The heyday of hazing in the Soviet army came in the 1970s and 1980s. At this time, an unofficial soldier hierarchy was finally formed, consisting of "young" and "grandfathers". These two groups, in turn, were divided into subgroups. The most privileged caste was the demobilization, whose service life was coming to an end. Demobilization, that is, transfer to the reserve, gave rise to a number of rituals that have become an integral part of the army subculture.
Where are the roots
Dembel rituals are an important component of hazing - hazing relationships built on the superiority of "grandfathers" over "young" on the basis of service life. It is believed that the roots of this phenomenon go back to tsarist time. In the Soviet army, cases of hazing began to be recorded in the Great Patriotic war when criminals began to be drafted into the army, who brought elements of the prison subculture into the military environment.
The reform of 1967 had a serious impact on the formation of hazing in the armed forces of the country of the Soviets: the term of service of conscripts was reduced in the army to two years and to three in the navy. The recruits who arrived in the troops on the "reduction" caused hatred among the old-timers.
The "grandfathers" began to take out their anger on them, trying to ruin the life of the rank and file with absurd orders and instructions, or simply to mock the unfortunate. The decrease in service life coincided with the demographic collapse caused by the effects of the war. Because of this, former criminals began to replenish the troops. All these factors led to the formation of hazing and rituals associated with it. Perhaps the most original of them arose in the demobilization environment.
Stodnevka
“100 Days” is one of the most important days for old-timers. "Grandfathers" celebrated a hundred days before the release of the order of the Minister of Defense on the dismissal of conscripts. As a rule, the order was issued at the same time from year to year, so the soldiers could easily calculate the date of the new one.
From the moment he ordered to leave, the "grandfather" was considered a "demobilization", which means he moved to the highest level of the informal army hierarchy. The term of the remaining service at the same time depended on the success of the soldier in combat and political training, his merits and personal qualities.
The best, as a rule, left in the first game. In the "hundred days before the order" any self-respecting old-timer had to shave his head "under zero", that is, bald. Also, the "grandfathers" gave oil to the "young" (they say, we will eat in civilian life). In addition, in some parts, the ritual of throwing a mala at the ceiling was common.
The ritual “cigarette under the pillow” is also associated with the beginning of the “hundred days”. Every morning, the future "demobilization" had to find a pleasant surprise under his pillow - a cigarette. On it, a private specially appointed for this purpose wrote the number of days remaining before the order. Aerobatics it was considered to put a cigarette under the pillow so as not to wake the old-timer.
However, even if this happened, it was not a misdemeanor. For the performance of the ritual, the future "demobilization" gave oil to the salagas. But the absence of a cigarette was considered a very serious “jamb”. For this, the "young" could be subjected to serious punishment.
When half of the “hundred days” expired, the “grandfathers” changed roles with the “young” for one day. The latter became the absolute masters of the barracks, and the old-timers had to follow all their orders. Theoretically, the “grandfathers” could be given any commands, but each soldier remembered that the next day everything would return to normal, which means that they would have to pay for excessive arrogance and courage.
Another ritual is “demobilization questions”. The old-timers asked the "young" a variety of questions: about the size of the legs of the "grandfathers", about butter and, most importantly, about the issuance of the dismissal order. The private had to always remember the number of days before this event. The soldier's forgetfulness could turn into serious problems for him, because the old-timers considered this as a sign of disrespect.
After the release of the demobilization order, it was time for the "reading" - a particularly honorable ritual of reading the text published in the "Red Star". A rookie was chosen for the role of herald. Several stools were placed on top of each other, a soldier climbed on them and squatted down.
It was necessary that his head was directly under the ceiling. The soldier publicly read the text of the order, and after the end, one of the "grandfathers" pulled out the lower stool with a cry of "That's the end of the hundred days!" Then the newly minted “demobilization” drank alcohol, which the “young” had to get blood from the nose. From that moment began the last and easiest stage of military service.
It's just lafa when we are "demobilized"
One of the main demobilization rituals is the so-called lullaby. It was performed by a first-year soldier after lights out. Depending on the type of troops, the content of the text could differ. One of her options is as follows: “I ate the butter - and the day passed, the foreman went home. Demobilization has become a day shorter, good night to all the "grandfathers."
