Military Intelligence of Russia is a closed state structure, which in its design has not undergone radical changes since 1991. Certain emblems are used for similar special services all over the world. The symbol of Russian intelligence is a bat, which for a long time indicated belonging not only to the GRU, but also to special units of the KGB. This emblem has remained relevant to this day, despite its recent official replacement by a display of red carnations with grenades.
History of appearance
The symbol of the intelligence service is directly linked to the formation of the Soviet service, which was organized in November 1918. The Revolutionary Military Council approved the structure of a special registration department, which was the prototype of the modern GRU unit.
In reality at the time a certain staff was being created, which in a matter of years had acquired the world's largest network of agents. Even terrorist acts in the thirties could not destabilize the Intelligence Directorate. Bosses and subordinates used a variety of ways of working. Even the famous resident Richard Sorge refused to return to the Soviet Union, knowing that nothing good awaited him there.
Election of the boss by voting
After the disappearance of the Soviet Union from the political map of the world, much effort was made to defame and weaken the GRU as much as possible. Who was behind all this, we will not guess, but it was. In particular, the post of GRU chief was ordered from above to be elected by a general vote on an alternative basis. This was not the case even under the Bolsheviks, when they elected and re-elected everyone, everywhere and for any reason.
After the failure of the GKChP, a "democratic commissar" was thrown into the high post of GRU chief Colonel General Timokhin.Colonel General Timokhin, who had previously served in the Air Defense Forces. He did not distinguish himself in that position and was not able to be reelected. In 1992, as a result of a closed competition, the head of the GRU was cadre intelligence officer Fyodor Ivanovich Ladyginwho became the first and last GRU chief chosen on an alternative basis. He himself later recalled this with a smile. The order came again from above, we had to obey. However, how the elections were held and who took part in the voting remained a mystery. In the future, the Chiefs of Military Intelligence were no longer elected.
Since Ladygin was a cadre intelligence officer and, moreover, was elected by "the will of the people," he was able to keep the GRU from pogromous reforms. And at that time even the KGB couldn't resist, having lost its "committee-state" name. The GRU, as it was the GRU, has remained. The basis of its structure, fine-tuned by Ivashutin, remained in place for a long time.
Article on the subject
On the brink of war. How a Soviet spy and an American journalist saved the world
"The dashing '90s turned out to be the toughest for military spies in their entire history. They had to optimize spending in line with the budget they received from the state. And it was becoming more and more symbolic. Yeltsin and the majority of his team were convinced that Russia no longer had any military enemies, which meant that military intelligence was no longer needed in its former form.
GRU veterans, whose names are probably not worth mentioning since they are widely unknown, were sad to say that they had to mothball almost the entire foreign network of agents, with the exception of the United States and European NATO countries, and even then only those that bordered on Russia. But that was 20 years ago. Perhaps something has changed by now. Though radio base in Lourdes in 2002 was lost, it seems, forever.
The Role of Military Intelligence
Before telling where the symbol of intelligence came from, it is necessary to outline the role of this organization in difficult times (the war with Germany and its accompanying preliminary and subsequent provocations). In the end, the intelligence department managed to outplay the Abwehr, which was considered one of the most constructive and most effective units.
Not very well known is the fact that the partisans in the confrontation between Germany and the Soviet Union were also part of an elaborate and well-planned intelligence management plan. Partisan units were organized and concentrated behind enemy lines, which did not wear the intelligence symbol on their clothing, but were prepared to resist and fight according to the science and features of the GRU. The spetsnaz groups allowed individual detachments to be part of the regular army, which gave them the opportunity to reinforce the troops. This was extremely important, especially given the likely nuclear threat.
GRU bat - not a field mouse
Not many people know that after the creation of the intelligence service in 1918, it did not reveal the fact of its formation for a long time. The logo of military intelligence was not hung on the sleeves and shoulder straps, but on the contrary was carefully hidden by the military. And the Intelligence Directorate itself was more like partisans than an elaborate military structure.
