The border troops of the USSR are a structural part of the State Security Committee of the country. Their main task was to protect the borders of the Motherland, including the prevention and warning of any encroachment on its independence and integrity. The outposts were located along the entire line of the land border, the sea borders were guarded by ships and boats.
The structure of the USSR border troops at the end of the 80s of the XX century
They consisted of districts, which included detachments - military units directly guarding the border, outposts, checkpoints, commandant's offices. It is also worth mentioning special forces and educational institutions. In total, the border troops included 10 districts, which consisted of 85 detachments:
- Northwest.
- B altic.
- Western.
- Transcaucasian.
- Central Asian.
- Oriental.
- Transbaikal.
- Far East.
- Pacific.
- North East.
Number of troopsThe border troops of the USSR in 1991 amounted to 220 thousand people. From 1939 to 1989 they were in the Armed Forces of the country. Since 1946 they have been an integral part of the State Security Committee.
Main Functions
The main task of the border troops of the KGB of the USSR is the protection of state borders, both sea and land. The air defense forces were responsible for the airspace. Security included:
- Maintaining the integrity of borders.
- Identification and detention of violators.
- Repelling any attack on the territory of the country by paramilitary groups, bandits.
- Prevention of crossing, flight, crossing the border in unspecified places.
- Passage of persons traveling abroad and back, cargo in designated places.
- Protection of signs of the border troops of the USSR, demarcation lines and their maintenance in proper condition.
- Suppression, together with the customs authorities, of illegal transportation in both directions of prohibited items, currency, valuables.
- Ensuring, together with the police, the observance of the border regime.
- Cooperation in the protection of sea and river resources with fishing supervision.
- Control in the territorial waters of the USSR over the observance of the regime by all ships declared in the "Notices to Mariners".
Educational History
The border troops of the USSR have undergone a number of changes since its inception, which were associated with the formation and developmentstates. On March 30, 1918, the State Department of Education was formed under the People's Commissariat of Finance of the RSFSR. But already on May 28, 1918, the Border Guard of the RSFSR borders was created as an independent unit. True, it did not last long. This date is considered to be the day of foundation of the border troops. In 1919, management was introduced into the People's Commissariat of Trade and Industry. A year later, the function of protecting the state border was transferred to a special department of the Cheka.
In connection with the abolition of the Extraordinary Commission in 1922 and the formation of the Main Political Directorate, and in 1923 the OGPU, a separate corps of troops was created. In 1934, the border troops were transferred to the Main Directorate of the NKVD of the USSR. In 1939, under him, the Main Directorate of the Border Troops was created.
Participation in the conflicts of 1920-1940
In the pre-war years, Soviet border guards took part in the fight against various gangs. They tried to move into the country in order to conduct military operations on the territory of the USSR. Clashes with them took place almost along the entire border line. Often large detachments of the White Guards, who settled in China, Manchuria, Poland and the B altic states, tried to break through into the interior of the country. They burned outposts, killed the military and civilians. They were rebuffed by PV units.
In addition, the border guards made a great contribution in the fight against the Basmachi, who tried to prevent the establishment of Soviet power in Turkestan. They participated in local conflicts at Khalkhin Gol, Lake Khasan, on the CER, in the Finnish War.
Participation in the Great Patriotic War
The border guards of the USSR 1941-22-06 ona huge section from the B altic to the Black Sea coast received the first blow of the Nazi troops. The Germans, accustomed to marching almost unhindered across Europe, did not expect such resistance. Most of the frontier posts fought to the last bullet, desperately resisting the armada of aggressors, holding them back for many hours, and sometimes even days. They fought especially fiercely for bridges and river crossings along which the border passed.
It was hard for the defenders, who were subjected to a massive attack by the Army Group "Center". The outposts, according to the plan of the Nazis, were supposed to fall in 20-30 minutes, but unexpectedly they were fiercely rebuffed. The soldiers of Lieutenant V. Usov held back the Nazis for 10 hours, after the cartridges ran out, they launched a bayonet attack. The garrison of the Brest Fortress under the command of Lieutenant A. Kizhevatov on the sixth day of defense, after the commander ordered to break through in small groups, refused to leave it. He held on until the last defender.
The courageous resistance of the border guards significantly delayed the advance of the enemy troops inland. The Germans suffered significant losses here. After moving away from the state border of the USSR, the PVs took part in the battles as covering troops in rearguard battles. Subsequently, as components of the NKVD, they formed the backbone of the rear guard.
Post-war years
In 1946, the border troops were transferred to the KGB of the USSR. A difficult situation has developed in the regions of the B altic States and Western Ukraine annexed before the war. Minorpart of the population, most of whom collaborated with the Nazis during the war, openly resisted and went into the forests. They brutally killed military personnel, the local population, which accepted the new state system.
Military units and border units were deployed to fight them. The strengthening of local authorities, the clear actions of the military made it possible by the beginning of the 50s to protect the population as much as possible from their influence, and by 1957 to eliminate the last gangs. Soviet films about border guards, which have always been very popular, are devoted to this topic.
1960 to 1991 period
The border troops in the USSR have always been the elite units of the Soviet army. Many boys dreamed of serving at the turn. These troops received a lot of attention. The following were approved: the medal "For distinction in the protection of the state border of the USSR", special badges "Excellence in the frontier troops" 1st and 2nd degrees, commemorative.
The quiet life did not last long. By the end of the 1960s, the situation on the Soviet-Chinese border deteriorated greatly. Here, in 1969, a local conflict broke out between the Soviet troops and the fighters of the People's Liberation Army of China. The reason was Damansky Island on the Amur River. Losses from China amounted to 800 people, from the USSR - 58 people, 40 of whom were border guards.
Another military conflict is the war in Afghanistan. The border separating the USSR and Afghanistan was up to 1,500 kilometers long. There was a civil war in this country. Established quantitythere were not enough Soviet border guards along the vast stretch of the frontier line. The numbers have been greatly increased.
The border posts of the Afghan government were destroyed. Chaos reigned in the country. Cases of penetration of drug traffickers into Soviet territory became more frequent. For her protection, the presence of border guards from the other side was necessary. The situation was further complicated by the fact that most of the outposts were located in highlands.
After the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, 2 consolidated border detachments were stationed here. They took the main blow of the Mujahideen. Outposts were located at a distance of 100 km from the border. Assistance in their protection was provided by regular troops. During the conflict, which lasted 9 years, more than 62,000 border guards passed through the combined contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan.
