Otitis

Symbol of Russian military intelligence. Flag "emblem of Russian military intelligence"

There is an opinion that traditional symbol Russian military intelligence is a bat. However, few people know when and under what circumstances these bats unexpectedly acquired such a status. Since time immemorial, the annual holiday of military unit 45807, better known as the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, has been celebrated on November 5. On this day, in 1918, by secret order The Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic No. 197/27 announced the staff of the Field Headquarters of the RVSR, within which a Registration Directorate was created, which was in charge of all issues of human intelligence. And although this staff was approved by the Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council E.M. Sklyansky, Commander-in-Chief of all Armed Forces of the Republic I.I. Vatsetis and member of the Revolutionary Military Council K.Kh. Danishevsky four days earlier on November 1, and in order No. 1 on the Register of November 8, 1918 it was said: “The Registration Directorate of the Field Headquarters of the RVSR is considered formed from November 1 of this year. ...”, later the 5th day became the day of the annual holiday. November 5 acquired its “open” status only on October 12, 2000, when by order of the Minister of Defense Russian Federation No. 490, Military Intelligence Day was established.

But let's go back to 1993, when domestic military intelligence was preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its creation. For this anniversary, someone who is fond of heraldry from among the GRU1 employees decided to present a gift to his colleagues in the form of new symbols. This proposal received the support of the head of the GRU, Colonel General F.I. Ladygina. By that time, as is known, the Airborne Forces2, as well as the Russian contingent of peacekeeping forces in Transnistria (the letters “MS” on a blue rectangular patch) had already acquired their own officially approved sleeve insignia. We do not know whether the “heraldists-intelligence officers” and whether their bosses or not, they nevertheless circumvented the law. In the second half of October, the GRU prepared a draft report from the Chief of the General Staff addressed to the Minister of Defense, with a description and drawings of two sleeve insignia attached: for military intelligence agencies and military units special purpose. October 22 F.I. Ladygin signed it “by hand” from the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel General M.P. Kolesnikov, and the next day the Minister of Defense, Army General P.S. Grachev approved the descriptions and drawings of the sleeve insignia.

So the bat became a symbol of military intelligence and special forces units. However, in the GRU, as well as intelligence departments of the species armed forces, districts and fleets, the sleeve insignia approved for them was never worn for obvious reasons. But its numerous varieties quickly spread throughout military, artillery and engineering reconnaissance units and units, as well as anti-sabotage warfare. They were also widely used in special purpose formations and units. various options sleeve insignia made based on an approved design. But starting in 1998, the bat began to gradually be replaced new symbol military intelligence red carnation, which was proposed by the famous heraldry artist Yu.V. Abaturov. It originally appears on badge distinction “For service in military intelligence”5, in 2000 it became an element of the large emblem and the new sleeve insignia of the GRU6 and, finally, in 2005 it finally occupied a central place on all heraldic insignia, including sleeve patches.

It remains to add that the palm in using the image of a bat belongs to air force Great Britain and the USA: bats first appeared on the emblems of British and American squadrons during the First World War. In the early 1920s they became widespread in aviation naval forces And Marine Corps USA, and in the Second world war in the Royal Canadian and South African Air Forces. The image of a bat is used on the emblem of military intelligence South Korea and Israeli naval intelligence. As for “our” bat, it was borrowed and is still used on the sleeve insignia of reconnaissance units of the Ukrainian armed forces (16th, 26th and 54th separate reconnaissance battalions, 1457th reconnaissance artillery regiment, 50th center special training, special forces units) and Belarus (113th separate reconnaissance battalion, reconnaissance units of the 103rd and 317th separate mobile brigades, 153rd separate radio engineering brigade, 12th and 83rd communications centers, special forces). At the same time, the sleeve insignia of the Belarusian mobile brigades are almost exactly the same as their Russian counterparts.

Russian military intelligence is closed government agency, which has not undergone fundamental changes in its design since 1991. For such special services, certain emblems are used throughout the world. The symbol of Russian intelligence is a bat, long time denoting belonging not only to the GRU, but also to special units KGB. This emblem has remained relevant to this day, despite its recent official replacement by the display of a red carnation with grenades.