But by the 1930s, the position of the GRU had strengthened, as if the USSR knew that World War II was coming and that a special military unit had to be prepared for it. Citizens of the Soviet Union "sprawled out" all over the world. They were commoners in countries: Europe, South and North Africa, Japan and China. But they were actually conducting various intelligence operations that concerned the most powerful country of the USSR. As a rule, ordinary people, volunteers with increased flair and intuition, became candidates for intelligence. Their work was evaluated by a very high rate from the state, but by strict requirements, failure to comply with which - was punishable by death. The Soviet authorities understood that having their citizens in the territory of other countries could easily betray the "motherland", because the spies were aware of who would actually bring a threat and whose system would start a war first. Therefore, the selection of residents took place through various psychological and physical tests of candidates for loyalty to their state. Only films and books on real events alone count a thousand acts when young men gave their lives not to give up information about the Soviet Union. Well, in life there were even more such deeds. Partisans who purposely surrendered were especially striking. One such story was told to us by our grandfather. We quote:
"In my detachment was Pilugin Maxim, the partisans at the time of 1941-1945 had units in every military district. When the German raid reached Moscow in 1941, where we set up a base to transmit information to the main military headquarters - we had to escape. Maxim Pilugin, who was 19 years old at the time, decided to stay behind and surrender to German captivity. He managed to pretend to be a traitor to his homeland while avoiding being shot by a German group. After a day, he managed to escape from the drunk and tired Germans. He brought important information about the arrival of the next German detachment in the Moscow district. For such a peculiar and brave act, the guy was almost given the highest punishment - a tribunal. The authorities believed that he had done this deliberately, passing testimony to the Germans about the location of the remaining partisan detachments in Moscow. We, with the leadership, managed to disprove their assumptions and Pilugin was released. For me he is a hero".
About symbolism
Special purpose units were trained to infiltrate enemy territory in order to obtain data on the intentions of hostile countries and conduct other non-standard operations.
The symbol of military intelligence was the bat. Here it is simple - this animal is secretive in its nature, making little noise, but hearing everything. Often the faces of these groups did not serve directly, remaining special forces, ready at any moment to fulfill the role of a soldier, grenade launcher or sniper. This community became more or less open after the fall of 2000. On November 5, by order of the Russian Ministry of Defense, an official Military Intelligence Day was introduced.
New in blogs
On November 5 Once again, military intelligence officers will celebrate their holiday. All those somehow connected today or were connected in the past with military reconnaissance will gather around the table, remember something and tell the next "tales". They will drink the traditional hundred grams and remember their fallen friends.
HISTORY OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE IN RUSSIA (BEGINNING) Day of military reconnaissance was established by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation № 490 of October 12, 2000. Intelligence officer is a very ancient profession. It played a very important role back in ancient Russia. Back then, messengers, ambassadors and military detachments were used to gather the necessary information. In 1654 the Prikaz of Secret Affairs came out, which became the prototype of the intelligence department of the time. In the early 19th century, in 1810 in Russia was created the first intelligence agency - Expedition of Secret Affairs at the War Ministry. On November 1, 1918 the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic approved the staff of the Field Headquarters of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic. On November 5. the staff was introduced by order No. 197/27 of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic. By order of the Revolutionary Military Counsel of the Republic within the Field Headquarters of the Red Army a Registration Department (Registrupr) was formed to coordinate the efforts of all the intelligence agencies of the army. Since that day the history of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, which is the direct successor of the Registrrupr, began. That's why November 5 is the Day of the Soviet Military Intelligence. At present, military intelligence is part of the structure of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia. Intelligence is the "eyes and ears" of the armed forces, the main means of obtaining information.
HISTORY OF THE "BAT" EMBLEM The bat has always been considered one of the most mysterious and secretive creatures, acting under the cover of darkness. Well, stealth is known to be the key to a successful reconnaissance operation. "Mouse" on the chevrons of the GRU special forces soldiers for a very long time, it is said that the first here was the 12th OBRSN. For a long time it was all unofficial, but with the end of the Soviet era, the view of the "division of duties" in the armed forces has changed. The elite military units began introducing appropriate insignia, and new official symbols of military reconnaissance were approved. The emblem of military intelligence and special forces units was the bat - it makes little noise, but it hears everything. However, beginning in 1998, the "bat" was gradually replaced by the new symbol of military intelligence, the "red carnation. The innovation initially provoked a negative reaction among soldiers and officers of the Special Forces, but when it became clear that the reform did not mean the elimination of the "bat," the storm subsided. "Bat" as one of the main elements of military intelligence symbolism was established long before 1993 and will probably remain so forever. "Bat" is the emblem that unites all active and retired intelligence officers, it is a symbol of unity and exclusivity. And, in general, it doesn't matter whether we're talking about a covert GRU agent or a sniper from any of the special forces brigades. All of them have done and are doing one, very important and responsible job.
OSNAZ GRU GSR Sixth Directorate as part of GRU (electronic and radio reconnaissance). It includes the Space Intelligence Center. The Directorate includes special-purpose units of the OSNAZ. Special Forces units perform radio and radiotechnical reconnaissance tasks. ...After the end of World War II the field of radio-electronic reconnaissance increased significantly - it began to be conducted not only from the land, but also from the sea and the air, as well as from outer space.
