I'd hate to be so humiliated

I came to OMON in 1996. Then this system, which today has grown and prospered, was only in its infancy. Slowly, the merging of power, business, crime and special forces began. These were the first steps. Then all this did not look so disgusting, although it was already clear what was going on, and this already irritated the OMON fighters, who had several business trips to hot spots. Annoyed was the use of special forces for things not related to our direct work: dispersal of demonstrations of some unfortunate workers, gathering alcoholics and homeless people, working as private security guards with all sorts of dark personalities. Everyone thought that the division was created for some other things, and not for this.

We then, in great annoyance after another Chechen business trip, wrote a collective letter, almost the entire detachment rebelled, and we were able to change our commander. Another question is that instead of him a new one came to us, which turned out to be no better, but in general then, at the dawn of democracy, such things were still possible, they still worked.

Today, judging by recent events, it has become even more fun. But if we then managed to achieve at least something, then those who wrote letters to the authorities and turned to journalists, apparently, nothing shines. The authorities are playing a game that is dangerous for themselves, pretending that there is no problem. Sooner or later, these deferred issues will explode. The riot police, for all their bad deeds, are still people who have risked their own lives dozens, or even hundreds of times, they have their own ideas about honor. Sooner or later, this can play a cruel joke: trained like dogs, they can turn around and start tearing those who tell them “face” today.

About the same people still work in the riot police as they did 10 years ago. And inside they hide discontent and irritation. Ordinary, albeit somewhat corrupted by power and the ability to use force, but in essence ordinary Russian guys. Many, if not most, are unhappy with what is happening to them. It seems to me that the hope was connected with this letter that some kind of civil uprising in these units is possible. But knowing them, I think it's more of a dream. The uprising will still be crushed, and if it appears, then in some other circumstances - for example, in a situation of a state crisis, when units suddenly refuse to obey one or another illegal order. And today I think that the possibilities of power, the possibilities of leadership are much, incommensurably greater than the possibilities of the fighters themselves. Dismissing commanders today will not work, as happened then with us.

I call on riot police from all over the country: let's make another dozen and a half of these letters, you can't endure this forever. The situation is about the same everywhere, we are aware. Let's break this chaos, let's humiliate ourselves like that.