Disbat - the other side of army life (17 photos + 1 video)

A special military unit is a disbat in the army, which is responsible for the re-education of soldiers who have committed a crime. After serving his sentence in disbat, the convicted person will not have an official criminal record. The time spent in such a unit does not count towards the period of compulsory service.

Military personnel are a special category of people to whom special requirements and rules apply. This attitude extends to all areas of their activities, including prosecution for crimes committed.

For a serviceman in respect of whom the fact of committing an illegal act has been established, a specific type of punishment is provided that is not assigned to ordinary citizens - disbat. Serving in a correctional military unit has a large number of restrictions and rules that create special conditions of detention.

Basic definitions

Disbat, a special military unit that combines the distinctive features of a prison and an army. In such correctional institutions, sentences are served by:

• Soldiers.
• Sergeants undergoing military service.
• Cadets of military educational institutions.

The military court determines the punishment and place of detention (disbat or prison). In all disciplinary battalions, there are two categories of personnel:

• Constant. Officers and soldiers of security companies. The total number of permanent personnel in the disbat is 300 people.
• Temporary. Military men who were convicted and sent to serve their sentences in disbat. The total number of temporary staff should not exceed 500 people. During the period of detention in the disbat, the military man is deprived of all ranks, and he continues to serve as a soldier or sailor.

What kind of formation is this?

In this formation, soldiers who have committed criminal offenses serve their sentences. Also, cadets of military universities who have not yet received an officer rank can get into the diesel engine.

"Diesel" was created in order to create a place for criminal punishment for the military. It was created in accordance with the Criminal Code, which was in force previously. The period that a soldier spends in a diesel engine will not be counted towards his main period of active service.

Although, in some special cases it may be counted. Such a special case may be an order from the commander-in-chief of the military district. A serviceman who has served his term is sent to the regular troops after a disbat. In the regular troops, a soldier serves out the term that remained for him at the time he was convicted.

The periods for which the military were sent there were different and changed over time. Since the late 1980s, this period has been increased to 3 years.

The permanent staff of an individual diesel engine is usually 300 people. But the number of variable composition may vary depending on the number of convicts. The number of variable staff cannot be more than 500 people. Next, we’ll tell you if there are osdibs now?

Assigning a deadline

The current regulations on disciplinary battalions regulate all aspects of the activities of such military units, including the period of serving the sentence. The minimum period of stay in disbat cannot be less than three months, and the maximum should not exceed two years.

The time spent in such a unit will not be counted towards the period of service in a regular unit. Upon expiration of the imposed sentence, the serviceman returns to the military unit from which he was taken after committing the crime. It is possible to count the time spent in the disbat towards the period of compulsory military service. A similar situation will be possible after filing a petition from the administration of the disciplinary battalion to the commander of the military district.

For what violations are they sent to disbat?

For what violations are they sent to disbat?
Military personnel who have committed criminal offenses and are sentenced to punishment by a decision of a military court are sent to the disciplinary battalion.

The main crimes for which you can get into disbat include:

1. failure to comply with orders from superiors;
2. resisting superiors and forcing them to use physical force, beating them;
3. violation of regulations related to the use of violence against other military personnel;
4. unauthorized leaving of the unit;
5. desertion;
6. feigning illness to evade official duties;
7. loss of military property, etc.

IMPORTANT!

You can get into disbat only if
the offenses committed cannot be classified as serious. Military personnel who have committed particularly serious crimes (for example, murder or rape) are sent to serve their sentences in a civilian prison or colony.

A person's criminal record after a disbat

The opinion that disciplinary battalions have the same status as a penal colony is erroneous. After fully serving the assigned sentence in a disciplinary battalion, the serviceman does not have a mark of criminal responsibility in his biography.

The only reminder of the disbat remains in the military ID, which indicates information about service in a specialized military unit and its number. The only problem after getting into disbat is the impossibility of further career in the army. For work in civilian professions, such a mark has no effect.

Differences from the guardhouse

Differences from a guardhouse
Quite often, “diesel” is confused with a guardhouse, but these concepts are completely different.

There really is one similarity between them - both in the guardhouse and in the disciplinary battalion, military personnel serve their sentences.

