WORK WITH SOLDIERS

In 2006, the AVP Moscow and Lipetsk groups built up a working relationship with the military in those cities, and workshops are also held with conscripts in the Russian army.  We believe this to be unique to AVP Russia.  Such workshops are necessary and prove to be useful in solving the problem of aggression and violence faced by many in Russian society and in the army. 

FHM’s AVP also holds workshops with Russian conscripts, including workshops on the theme of bullying.  These workshops have received much positive feedback from the conscripts, for example, Aleksandr, an eighteen-year-old conscript, said "I have learnt many interesting and useful things and I will think more when a conflict arises and try to understand the other person.   There is a need to hold such exercises more often in the army in the future.  It has helped me to cope with problems I face in my new life in the army."

Conscription and Conscientious objectors

Although in 2006 there has been no change in the law in relation to military service, the Minister of Defence has talked about the plan to halve the term of service to one year and remove many of the present legal exemptions to serving.  Currently only eleven per cent of Russian men serve and the Government wants to see this figure increase.  There is no mention as to whether the term of the alternative national service for COs, which is currently 42 months, will also be decreased.

In January 2006 the shocking case of Andrei Sychev highlighted the fact that bullying is still a massive  problem in the Russian Army.  Private Sychev had to have his legs and genitals amputated after he was forced to squat for hours whilst enduring beatings.  Unfortunately no great improvement in the conditions faced by new conscripts has been seen, although at least the Russian media has started to talk about the bullying in the army and the authorities have admitted the problem exists and that something needs to be done.

 In 2006 FHM funded a project of German Alyotkin, who is a Conscientious Objector activist based in Kazan.  German’s project was to set up a website so that conscripts who have taken alternative national service can share their experience and give advice to others.  In Russia there is very little information for those wishing to take the alternative service option and so this site has proved invaluable for those wishing to find out more.  The site is now up and running and can be found at http://kazan.agsnik.ru.  In 2007 we will continue to work with German and are funding a further project to create and distribute a newsletter with advice and information about the alternative service.  German says there is a need for such a newsletter as national alternative service conscripts often have no knowledge of their legal rights and so their rights are breached.  Also he hopes the newsletter will help to unite the small groups of alternative service conscripts scattered across the county.

AVP works with Russian soldiers

Alternativshchik Newsletter

The Alternativshchik is published by Sfera, an NGO defending the rights of COs and military conscripts, based in Kazan in central European Russia.  The newsletter, the first of its kind, contains articles about the laws on alternative national service, activities of alternative servicemen across Russia, alternative national service and CO issues in other European countries, plus articles about pacifism. Booklets informing COs about their rights to alternative service have increased public awareness of the issue but there is a need for more information and for a sense of a common concern among the isolated groups of COs scattered across Russia.

Since the first issue was released in November 2006, circulation has expanded beyond the group of alternative servicemen working at the Kazan gunpowder factory.  In February contact was successfully established with those working in Nizhny Tagil, a city on the Asian side of the Ural Mountains, who continue to receive the newsletter on a regular basis.  In April the newsletter was sent to alternative servicemen in Kirov, a city just west of the Urals.  In June, project organiser German Alyotkin met with alternative servicemen in Cheboksary in central European Russia and circulation of the newsletter was begun in Izbezh, a city in the Western Urals. 

There are approximately 850 young men serving the alternative national service in Russia.  Of these, approximately 130 people now regularly receive the newsletter.

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