Another popular ritual was the “demobilization train”. The recruits played extras, and the "demobilization" - the passengers who are going home. During this action, the newcomers rock the bed of the old-timer, creating an imitation of a moving train. For greater persuasiveness, the “young” standing next to the bed use a flashlight and tree branches, depicting a landscape with forests and stopovers flying past the train window.
With the imminent transfer to the reserve, the change in the order “private, come to me” is also connected: in the demobilization environment, he was transformed into the command “One!”. The old-timer loudly gives an order that the "young" people nearby should hear. After that, one of the recruits had to very quickly (within 1-3 seconds) run up to the "demobilization" and introduce himself. The meaning of the ritual was the speed of its implementation.
If the private did not follow the order quickly enough, he comes back, after which the "demobilization" again gave a similar command. If none of the soldiers was in a hurry to come to the old-timer on his command, then the entire unit could be punished.
“During the three years of the army, you only talk about this“ demobilization ”, about what you will start doing when it comes. You are used to being in a state of constant expectation - and then at one moment all questions about the future turn from hypothetical to urgent, ”says Michael (real name is kept in the editorial office), 21 years old, demobilized from the elite intelligence units six months ago. Michael is a tough guy with a deep bass and a good high-tech salary, data that hides the fact that he struggled with depression just three months ago, an illness that accompanied him on the way from army addiction to civilian life.
It is believed that at the moment of demobilization, when a soldier's certificate is cut in two, a collective sigh of relief from the young "demobilized" should sound; Like a prisoner throwing off his fetters, tens of thousands of soldiers cut off the certificates that for years symbolized their status under orders and begin to walk a new path. Most manage to cope with the accompanying difficulties and doubts at the cost of a “little wing bruise” when they look for temporary work or travel abroad. However, in parallel with gaining the long-awaited freedom, young people also discover new life obstacles. For the hundreds of retirees each year, this is a blow that can easily lead to clinical depression.
“Questions about the future stressed me, because before the army I did not make any serious life decisions. At the end of the army, I went from a state in which I did not choose anything in my life, to a state in which I have to choose everything - and so I received a “demobilization slap in the face,” describes Michael. Why does depression incite them precisely after events that are considered positive in society?
When demobilization doesn't release
Aaron tells me that his military service brought him only suffering, and even then he felt symptoms of depression. “I remember that at the beginning of the service I told myself that I was not at all sure that I would leave the army alive, because I might put a bullet in my forehead,” he says. Only at the end of the service, Aaron realized that his condition, but then he preferred not to go to a psychiatrist because he was afraid of being hospitalized. Naively, Aaron believed that military service was the cause of his depression, and that with demobilization it would also pass, but to his disappointment, this did not happen. If during the service Aaron held on to the hope of recovery at the end of the "term", then after that he had nothing to run from.
Unlike Aaron, Michael did not develop depression during his service. He also cherished hopes of “the day that comes after” and, in a moment of truth, faced a hard reality: “When the service ended, I held on to my mother’s house at all costs, as the only space protected for me. The problem with such a place is that it is a double-edged sword: the longer you hold on to it, the more you are afraid to “go out on reconnaissance”, to find out how it is outside, in the rest of the world. I developed a fear of anything that wasn't a protected space and was very lost."
Michael often emphasizes that he has abilities that an ordinary "demobilization" can only dream of; a database security professional, Michael found it easy to get invitations to interviews at standing places work. But just when he began to receive the most coveted offers, depression hit him. “Somehow I got three great offers on the same day, one of them wanted to set up a meeting for the same week to discuss the details,” he says. “But I lied that I was going abroad for three weeks, while no trip was planned. He lied because he was afraid to physically leave the house, from his protected space. True, this is absurd - why should a 21-year-old guy be afraid to leave the house? Everything that happens outside the home scared me catastrophically. When I think about it logically now, I realize that I could handle anything. But then I just couldn't."