The differences are as follows:

1. The guardhouse, as a rule, is located directly on the territory of the military unit, and the disciplinary battalion is a separate formation.
2. Confinement to a guardhouse is the most severe punishment provided for a disciplinary offense that can be applied to a military personnel without a court decision. A soldier can be sent to disbat only for a criminal offense and strictly by decision of a military court.
3. The maximum sentence in a guardhouse does not exceed 30 days; the terms of serving a sentence in a disciplinary battalion range from three months to two years.
4. The guardhouse may also contain military personnel awaiting a court decision, who may later be sent to a disbat.

Parole from the disciplinary battalion

The current regulation on disciplinary military units operating on the territory of the Russian Federation No. 669 implies the possibility of releasing convicts on parole. To do this, a serviceman serving a sentence must fulfill the following conditions:

• Show yourself positively in military service.
• Actively participate in public life.
• Do not cause criticism from commanders.
• After serving at least 1/3 of the assigned term, the convict receives the right to perform work outside the territory of the disciplinary battalion and is transferred to the category of “correctional persons.” This practice significantly increases the opportunity for a serviceman to show his best side.
• Conditional early punishment is possible in relation to persons who have served at least half of the assigned term and have been transferred to the category of “correcting persons”.

What is disbat in the army?

First of all, it is necessary to note the legislative acts regulating the serving of sentences in the form of detention in the DVCH:

• Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Article 55, as well as elements of crimes defined by the Special Part of the Code);
• Criminal Executive Code;
• Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 669 dated “On approval of the Regulations on the disciplinary military unit”;
• Order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 680 dated “On approval of the rules for serving criminal sentences by convicted military personnel”;
• Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 161 dated (Charter of the Military Police);
• Resolution of the Plenum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation No. 3 dated;
• other departmental regulations.

An analysis of the legal norms of these legislative acts allows us to say that disbat in the army is a specially created place in the armed forces of the Russian Federation (an entire military unit, individual battalions or companies), where those convicted of crimes defined by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation serve the sentence assigned to them during the period of their passage. military service.

Important: among the list of persons who can get into disbat, there are not only conscript and contract military personnel, but also cadets of higher military institutions until they receive an officer rank.

Features of guardhouses

There are certain differences between a guardhouse and a disciplinary battalion.

Is service in Osdiba carried out under a contract?

In a disciplinary battalion, soldiers can serve either by conscription or by contract.
Important! It is worth noting that those persons who have a criminal record that has not been expunged or expunged cannot serve under a contract.
Thus, if a citizen who wants to serve under a contract in a disbat was already there in a rotating composition and his criminal record was not cleared, then a contract will not be concluded with him. A contract candidate goes through several stages of selection. At the final stage of selection, the candidate is checked for the presence or absence of a criminal record.

If all checks are passed, then the citizen can be accepted into the army under a contract. He is given a military ID, after which a contract is concluded with him.

After concluding the contract, the citizen undergoes training and is sent to the place where he will serve. A disciplinary battalion could become such a place.

Due to the fact that there are only two such battalions, and the number of soldiers serving there is limited to 300 per battalion, the chance that a soldier will end up there is quite low.

How is it going?

Service in the disciplinary battalion is the same as in other places. A feature of the service in this place can be called enhanced control over prisoners.

The military personnel who serve in this particular location are part of the permanent disciplinary battalion.

Why is disbat prescribed?

A certain list of crimes has been established for which soldier offenders are sent to serve their sentences in a disbat:

1. Failure to comply with a direct order from the commander.
2. Unauthorized leaving of the place of service or military unit.
3. Escape from a sinking ship.
4. Constantly being late after legal dismissal.
5. Desertion.
6. Causing harm to the health of other military personnel.
7. Insulting the honor and dignity of colleagues.
8. Intentional damage or loss of property of a military unit.

There are other cases of referral to disbat, which are listed in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - articles 348-352.

The following military personnel cannot be sent to the disciplinary battalion:

• Officers holding relevant positions.
• Military personnel serving under a contract who have already completed military service.

To get into disbat in the army, the conditions specified in Article 55 of the Criminal Code must be met:

1. At the time of committing the unlawful act, the attacker was undergoing military service.
2. The criminal act was qualified in accordance with Article 33 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
3. A soldier who has committed a crime is serving under a contract, without undergoing compulsory service.

Why do you get osdiby in the army?

In the army there is such a thing as osdib.

Why can you get there? For example, for beating causing grievous bodily harm.

You can also get there if a serviceman flagrantly violated the regulations, left the military unit without permission, or divulged military secrets. Those who refused to follow orders are also sent there.

