12 October 2007, 11:34
Andrei Bachman: humanism can help to eradicate violence in the army
It is possible to eradicate violence in the armed forces by means of humanism. The Russian army feels extreme deficit of humanity.
This statement was made by Andrei Bachman, a political scientist and activist of antifascist movement of Volgograd, in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
"Despite the banality of my statement, I declare, basing on my own experience of military service that our army feels an extreme deficiency of humanity," Andrei said while opening his demobee's album of photos.
Mr Bachman has explained that he could not film all the hardships of army life: "It was forbidden to make photos in out army unit - it was of increased secrecy."
The Volgograd antifascist has enumerated the main reasons of violence in the army regiments: "bestial" living conditions in barracks and military settlements, "bestial" foodstuffs in canteens, because of which soldiers feel permanent hunger, "bestial" attitude of ensigns and officers to soldiers on involuntary service, impossibility to have a normal rest and remove the accumulation tension, for this reason soldiers are constantly in "somnambulistic state," absence of educational and preventive efforts from the commanders of military units.
Andrei Bachman insists that the need to reorganize the system of involuntary service has long been urgent.
Author: Vyacheslav Yashchenko, CK correspondent