Learned helplessness
“Contrary to the popular belief that military service matures and develops, often the standard army service just leads to personality regression,” explains psychologist Eitan Tamir, director and founder of the Tamir Psychotherapy Institute in Tel Aviv. - A jobnik who comes daily to Kiria and lives in a certain contact with the civilian world "comes" to demobilization better prepared than a Golani fighter or a person serving in another selected and detached unit. Soldiers who experienced isolation from civilian life during the army, although they often perform work that requires effort and endurance, however, develop dependence on a totally artificial system in which they are cogs. The army apparatus reinforces the acquired helplessness, and this same helplessness is the main harbinger of depression.
“I was seven years old when my father died, and I grew up as an only child,” says Michael, “all my life I knew that it was only my mother and I, that I would always have somewhere to return, but the army pulled me out of there.” The army, although it gave Michael vocational training but also separated him from the life he knew before. “We receive hundreds of requests a year from those who have served, many of the latter have a “bouquet” of symptoms, including depression,” explains Tamir. “I had a patient who, due to a vision problem started in the army, survived big stress, which developed into depression at the age of 22.
The insularity of Aaron's service also contributed to the formation of his depression, which worsened after his dismissal. "The army needs cheap work force, and it is very convenient for her to throw people into the most difficult conditions, and then throw them into civilian life, ”he says. The exhausting service in the IDF allowed Aaron to suppress symptoms that were later attributed to depression. “In the army, while you are performing your duties, no one will start a sincere conversation with you on the topic “are you all right.” You can change the base and things will be settled, - he explains, - but there is nowhere to run in civilian life - I was fired from my job because I wanted to move to another position; this led to a worsening of the state, apathy towards everything positive and a constant desire to sleep.
“Everyone starts from the fact that if a soldier has served three years, then he has enough ability and he is old enough to cope with this transition,” continues Ret. association Eran (hotline urgent psychological help) in Karmiel - whether this thesis is true or not - it is worth researching. The army will still need these men as reservists, and it saws the branch it sits on when it doesn't invest enough in them to make sure they don't leave the system later. Every soldier who is not in the reserve is a loss."
Aaron is one of those people lost by the army who managed to snatch with their teeth exemption from their disastrous service in the reserve. “I had an appointment with a mental health officer, I was afraid that I would oversleep and stayed up all night,” he says, “and because I was completely exhausted, I fell asleep in the morning and missed the meeting. Fortunately for me, I was in no hurry to be classified as a reservist, because the commander of my squad noticed that my state of mind was so hot, and I should not be stressed. He was one of the few in the army who understood me."
Hiding depression
Michael's reclusiveness and evasion of job offers may perhaps explain why many retired soldiers who find themselves in a similar situation do not receive public attention. Out of sight, out of the heart of society. A Google search for the words "depression during military service" yields many results and articles, as well as forum discussions. "Depression after demobilization" gives almost nothing. Information and links - a minimum. According to Tamir, this gap is due to the mechanism of denial in society.
“It is difficult to admit that we are getting a 21-year-old person who is unable to cope with life. It says a lot about the norms of compulsory military service, about what we, as a society, give or demand from our children.”
It was difficult for Aaron's relatives to accept the situation and support him. “Ten years ago, people knew nothing about this phenomenon, and the family had no way to help me,” he says. “They just advised me to go to the sea or wait patiently until everything passes.”
Eitan Tamir: “Our institute is one of the largest institutes in the country that deals with this area, but there are others. We receive hundreds of requests a year. This phenomenon exists - and requires treatment.
Aaron, desperate to improve his condition and realizing that his family was also powerless to help him, turned to participating in social activism. Personal problems led him to a critical awareness of various social ills. "I've had a lot negative emotions in relation to society after service. The improvement of the individual's situation, in my opinion, requires social change on a large scale." However, he realized that in parallel he must take personal responsibility for his condition and treatment.
Aaron and Michael hid depression from others, but in the end they managed to overcome the illness and continue to live. Aaron is currently working as an instructor for information systems which requires high concentration, ability to work under pressure and high people skills in order to build relationships with students. He also underwent psychotherapy and began to overcome his social anxiety by giving lectures. “To help myself and others, I lecture in pubs, mainly on economics and state system, this reflects my main hobby - reading materials on history and economics. AT last years I also started sharing my emotions with those around me,” he says.
