Why Russia's National Guard. Troops of the National Guard of Russia: structure, command, symbols Vng what kind of troops

In 2016, the National Guard was formed in Russia. Now this organization has grown greatly, and it has tens of thousands of military personnel.

The troops are designed to ensure security within the state, to fight extremists and protesters.

You can often hear how the Russian Guard is called the "personal army" of the president, because. this structure is subordinate to the commander-in-chief, i.e. head of state. But is it really so?

Structure and powers

The structure includes the following special services:

SOBR;
OMON;
Federal State Unitary Enterprise "PROTECTION" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
Center for Special Purposes of Rapid Response Forces and Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
Bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for supervision in the field of arms trafficking and private security activities;
National Guard.

Now the head of the structure is Viktor Zolotov, who has been personally working with the president for a long time.
This organization has a number of powers:

Demand order from the population.
Prevent the occurrence of crimes or infringement of the rights of citizens.
Check the documents of the population if there is a reason to suspect people of committing illegal acts, being wanted, and other serious grounds.
Demand from officials and the population to stop illegal actions.
Protect the scene of the incident until the authorities arrive. Also, the guard may require citizens to leave the protected place.
Accept, store or destroy seized/surrendered weapons.

These are only the main powers of the guard, and in fact its capabilities are much wider.

National Guard and police: what is the difference

In theory, each department should have its own specific name, and the functions of these organizations should not overlap.

However, the powers of the Russian Guard intersect with the activities of the police and the FSB (the fight against terrorism in the country and ensuring the integrity of the Russian Federation).

Representatives of the Russian Guard can drive cars with flashing lights. They are also allowed to use special equipment if necessary. Here are the main differences between this structure and the police:

Subordination. The police are subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, while the troops of the Russian Guard are subordinate to the president of the country.
Independence. In financial terms, the National Guard is an independent organization. It has all the financial functions of the police, and the annual turnover of the organization is about 20 billion. Also, the troops of the National Guard can control the circulation of weapons and are empowered to license security activities.
Tasks. The police maintain order and apply sanctions to violators, then the guard is called upon to protect state integrity and order.
The use of weapons. This is perhaps one of the main differences between the National Guard and the police. Employees of both structures have the right to use weapons. Only here in the law "On Police" it is clearly stated that the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs can use weapons in order to protect citizens, in case of encroachment on their health and life. This clause is absent in the law on the Russian Guard, which significantly expands the capabilities of this structure.

How to get a job

To get a job in the National Guard, you need to pass a number of requirements:

Health status. After passing the examinations, the conscript in the military registration and enlistment office receives a health category (A-D). Those who are fit for service and fit for service with minor restrictions are accepted for service in the Russian Guard, i.e. people with A and B health categories.
Psychological health. Also, future employees must undergo a psychological selection. Based on the selection results, a person is assigned 1 of 4 fitness categories. Basically, people with categories 1 and 2 are hired, in rare cases - 3. The last category is considered not recommended.
Additional requirements. In addition to these requirements, the future employee must have a sufficient level of physical fitness, education and qualifications.
Both civilians and military personnel can become guardsmen. To do this, you need to apply to the commander of the unit. He makes the decision to accept. If a person who wants to get into the guard has no contradictions for the service, he is given referrals for medical examinations, mental tests and passing standards for physical fitness.

Salary

The salary of a guardsman depends on:

ranks and positions;
the amount of monetary allowances;
employee allowances;
material assistance to the guards.

Now the salary of an ordinary guardsman is 25,000 rubles a month, and an officer-rank guardsman earns about 55,000 rubles. These are averages and numbers may vary depending on the region of service.

It is important to note that in regions with adverse environmental and weather conditions, the salary of a guardsman is noticeably higher than the salary of an employee working in large cities.

To the complaints of military personnel about low wages, the command promises employees to significantly increase wages, but this will not happen soon.
It should be noted that Vladimir Putin recently increased funding for the National Guard, and military personnel can expect a salary increase of about 4-5% in the near future.

