World

Graphic Video: Brutal Hazing in Russian Army Can Have Deadly Consequences

Russia Today:

Army life can be tough, but for Russian conscripts there is an added danger – systematic bullying and abuse from within their own ranks. During the first two months of 2011, the Russian army reported more than 500 violent crimes.

The violent humiliation becomes tragically too much for some to bear. As a result of those crimes, more than 20 soldiers were seriously injured and two others died.

According to Russia’s military prosecutor, Sergey Fridinsky, the number of violent crimes in the Russian army increased by more than 16% in 2010. And every fourth offense today is an unlawful act against a fellow officer.

It is also called hazing, and Valentina Starovoytova, the head of the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, is all too familiar with its consequences.

“Reports about soldiers suffering physically and morally are coming in every day,” said Starovoytova.
She runs the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, an organization partly funded by the government. On a day-to day basis, her job is to protect soldiers from the harsh realities of service.

“There is protection rackets, when a boy has to pay another soldier, say, 2000 rubles a month to be able to serve normally, to be freed from bullying,” said Starovoytova.

Editor’s content warning: This video from Russia Today contains images of graphic violence.

Comments (92)

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  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:19pm

    Interesting how abuse is passed down.
    My first NCO I worked for always took pleasure in verbally abusing me when I was an E-1. I asked him one day what I was doing wrong so I could correct it, he laughed and just told me, “You will do nothing right, I will always find something wrong with you. That is how I was brought up, now its my turn, so just shut up and take it.”
    When I started supervising my first Airman, the first thing I did was sit down and talk to him, tell him exactly what I expected, and let him know if he need to talk, don’t be afraid to come to me.
    My work team had the highest morale and production in our shop, and that first NCO I worked for asked me why my guys seem to work so well together. I just told him “If you treat these guys like they are men, expect them to act like men, they will become men.
    I always looked at leadership that way, never hold back telling someone if they are doing something wrong, and also, let them know when they do something right. Treat everyone with respect and do not tolerate bullying or disrespect among the lowest rank to the highest rank.

    All this kind of hazing produces are more abuse and more bullying.

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
  • My Sacred Honor
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:19pm

    First, a pre-amble.
    While I was DEPped into the Marine Corps awaiting my trip to boot camp, I watched “Full Metal Jacket” religiously every day for 3 months, and read “The Gunslinger” by Steven King (see Cort’s treatment of his gunslinger “recruits”) fully expecting, as a potential Marine, to be beaten for my mistakes as reprimand. After all, I was training to be in the world’s most elite fighting force, and to become a member, I expected to be one of the absolute best, and expected that those “non-hackers” would be eliminated. I was wrong.
    They didn’t NEED to beat us. That is why God made the “quarterdeck”, where i and my fellow recruits went to “get strong”. They just made us beat ourselves through push-ups and leg-lifts…and 8-count body-builders. Many other tricks as well. Still, I was disappointed. To be the best, you must be shown what itis like to fail was my opinion.
    Now I graduate, and I’m in the fleet. When I was promoted to Lance Corporal, I was “pinned”….which means my instructor in radio school drove his fists into my un-backed Lance Corporal chevrons so the pins would be buried into my shoulders. He said “Any Marine I have pinned has never lost his rank” As far as i am concerned, he was right.
    And now we have to coddle those would-be men of war and hold them in our busoms.

    I have a suggestion for those russian military men: fight the eff back. You want respect from your “supperiors” who want to haze you? Throw a fist right back into their faces and don’t stop til they order you to. Standing there and taking a punch makes you look weak, and MAKES you weak. Then if you die as a result, then maybe you had no business being in a combat military unit to start with.
    Grow some testicles and quit having your mommies handle your business. You are grown men for Christ’s sakes.

    Report Post » My Sacred Honor  
    • rabblechat
      Posted on May 2, 2011 at 8:50am

      Semper Fi brother! I had a few sets of chevrons pinned on myself, not to mention the “blood stripes”!
      Call it hazing or tradition, but it builds esprit de corps. You may be able to get by without that in a POG unit or the Air force, but not in a Infantry unit.
      Why do these P.C.’ers think its called corporal punishment? NCO’s are not there to tell weak boots that “everyone is special” and that their ineptness is ok; they are there to make weak men HARD and hard men into killers!