Brutal murderers, as well as rapists and other criminals who have committed fairly serious crimes, are not sent there. They go to the civilian zone.

Conditions in disciplinary battalions

Units for holding military offenders are located in close proximity to industrial zones or military camps. All violators held in the disbat serve in a closed area. The territory of the unit is guarded by permanent personnel.

All convicted military personnel serve their sentences in general barracks, which have metal bars on the windows. Bunk beds are installed throughout the barracks, where each person serving his sentence has his own bed and bedside table. Each military man is allowed to keep:

• Hygiene items: soap, toothpaste.
• Small size mirror.
• Protective shoe cream.
• Paper notepads, pens, pencils.

All those serving a sentence in the disbat officially continue to perform military service, so they must always have a belt and stripes. On the territory of a disciplinary military unit, convicts are allowed to move only by running or marching. Particular attention is paid to the neatness and appearance of military personnel.

To keep themselves in proper shape, they are given special time every day to take hygiene procedures and put their clothes and shoes in order. Every week, all those serving a sentence must visit the bath complex located on the territory of the unit.

In the disciplinary part, strict rules and regime are established, but they do not exceed the requirements of the regulations for other military personnel of the Russian Federation. For military personnel detained in the disbat, free time is limited, the possibility of dismissal is excluded, and any violations are punishable by penalties or placement in a guardhouse for a certain period of time.

Disbat mode

Convicts in disbat are in custody and live in rooms with bars on the windows, but in general they are in more favorable conditions than most “ordinary” prisoners.

For example, in addition to two short-term visits (four hours each) every month, they are entitled to four long ones a year. Each of them lasts up to three days with the right to live together - either in a specially equipped room on the territory of the unit or outside it. In addition, in exceptional circumstances (such as the death or illness of a relative), convicts are allowed to go home for up to seven days, not counting travel time.

True, prisoners of disbats are prohibited from having personal money. All money received from outside is deposited into their personal account, from which they can spend three thousand rubles a month on food and essential goods. They are allowed to spend a monthly allowance of two thousand rubles for the same purposes. Of course, this means additional expenses - the state feeds and clothes the convicts.

While in disbat, convicted military personnel are required to work. However, for this they are even entitled to a salary, determined according to the prices of the organization for which they work (and the organizations may be different). 50% of the salary goes to the account of the military unit, 50% goes to the same personal account of the employees.

The rest of the time is taken up by endless activities to learn and put into practice military regulations (mainly drill and physical training).

For violations of discipline, the convicted person can be arrested and placed in solitary confinement for up to 30 days. It looks creepy, and most of the time you have to stand in it (you are allowed to sit down only occasionally and for a few minutes).

After serving a third of the sentence, the convict can be transferred to the category of “correcting” with some easing of the regime. It consists of removing restrictions on the use of money from a personal account, two additional long visits per year and the right to move outside the unit without an escort.

In addition, members of this “class”, after serving half of their sentence, have the right to apply for parole (parole).

Daily routine of convicts

All actions of convicts are strictly regulated and must comply with the established daily routine. The day starts at 6.30. During the day, time is set for the following actions:

• Personal hygiene.
• Physical exercise.
• Eating.
• Labor activity.
• Communication with a doctor.
• Drill training classes.
• Free time.
• An evening walk.
• Lights out.

Deviation from the established regime is possible in exceptional cases, with the permission of the administration of the military unit.

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Nutrition

Convicts eat food three times a day according to an established schedule. All soldiers eat in one guarded room. In the disbat there is no division between convicts by rank and privileges. Food preparation for permanent and temporary composition is the same. Military cooks do the cooking. The food in the disbat is not very varied. Standard breakfast includes:

• Porridge.
• Eggs.
• Casserole.
• Coffee or tea.

Dinner:

• Salad.
• Soup.
• Side dish with meat (beef or pork).

Dinner:

• Main course: dumplings or side dish with fish.
• Fresh fruits.
• Compote or other drink.

Labor activity

One of the main educational processes in a disciplinary battalion is labor activity. Every day, convicts are required to work for a period of 8 hours. Among the most common types of work activities:

• Manufacturing of reinforced concrete structures.
• Loading and unloading operations.
• Cleaning the territory and premises of the unit.

