CRIMEA-MILITARY SHOW Crimea's Sevastopol holds military show to promote conscription

Record ID: 146175

  • Title: CRIMEA-MILITARY SHOW Crimea's Sevastopol holds military show to promote conscription
  • Date: 27th July 2015
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF BLACK SEA FLEET PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT, ROMAN GREKOV, SAYING: "First of all it (the show) is aimed at a military and patriotic upbringing of Crimea residents and guests of our peninsula. There are educational goals as well and also we want to fulfil the task of providing contract servicemen for the Black Sea Navy. At present there are two recrui
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4BAIHZHA0K1WE1SD82DWPBSF7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Crimean authorities recently organised a military show in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol aimed at promoting contract military service and inspiring patriotism among residents.
    The latest modifications of weapons and military hardware were on display at the city's central square. The recruitment centre was opened right next to the exhibition.
    "First of all it (the show) is aimed at a military and patriotic upbringing of Crimea residents and guests of our peninsula. There are educational goals as well and also we want to fulfil the task of providing contract servicemen for the Black Sea Navy. At present there are two recruiting centres for contract servicemen open in the Crimean Federal District - in Simferopol and in Sevastopol. Since they've opened over 2,000 people have joined the Black Sea Navy," said Roman Grekov, head of the Black Sea Fleet personnel department.
    Sevastopol is the main port city and a naval base on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in March 2014. It is also home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
    Since the annexation the Russian and local authorities have launched a nation-wide campaign aimed at whipping up patriotism and anti-Western sentiment, as well as popularising Russian armed forces.
    Head of Sevastopol contract military service recruiting centre Sergei Goryachkovsky said having army recruitment centres right next to the exhibition proved to be fruitful, with nearly one hundred potential conscripts visiting them in the first few hours following the opening.
    "Here at this mobile promotional point those people who have expressed their will (to join the army) and know what specialisation they want to have are already writing applications and filling forms. Here we sign it, register and then return to them so that already tomorrow they can start undergoing a medical examination, other stages of the selection process, try themselves in various tests, test their physical shape - all this they can do right at the conscription site," Goryachkovsky said.
    Local resident, Vladimir Tverdov, decided to follow the steps of his father and grandfather and to enrol into the army. He used the military show as an opportunity to start the enrollment process.
    "I wanted to do it (join the army) for a long time, but never had a chance. There is this show going here now and I've decided to try - maybe I will get lucky. And so far it looks like I got lucky," said Tverdov.
    Next to tanks, armoured personnel carriers and remote-controlled spy devices, acting servicemen were demonstrating a variety of skills acquired through years of military service.
    Coastguard Eduard Shushakov received the crowd's admiration when he easily forced a nail into a piece of wood with his bare hands and then wielded another nail into the shape of a heart.
    "Such events should be held very often, because nowadays the youth are in need of a patriotic upbringing, a healthy upbringing. I think that because of the current turbulent situation such wide-scale events involving military hardware, athletes, servicemen of special units awaken not just admiration but real patriotic feelings in the younger generation," said Shushakov.
    Russia has been upgrading its armed forces and holding numerous military drills in the past year, as relations between Moscow and the West have continued to deteriorate following Crimea's annexation and Western accusations that Russia is supporting unrest in eastern Ukraine.
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