they did not know. We asked why, and the answer surprised us — we were told that this is classified information.

 And I understand why it is a secret: of those who fought and are fighting in Chechnya, 90% were decorated posthumously.

I remember a counterintelligence major in Chechnya, who told me sadly after the loss of a friend: “If I die and I they give me a Hero of Russia star posthumously, maybe my family will finally get an apartment.” Those who are fighting, they know what it is all about. But the “secret heroes” are “backroom heroes” who ride the coattails of real heroes, and that is what happened at ‘Nord-Ost’.

I do not understand why our president does not give high awards to those who actually do something, but instead to those on whose support he can count. Such a thing usually goes on in African and Latin American countries during periods of military dictatorship.

And so now I understand why the guys from ‘Alpha’ and ‘Vympel’ are sore: who are they supposed to be, just somebody to escort around these generals?

I would think that any leader would be ashamed to receive awards for ‘Nord-Ost’, and would give these instead to those who honorably performed their military duty.

We have a friend — Alex Rakovitsan. He is a heroic fellow, twice wounded, but he always went back to his soldiers so that they would not be alone. He has twice received the Order of Courage, and twice nominated for the Hero of Russia. The first time was when he was in the hospital after the first time he was wounded. He was asked him to send a case of brandy to Moscow, and all his boys on the sly chipped in their own money to make it happen. Later he was asked to send money, but he was broke.

I will cite only one of his nominations for Hero of Russia:

“Warrant Officer Alexander Viktorovich Rakovitsan, commander of the commandant’s platoon of the 205th independent motorized rifle brigade, during the period from 13 August 1999 to 17 January 2000 carried out a government mission to destroy armed gangs in the territory of the Republic of Dagestan…  On October 6th, Warrant Officer A. V. Rakovitsan was commanding a flanking unit and crossing the river Terek. Bandits were preparing to blow up the bridge. Warrant Officer A. V. Rakovitsan leaped from the bridge and used his own weight to break the wires, thereby saving the only bridge across the River Terek. …On November 15th, 1999, he attacked the enemy’s flank and threw grenades at the insurgents. On December 31st… On January 9th… On January 17th… …seriously wounded, but continued to lead the fight…
“In conclusion, for personal courage and heroism displayed in the performance of his military duty in circumstances involving great risk to life, Warrant Officer Alexander Viktorovich Rakovitsan is deserving of the award of Hero of the Russian Federation. Signed, commander of Task Force Group West Colonel S. N. Stvolov.”

I remember when Hero of Russia Sergei Stvolov, Alex’s commander, called me up: “I’m ashamed that I got a Hero of Russia and Alex didn’t. Do something.” I wrote letters to the Minister of Defense, and to the President. There was no reply. Colonel Stvolov, Hero of Russia, was killed, and now no one asks me for anything for his guys.

Yuri Schekochihin in ‘Novaya Gazeta’
March 13th, 2003
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/data/2003/16/00.html

Comments (2)

1. За что получают звезды те, кто провел га Written by радио Свобода , on 14-10-2011 15:29 Петр Вайль: Трудно припомнить более кощунственное награждение, чем это. Что-то сходное затерялось в сталинских временах, в непроглядной советской истории — не потому непроглядной, что древней, а потому, что намертво закрытой, как являются закрытыми президентские указы о новых наградах. История, как известно, не терпит сослагательного наклонения: неизвестно, спас ли сотни жизней штурм на Дубровке, как утверждают российские власти, тем более, если учесть показания свидетелей о том, что у террористов было время взорвать здание, но они не взорвали. Почему — неизвестно, и уже, как принято в российской истории, не узнать, но точно известно, что 130 заложников погибли от рук своих. Власть не только принесла их в жертву, но теперь не постеснялась и вручить награды за жертвоприношение. Сослагательного наклонения в истории нет, и нет, увы, смысла обсуждать, как бы все сложилось, если бы вместо штурма были переговоры. Но можно и нужно говорить о реакции на трагедию российского общества. До сих пор казалось, что оно, общество, находится на той ступени, где великой страной считается не та, которая как можно лучше заботится о своих, а та, которая убивает как можно больше чужих. Теперь и убийство своих приравнено к доблести. Report

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