The IL-20M reconnaissance plane. (It was the same reconnaissance plane that was shot down in Syria on September 17, 2021, 15 Russian servicemen - the crew and electronic reconnaissance specialists - were killed). The aircraft integrated radio-electronic, photo reconnaissance and radio interception. On the sides of the cockpit installed cameras prospective aerial photography, general radio reconnaissance station. In the below-the-fuselage nacelle an antenna of the side-scan and detailed reconnaissance radar station and radio interception equipment are located. The IL-20 can be used for radio interception and scanning of enemy radio airwaves, which makes it possible to determine the location of concentration of the opponent's forces. There are usually eight operators of radio technical systems, as well as a crew of five people on board the aircraft. The Space Forces have 15 IL-20Ms in service, and the Navy has several more. In the 80s I had a chance to fly onboard IL-20M reconnaissance aircraft in the mangroup. A reconnaissance flight usually lasted 6 - 7 hours. Everyone on board had a parachute, but it was not recommended to use it in case of emergency - the plane was overloaded with antennas, which could cut somebody who jumped with a parachute to pieces. The hope was that in case of "successful" shooting down this 4-motor bomb can reach the base with only one engine. Or successfully land. In the latter case, having inflated the raft, it was possible to try to warm up from the Turkish coast to Odessa. )) Nothing unusual - such was the job...
The big GRU reconnaissance ship (BRZK) SSV-590 "Krym". The ship was designed for radio-electronic reconnaissance of surface ships, submarines, aircraft and stationary stations of the Navy, TR and RF personnel of the probable enemy. The "Krym" BRZK was built in 1969 in Nikolaev at the Black Sea Shipyard. Was a part of the 112th Brigade of reconnaissance ships of the Black Sea Fleet. Was excluded from the fleet structure on 21.02.1997. It was taken away and disassembled for scrap metal in Kamyshovaya bay of Sevastopol in 2000. Not a single fleet in the world can do without reconnaissance. Naval reconnaissance often operated under the wing of the Hydrographic Service, and its ships were often referred to as hydrographic or communication ships (SSV), although in the West this "secret" was naturally known long ago. Besides SSV-590 "Krym" and SSV-591 "Kavkaz", there were also medium-sized (SRZK) - "Kildin", "Liman", "Ocean", "Equator", "Val", etc. and small (MRZK) "Course", "Ladoga", "Vertical" (exactly so - without the soft sign, which caused healthy humor in sailors))) and others. If there were exercises of the North Atlantic Alliance fleets, it meant that there was a Soviet reconnaissance vessel somewhere nearby. Sometimes one could observe the following picture - our "Malysh" (MRZK) would insolently cut into the lines of American ships. Then some huge Amerian monster would start moving towards MRSK with the aim to pile on it and sink it (you can't shoot at an unarmed scout, there would be an international incident, but otherwise - they kind of bumped into each other by accident...). Our "Kid", having run away some distance and seeing that the monster was back in line, stomped impudently into the middle of the armada again....)) On "Krym" as a part of mangroup I happened to work on a long sea voyage in 1981. In addition to regular work, we saved an Arab schooner in distress in the Mediterranean Sea during the storm, took her in tow and hauled her to Beirut (at the request of the Arabs themselves). On the way back we called at Tartus, Syria. There on the door of a shop I saw an announcement written in rickety Russian (!): "I'll be Uncle Said soon..." ))
SONG ABOUT THE NASNAZ GROO Lyrics by Alexander Artsov, music and performance by Alexey Slobodsky: https://d.zaix.ru/frTD.mp
In the 90's scouts together with the entire army and navy found themselves in captivity. But not in Russia - Motherland, but in that clique of corrupt politicians, headed by bad memory Yeltsin B.N., who burst to power. And when the intelligence reports first of all got not to the head of our state, but to the American advisers surrounding him - it was frightening. That is why any officer who experienced hopelessness and humiliation of the 1990s is ready to give his life so that this disgrace for the whole country will never happen again.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL CONCERNED ON THIS HOLIDAY!
HONOUR AND GLORY TO THE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE! INTELLIGENCE IS OUR LIFE!
The Head of the reconnaissance division of the 82nd Brigade of the 82nd OSNAZ of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, P/p Colonel Artsov A.I. (retired in 1997). Total length of service - 27 January (including military school - KVIRTU in 1975 and military academy - VIRTA in 1980).
I HAVE THE HONOR!
clips dedicated to the "bats of Russia - OSNaz GRU":
MORE CLIPS - in the first comment to this post.