If a convict is assigned the status of “correctional”, he has more freedoms, and he can engage in labor activities in enterprises that are located outside the unit. Payment for the work of convicted military personnel is established based on the organization’s rates. The monthly salary received is divided into two equal parts. One of them is received by the military unit, and the other half goes to the personal account of the convicted serviceman. Of the funds received, he is allowed to use no more than 3,000 rubles per month to purchase food and basic necessities.

Education

The daily routine of military personnel includes time for mandatory training sessions. In addition to them, there is the possibility of self-education by reading books from the local library. Since 2016, military personnel who committed a crime while receiving education via correspondence can continue their studies directly on the territory of the disciplinary unit.

Attitude to religion

In all military units of the Russian Federation, discrimination based on religion is strictly prohibited. The disciplinary battalion is no exception. Military personnel serving sentences are allowed to:

• Read religious literature.
• Perform religious rituals.
• Keep religious items with you.

The listed and other actions related to religion are permitted if they do not contradict the established order in the army and do not in any way infringe on the rights and interests of other military personnel. On the territory of disciplinary military units there are churches and temples of various religions, visits to which are allowed in free time. Periodically, in agreement with the unit administration, priests come to the disciplinary battalions.

Rest and leisure

Free time for leisure activities is provided only on Sundays; it is not provided on other days of the week. There is no wide variety of leisure activities. Special entertainment programs and additional events are organized at the discretion of the administration on holidays. On the territory of the unit there is a rest room, which has:

• Board games.
• Magazines.
• Musical instruments.
• TV, viewing of which is allowed for one hour before lights out.
• Library.

Every day, immediately after lunch and dinner, military personnel are given 30 minutes of personal time. A twenty-minute walk in the fresh air is required before the general lights out. Sleep time is 8 hours. The opportunity to receive leave or dismissal from a disbat is provided in exceptional cases, for example, the death of a close relative. The maximum period for which they can be released home from the territory of the disciplinary unit is no more than seven days, excluding the time required for travel. For other reasons, it is impossible to legally leave the territory of the disciplinary battalion.

Visiting relatives

Every serviceman who undergoes forced service in disciplinary military units has the right to visit close relatives. This possibility is regulated by the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, Article No. 158. There are two possible types of visits:

1. For a short time. Twice a month, no more than four hours
2. Long lasting. They are held no more than four times a year, lasting no more than three days. A date of this type is carried out exclusively with parents and wife, after establishing the degree of relationship. For such meetings, there are special separate rooms on the territory of the unit. During a long visit, the convicted person is released from all duties assigned to him.

The listed types of visits, at the request of convicted persons, can be replaced by telephone conversations. If an application to appeal a sentence is filed, a military man serving his sentence is allowed to meet with his lawyer. The number of meetings with a lawyer is not limited.

Transfers and parcels

The current order of the Ministry of Defense establishes the possibilities and prohibitions on the transfer of parcels and letters for military personnel serving in disciplinary battalions.

Every month, a disbat soldier can receive and send one parcel. This rule does not apply to transfers received during meetings with relatives. Each parcel is subject to inspection by unit security officers for the presence of prohibited items, including:

• Alcohol.
• Cigarettes.
• Counterfeit products.
• Sausage and fish products.
• Sugar.
• Tea and coffee in any form.
• Ketchup.
• Mayonnaise.
• Kefir and other fermented milk products.

There are no restrictions on the number of letters and telegrams sent and received. The received correspondence is opened by an official and if items prohibited for transfer are found, they are confiscated.

What is the regime of stay in the disbattalion?

Since military service requires strict adherence to discipline, keeping citizens in disbat is a more severe punishment, since persons convicted of offenses are socially dangerous. As a result, the following regulations apply to such employees:

• all personal belongings are handed over to the guard of the convoy and stored in a special safe;
• all employees are provided with the same clothing with insignia;
• the daily routine is standard: 8 hours for sleep and work, 6 hours for studying, the remaining time for three meals a day;
• All parcels are subject to careful inspection, but only one item of this kind can be received by mail per month. During dates, things can be transferred without restrictions;
• short visits are provided (up to 4 hours) - 2 times a month and long visits (up to 3 days) - 4 times a year. It is allowed to travel outside the DHF for up to 7 days (excluding travel time), if such a need is dictated by exceptional circumstances.

If all rules are observed and if the required duties are fulfilled, incentive measures may also be applied to convicts in the form of a transfer to lighter conditions after serving a third of their sentence.