Benefits for military personnel

The guards themselves and their families have a number of state benefits:

health and life insurance;
free vacation;
receiving free medical services;
the possibility of obtaining a mortgage loan on preferential terms at a rate of less than 10%.

It is worth noting that the longer the service life of the guardsman, the better the benefits from the state. For example, an employee who has been in the service for less than 10 years will receive free rest for a period of 30 days. Employees over 20 years of age will be granted 45 days of rest. Also, the benefits are significantly affected by the personal merits of the employee: participation in hostilities, service in adverse conditions, etc.

The National Guard is a young structure that is developing at a tremendous pace. The organization was created only 3 years ago, and it already includes more than 350,000 employees (1/3 of the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs). Therefore, joining the National Guard is a profitable and promising goal. However, it should be understood that there are certain requirements for the health of employees, so not everyone will be selected.

The National Guard is a relatively new structure that did not exist in the history of the USSR and modern Russia. This is an executive authority, whose employees are endowed with fairly broad powers, and the specifics of the activities of the National Guard cover almost all areas of state interests. In general, the National Guard is an analogue of the internal troops of the Russian Federation, on the basis of which it was created.

The full and quite official name of the Russian Guard is the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation. This is a completely state structure, the priority task of which is to ensure public safety, protect the national and political interests of the country, civil rights and freedoms. This is how the department is positioned in official media sources.

What it is

As mentioned above, the National Guard was created on the basis of the Internal Troops, so the specifics of the activities of the new law enforcement agency are understandable. In particular, the National Guard performs police and military functions. The National Guard will ensure public order during rallies, demonstrations and other events, and take part in counter-terrorism operations.

Currently, this unit operates exclusively within the country, although it can perform the function of border troops to protect the state border.

Important! In the future, it is planned to include units of the Air Force, Airborne Forces, Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Navy in the department, which will significantly expand the list of tasks performed by the Russian Guard. However, when such a merger of the army and navy will take place and whether it will be at all is still unknown.

When and why was the National Guard established?

The Russian Guard was formed on April 5, 2016, when Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 157 came into force. Currently, its - Day of the Internal Troops of the Russian Federation. Whether this date will be postponed is still unknown.

Perhaps the impetus for the creation of the National Guard was the turbulent situation in the global political arena. In particular, having gathered internal troops, army and police special forces into a single fist, the president managed to get a very combat-ready unit, which is currently being actively equipped with new models of military equipment, weapons and equipment.

A bit of history

The first attempt to create a National Guard was made by Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin. Taking the experience of Western colleagues as a basis, the president instructed Vice President Rutskoi to form a special unit designed to protect the constitutional order of the country, to ensure the maintenance of law and order in the interior.

The selection of the operational brigades of the internal troops among the servicemen of the operational brigades of the internal troops was even begun, however, the ministers of defense and internal affairs spoke out against the formation of the national guard. The project was decided to be postponed.

The structure of the National Guard

Currently, the structure of the National Guard includes districts, formations and regional departments of the National Guard, as well as educational departments. The internal hierarchy is subdivided into departments, departments, services and departments.

Structure of the National Guard

Units that are part of the Russian Guard

The new department includes:

Compound

Currently, the units of the National Guard are located in eight military districts:

Central;
North Caucasian;
Oriental;
Siberian;
Ural;
Volga;
Southern;
Northwestern.

Professional activity

The National Guard is a multifunctional structure that, in addition to ensuring public order, protects strategically important objects and cargo, takes part in the elimination of bandit formations and the detention of especially dangerous criminals.

In addition, employees of the department can check documents and detain suspicious citizens for 3 hours.

The National Guard, created in 2016, is sometimes referred to as the president's "personal troops". She has broad powers: she participates in the fight against extremism and terrorism, protects the territorial integrity of Russia, regulates the circulation of weapons and, along with the police, keeps order at rallies and protests. We tell you why the National Guard is needed and what it can do.

What is the National Guard and to whom does it report?