WHAT ABOUT THE UKRAINIANS? Clip "OSNAZ" Piiniч" Before you watch this clip - dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Ukrainian electronic reconnaissance center "Pivnich», I would like to draw your attention to several points: 1. the clip is from 2012 - it was 2 years before the armed Nazi coup in Kiev; 2. pay attention to the anthem of OSNAZ "Pivnich"; especially beautiful are the words of the second verse in the background of Ukrainian scouts: "We are the Bats of Russia! Moreover, both songs in the video are in Russian! ))) 3. The uniforms and even reconnaissance equipment are quite recognizable - our, SOVIET ones!..)) 4. and the faces of some Ukrainian colleagues are also recognizable - some had a chance to work together in mangroups in the mountains, go on long sea voyages, fly on reconnaissance planes - before the armed traitorous coup of 1991-93. (5. The clip shows fragments of life and service of the Ukrainian regional intelligence service - everything is still normal, there is no destruction in life or in heads; although the famous military college KVIRTU (where the faculty of intelligence was) is already closed, some officers with considerable professional experience have already gone into business or quit... this will then affect (the indifferent attitude to intelligence) in the caldrons of Ilovaysk and Debaltsevo... And now watch the clip (by the way, very well composed and therefore recommended for viewing by all who are interested in military intelligence - regardless of gender, religion and country of residence)): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr-qk_eUYRc
SOME PHOTOS FROM MY PERSONAL ARCHIVE
The Mediterranean, the author on board the SSV-590 "Krym" BRZK, 1981.
One of the GRU Osnaz munitions team before a long sea voyage.
The crew of the "Krym" salvage from an approaching storm an Arabian schooner that has given a SOS signal. The photo shows the transfer of a thermos of hot naval borscht aboard the schooner by the towline.
Another GRU Osnaz mangroup aboard a reconnaissance ship. On the right is a talented reconnaissance officer and now a noble gardener, reserve colonel Sergei Kozhenevsky.
A GRU reconnaissance unit in the mountains (the author is on the far right; we are in camouflage, and our local colleagues are in regular uniforms).
Emblem of the military intelligence "Bat" at the entrance to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU GSh) of the Russian Armed Forces (photo from the Internet).
Heraldry
The reconnaissance symbol "bat" began to appear on the chevrons of the respective units. The first mention of this insignia is attributed by many to the special brigade of the OBRSPN. For a long period, the entire situation was of an unofficial nature. After the collapse of the USSR, the situation in the army changed, and the elite units began to consider and accept the official symbols of intelligence.
One of the significant dates in this respect was the 75th anniversary of the formation of the GRU (1993). By this anniversary an unknown person from the staff of intelligence decided to give his colleagues a new image of the emblem of the special service. The idea was supported by Colonel General F. Ladygin, who was the head of the GRU. The accompanying units (airborne troops and peacekeeping contingent) did not lag behind the reconnaissance officers. There is very little information about who put more effort into developing their own heraldry.
At the end of October 1993, the heads of intelligence units were able to prepare a draft report with a description and drawing appendices of armbands and chevrons. At the suggestion of General Kolesnikov, the document was signed by Ladygin F.I.
Minister of Defense Grachev approved it as early as October 23. Thus, the symbol of the military intelligence became a bat. This choice could not be called accidental. This animal is one of the most secretive and mysterious creatures. It performs all its vital tasks under cover of darkness, and secretly, which is the key to success in reconnaissance operations.
What does this tattoo mean in the army
The bat is a special insignia of people who served in the office of military agents. Tattoos made during military service are a symbol of time spent and experience gained in military operations. At the sight of such a tattoo of a mammal every intelligence officer can easily identify his colleague and remember the past years of service.
The bat is also a long-standing symbol of the GRU (Directorate of Intelligence). Why has this particular animal become a symbol? From a very old story we know that one day an intelligence officer drew a picture of a mammalian creature for his power structure. And he put in it the meaning of all the inherent characteristics that characterize the intelligence officer.
The meaning of such a tattoo is that this mammalian creature is quiet and secretive, the same qualities a reconnaissance fighter must possess. Also a member of such a control must be attentive and intelligent, just like a mouse, which can perfectly navigate in space and has a subtle hearing.
The bat is a symbol of military intelligence
The symbol designed and created was almost never worn openly by members of the intelligence departments and their branches for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, its variants quickly spread to accompanying engineering, counterintelligence, and artillery units. Some special units used modified armband emblems, the essence of which was directly related to the original.
In any branch of Russian intelligence, the symbol is combined with some kind of animal or bird. Much depends on the characteristics of the branch and geographic location. No less popular image after the bat was the wolf.
The military intelligence "mouse" legalized after the collapse of the USSR?
The fall of the USSR was no less difficult times for the intelligence service. Imagine, the entire base, structure, information - in an instant lost control, actors and as if evaporated from the face of the earth. It was immediately decided to elect an alternative head of the GRU by voting. In 1992, Fedor Ladygin was selected. An order from above came for him, and the former military man had no choice but to accept, otherwise the consequences would have been unfavorable.