History of appearance

The intelligence symbol is directly related to the formation of the Soviet service, which was organized in November 1918. The Revolutionary Military Council approved the structure of the special registration department, which was the prototype of the modern GRU unit.

In reality, at that time, a certain staff was created, which in a matter of years acquired the largest intelligence network in the world. Moreover, even terrorist attacks in the thirties could not destabilize the Intelligence Directorate. Superiors and subordinates used a variety of ways of working. Even the famous resident Richard Sorge refused to return to the Soviet Union, realizing that nothing good awaited him there.

The role of military intelligence

Before telling where the intelligence symbol came from, it is necessary to outline the role of this organization in difficult times (the war with Germany and the accompanying preliminary and subsequent provocations). As a result, the intelligence department managed to outplay the Abwehr, which was considered one of the most constructive and most effective units.

It is not very well known that the partisans in the confrontation between Germany and Soviet Union were also part of a thoughtful and well-planned plan by the intelligence agency. Behind enemy lines, partisan detachments were organized and concentrated, which did not wear the reconnaissance symbol on their clothes, but were prepared to resist and conduct combat operations in accordance with the science and characteristics of the GRU. Special forces groups allowed individual units to be part of the regular army, which made it possible to strengthen the troops. This was extremely important, especially given the likely nuclear threat.

About symbolism

Parts special purpose trained to penetrate enemy territory in order to obtain information about the intentions of hostile countries and conduct other non-standard operations.

The bat became the symbol of military intelligence. Everything is simple here - this animal is secretive in nature, makes little noise, but hears everything. Often, members of such groups did not serve directly, remaining special forces, ready at any moment to play the role of a soldier, grenade launcher or sniper. This community became more or less open after the fall of 2000. On November 5, the official Day of Military Intelligence was introduced by order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Heraldry

The reconnaissance symbol “bat” began to appear on the chevrons of the corresponding units. The first mention of this sign is attributed by many to the special OBRSpN brigade. Long period the whole situation was informal. After the collapse of the USSR, the situation in the army changed; elite units began to consider and accept official intelligence symbols.

One of the significant dates in this regard was the 75th anniversary of the formation of the GRU (1993). For this anniversary, a completely unknown intelligence officer decided to provide his colleagues with a new image of the intelligence service emblem. The idea was supported by Colonel General F. Ladygin, who served as head of the GRU. The accompanying units 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 applications of sleeve insignia and chevrons. At the suggestion of General Kolesnikov, the document was signed by F.I. Ladygin.

Defense Minister Grachev approved it on October 23. Thus, the bat became the symbol of military intelligence. Such a choice cannot be called random. This animal is one of the most secretive and mysterious creatures. It's all vital important tasks carries out under cover of darkness and secretly, which is the key to success when conducting reconnaissance operations.

The bat is a symbol of military intelligence

The developed and created symbol was almost never worn openly by employees of intelligence departments and their branches for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, its varieties quickly spread across related engineering, anti-sabotage and artillery units. Some special units used modified sleeve emblems, the essence of which was directly related to the original.

In any Russian intelligence department, the symbol is combined with some animal or bird. Much depends on the characteristics of the branch and geographical location. An equally popular image after the bat was the wolf.

red carnation

It is believed that this symbol of intelligence, the photo of which is given below, identifies perseverance, devotion, inflexibility and determination in achieving one’s goals. Grenada with three flames symbolizes historical image grenadiers, considered the most trained members of elite military units.

Since 1998, the “bat mouse” began to supplant the “red carnation”. This symbol of Russian military intelligence was proposed by the heraldist-artist Yu. Abaturov. The main advantage of this sign is the role of a flower as an identification mark, known to everyone since Soviet films. The number of petals characterizes five types of divisions:

Ground reconnaissance.
News agency.
Air units.
Maritime diocese.
Special group.

In addition, there is a hint of the five continents of the globe and a similar number of senses necessary for a scout. Initially, this emblem was displayed on awards “For service in military intelligence.” Then it appeared on the sleeves and chevrons of GRU officers (2000).