      Report Post » rabblechat  
    • rabblechat
      Posted on May 2, 2011 at 10:04am

      emper Fi brother! I had a few sets of chevrons pinned on myself, not to mention the “blood stripes”!
      Call it hazing or tradition, but it builds esprit de corps. You may be able to get by without that in a POG unit or the Air force, but not in a Infantry unit.
      Why do these P.C.’ers think its called corporal punishment? NCO’s are not there to tell weak boots that “everyone is special” and that their ineptness is ok; they are there to make weak men HARD and hard men into killers!

      Report Post » rabblechat  
  • columbus_tony
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:18pm

    Doubt they have many gays coming out in that military

    Report Post »  
  • brntout
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:16pm

    Life in general can have brutal consequences .Why before you enter a dark alley would you not have a plan to defend,flee or fight if so disposed?

    Report Post »  
  • jungle J
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:15pm

    if you want to be touhg you have to be treated tough…this is life in the ranks of the tough….wraklings need not apply…rather die with these guys than from rectal or throat cancer.

    Report Post »  
  • nomercy63
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:13pm

    oh that cold war thing is all over we are best buddies now nothing to worry about they create crazed killers we have gay soldiers I wonder how this is going to work out

    Report Post »  
  • Zcat
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:11pm

    Hot Air Presidential Poll: May 2011
    Please vote only once. Your ballot should take less than a minute to complete. We’ll announce the results after voting has concluded. As always, double voters will be removed from the final tally, so no cheating

    http://hotair.com/archives/2011/05/01/hot-air-primary-survey-may-edition/

    Report Post »  
  • Stehekin912
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:11pm

    I think that many years ago after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we perhaps had opportunities to make a friend of Russia and did not do it. Oversimplified, I know but – How can a nation that has never known freedom know how to be free – by osmosis? We are not Russia’s “mommy”, and we are very different from each other in many ways, but still I can’t help but think we left her to stew in her own juices when what she really needed was a hand up. Russia is now turning to Iran and other enemies of the USA for support, including trade in her nuclear resources, and friendship. I wonder if there may still be time to turn this tide, and if so, if that, along with our own determined efforts to restore Constitutional principles and fiscal conservatism could help us to avert destruction….if we can make it to 2012.

    Report Post »  
  • brntout
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:10pm

    Add your comments

    Report Post »  
  • brntout
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:09pm

    in contrastrast who the hell cares? Why does it matter here to us ,when our troops are our major concern.you take care of yours we will take care of ours as seen fit.

    Report Post »  
  • staythecourse
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 8:01pm

    ironmann. This concerns you because this is the new army. the new world order. and you will see changes in the US military as the OWO has it’s way and continues to transform our military from one designed to preserve and protect our country to one designed to be a UN/NATO global force. As “tolerance” rulings take effect and destroy the “us military code” of conduct, others, seeking citizens (a fifth brigade???) will be signing up. These folks will also have no true allegiance to the US nor it’s constitution. We are on our way to losing our military.

    Report Post »  
  • spirited
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:59pm

    ….kinda makes Guantanamo look like a party.

    Report Post » spirited  
  • Professional Infidel
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:55pm

    Put them on obozo care, along with mexicans!!

    Report Post »  
  • Marengo Ohio Patriot
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:52pm

    Thinking the exact same thing!

    Report Post »  
  • spirited
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:51pm

    Looks like an indurance camp
    –looooove self help classes.

    >Where can one sign up for one of those life coaches?

    Report Post » spirited  
  • Ironmaan
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:50pm

    Blood and treasure Blood and treasure Blood and treasure Blood and treasure Blood and treasure Blood and treasure.

    If we abdicate our position of policeman in the world, it would help to solve 2 problems immediately.

    1– we would stop spending billions of dollars daily.

    2–It would help solve the problem of being hated in the world. It wouldn’t be long before our abdication as the worlds cop would quickly change the attitudes of those smug and arrogant Frenchmen, and other Europeans as they would then have to step up or face serious problems. Islamic dictators would no longer be able to foment hatred towards us and blame us for their ills.