His main goal, as Ladygin himself admits, was to preserve the structure of the intelligence agency of the Russian Federation. Not a single program reform happened under his watch. The GRU remained called the Main Intelligence Directorate.
GRU history - slightly changed by Yeltsin. He was convinced that since the war was over, it meant that the intelligence agencies could loosen the bonds of their proliferation. Expenditures on the work of the military structure were eerily reduced, one might say they became quite symbolic. All the spies who had been around the world, in almost every strong military country - were returning to their homeland. The agent network became nothing. Information was extracted only from some EU countries and the United States.
Red Carnation
This intelligence symbol, pictured below, is believed to identify with steadfastness, loyalty, intransigence, and determination to achieve goals. The Grenada with three tongues of flame symbolizes the historical image of the Grenadiers, considered the most trained members of elite military units.
Beginning in 1998, the "bat bat" began to be supplanted by the "red carnation." This symbol of Russian military intelligence was suggested by the heraldist-artist Y. Abaturov. The advantage of this sign was the role of the flower as an identifying mark, known to everyone since the days of Soviet films. The number of petals characterizes the five types of units:
- Ground Intelligence.
- Information agency.
- Air units.
- Naval diocese.
- A special group.
In addition, there is an allusion to the five continents of the globe and a similar number of senses necessary for an intelligence officer. Initially, this emblem was on the badge "For Service in Military Intelligence". Then it appeared on the armbands and chevrons of GRU officers (2000).
Special Forces without camouflage
These units were the most mysterious in the Soviet army. On October 24, 1950 there was a secret Directive of the Military Minister of the USSR № ORG/2/395/832. In all the military districts were created 46 separate spetsnaz companies of 120 men each. Then came the special brigades. They were classified more strictly than the Strategic Missile Forces units. Everyone knew that we had strategic missiles. At first even many generals knew about GRU special forces only by hearsay.
Article on the subject
Spies in skirts. Women spies, whose exploits are still classified
In the case of the threat of a new world war, hundreds of reconnaissance and sabotage groups would have been thrown into NATO countries, including the U.S., at a moment's notice. All of them would have surely perished, but the command and control of the strategic forces - missile, aviation, and naval bases - would have been damaged, which would have made the war against the USSR pointless. The training of fighters in the domestic special forces was, without exaggeration, the best in the world.
In the late 1990s there were traditional competitions of GRU special forces groups. We were friends with all of them back then. And, for the first time, two units of the US army - the Green Berets and the Navy SEALs - took part in them, albeit out of the competition. All of them were real tan buckskins. But on all stages they performed worse than our Special Forces soldiers, most of whom were conscripts.
It should come as no surprise that the Soviet media of the late perestroika period painted the image of the spetsnaz in a beastly fashion. The image of spetsnaz soldiers in the Soviet media in the late perestroika period was painted only as beasts, as were the thugs with a blowtorch in their hands, chasing old women protesting through the alleys of Tbilisi, the streets of Almaty, Ferghana or Baku, and later the capitals of the Baltic republics.
It is a pity that even in the period of wide glasnost it was impossible to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan, about how the officers-special forces knew how to take care of their soldiers and how they liquidated the bands of mujahideen trained by the US instructors.
An article on the subject
"Not all names can be named." Lieutenant General Kozlov - about the Afghan war
Only two brigades of GRU special forces, the 15th and the 22nd, operated in the territory of Afghanistan. For example, three years prior to withdrawal of our troops from the DRA the 15th brigade lost 140 soldiers and officers killed. At the same time its spies killed and captured 9,000 servicemen. The Russian Federation has been the most active member of the Soviet Union in the past decade. We saved the lives of thousands of soldiers of the limited contingent and civilians.
As the Afghan commandos themselves recall, if they had been allowed to act as they knew how, there would have been no active combat operations in the war "over the river. Everything would have been nipped in the bud. Anyway, one 15th GRU brigade stationed in Uzbekistan extinguished the civil war that was starting in Tajikistan in a few months. By the way, the brigade was commanded at the time Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov was the commander of the brigade.Kvachkov, who is now in prison, was the commander of the brigade. Many experts and GRU veterans believe that his arrest was the result of a policy of discrediting military intelligence that continues to this day.
Related Article
Grachev-Dudayev. How the meeting, which started the First Chechen War, took place
The spies entered Tajikistan in late summer 1992, and the situation stabilized in spring 1993. Without any bombing of Dushanbe. And Tajikistan was bordering Afghanistan, where the Wahhabis were in power.