Attention! Convicted persons may apply for parole if there are grounds for this.

History of disciplinary battalions

The special format of the military unit is a legacy of the USSR. In accordance with the issued decree, military personnel were sent to such battalions based on the verdict of a military tribunal. The period of detention in such a unit was a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of two years. According to statistics of that time, the overwhelming majority of the military were sentenced to leave the military unit without permission. Subsequently, the practice of keeping military personnel in disbats in respect of whom it was established that they had committed a criminal offense of minor public danger was used. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, all disciplinary battalions, except those located in the eastern part of Russia, were closed. Convicts held at that time were sent to regular military units or penal units, depending on the severity of the crime committed.

At the very height of the Great Patriotic War, the well-known order No. 227 was issued. Its name spoke for itself: “Not a step back.” He encouraged the country's top military leadership to create special penal battalions directly at the front. During the period from 1942 to 1945, more than 50 battalions and more than 1000 companies were created for penal servicemen. The end of the Great Patriotic War led to the disbandment of almost all penal battalions and companies. After the collapse of the USSR, such military units remained in some countries, including Russia.

Today, disciplinary units are becoming fewer and fewer - they are being buried and reoriented into regular military units. Military personnel who have committed a crime, in return for serving in the disbat, are sent to serve their real sentence in a colony or prison.

Disbat

Author: Alexander ZINUKHOV 07/01/2002

OUR HELP

There were sixteen disciplinary battalions in the Soviet army. Now there are four of them: in Mulino, Novosibirsk, Chita and Rostov. In Ussuriysk there is a separate disciplinary company. The issue of disbanding and liquidating two disbats is being considered. The battalion in Mulino is considered the largest. 1999
under Article 335 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hazing and abuse of power) - of the total number of convicts 32 percent under Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (unauthorized abandonment of a part) - of the total number of convicts 16 percent
2001
under Article 335 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - of the total number convicted 26.5 percent under Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - of the total number of convicted 28 percent under Article 338 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (desertion) - of the total number of convicted 1.7 percent (9 people) Currently, eight people are in detention for the second time: for unauthorized abandonment of the unit and hazing.
Those who have served commit crimes:
from 1.5 to 2 years – 33 percent; from 1 to 1.5 years – 23 percent; 1 year – 15 percent; from 5 months to 1 year – 17 percent; up to 6 months – 5 percent.

This military “zone” in the village of Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod region, is no different from other units that literally fill the local forests. The same gray reinforced concrete fence with guard towers around the perimeter. True, the territory is also separated from the outside world by a plowed control strip, simply a “ban”. Almost every day this strip is renewed by soldiers in the uniform of the 1943 model: a cap, a tunic with green shoulder straps “on a button” and riding breeches. As the disbat commander explained to me: “These are unconvoyed convicts who have no more than two months left before demobilization and release.”

A distinctive feature of the “zone” is an armed horse patrol that periodically circles it from the outside of the gray wall.

You can only enter the territory through the main checkpoint. Behind it is a small parade ground and a building with a sign: “Military unit headquarters...”. This is where the similarity with a regular military unit ends. A few meters later there is a small gray building, behind which is a completely ordinary door, a “local area” - a door made of metal rods. She is always under lock and key. The orderly unlocks it only by letting in newly arrived convicts and releasing the next ones who have “rewinded” their sentence. That’s why this contingent is called “variable composition” here. Security - military personnel from the so-called permanent composition, conscript soldiers. From among them, not only a guard is appointed, but also “controllers” who check the convicts before being sent to work and after returning. Permanent sergeants are assigned to assist the commanders of the five disciplinary companies.

Over six hundred pairs of soldiers' boots trample the parade ground from morning to evening. Movement on this asphalt square is permitted only by marching or running. The green mass of convicts sways. Haircuts and wartime uniforms put Marines and military construction workers, missilemen and sailors on an equal footing for the period determined by the verdict of a military court. And they all have the same dream: parole. Each of them has various crimes and sentences behind them. Some are serving time for theft, others for hazing. According to the law, the maximum term in disbat is two years. And so, depending on the severity of the crime committed, from six months to one and a half years. New arrivals - and every month up to a hundred convicts are admitted to the disbat - go through a quarantine department. After a month of intensive drill training, they are transferred to companies.