The National Guard was created in April 2016 by a special decree of Vladimir Putin. It arose on the basis of the departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The main purpose of the National Guard is to protect public order (along with the police) and ensure public safety. The National Guard also regulates the circulation of weapons, security activities and private security. Its special powers include the organization of mandatory state fingerprint registration and the development of measures in the field of aviation security. In addition, the National Guard participates in the fight against terrorism and assists the FSB in protecting the state border of Russia, and since March 2018 it can protect governors and heads of republics on a contractual basis (money from this should go to the federal budget).

There are currently 340,000 people in the Russian Guard. This is one of the largest power structures. For comparison, this is more than a third of the entire composition of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (894,000 people).

The National Guard reports directly to the president. It is commanded by General Viktor Zolotov, who for a long time led the security service of Vladimir Putin.

They say it was created to fight the opposition, is that true?

Detain and deliver to the police premises

Require public order and stop violations

Check and stop vehicles

The National Guard may fire without warning if the delay will cost the life of a soldier or citizens nearby.

How to behave with the National Guard?

The rules are the same as when dealing with the police:

- Don't resist(especially physical), but communicate politely and confidently

- Ask to introduce yourself, name the position and state the grounds for the application of coercive measures

If the employees of the Russian Guard exceed their authority, they must be reported to their superiors, and their actions should be appealed to the prosecutor's office and in court.

For example, employees of the Russian Guard requested documents from a resident of St. Petersburg, referring to the upcoming World Cup. Then they demanded to put things out of their pockets and checked the applications running on the smartphone. At the same time, no inspection protocol was drawn up, there were no witnesses, there was no video recording, and the phone check in this case is generally doubtful from the point of view of constitutional rights. Such violations must be complained to the prosecutor's office and the court.

In the Tomsk region, a criminal case was opened against employees of the Russian Guard for exceeding their authority - they beat several citizens on the territory of a rotational camp.

Russia has undergone the largest law enforcement reform since the transformation of the militia into a police force. Among other things, a National Guard of 350-400 thousand people is being created in the country, which will be able to detain Russians and shoot without warning. Now the bill is waiting for the approval of the State Duma, but the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has already said that the guard will begin to operate before the adoption of the law.

"Paper" found out what the guardsmen will do, who will lead them, and why Russia needs hundreds of thousands of armed people who are personally subordinate to Putin.

On April 5, Vladimir Putin announced that a new power structure, the National Guard, was being created on the basis of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At the same time, Putin signed a corresponding decree, and the very next day the president submitted to the State Duma a bill on the creation of a guard. After that, the new department became the main topic of discussion in the media, relegating even the scandal with the Panamanian offshore companies to the background.

What will the National Guard do?

Judging by the bill, the range of tasks for the guards is very wide. Among them - the protection of public order, the fight against terrorism, extremism and organized crime, as well as "participation in the territorial defense" of Russia. As planned, the guard will be engaged in such a wide range of tasks that among them there is even the arrest of failed suicides.

At the same time, while experts do not really understand how the guard will solve its tasks without the right to operational-search work. Some experts - for example, former KGB officer and State Duma deputy Gennady Gudkov - believe that the new structure will receive these powers fairly soon.

Who can the guards shoot at and what powers are provided for them

Under the bill, the guards will be able to detain Russians, enter their homes, check documents, issue administrative protocols, use water cannons and armored vehicles, and even shoot without warning. True, the guards will be able to open fire without warning only if the “delay” threatens the life and health of a “citizen or soldier of the National Guard troops” or can lead to other serious consequences. It is forbidden to shoot only at women with "visible signs of pregnancy", the disabled and children. Except when they attack themselves.

But in fact, the guard does not have extraordinary powers, and the new structure simply combines the rights of employees of all departments that will enter it. Moreover, in terms of shooting at Russians, the FSB's capabilities are even wider.

Who will be taken to the guard and how many there will be

It is not yet known exactly, but the guard will number 350-400 thousand people. It will include the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, special forces such as OMON and SOBR, as well as private security. In addition, it will be possible to serve in the National Guard by conscription. The ranks of the guardsmen can also be replenished by the Cossacks. As Maria Shklyaruk, a researcher at the Institute for Law Enforcement Problems at the European University at St. Petersburg, said, “all the muscles of different law enforcement agencies are coming together.”