Remember the promise of the late Pavel Grachev Remember the ruins of Grozny and the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, which lasted almost 10 years.
Not without the participation of military intelligence in Chechnya liquidated Dudayev и Khattab, Barayev и Maskhadov. Alas, the GRU special forces had twice as many casualties in Chechnya as they had in Afghanistan. But this was not his fault, and was rather the misfortune of the entire country at the time.
Interesting moments
In 2002, the priority is still given to the "red carnation with grenades. This is largely due to the fact that the Special Forces tried to create their own emblem, different from their other counterparts. As a result, all the predators, birds and herbivores that warriors wanted to see on their patches became almost impossible to arrange.
This is even in spite of the fact that in 1994 a special department responsible for military heraldry and symbols was established. It got to the point that the said department was unable to count the existing number and types of armbands. This was the prerequisite for the creation of a single military intelligence emblem. It is noteworthy that in the main office of the RF GRU, it is still on the floor. The new designation is there too, only on the walls.
Aristocrats in the Service of the Red Army
In just 20 years, by the beginning of World War II, it was possible to form a unique military-intelligence network throughout the world. GRU residencies operated in virtually every country in Europe, North and South America, China and Japan. In the vast majority of cases, foreign agents began to work for the Red Army intelligence voluntarily and worked without pay.
Among them were not only communists and people of left-wing views, but also aristocrats and representatives of the bourgeoisie. Unlike those who today have equated "fascism" and "communism" in their minds, they lived during the real existence of the two systems and understood which of them really threatened the world. However, the phenomenon that Soviet military intelligence services were staffed by men of "blue blood," who often gave their lives for seemingly entirely alien ideals, is impossible to fully understand and explain today.
The role played by military intelligence during the Patriotic War is inestimable. It managed to outplay the legendary Abwehr, and we are talking about military intelligence, agents, and saboteurs. The Soviet partisans were also a project of the intelligence directorate; the units behind enemy lines were usually created by officers of that structure.
Article on the subject
Nobody writes to the colonel. Crime and Punishment by Oleg Penkovsky
Opinion of users
As some experts note in their comments, the "Batman" or bat emblem in the Soviet Union was the official identification mark of one of the special units under the reference number "897".
A stenciled sketch of a bat was applied to equipment, machinery, and personal items. According to the statute, other drawings and displays with animals, birds or other symbols were not allowed. Nevertheless, such markings were used by legendary special units like "459" or "TurkVO" (scorpion, wolf, bear).
Army tattoos by type of troops: meaning and symbolism
The army is a special period in the life of a man. For this reason, many of them want to immortalize it with a body drawing.
All troops have a basic recognizable image. For example, the airborne troops have a parachute, the RXBZ has a gas mask, etc. Not infrequently there are inscriptions indicating blood group, motto, unit number, abbreviations, etc. Basically, the meaning of army tattoos is information about the kind of troops in which the service took place. Let's consider tattoos of military soldiers in more detail.
AIRBORNE TROOPS. Distinctive signs of paratroopers - a blue beret and parachute. They are the main symbols used in the tattoo.
The blue beret depicts wolves, tigers, leopards and other animals. And as a result of the fact that when carrying out combat missions, it is the soldiers of the Airborne Troops who have to parachute into dangerous terrain, the motto "No one but us" and "For the Airborne Troops" has become especially popular.
A wolf in a beret.
Artillery. Artillery tattoos include crossed cartridges, cannons and other guns. Also, it is possible to apply a skull in a beret, accompanied by the inscription "Artillery", "God of War", "We are feared by the Gods".
Artillery reconnaissance. Artillery scout tattoo includes the above symbols with the addition of a bat image.
New Ranking of the best ointments of 2021 for healing all kinds of wounds
Artillery Army tattoo "For RVIA"
Marines. Marines get a wide variety of tattoos. But mostly they include an image of a parachute, with images of animals, a skull in a beret, etc. in the background. Also, the inscription is used: "Where we are, there is victory".
Tattoo of the ground troops. Infantrymen of the motorized troops stuffed with tattoos in the form of a grinning wolf's head or a skull with crossed machine guns.
Tattoos of the Special Forces of the Russian Federation. GRU Special Forces tattoos are images of a skull in a beret against a background of a parachute dome, a helicopter, a bat, a wolf's face or a tiger's face. Often the drawings are accompanied by an inscription with the years or place of service.
Tattoos of the MVD. The tattoo of the internal troops is a five-pointed star, which shows a clenched fist with a Kalashnikov or rifle.
Separate Division of Operational Forces. The ODON tattoo is a black panther with a grin. Usually located on the shoulder in tandem with the inscription "ODON".