As for Michael, three months ago something happened in his life that was decisive - to leave the house and enter the public space, which seemed so intimidating to him after demobilization. “I started playing American football professionally. This sport suits me because I have never been skinny,” he laughs. - It happened quite by accident, a friend advised me to try it - but for me it was a gradual exit from the house ... While playing, I felt that I was entering a completely different world. On the field, I run into people and do crazy things without getting hurt. It allows me to temporarily disconnect from reality, which is really great.”
Ending to be
A soldier became a demobilized after the issuance of the order of the Minister of Defense "On the conscription of citizens for military service and on the dismissal from military service of citizens undergoing military service on conscription." And the closer the soldier's calendar approached the day of issuing the order for demobilization, the more prejudices arose among potential demobilizers, primarily in emotional terms. The birth of soldier's superstitions took place both on the basis of the experience of previous generations, and on the basis of own feelings. It was strictly forbidden to break the established traditions. Ordinary psychological blackmail was used as punishment - suddenly the long-awaited order would be delayed for several days. Conversations concerning the order were conducted in the most respectful way, they warmed the soldier's soul, and no one was allowed to violate this special veneration. Yes, the soldiers never did this, cherishing in their souls the dream of an early freedom from the two-year soldier's "slavery".
The order of the Minister of Defense to dismiss the reserve of privates and sergeants was surrounded by a special halo of soldier's superstition. Demobilization received the legal right to prepare for the long-awaited freedom. Short text document - just two small paragraphs in the newspaper - cut out and carefully stored. It was impossible to lose this valuable newspaper piece. As a rule, the order was pasted on the first, home page demo album.
Dembel was not allowed to participate in ordinary soldier work. The second and no less surprising prohibition concerned relations with recruits: the demobilization had no right to educate young soldiers with kicks and cuffs, as he had done before. It was believed that the demobilization had already passed this stage of becoming a soldier, so the “honorary” duty was transferred to the so-called “scoops” (soldiers who had served one year). The demobilization had to think only about how he would decorate his uniform with braids.
Only by order of his superiors could an old-timer stand in general formation and walk across the platform. But this happened in Soviet army rarely. The officers knew which soldiers were preparing to leave them, and did not find fault with their hazing behavior. Relations with the officer corps were also built quite arbitrarily.
Surprising metamorphoses also took place in relations with the “youngsters”: if earlier the old-timer could invent punishment for such guys at his own discretion, now he became extremely kind to them. He was no longer supposed to be irritable and angry. Demobilization could even give the "young" soldier a piece of butter from his diet. By the way, he was also forbidden to eat his food alone and he could not break his turn in the dining room: he was obliged to eat among the last (the cooks always added something tasty to them).
Morning exercises for old-timers who received news of the order were also not required.
From the "demobilization chord" - a special, as a rule, unpleasant task of the commander - it was impossible to refuse under the threat of even greater punishment. Sometimes the commanders who made a mistake were not released for several days to the long-awaited freedom, leaving them in a military unit. Finally, the fathers-commanders could force them to clean up the dirtiest room, or dig a ditch a few meters long, or write 18 notebooks of protocols allegedly held in parts of Komsomol meetings for presentation to inspectors. Many commanders were waiting for the demobilization, the final "chord", in order to show their power for the last time in the last few days and load the soldiers to the fullest.
Demobilization generally ceased to be careful in wearing uniforms: he was not allowed to fasten all the buttons, and the belt had to hang below the waist.
Sometimes, during the “demobilization chord,” some soldiers sabotaged the tasks of their superiors, and instead sewed a third strip on their uniforms as a sign that they were serving for the third year. However, for such liberties they got from internal patrols or officers on duty, the strips, of course, were torn off.
Demobilization did not have the right to retire from the territory of another military unit or hospital. He had to return home only with his call. Often on this basis, conflicts arose between commanders and subordinates: there were frequent cases of sudden transfer of soldiers from one unit to another. Then the servicemen went to all sorts of persuasion and tricks, so that the commander would leave them after all in their native unit. Some retired soldiers recalled how they left the hospital ahead of time- this was especially common in the years Afghan war in the 1980s. By the way, in the hospital for demobilization there was another curious ban: they were not allowed to go to the ship.