Innovations

It is worth noting that the updated symbol of Russian military intelligence initially caused a storm of emotions of misunderstanding among special forces officers and soldiers. Once the decisive role of the reforms became clear, the excitement subsided. At the same time, the “bat” did not disappear anywhere, remaining a cult symbol in the memory, on the tattoos and memories of the people involved. This fact directly answers the question of why the bat has essentially remained the symbol of Russian intelligence forever.

In 2002, the championship was still given to the “red carnation with grenades.” This is largely due to the fact that special forces tried to create their own emblem, different from other analogues. As a result, it became almost impossible to organize all the predators, birds and herbivores that the warriors wanted to see on their stripes.

This is even despite the fact that in 1994 a special department was created responsible for military heraldry and symbols. It got to the point that the said department was not able to count the existing number and types of sleeve patches. This became the prerequisite for the creation of a single emblem of military intelligence. It is noteworthy that in the main office of the GRU of the Russian Federation, the mark with the “bat” still remains on the floor. There is a new sign there too, only on the walls.

Users' opinions

As some experts note in their comments, the emblem of “Batman”, or the bat, in the Soviet Union was one of the official special parts under the code number “897”.

A stencil sketch of a bat was applied to equipment, machinery and personal items. According to the charter, other drawings and displays with animals, birds or other symbols were unacceptable. Nevertheless, similar marks were used by the legendary special forces such as “459” or “TurkVO” (scorpion, wolf, bear).

Additional information

In any case, the bat is an emblem that unites almost all retired and active intelligence officers in a kind of squad of exclusivity and unity. In this matter, the factor of discussing a specific unit or GRU is not important. All these people do their job, realizing the maximum possible results as defenders of the Motherland and justice.

Let's 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 did not lose its position, appearing on chevrons, flags and in corresponding folklore. After the development of the grenadine-floral composition, many GRU officers and special forces found opportunities to display the “mice” on their “standards”. Moreover, this also applies to the management team, including the main headquarters, the walls of which are decorated with this very emblem.

Today, the Second Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU GSH) is a powerful military unit, the exact information about which (in terms of composition and organization) is a military secret. The updated center of this organization has been operating since the beginning of November 2006. The delivery of the facility was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the revolution; it is from there that the most important and useful intelligence information comes from, influencing further action special units and units. The building is designed according to modern technologies, taking into account special safety. Only people with a special pass, controlled by various parameters, can enter most premises. But at the entrance there is a three-dimensional emblem of the military intelligence of the Russian Federation.

The flag of the Russian Military Intelligence has several versions. One version uses a black canvas with an aspect ratio of 2:3 and a round emblem of the Russian Military Intelligence forces placed in the middle. The emblem is an image of a globe with a black bat hanging over it. At the top of the emblem there is the inscription “RF AF”, at the bottom - “MILITARY INTELLIGENCE”. The inscriptions encircle the globe. The entire emblem is framed with a yellow border.

Another version of the flag also features a bat, but uses the Russian flag as the background. The word “MILITARY” is placed at the top of the flag, and “INTELLIGENCE” at the bottom.

Symbolism

Bat- a symbol of night and invisibility. He is depicted on the emblems of the reconnaissance forces of many countries.

Story

The bat emblem, used on both versions of the flag, became the official symbol of military intelligence (as well as some special forces units) in 1993. At that time, Russian military intelligence was preparing for the 75th anniversary. One of the GRU employees presented this symbolism to the department as a gift. On October 23, it was officially approved as a sleeve insignia.

Select the desired trims in the catalog, and in the order form, specify the type of trims (pinned or sewn on) and the color of the fabric (if sewn). The bar is a rectangular backing covered with an order ribbon. It can be made on a metal or fabric, plastic (flexible) basis. In the case of a fabric backing, the color can be matched to the color of the clothing (gray, olive, blue, black, and so on). The metal-based strips are fastened with a pin, which is available on back side, fabric strips are sewn to the uniform of the garment. The designated place for wearing order bars is left side breasts Several order bars are not worn separately, but placed together on a common basis in accordance with the statute of orders and medals. On the common bar, the ribbons are arranged in a certain order in accordance with the statute of orders and medals, recorded in the relevant documents, but general principle is as follows: the higher the rank of the award, the higher it is in the location list. Each award has a corresponding order bar. In the case where the award contains an order bar, the ribbon used on it is also used to decorate the corresponding order bar. Order bars are collected on an advance payment basis.