In addition to daily drills and life “according to the rules,” there are many restrictions and prohibitions. Thus, short-term visits with relatives are allowed: twice a month - up to four hours. You can spend three days with your parents only once every three months. For this purpose, there is a small hotel in the disbat. Although it has cozy rooms, they are guarded by the same “controller” soldiers. It is forbidden to bring tea, coffee, not to mention alcoholic beverages into the “zone” from a date. The restrictions even apply to writing instruments. According to the established rules, the convicted person has the right to bring into the “zone” one fountain pen and two refills, no more than two notebooks and ten envelopes. There are often cases when, after such meetings, a convict diagnosed with “severe overeating” ends up in a medical unit. Although the guys themselves admit that here they are “fed better than in their native part.” Sometimes parents, while dating, try to catch up on what they have lost in raising their son. One of the officers complained: “Okay, if the mother whips the careless child with a towel. Last year, one father, the chairman of a large breeding farm, had such an “educational conversation” with his son that he was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.”

Disbat, although not in the literal sense of a “zone,” but with all the attributes of bondage. Some are trying to escape. According to the deputy battalion commander, as a rule, such escapes end in failure. Some fugitives do not even go as far as being “banned.” Those who managed to cross the forbidden zone are found and given additional time.

True, one such escape did take place. Last August. Ironically, not without the help of my parents. During the meeting, the mother gave her son the tools, with which he sawed through the grating and climbed down from the second floor using tied sheets. For the disbat commander this is an emergency. That’s why he ordered the mother to be placed on the unit’s allowance and not to be released until the search for her son was completed... “Well, where will he run away? At one time, this soldier deserted from the unit. He was hiding with relatives in Kazakhstan. It doesn’t last a lifetime,” he concluded. “What about mother?” “I was indignant at the illegality of the detention and had to be released. But we have strong evidence that it was she who planned her son’s escape, for which she even hired a taxi in advance.”

Staying in a disbat is not recorded as a criminal record and, in theory, should not be counted toward the length of military service. Therefore, after release, many return to their units and serve. There are exceptions to the rules: for exemplary behavior, the term of imprisonment is counted. The rank and file of the variable composition are transferred to the reserve from the disbat. These people are called “ringers” here.

Previously, at the end of their term, soldiers were given money and travel documents, and they independently traveled to their units. However, there were cases when they committed new crimes along the way. Since 1997, soldiers released from disbat are sent to their unit only accompanied by an arriving officer or warrant officer. And sometimes you have to wait a long time for them. This is primarily due to the lack of money for business trips. In addition, the garrison may be located, for example, in the Far North. The undeveloped release mechanism leads to the fact that soldiers are forced to sit out their sentences. In my presence, they released a marine who had come here from the guard company of the ship “Peter the Great.” His term ended in April, and they came for him only at the beginning of June. The arriving warrant officer explained his delay by saying that all this time the ship had been on a military cruise.

Therefore, some, giving up their release, voluntarily enroll as “ringers” and remain to serve in the disbat. They are transferred to the administrative building - “to the point”. There is no longer the disbat drill; they live according to the usual routine.

And in the “zone” the routine is strict: eight hours of sleep, eight hours of drill training and eight hours of work. After dinner - one hour of rest. Saturday and Sunday are days off. These days the club shows films. Artists also come, mostly local amateur groups.

This year, four weddings took place here and two children were adopted. And no wonder. Every day at the checkpoint there is a flock of young girls who did not wait for their boyfriends from the army. Love is not love, but the father-commanders suspect that in this way some of their charges intend to be released and retire earlier. According to the law, the birth of a child gives the right to discharge from the armed forces.

Convicts who have served a third of their sentence are allowed to work in the industrial zone. In the carpentry shop they make gazebos and stools, and weave baskets. The "sewing shop" sews mittens and military bedside rugs. Small reinforced concrete structures are also made: rings for wells, foundation blocks. The disbat also has its own subsidiary farm: about a dozen cows, several dozen pigs, and chickens.

Soldiers' money, a little more than thirty rubles, is not handed out, but transferred to a bank account. After release, a financial settlement is made, and the serviceman receives about one hundred rubles and travel documents.

The barracks in the disbat are not much different from the usual ones. The same sleeping quarters. Only the windows have bars. Yes, in addition to the usual entrance doors to the company premises, an additional “local area” was installed, the keys to which are kept by the permanent sergeant. A convicted person can leave the premises only with his permission, having previously signed up in a special register.