Army tattoos of the Russian Air Force. The Air Force tattoo suggests the application of blades with wings, airplanes or the inscription: "For the Air Force".
Tattoo of the ZHDV. In the Russian army, members of the railroad forces stuff a tattoo in the form of a pit bull's head with a rail in its mouth. Sometimes there is an image of a train.
Army air defense tattoos. Mostly, air defense troops use the image of an airplane as a tattoo. Less often a bat or bird is stuffed. Usually, drawings are accompanied by the number of the unit and the period of service.
Tattoo for clear skies
Tattoo of the Air Force. Soldiers of the military-space forces stuffed thematic images: rockets, astronauts, etc.
Tattoo of the North Caucasus Military District. The army tattoo of servicemen in the North Caucasus Military District is a scorpion located on the sternum. And by the position of the tail with the sting, you can tell if the soldier took part in military operations. Accordingly, the raised sting means participation, and the lowered sting means no participation.
Tattoo 12 GUMO. The 12th Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense uses as a tattoo the image of a double-headed eagle or the inscriptions: "After us - silence", "The nuclear forces preserve Russia".
Let us summarize .
In general it can be argued that the bat is the main element of the symbolism of Russian military intelligence. Despite the appearance of the "red carnation", the emblem has not given up its own positions, appearing on chevrons, flags, and in the corresponding folklore. After the development of the grenade and flower composition, many "GRushniks" and special forces personnel found ways to display "mice" on their "standards". This also applies to the senior staff, including the main headquarters, the walls of which are decorated with this very emblem.
Today, the Second Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU GS) is a powerful military unit, the exact information about which (in terms of composition and organization) is a military secret. The renewed center of the said organization has been functioning since early November 2006. The commissioning of the facility was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the revolution, and it is from there that the most important and useful intelligence information which influences the further actions of special units and divisions comes. The building was designed according to modern technology, with special security in mind. Most of the rooms can be accessed only by people with a special pass controlled by various parameters. But at the entrance is a large emblem of military intelligence of the Russian Federation.
Why do scouts have a bat?
This question is not difficult to answer, but let us examine in order what happened to the GRU of the USSR, after the end of the war.
In 1945, when the end of World War II was declared, all the data of the intelligence groups fell into unreliable hands. Colonel Penkovsky passed a lot of secret information to the British forces. Upon learning of this, the authorities changed the head of the GRU, and in 1963 a new deputy Peter Ivashutin stepped up to the post. He served for the motherland for long 24 years, being under constant stress, managed to bring intelligence of the USSR to a new, significant level. The structure adopted even more stringent requirements and became the most informative and powerful in military intelligence operations.
Particularly influential in strengthening the future Russia, was the creation of information sources around the world. The information now had time to warn the Russian military leadership of military threats until something happened. The situation with 1941 - could not be repeated a second time. Also, the military figure Ivashutin set up a radio-technical intelligence directorate in Lourdes. Since 1965, the entire U.S. territory has been under careful Soviet wiretapping.
Today, Ivashutin is the most respected and important man for the Russian Federation. Thanks to his approach, Russia has an undeniable advantage, a clear strategy and a strong intelligence-military ethos.
"The official emblem of intelligence, the structure did not have until 1992, because it tried to be as secret and "non-existent" as possible. In 1992, the emblem of the Russian GRU took the form of a black bat, symbolizing secrecy and mystery.
Always on guard
The same colossal work, as in Afghanistan, the GRU special forces did a decade later during the two Chechen campaigns and many local conflicts in the former Soviet Union. It is difficult to calculate how many Russian soldiers and officers of regular units have been saved their lives and health by fighters whose chevrons bear the silhouette of a bat - the traditional emblem of the Russian GRU Special Forces. But there is no doubt that the people who in the '90s survived the consistent disintegration of the army and who only through their enthusiasm and loyalty to the oath preserved the domestic special operations units have done much more than they say.
Today there are 14 units of Special Forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: eight separate brigades scattered over four military districts, a separate Special Forces regiment and a separate Senezh Special Purpose Center, as well as four naval reconnaissance points - as the Navy's Special Forces units are called.
The total number of these units is classified - as it should be. But it is safe to say that the number of contemporary Russian special troops, both professional officers and conscripts and non-commissioned officers, is in the thousands. And all of them will certainly say three traditional toasts today - except for those who are on active duty - to us, to the special forces and to those who are no longer with them. But of whom we must always remember, those whose peace have been and are being guarded by the fighters of the Russian special forces.
/ Sergei Antonov, rusplt.ru/
Facts about the animal
The bat is the only mammal capable of flying. Their nocturnal lifestyle, keen eyesight, peculiar appearance, and ability to move quickly in space caused admiration and fear in people at the same time. The animal was mentioned by the legendary ancient Greek poet Homer, who believed that the dead had the wings of bats. The ancient Romans and Greeks treated the animal with reverence and respect.
