Russian army in the ХIХ - the beginning of the XX century: the role of old employees lower chines in the preparation of recruits and young soldiers

The article considers the problem of training young people recruited for military service and their adjustment to new conditions and requirements. The author shows how the Russian army leaders sought for more effective ways of training new recruits in the XIX century. The reserve recruit depots founded in the early XIX century turned out of little effect. To replace the recruit depots there appeared reserve battalions where new recruits were trained, but a few years later serious drawbacks of that training came to light. Only after introduction in 1874 of military duty for people of all classes in Russia a more effective way of training new recruits came into being. Besides non-commissioned officers, skilled older soldiers who were called “dyad'ki” (“uncles”) or attendants also participated in training. The commanders chose experienced soldiers in good repute to be attendants. Every attendant was assigned to train from two to six new recruits. He was a kind of preceptor for young recruits, helping them to adjust themselves to military life and solve the arising problems. Unlike an officer, the attendant was steadily near his young recruits, gradually sharing his knowledge and experience with them. In the second half of the XIX century the call-up period continued to grow shorter and it was one of the reasons that entailed revision of the training system for new recruits. Instead of the habitual attendant, in the barracks appeared teachers for young soldiers. The teachers were selected from soldiers who had done military service for a few years, got special education and passed their examinations. The adopted instructions defined what was required of the teachers, assigned the number of young soldiers to be attached to a teacher. According to the arm of the service - infantry, cavalry, artillery - the number of young recruits varied from 4 to 10. The training process was conducted by a particular officer who worked out an education program and made up a time-table of classes. The officer himself taught some of the subjects, but God's word was entrusted to a military clergyman, and Health care was conducted by a medical officer. The appointed officer was responsible for the general training process and the teachers' activities. When it was necessary the officer could replace the teacher if the latter failed to cope with his duties. Thus, in the 1880s there appeared a training system for new recruits in the form of training detachments. At the turn of the XX century the process of training of young recruits underwent some essential changes as the experience of the war between Russia and Japan in 1904 - 1905 was also taken into account.

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