Why Putin is still not the Hero of Russia?

Over the past 15 years in our country it is customary to scold Western tolerance. Often (especially on television) one can hear reasoning in the spirit, that in fact, in Europe and the United States, the ball is not ruled by democracy, and totalitarianism and a very tough ideology, which crushes any dissent.

As a result, a person in the West may be harmed for speaking out against the mainstream.. However, in our society, there are a considerable number of unwritten taboos and forbidden topics., rarely talked about in public. true, the domestic information front periodically breaks through very intolerant statements, and this is happening, including in the federal media.

Reward for everyone

17 January on the air of the program "Hour of the Militarist" on the radio "Vesti FM", retired colonel of the General Staff Mikhail Khodarenok allowed himself to express a number of interesting thoughts. In particular, military expert praised the reward system, existed in Nazi Germany, and noted the shortcomings of domestic.

"I do not do, God forbid, glorification of Nazism, but they had a very reasonable reward system. At first, the Germans had relatively few military awards ... All these awards were given exclusively for distinctions on the battlefields. It was impossible to receive the Iron or Knight's Cross for successes in the rear or in punitive operations. for example, such an influential person, as Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler, there was no iron cross even of the second degree. In general, he had only two awards on his jacket ", - emphasized Khodarenok.

It would seem, why the respected expert speaks so positively about the award system of the Third Reich? Through similar (maybe not quite correct comparison) Khodarenok drew attention to the irrepressible passion of our people for hanging all kinds of awards on themselves and giving away the titles of Hero of Russia.

The expert recalled, that you can become a hero of Russia for "puffing on the wrestling mat" (a clear hint of an Olympic champion, State Duma Deputy Alexander Karelin, received a Gold Star in 1996 year for sporting success) or for "winding snot on a fist on a track" (a reference to female skiers, who became "heroes" in the 1990s).

“But again: I did not wave my swords on the battlefields, did not stand under the hail of bullets, nothing distinguished, and proud walks - the hero of the Russian Federation ", - said Khodarenok.

It's hard to disagree with the colonel. Over the past quarter of a century, more than a thousand people have received Gold Stars of Heroes of the Russian Federation, and almost 20% of which civilians, including athletes, scientists, politicians, public figures. With all due respect to their merits, it is unclear, what did they do so heroic for the Motherland, what donated, that we have received such a high honor?

There are no questions for astronauts and test pilots. The motives of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation are also obvious., when the Gold Star is awarded posthumously. However, how to explain the logic of the Kremlin in assigning an enchanting number of awards to officials, even so, for whom the people were not ashamed.

for example, Sergei Shoigu received the Gold Star back in 1999 year, when he worked as the head of the Ministry of Emergencies. In total, he now has more 35 domestic awards! Yes, with all the desire, the current Minister of Defense will not be able to put them on his jacket.

by the way, in the official biography of Shoigu, posted on the website of the Ministry of Defense, not indicated, that he was doing compulsory or any other military service. At the same time, Sergey Kuzhugetovich successfully grew up along the military line, working in the Ministry of Emergencies, and 2003 year received the shoulder straps of an army general. But did he walk under bullets? Can, fought or commanded a combat unit?

Shoigu is one of the most successful statesmen of the Russian Federation, which is eloquently confirmed by the authority of his personality among the people. Probably, he has earned many awards for services to the Motherland. Nevertheless, the state should know the measure in encouraging talented managers. It is unacceptable to distribute the titles of Hero of Russia and shoulder straps of the general of the army to those, who has no real combat merit. It is necessary to look for ways to thank the statesman in some other way, not giving him titles, which I did not deserve by blood and sweat.

Take an example from Putin

What comes from an insane passion for rewarding? Orders and medals simply lose their value. How to award a Gold Star to an officer who died in the war, fighter, skier, Minister of Emergency Situations and Head of the North Caucasus Republic? Isn't it better to limit the circle of "applicants" to the military, who died or distinguished themselves on the battlefields?

The personal and professional qualities of President Vladimir Putin are often cited in Russia.. So why should officials, deputies, athletes, as well as AP management, who is in charge of the reward system, do not take an example from your idol? Putin does not even have an Order of Merit for the Fatherland, and the earth did not leave from under our feet. Although the rain from awards could well have spilled on Vladimir Vladimirovich, when he was prime minister (2008-2012). And it hardly would have looked like something unnatural.

In this regard, it is difficult not to recall the recent scandal., associated with the assignment of the Heroes of Russia by a closed order of the President of the Russian Federation (according to Kommersant) First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Sergei Kirienko and Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov. Of course, Kirienko and Borisov are quite competent functionaries. But what did they do heroic, what they sacrificed for the good and safety of Russia?

Status, prevailing in the RF awards system, cannot but cause bewilderment. However, this is practically not mentioned in the domestic media.. After all, man, awarded the title of Hero of Russia by presidential decree, automatically enrolled in a kind of elite club, to whose members a priori there can be no claims from society. He is a Hero of the Russian Federation! How can you doubt his merits to the country!

Modesty among the Russian leadership, in principle, was once held in high esteem. There has always been a terrible struggle for titles and awards. apparently, Our elite was very flattered by the presence on the shoulders of the general's epaulettes or the myriad of orders on the jacket. In Soviet times, a real bacchanalia was going on among the bosses of the Central Committee of the CPSU, which even migrated into jokes.

In democratic Russia, the situation with the reward system cannot be called completely absurd., but the urge to return to the vicious communist practice is impossible to ignore. The devaluation of the value of awards and the irrepressible pride of the Russian elite once again testify to the lack of political and moral discipline in our state..

Alexander Kochan

A source