It is forbidden to shoot only at women with "visible signs of pregnancy", the disabled and children. Except when they attack themselves

At the same time, there will be no more law enforcement officers in Russia due to the appearance of the guard. Rather, on the contrary, it is possible that when they move to the National Guard, departments are waiting for reductions. In addition, simultaneously with the creation of the Guards, Putin decided to return Narcotics Control and the Migration Service to the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is already known that the staff of the latter due to reforms will be reduced by 30% (about 11 thousand people).

Who will command the guards and why they can be called "Putin's army"

According to the bill, Putin will personally lead the National Guard. But the guard also has a director, he is also its commander in chief. It was Putin's 60-year-old sparring partner Viktor Zolotov, who previously headed the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Even earlier, he worked as a locksmith, served in the KGB and guarded Anatoly Sobchak, Boris Yeltsin, Putin himself and Medvedev. Zolotov was in charge of Yeltsin's security during the famous tank ride in 1991.

Zolotov's acquaintances characterize him as a person "infinitely devoted" to Putin. In addition, they consider him modest, secretive, tough and demanding. Among the characteristics are also "real KGB" and "generalissimo". He got the last nickname for his love of promotion and new titles.

Among the speeches of Zolotov himself, there is little remarkable, but he managed to confess his sympathy for the NKVD, with which they immediately began to compare the National Guard being created. According to him, “the fighters and commanders of the NKVD troops covered themselves with unfading glory, defending Kyiv and Leningrad, Odessa and Sevastopol, Moscow and Stalingrad, fighting on the Kursk Bulge. It is impossible to overestimate their merits in the fight against the nationalist underground in the Baltic States and Western Ukraine in the first post-war years.”

It is also known that the son of the chief guardsman of the country, according to the tradition of Russian officials, turned out to be a successful businessman. For example, he owns real estate, the market value of which is hundreds of millions of rubles. Including a house 7 kilometers from Putin's residence in Valdai.

How oppositionists, security forces and Putin himself explain the creation of the National Guard

In a presidential decree, Putin wrote that the reform was being carried out "in order to ensure state and public security, protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen."

Putin will personally lead the National Guard

But there are other versions. First, a new repressive body is being created in Russia, which will be personally subordinate to Putin and, in which case, without any hesitation, will open fire on the protesters. This version is partly confirmed by the data of political scientist Yevgeny Minchenko. He notes that the project of the national guard is already about four years old and it was originally assumed that the guard would just deal with riots and riots.

The second version partly repeats Putin's words and is the most utilitarian. According to it, the emergence of a new structure will unite the management of disparate units, help to cope with the budget deficit in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and more effectively fight crime. Retired FSB Major General Vasily Eremenko believes that, among other things, the National Guard will confront large terrorist groups. For example, the "Islamic State" banned in Russia.

The third version is directly related to the personality of its director. Some experts believe that the broad powers and the very appearance of the National Guard are the administrative success of Viktor Zolotov. Now Putin's sparring partner, who loves new titles, has the same status as a minister, has six deputies and is officially referred to as "Commander in Chief of the National Guard."

Another assumption about the essence of the reform

The National Guard of Russia (full name of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation) is an executive body formed on the basis of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The NG is called upon to ensure an appropriate level of state and public security, to stand guard over the rule of law, the rule of law and the constitutional order. Presidential Decree No. 157, which contained a resolution on the formation of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, entered into force on April 5, 2016.

The National Guard of Russia is a new force on guard of public order

In Russia, NG as such has never existed. The first mention of the possibility of its formation appeared in 2002. Then it was said that NG should become the successor of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And in 2012, information appeared in the press that the Ministry of Defense had already begun discussing the concept of creating an NG and it was planned that it would include troops from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Airborne Forces, Air Force, Navy and Ministry of Emergency Situations.

In 2014, a proposal regarding the formation of the National Guard of the Russian Federation appeared on the Internet portal of the ROI - the Russian Public Initiative. All willing citizens of the Russian Federation took part in the survey, and the result was eloquent - the majority supported the proposal.

