— Prophet Elijah Day. I consider myself a non-believer, because both at school and at the institute I was instilled with the ideas of atheism. Everyone chooses for himself - to believe him or not to believe, but since the prophet Elijah is the heavenly patron of the Airborne Forces, decided to dedicate an article to this.

Ilyin's day is the last summer holiday. Considered angry, even dangerous. The formidable white-bearded elder Ilya is the lord of rains, thunder and lightning, riding around in a rumbling chariot and punishing the unrighteous. At the same time, Ilya is generous, as he sends fertility to the earth. Prophet Elijah, one of the most "strict prophets". His prayers, according to Holy Scripture, brought people back to life.

From the speech of the Commander of the Airborne Forces, Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov:

“The intercession of the prophet Elijah for the entire landing army is a great blessing,” the general is sure. - I have repeatedly had to be in such alterations, when, it would seem, you will no longer get out alive, even a cripple. Imagine: a helicopter fell from a height of 800 meters and I was in it with a group of fighters; some soldiers started to panic, so I had to calm them down. And then I began to pray to myself ... And at the last moment, in the autorotation mode, the helicopter pilot saved the crew.
According to Vladimir Shamanov, he "had several injuries, including those adjacent to life." “Once in the Caucasus, a fragment that went straight to my heart broke the handle of a pistol, and only this handle, located at the heart, saved my life. I think it was God's Providence, - said the commander of the Airborne Forces. – Of course, churching, including our army, which is actively going on in Russia today, cannot but rejoice. Yes, we, the older generation, were born in another country, lived in a different time, but we also celebrated Holy Pascha and other holidays. I am baptized almost from birth (my grandmother did not allow me, a newborn, to be brought into the house until I was baptized), and the Orthodox faith is not an empty phrase for me, but my inner essence. I am convinced that there is no warrior without faith!”

And here is what Archpriest Mikhail Vasiliev, head of the Airborne Troops Sector of the Synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies, says:

“Not without the Providence of God in 1930, the first landing was made near Ryazan on the day of the holy prophet Elijah. As all Christians know, the prophet Elijah was the first person known to have ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire, thus becoming the forerunner of aeronautics and in particular the paratroopers known to travel by air. It is clear that in 1930 no one specifically dated this event to the day of memory of Elijah the prophet. But even before the revolution, he was considered the patron of the Russian Imperial Air Fleet.
In addition, the abbreviation of the Airborne Forces unofficially stands for "troops for war" and the experience of using airborne troops began with the battles at Khalkhin Gol. It was then that the military personnel of the Airborne Forces were awarded the first combat awards. In the future, the entire history of our Fatherland is inextricably linked with the combat use of the Airborne Forces, starting with the Great Patriotic War and ending with conflicts in the North Caucasus in last years. This includes peacekeeping operations in the Balkans - everyone remembers the forced march on Pristina, when it was the Airborne Forces that saved the honor of the Russian state in the Balkans by their actions, and it was not up to them then that this operation was not completed.
At present, the Airborne Forces, together with all the Armed Forces, are going through a period of very difficult and painful reform, but they still remain an exemplary branch of the armed forces. We, the clergymen of the Airborne Forces, having gained a lot of practical experience over the past two decades of work in units and formations, know how from the “Pepsi generation”, from the boys with a thin neck who join the troops, real “landing forces” are formed and brought up, which are able to carry out combat missions.

Let me congratulate all our servicemen of the glorious Guards Airborne Forces on this day. And to wish both those who serve now and respected veterans, those who previously served in the Airborne Forces and there are about a million of them, never to be sold for money, not to “live on their pockets”, always remember those glorious traditions that they showed during the years of his military service.

On Sunday, August 2, the Orthodox world celebrated the day of commemoration of one of the most revered saints in Rus' - the great Old Testament prophet Elijah: a man with mighty fortitude, ascended by the will of the Lord to Heaven alive and still dwelling there in the flesh.

And it is him, Elijah the prophet, who, according to legend, travels across Heaven in a fiery chariot, is called their patron saint by those who consider service in the ranks of the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) to be the most significant pages of their biography.

In popular ideas about Elijah the prophet as a thunderer, lord of fire and rain, patron of farmers and cattle breeders, some features of the mythological Perun are still preserved, which peasants worshiped in pre-Christian times in the hope of a generous harvest. So the holiday, Ilyin's Day, falls on the old style on July 20 - the height of the field harvest.

Nevertheless, Elijah the prophet is a very real historical figure. He lived in the IX century BC, was born in the family of a priest. According to legend, the father of the newborn saw a miraculous sign: the Angels of God, "swaddling the baby with fire and putting flame into his mouth." From his youth, Elijah devoted his life to the One God. Courageously and zealously he opposed the cult of the pagan idol Baal, which began after the death of King Solomon. In the time of the wicked Israelite king Ahab, “the prophet Elijah arose like fire, and his word burned like a lamp.”

According to Church tradition (as the Apocalypse narrates), it is Elijah, the most strict and just of the prophets, who will become the forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ, and during the sermon he will accept bodily death. And it is to Saint Elijah that the relatives of those who serve in the Airborne Forces, as well as aviators and paratroopers, often offer prayers.