Not only movement is limited, but also communication. For example, it is forbidden to communicate with convicts of another company. Guided by this, the “accomplices” are deliberately assigned to different companies. While serving their sentence, they do not have the right to even exchange a few words. This may result in disciplinary action, including the guardhouse, which is located on the territory of the disbat. The soldiers call her, in a prison manner, “kitcha.”

Before getting into the disbat, seventy percent of the convicts went through pre-trial detention centers. Over the course of several months of communicating with the “inmates there,” they not only adopt their jargon, but also acquire criminal experience.

Private Shahai, before being assigned to the 4th disciplinary company, spent four months in a pre-trial detention center.
His cellmates, experienced burglars, taught him the basics of thieves' science. After arriving at the battalion, the first thing Shahai showed was that he had not wasted time: he opened several locks in the medical unit. The battalion command is concerned that the soldiers are also bringing prison habits from the isolation wards. “As soon as they cross the threshold of the disbat, they try to “divorce by concepts,” one of the officers told me. From there we understand that in captivity it is easier to survive in small groups. They gather in “families” of four to five people. Each such group has its own leader who represents and protects its interests. The task of commander-educators is to identify such a leader and make him manageable.

The rank and file of the variable composition arrogantly call themselves “swindlers.” The soldier-guards, whom they initially dislike, were disparagingly dubbed “cops.” Company commanders are treated with a touch of condescension and are called “daddy.”

It happens that soldiers who have been “sent” to a pre-trial detention center also “enter” the disbat. As a rule, this happens to “mischievous” people, that is, to those who violate the unwritten laws of the camera. The officers go to great lengths to help the soldier hide this fact from the rest of the convicts. But the “wireless prison telegraph” works here too. Yet, unlike the usual “zone” in the army, there are no differences between convicts in terms of criminal articles or terms. Everyone is equal here. Even Chechens and those who fought in Chechnya...

“Do we have Chechens? Of course have. – The platoon commander of the fifth company was silent for a while. - We have a problem with them. If you punish them disciplinaryly, they start complaining about post-traumatic syndrome and talking about how they were bombed from helicopters. They are trying to quit through a psychoneurological clinic.” “And those who fought in Chechnya?” - “And these are there. Only these ones are immediately visible - they are somehow matured, serious. They don’t complain about their troubles and are silent anymore.”

The fate of Private Ivan was no different from the fate of his comrades who ended up serving in the North Caucasus Military District. At first he was a gunner-radio operator. Their unit accompanied the columns on the territory of Chechnya. One day, the armored personnel carrier, which Ivan was on, was blown up by a landmine. The guy came to his senses only in Rostov, in the hospital. After being shell-shocked, he remained in service and returned to his unit. Transferred to the position of armored personnel carrier gunner.

There were six months left before transfer to the reserve, when the command granted Ivan and his colleague leave. They received thirteen thousand “combat” soldiers each. “In Prokhladny, the cops robbed us and took away ten thousand.” The remaining money was only enough to get to a friend’s house in Veliky Novgorod. We decided to get some money and have time to visit Ivan’s parents in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The money was never found, and they didn’t get to their relatives. We decided to return to the unit. We contacted the local military registration and enlistment office, and there the officer advised us not to return to the unit: “What should you do there? What difference does it make where you serve? The same military registration and enlistment office also assisted in sending me to the nearest collection point for deserters. Having become voluntary deserters, they whiled away their days and awaited assignment to another unit. “At the gathering point of the “skiers” (as the fugitives are called. - A.K.) there is mortal melancholy. Fortunately, entry and exit from the territory is free.”

During this time, the comrades managed to meet girls from the neighboring village. One soon invited them to a birthday party. For some reason, a friend was late to the party. They drank everything and a lot. According to Ivan, two glasses were enough for him to “go crazy” after the concussion. “A friend started yelling at a friend who was late. Knocked out the chair under him. Then she threw a bottle at me. I don’t remember what happened next.”

And then... His colleague’s drunken girlfriend was taken away by ambulance to get stitches on her head. Ivan was taken away by the police. A day later, the prosecutor’s office arrived and opened a criminal case. He awaited trial for two months in the Veliky Novgorod pre-trial detention center, which sentenced him to two years in a disciplinary battalion. “They hanged up article 337 for unauthorized abandonment of the unit,” he smiled bitterly, apparently remembering the “kind” advice of an officer from the military registration and enlistment office.