Europeans used nocturnal messengers of the afterlife, who were also the constant companions of witches, sorcerers and fortune tellers, in mystical rites. It was believed that these creatures have a special sense and are able to communicate with the dead.
With the advent of Christianity, animals began to be mass exterminated because they were associated with Satan and the dark forces, as the Jews. A talisman in the form of a bat, suspended and killed, protected the home from evil spirits. The same attitude was with the Americans and Brazilians, who treated bats with fear and awe, believing that they were capable of consuming the sun.
A very different meaning of the tattoo is in China. There, the creature is considered an auspicious symbol and represents well-being, good health, success in endeavors and fertility. Greeting card with a couple of these animals are often given to each other on holidays with best wishes.
From the Korean jungle to the mountains of Afghanistan
Still, all these predecessors and forerunners were not yet fully the kind of special forces that the most desperate thugs in the NATO special forces units were intimidated by at the end of the Cold War. This is primarily because they were not tasked with the kind of specific tasks the GRU's army special forces were supposed to perform. And he was charged with the duties of deep reconnaissance, the same as special reconnaissance, which was to be conducted in the deepest depths of the enemy.
Despite the traditional name, the purpose of such reconnaissance was quite nontraditional. In the event of the outbreak of the Third World War the newly formed special forces units were to move far behind the line of contact of ground troops and operate in the immediate vicinity of enemy command posts and other strategic facilities. It was there that the GRU special forces were to engage in subversive and reconnaissance activities, giving preference to sabotage or data collection depending on the situation.
Therefore, the task of the Special Forces of the GRU - which was soon to be the acronym given to these units - was to destroy control centers, silos and surface launchers of operational-tactical and ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, strategic bombers and nuclear submarines - nuclear weapon carriers. And there is nothing to talk about such common for saboteurs things as violation of control systems, communications, power and communications of the enemy. In practice, the special forces - at least as far as it is known, and not everything is known about their activities, not even half of it! - has never had to do precisely this kind of work. But they actually organized and conducted guerrilla warfare in the second half of the twentieth century.
By the end of 1963 the original special forces companies had grown into entire brigades. Initially there were only ten of them, but as a result after a few years there was one such unit for each Soviet military district and each navy, plus one more unit reporting directly to the GRU of the General Staff, i.e. the Soviet Army had a total of 21 brigades of GRU special forces. Separate combat missions, as far as is known, the Soviet spetsnaz had to perform during the Korean War in 1950-1953 years, and in several local conflicts in the Middle East, and during the Vietnam War in 1965-1975 years.
Tattoo of a bat: meaning for girls
It is not uncommon to find such tattoos among goths and emos. In such subcultures, bats are associated with vampires. This is indeed true, because in America there is a separate species of bats, which feed exclusively on blood.
Bat tattoo, meaning for girls:
- Among members of the subculture, goths and emo, the animal is associated with the bloodsucker, or vampire.
- Recently, animal protection organizations have been gaining in popularity. Some species of bats are endangered, they are extremely difficult to find in various regions.
- That is why animal advocates, as a sign of protest, to draw more attention to the problem, tattoo themselves like this on their bodies.
- They urge to conserve bats, and to pay more attention to the problem, not to ignore it.
Tattoo
Technique of execution
Men's sketches of a bat tattoo are usually performed in black. To give the drawing a positive meaning, you can take a sketch in the Chinese style as a basis. Tattoo with a bat on the neck or on the wrist in minimalism looks very stylish and original thanks to the brevity and absence of unnecessary details.
Drawings in the style of realism or watercolor is better to do in a large scale, otherwise the tattoo will turn out incomprehensible and blurred. In addition, such a drawing looks much more effective, especially the tattoo with a bat on the back on the background of the moon. Lovers of experiments can look into the technique of 3D and ethnic style. Photos and sketches of interesting works can be seen in the gallery below and pick up an interesting option.
Interesting video on the topic
Bat tattoo photo
Bat tattoo on the shoulder, what does it mean?
In particular, a bat on the shoulder or forearm, in prison, means that the person is a nocturnal thief. That is, he robs passersby at night.
Bat tattoo on the shoulder, what does it mean:
- Note that in the Airborne Forces, as well as in the army, the drawing of the animal is applied on the shoulder and forearm. Most often the drawing is on a dark background.
- The animal is depicted with the moon, or the month. If you saw a similar tattoo on the shoulder of a man, almost one hundred percent likely you can conclude that he was involved in the Airborne troops or military intelligence.
Military tattoo