In our country, the Day of the Airborne Troops is celebrated on August 2 on the basis of Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 549 of May 31, 2006 as "a memorable day designed to promote the revival and development of domestic military traditions, increase the prestige of military service."

And why was the date of August 2 chosen as the birthday of the Airborne Forces? Is it really only in memory of Elijah the prophet? And how long ago did plans for the creation of the Airborne Forces appear and actually come true in our country? When did the words “No one but us” become the motto of the paratroopers? Why do military personnel of the Airborne Forces often (at an unofficial level, of course) decipher the abbreviation "Airborne Forces" as "Uncle Vasya's Troops"?

We hope that a considerable number of our readers will be interested to know the answers to these questions, especially on the eve of the Airborne Forces holiday.

Back in 1824, the appearance of airborne troops was predicted by the hero of the epigrams A.S. Pushkin, famous writer and journalist Faddey Bulgarin in his fantastic work "Plausible Fables, or Wandering the World in the 29th Century". Here is how Thaddeus Venediktovich describes it:

At this signal from the blowgun from the balloon of the chief commander of the air squadron, the soldiers suddenly rushed headlong to the ground from an immeasurable height. I froze with fear, but soon came to my senses, seeing parachutes opening in the air, which, smoothly descending in various directions, presented to my eyes a different kind of charming spectacle. The soldiers, having touched the ground, deftly disentangled themselves from the nets, rolled up their parachutes and, tying them like knapsacks to their backs, immediately lined up and began to perform foot maneuvers ...

August 2, 1930 is considered the founding day of the Airborne Forces. On this day, at the exercises of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh, for the first time, a unit of 12 people was parachuted by parachute to perform a tactical task.

Since the beginning of its existence, the Airborne Forces have become troops of the "front line", capable of performing any task, no matter how impossible it may be considered. The formation of airborne units, which marked the beginning of the mass deployment of this type of troops, began in 1932. And in 1941, on the basis of airborne brigades, corps of over 10 thousand people each were created.

One of the most dramatic and striking in the history of the Airborne Forces was the operation behind enemy lines during the battle for Moscow (it is a pity that it is rarely remembered these days). The autumn of 1941 was alarming and formidable: despite the heroic resistance, the occupiers were getting closer and closer to Moscow. All conceivable and unthinkable human and material resources were involved in the offensive against the enemy. And then the command decided to transfer the airborne troops to the rear of the enemy, who needed to cut off the road to Smolensk, so that in the end the fascist army would be surrounded.

Each of the paratroopers was ready to go to his death, each of them then accomplished a feat. The landing party managed to destroy more than 15 thousand German soldiers during the operation! It was then, in the harsh December of 1941, in fierce battles deep behind enemy lines, that the sacred motto of the Airborne Forces was born: "No one but us." Therefore, to this day, the Airborne Forces treat their motto and flag so carefully and reverently.

During the entire Great Patriotic War, the paratroopers showed mass heroism: tens of thousands of soldiers of the airborne units of the Red Army Air Force were awarded orders and medals, 126 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

And years after Great Victory The Airborne Forces have repeatedly had to perform combat missions in protecting the civilian population from terrorists and aggressors. Since February 1988, Russian paratroopers have taken part in operations in "hot spots" both in the country and abroad. One of the heaviest losses in the history of modern airborne forces was the death of the 6th company of the 104th regiment of the 76th Pskov airborne division in March 2000, when this unit prevented a breakthrough of 2.5 thousand militants, destroying over 700 bandits.

And now the airborne troops are deservedly considered the elite Russian army; many young people consider it an honor to serve there. "Winged infantry", "blue berets" - what kind of epithets are respectfully awarded to Russian paratroopers by fellow citizens! And "Uncle Vasya's Troops" remain invariably a symbol of courage, reliability, responsibility, the ability to act quickly and competently under any circumstances. And “Uncle Vasya” is not at all a literary and legendary image, like Vasily Terkin, but “Paratrooper No. 1954 - 1959 and in 1961 - 1979.

The holiday of the Airborne Forces has its own traditions and features, among which are the meetings of hundreds of paratroopers in Central park culture and recreation and Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow, parade calculations and the laying of wreaths, memoirs of veterans with a demonstration of "demobilization" albums, concerts under open sky, and also - swimming in ponds, and even in fountains. In the Lyubertsy district, strong guys in vests and blue berets certainly this year will include, among other things, Natasha ponds and a park, recreation areas near Lake Malakhovskoye and near the Kraskovsky quarry.

But, it is gratifying to note that every year on August 2, the morning service in Orthodox churches is attended by more and more paratroopers, who in their hearts remain those who have long been in reserve. Patronal feasts will be celebrated on this day in 22 churches of the Moscow diocese.

And the Orthodox people will pray to the Lord and Elijah the prophet - both for themselves, and for their family, and for fellow soldiers, with whom they had a chance to see a lot. And for our Motherland - Mother Russia. Happy Holidays, Airborne!