Select the desired trims in the catalog, and in the order form, specify the type of trims (pinned or sewn on) and the color of the fabric (if sewn). The bar is a rectangular backing covered with an order ribbon. It can be made on a metal or fabric, plastic (flexible) basis. In the case of a fabric backing, the color can be matched to the color of the clothing (gray, olive, blue, black, and so on). Metal-based strips are attached with a pin, which is located on the reverse side, fabric strips are sewn to the uniform. The left side of the chest is designated as the place to wear the order bars. Several order bars are not worn separately, but placed together on a common basis in accordance with the statute of orders and medals. On the general bar, the ribbons are arranged in a certain order in accordance with the statute of orders and medals, recorded in the relevant documents, but the general principle is this: the higher the rank of the award, the higher it is in the list of locations. Each award has a corresponding order bar. In the case where the award contains an order bar, the ribbon used on it is also used to decorate the corresponding order bar. Order bars are collected on an advance payment basis.

Where did the “bat” come from, which for many years served as the emblem of military intelligence of the USSR and Russia, and even after the official replacement with a carnation with grenades, did not leave the headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Russia?

Intermonitor conducted its own investigation into this issue.

We found a mention of the origin of the “Bat” as a symbol of military intelligence, which has authorship, in an authoritative publication - the magazine “National Forecast”, published by ITAR-TASS Ural. It is, in principle, typical for ITAR-TASS to verify information - therefore such a source deserves attention.

“The symbol of Russian military intelligence was invented by a journalist from Yekaterinburg. He claims that while serving in the special forces Northern Fleet in 1987, he drew an emblem for his group - a bat inscribed in a globe. It was used to “stencil” the overalls of all the fighters and commanders of the group. For the first time, the Severomorsk emblem was publicly “lit up” in the summer of 1988 at the championship of special forces units in Pechory (now Estonian Petseri). The group then participated in the special forces championship for the first time, but performed successfully, and the emblem on the chest “ fur seals“The intelligence elite of the USSR remembered it. A few years later, unit commander Gennady Ivanovich Zakharov, already with the rank of rear admiral, with the “core” of his combat swimmers, went to serve in the security of President Yeltsin. And the bat, invented then for internal circulation, took on a life of its own.”, - said the publication.

Former North Sea special forces (currently serving in a number of Russian special services) confirmed the information of the National Forecast. According to the eyewitnesses we interviewed, that mouse was exactly like the illustration in our material, but the globe was not round, but oval. Parallels and meridians were present on it. The mouse itself was exactly the same. And yet - there was not a single letter. The overalls had only the emblem and numbers - each fighter had his own number. For example, the number 1412 meant “141 reconnaissance group, 2nd number.”

In 2002, "Bat" was replaced by carnation. This happened after a major scandal: “Even the department of military heraldry and symbolism, specially created in 1994 at the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, was unable to bring order to the riot of animals, birds and skulls that were spread out on military patches. On at the moment no one can say exactly how many types of sleeve patches exist in the Russian army.

The last straw that broke the patience of the military commanders was the prank of one of the GRU special forces brigades. The special forces broke into the heraldry department and demanded that another scorpion be approved as a symbol of the brigade. The response was tough: a single emblem was introduced for the entire GRU.”

It is believed that the red carnation is “a symbol of perseverance, devotion, inflexibility and determination in achieving one’s goals,” and the three-flamed grenada is “the historical sign of the grenadiers, the most trained military personnel of the elite units.”

It is noteworthy that even after replacing the “Bat” with the “Red Carnation”, not only the special forces and “pear soldiers” did not stop considering “mice” as their symbol, but also the “Bat” remained on the floor in the headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate, adjacent to the “Carnation” attached to the wall of the hall.