Don't Panic: Where and Why Moscow High schoolers Are Called To

Irina Mishina

Parents and classmates of the students of the Vorobyovy Gory GBPU asked us to clarify the whereabouts and further fate of the 10th grade boys, who were taken to military training on October 3.

“Of my acquaintances, 8-10 people were taken away. And my friend from the 10th grade was also taken away all the boys. Information from the guys comes strange. Some say that they will be taken from Tuchkovo somewhere else later, and all this will drag on for at least 3 weeks”, - said Nastya, a student of the Vorobyovy Gory Lyceum.

Parent Yelena K. confirms: “Indeed, from Monday, the boys of the 10th grade were taken away for military training, nothing was really explained to their parents. We are very worried".

We tried to get through to the "summoned" boys. Until 4 p.m., their phones were out of range. After that, the guys began to answer.

Yegor: “We are now in the Tuchkovo area at the training camp, everything is in order with us, on Friday they promised to return us home. These are military charges. They feed us well, teach us to shoot and various military duties. Everything is fine!".

Kostya: “They plan to return us home on Friday, the food here is good, I don’t want to give any more information”.

In the lyceum "Sparrow Hills" they refused to explain anything to us. The director of the Sparrow Hills GBPU, Elena Melville , turned out to be inaccessible to communication. And on the phone of the reception of the head of the Lyceum "Sparrow Hills" Dmitry Zernov, a female voice cut off: "All our contacts are only through the Department of Education. Let's say goodbye!"

In general, in such a situation, many questions arise. And this is multiplied by the complete lack of contacts with the school administration, which has turned into "celestials", closed from parents and the press by a bulletproof vest of bureaucratic impregnability. But according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, the draft age comes with the age of majority of a young man, that is, from the age of 18. Before the onset of this age, they do not have the right to call a young man. At the same time, the call is carried out by handing a summons from the military registration and enlistment office, where the medical commission is held. What is the reason for the call for “military training” of schoolchildren?

"NI" turned to the Moscow Department of Education for information about the recruitment of high school students for training camps. Here is the response we received:

“Training camps are mandatory for 10th grade boys and 2nd year college students, they have been held annually since 2010 in accordance with the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Young men of the 10th grade and students of the 2nd year of colleges who are being trained in the basics of military service within the framework of the subject "Fundamentals of Life Safety" are involved in the training camp, with the exception of those who are exempt from classes for health reasons (they are provided with the opportunity to complete a training program fees online). The training camp is organized on the basis of the Patriot health and education center and the Avangard educational and methodological center, as well as on the basis of specialized centers and military units, where all the necessary conditions for a comfortable stay are created, in particular, students live in separate rooms, are provided with five meals a day. food. At the training camp, the guys study drill and physical training, first aid rules, etc. In addition, various sports, cultural and career guidance events are held for students.

This academic year, 10th-graders of SBEI "Vorobyovy Gory" are going through training camps in the recreational and educational center "Patriot" from October 3 to October 7. At the end of the training camp, the young men will be given a final grade for mastering the program. We add that for the period of absence of students at school, the development of new educational material is not provided.

The information that after the gathering the children will be sent further in a direction unknown to them is absolutely untrue. After the end of the training camp, all the guys will return home in an organized manner and continue their studies as usual .”

We asked Lieutenant General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Alexander Mikhailov to comment on the fact of these fees.

“This is the practice of recent years, such fees are held in all regions of the Russian Federation on the basis of the Avangard centers for the preparation of pre-conscription youth. Now there is no Basic military training in schools, but there is a task to give a certain skill to the guys in 5 days of training, so that if they are drafted into the army, it will be easier and easier for them. These charges have nothing to do with the call. The children are given primary skills - how to use weapons, safety precautions, an elementary idea of tactical training. The most common skills. This is a system of pre-conscription training, which is useful even if a person does not serve in the army. Self-defense, for example, has not been canceled,” Alexander Mikhailov explained.

Of course, in the context of the events taking place with the announced mobilization, these military training camps of schoolchildren are perceived quite alarmingly, especially in the light of the closeness of the school administration. Previously, they simply did not pay attention to such fees, but now everything is overgrown with myths, rumors and conjectures.

“This happens every year, but now the military registration and enlistment offices have compromised the situation with mobilization so much that people shudder from everything. Indeed, they mobilize everyone in a row, who is needed and who is not needed. We call such uselessly drafted "Arbat Military District". Summons are brought to people who are not capable of shooting or guarding. And all why? Because in the military registration and enlistment offices, civilians mostly sit, the military is only a military commissar, and they sweep everyone in a row: both the sick and those who are not fit for combat. Now three military commissars have already been fired, those who were illegally called up have been returned back, but I would pay for their way back at the expense of the military commissars. And don’t worry about these schoolchildren, they are entertained there, they play sports with them, they are well fed. Of course, these are not mom's pies, but a useful thing. In addition, 5 days outside of school, without homework and textbooks, in the air, what's wrong?”, - Lieutenant General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Alexander Mikhailov explained to NI.

By the way, elementary military training clubs will soon be opened in several districts of the capital, the first one will start working in Solnechnogorsk. There you can get skills in handling weapons, learn how to work with drones, get an idea about defense and self-defense. All this can be useful not only in the army.