______________________________
On Friday, a statement by the Central Military District said that a group of Orthodox priests would undergo military training at a Minoborony university in Moscow. They’ll take a month-long course in military history, tactical concepts, and military regulations, as well as how to offer psychological and emotional support to troops. The statement didn’t say when the training would take place. In the past two years, the number of chaplains in the forces almost tripled, now, it stands at more than 80. Earlier this year, the British newspaper The Telegraph reported that the recruitment drive really took off under after Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s appointment in November 2012. The training is part of a project to restore a full-scale military chaplaincy in Russia, which existed from the 18th century to the start of the Soviet era. Then-President Dmitri Medvedev announced the plan in 2009. In March this year, a group of VDV chaplains jumped with a large mobile chapel that they set up in the field upon landing near Ryazan, 196 kilometres (122 miles) southeast of Moscow. A Minoborony official said that the airborne chaplains made the jumps to “improve the morale of the young fighters”.
27 September 2013
RIA-Novosti
Voices from Russia 
You must be logged in to post a comment.