    Report Post »  
  • TheAmericanRifleman
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:49pm

    Thats not bullying, thats hardship training.

    Report Post » TheAmericanRifleman  
    • Elena2010
      Posted on May 2, 2011 at 12:20am

      We worked very hard to get rid of this kind of hazing in our own armed forces back in the 80s and 90s. We killed one kid in a training pool in a “game” called “Sharks and Daisies.“ ”Tailhook” held up promotions and destroyed careers of those who were stupid enough to grope their own fellow officers while in a drunken (or not) stupor and the convention of Naval Aviators. Ultimately, we found it did not build unit cohesion which is essential for a fighting force to be effective. I hope that the Russians will figure it out, too.

      There is never ever an excuse to haze the newbie. Might does not make right. Right makes right.

      Report Post » Elena2010  
  • UpstateNYConservative
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:46pm

    Pffft!

    A ‘joke’ in Spetznaz is putting a rattlesnake in a guy‘s boot while he’s sleeping.

    To get these guys over the sight of blood, they take them through the blood pit of a slaughterhouse.

    These guys don’t mess around.

    BTW, for you libs: there are no women in Spetznaz

    Report Post » UpstateNYConservative  
  • Ironmaan
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:39pm

    We need to stop concerning ourselves with other countries problems. It should not concern us that Libya, Syria, Jordan, North Korea, or any counrty for that matter is in turmoil. We have pleny of turmoil here to deal with. How much more money are we going to print, then spend on fielding an army all over the world? Let Eurrope, Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia spend their own money to protect themselves.
    http://guerillatics.com

    Report Post »  
  • Venom
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:36pm

    Know* grrrr

    Report Post » Venom  
  • Ghandi was a Republican
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:36pm

    An efficient killing machine can save many lives. An ineffective killing machine can be the cause of many… A bad, bad, bad killing machine must be opposed by a better and more effective Good killing machine. Read into that what you will…

    Report Post » Ghandi was a Republican  
  • Venom
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:35pm

    No your enemy inside and out. It affects you because at some point we may have to fight these men. If we know what happens in their training then we know how to defeat them. Not to mention, its not all about you.

    Report Post » Venom  
  • randy
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:34pm

    Bet they don’t have a “Don’t ask, Don’t tell ” Policy Pretty soon the liberal progressive disgusting dems will have the US military carrying pink rifles.

    Report Post » randy  
  • OHOH54
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:20pm

    Leave B.O have another 4 years and it will happen here too

    Report Post »  
  • hersey10
    Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:19pm

    Quick , call Boon Ki Man and get them a seat on the Human Rights Council right next to Syria .

    Report Post » hersey10  
    • Robert-CA
      Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:22pm

      Same old corrupted communist soviet union but this time in different colors .

      Report Post » Robert-CA  
    • Professional Infidel
      Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:58pm

      By orders of putin, that’s why!!!

      Report Post »  
    • restorehope
      Posted on May 2, 2011 at 1:47am

      And the comrade socialists in this administration would see nothing wrong with this. Workers of the world, unite……and eventually fail just as the Soviet Union did. America will not go down that road, however. The gig is up for Obama, Soros, Stern, Trumpka, and their kind.

      Report Post »  
    • Mee the People
      Posted on May 2, 2011 at 4:03am

      at least they get to shoot first

      Report Post »  
    • Issachar Crust
      Posted on May 2, 2011 at 7:40am

      And some of these people are HERE, training our miscreant anarchists, to do much bodily harm to you! This is not good people.

      Report Post »  
    • smithclar3nc3
      Posted on May 2, 2011 at 7:42am

      They’re training soldier to go into battle and kill not day care workers,or world police. I say it good for the military to weed out the weak physically and mentally. War isn‘t a game and damn sure isn’t a walk in the park anyone who can’t fight back or take hazing will be the weakest link in the chain in the feild of battle and can put his entire platoon in jepardy.

      Report Post »  
    • southernORcobra
      Posted on May 2, 2011 at 9:51am

      it’s not weeding out the weak. Russian mafia probably has alot to do with the protection crap.

      Report Post »  
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