The opinion of the people and the state coincided, especially since, according to the President of the Russian Federation, the reform of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has been discussed for a long time. The result of such work was the adoption of the Presidential Decree of April 5, 2016, according to which a new state power structure was created in Russia from the composition of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This legal act contains the main provisions regarding the formation, structure and powers of the National Guard of the Russian Federation.

Such a decision was expedient and quite natural, because there are similar military formations in many countries, including the USA, Latvia, Spain, Ukraine, Georgia, etc. The appearance of NG in Russia was a matter of time. In addition, the fact that the guard is directly subordinate to the President of the country, and not to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, like other areas of internal troops, is of fundamental importance.

Composition and structure of the National Guard of the Russian Federation

Viktor Vasilievich Zolotov(Army General) - Director of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (since April 5, 2016)

Sergei Viktorovich Bunin(Colonel-General) - Chief of the General Staff of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (since April 5, 2016)

V. Putin, in his comments on the adopted Decree, noted that the NG was created to combat terrorism and organized crime, and will work in close cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, as well as perform functions that were previously assigned directly to OMON and SOBR.

V. Zolotov was placed at the head of the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, who, until the moment he took up his new position, served as commander-in-chief of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. His new appointment is identical to the status of a federal minister.

The goal of the Russian Guard is to optimize and increase the efficiency of the activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, as well as rationalize budget funds for the maintenance of law enforcement agencies. The latter fact is due to the fact that the formation of National Guard detachments does not require the recruitment of additional troops. They are formed from employees of the existing units of the power structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

In addition to SOBR and OMON, the NG of Russia includes:

Private security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation;
Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation;
Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Protection";
Divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for control over the circulation of weapons and security activities of a private order.

The number of NG RF may reach 400 thousand people. The transition of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the ranks of the National Guard is carried out with the full preservation of their awards and social guarantees. It is noteworthy that in order to balance such an outflow of people from the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the head of state decided to transfer the FMS and the drug control service, which were previously separate structures, to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Functions and powers of the National Guard

The functions of the National Guard of the Russian Federation are very wide:

Maintaining public order;
Conducting a full-scale fight against terrorist and extremist groups and formations;
Territorial defense of the country;
Protection of state facilities and especially important cargoes;
Assistance to the FSB in organizing the protection of border areas;
Regulation and control of private security activities;
Conducting private security;
Opposition to organized crime;
Implementation of state policy in the field of arms trafficking;
Suppression of unauthorized large-scale actions, etc.

In addition, it is obvious that in the event of the introduction of martial law, the guards will be tasked with organizing the rear defense and protection of the country's communications, countering sabotage and reconnaissance groups, performing garrison service, etc. Simply put, the main task of NG is to protect the country from external and internal enemies and to protect the constitutional order, as well as the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens.

Historical digression

An interesting fact is that in our state an attempt has already been made to form the National Guard. In a difficult year for the country in 1991, B. Yeltsin, at the August session of the Supreme Council, put forward an initiative to create the Russian Guard in order to protect the constitutional order and provide society with guarantees of law and order. To develop the concept of the future structure, a commission was formed from people's deputies, representatives of law enforcement agencies and state committees under the leadership of Vice President A. Rutskoy.

The developers focused on the parallel existence of a new type of troops with the USSR Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies of the USSR and the RSFSR and other state authorities. Work on the project lasted 2 months, after which the commission presented B. Yeltsin with the general structure of the future guard, which included the organizational foundations, locations, the composition of the headquarters, special departments, brigades, and so on. It was planned that the formation of troops would be carried out from the operational units of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RSFSR.

At the Supreme Council, the presented developments were approved by the majority of those present. However, the matter never came to official approval. The tense situation in the country and the confrontation of the opposition pushed the project to create a people's guard into the background. Moreover, the attention of statesmen very quickly switched to a new structure - the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Whatever it was, everything has its time. Then the creation of such troops was premature and inappropriate due to the unstable situation inside the country. Now the time has come to organize a new force that will stand guard over law and order and justice. Now Russia has its own National Guard.