Ivan’s current commander explained: “He arrived to us with a broken psyche - a consequence of shell shock. At first there were conflict situations, I didn’t want to obey. For this he even served ten days in the guardhouse. He stubbornly insisted that he got here “for no reason.” He is currently a model of behavior and a candidate for parole."

From a personal file: “Roman Sh. and Alexander F. from December 6, 2000 to March 25, 2001, took part in hostilities in the Chechen Republic...” Upon arrival at the military unit where they were to continue serving, they beat up three colleagues, for which they were punished sentenced to one year and one and a half years of imprisonment, respectively, to be served in a disciplinary battalion. The motive for the crime is curious.

Colleagues recall: “Before their arrival in the ninety-ninth regiment, three old-time soldiers, drafted from one North Caucasian republic, mocked the young soldiers. They “kept” the entire unit - they took away things and money. Roman and Alexander were outraged by this state of affairs in the regiment and even tried to raise young soldiers against the unruly trio. But all their efforts were in vain. The regiment was terrified of these three. Then the guys decided to act on their own. On July 21, 2001, they beat the old soldiers and took away from them what, in their opinion, previously belonged to the young soldiers.” It is worth noting that by this time Roman was married and had a child.

Shortly before my arrival at the disbat, both soldiers were released on parole.

From another personal file: “Adam M., born in 1981. Called up in November 2001 by the Grozny RVK... Convicted under Art. 213 part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to one year and six months of imprisonment with serving the sentence in a disciplinary battalion...” In December 2001, while drunk, he broke into an officer’s apartment and started a fight. Neighbors in the stairwell helped push him out of the apartment. But he returned with a knife, threatening the officer and his wife.

At the trial, the soldier explained his outburst by saying that he saw the officer’s wife with a cigarette, but in Chechnya women don’t behave like that.

This story was shown on Nizhny Novgorod television. Many were surprised by the lenient sentence...

* * *

Summer June evening.
There is a group of soldiers at the checkpoint. Some in naval uniform, some in regular camouflage - paratroopers, internal troops and border guards. Tomorrow they will be put on identical green tunics, and they will join companies of variable composition. They will begin to “wind up” the term of the army “diesel”. Authors: Alexander ZINUKHOV

After serving your sentence

After serving his sentence, the serviceman was paid the money accumulated during his work and was sent to complete his military service in a regular military unit. Cases of crimes being committed by released military personnel while en route to their unit were recorded on a massive scale. It was decided that each person released would be represented by a responsible person from among the military. He must accompany the released soldier to his place of further service. Due to a shortage of personnel, the dispatch of soldiers who have served their sentences is delayed for a long time.

Why is everyone afraid of disbat

It is sometimes difficult for a civilian to understand this, but for a military man there is nothing worse than living according to the regulations. And in the disbat, everything happens exactly according to the regulations, which forces the guilty soldiers to beg at the trial to be given some other punishment.

For example, convicts in disbat move exclusively by running or marching.

Almost constantly they are exposed to exhausting physical activity - with the exception of sleeping and eating.

There are, however, also theoretical classes, which consist of a group of soldiers repeating lines from the regulations after the commander - two words at a time, in chorus, for two hours. The spectacle is not for the faint of heart.

In general, behind these seemingly innocent activities (physical education in the fresh air, simple lessons in the classroom) hides the heaviest burden on the psyche, which the coolest and “frostbitten” grandfathers who ended up here for beating up colleagues, extortion and other delights cannot withstand. This is why the work of a local psychologist is so in demand in the disbat.

Why is everyone afraid of disbat?

Why is everyone afraid of the disbat?
At first glance, being in the disbat may not seem like the most terrible punishment. However, only civilians think so. Military personnel experience a strong fear of the disciplinary battalion and very often ask to take pity on them, replacing the punishment with something else.

Life in the disbat goes strictly according to the regulations every day.

For example, prisoners can only move by running or marching. Almost constantly, convicted military personnel are subjected to exhausting physical activity with breaks for eating and sleeping.

However, theoretical classes are also held here. A group of soldiers repeats the lines of the regulations after the leader - in chorus, two words at a time, for two hours.

To an outsider, such simple lessons combined with outdoor physical training may seem quite harmless. However, such activities, repeated day after day, put serious pressure on the psyche of soldiers.

Therefore, military personnel serving sentences in a disciplinary battalion very often seek help from local psychologists.