Today, many people, having heard the word "swastika", immediately imagine Adolf Hitler, concentration camps and the horrors of the Second World War. But, in fact, this symbol appeared before the new era and has a very rich history. It has also become widespread in Slavic culture, where there were many of its modifications. A synonym for the word "swastika" was the concept of "solar", that is, sunny. Were there any differences in the swastika of the Slavs and the Nazis? And if so, what were they expressed in?

First, let's recall what a swastika looks like. This is a cross, each of the four ends of which is bent at a right angle. Moreover, all corners are directed in one direction: to the right or to the left. Looking at such a sign, a feeling of its rotation is created. There are opinions that the main difference between the Slavic and fascist swastikas lies in the direction of this very rotation. For the Germans, this is right-hand traffic (clockwise), and for our ancestors it is left-hand (counterclockwise). But this is not all that distinguishes the swastika of the Aryans and Aryans.

Also important hallmark is the constancy of color and shape in the sign of the Fuhrer's army. The lines of their swastika are quite wide, absolutely straight, black. The underlying background is a white circle on a red canvas.

But what about the Slavic swastika? First, as already mentioned, there are many swastika signs that differ in shape. The basis of each symbol, of course, is a cross with right angles at the ends. But the cross may not have four ends, but six or even eight. Additional elements may appear on its lines, including smooth, rounded lines.

Secondly, the color of the swastika signs. There is also diversity here, but not so pronounced. The predominant symbol is red on a white background. The red color was not chosen by chance. After all, he was the personification of the sun among the Slavs. But there are also blue yellow colors on some of the signs. Thirdly, the direction of movement. Earlier it was said that among the Slavs it is the opposite of fascist. However, this is not quite true. We meet both right-handed swastikas among the Slavs, and left-handed ones.

We have considered only the external distinctive attributes of the swastika of the Slavs and the swastika of the Nazis. But much more important facts are the following:

• Approximate time of sign appearance.
• The value given to it.
• Where and under what conditions was this symbol used.

Let's start with the Slavic swastika

It is difficult to name the time when it appeared among the Slavs. But, for example, among the Scythians, it was recorded in the fourth millennium BC. And since a little later the Slavs began to stand out from the Indo-European community, then, for sure, they were already used by them at that time (the third or second millennium BC). Moreover, among the Proto-Slavs they were fundamental ornaments.

Swastika signs abounded in the everyday life of the Slavs. And therefore it is impossible to attribute the same meaning to all of them. In fact, each symbol was individual and carried its own semantic load. By the way, the swastika could be either an independent sign or be part of more complex ones (moreover, most often it was located in the center). Here are the main meanings of the Slavic swastika (solar symbols):

• Sacred and Sacrificial fire.
• Ancient wisdom.
• Home.
• Unity of the Genus.
• Spiritual development, self-improvement.
• The patronage of the gods in wisdom and justice.
• In the sign of Valkykria, it is a talisman of wisdom, honor, nobility, justice.

That is, in general, we can say that the meaning of the swastika was somehow sublime, spiritually high, noble.

Archaeological excavations have given us a lot of valuable information. It turned out that in ancient times the Slavs put similar signs on their weapons, embroidered on a suit (clothes) and textile accessories (towels, towels), carved on elements of their homes, household items (dishes, spinning wheels and other wooden devices). They did all this mainly for the purpose of protection, in order to protect themselves and their home from evil forces, from grief, from fire, from the evil eye. After all, the ancient Slavs were very superstitious in this regard. And with such protection, they felt much more secure and confident. Even mounds and settlements of the ancient Slavs could have a swastika shape. At the same time, the ends of the cross symbolized a certain direction of the world.

Nazi swastika

• Adolf Hitler himself adopted this sign as a symbol of the National Socialist movement. But, we know that he did not come up with it. In general, the swastika was used by other nationalist groups in Germany even before the emergence of the National Socialist German Workers' Party. Therefore, let us take the time of appearance for the beginning of the twentieth century.

An interesting fact: the person who suggested to Hitler to take the swastika as a symbol initially presented a left-sided cross. But the Fuhrer insisted on replacing it with a right-hand one.

• The meaning of the swastika among the Nazis is diametrically opposed to that of the Slavs. According to one version, it meant the purity of German blood. Hitler himself said that the black cross itself symbolizes the struggle for the victory of the Aryan race, creative work. In general, the Fuhrer considered the swastika an ancient anti-Semitic sign. In his book, he writes that the white circle is the national idea, the red rectangle is the social idea of ​​the Nazi movement.
• Where was it used fascist swastika? First, on the legendary flag of the Third Reich. Secondly, the military had it on the belt buckles, as a patch on the sleeve. Thirdly, the swastika "decorated" official buildings, occupied territories. In general, it could be on any attributes of the Nazis, but these were the most common.

So in this way, the swastika of the Slavs and the swastika of the Nazis has tremendous differences. This is expressed not only in external features, but also in semantic ones. If among the Slavs this sign personified something good, noble, high, then among the Nazis it was a truly Nazi sign. Therefore, you should not, having heard something about the swastika, immediately think about fascism. After all, the Slavic swastika was lighter, more humane, more beautiful.

Encyclopedia of Symbols Roshal Victoria Mikhailovna

Swastika straight (left-handed)

The swastika as a solar symbol

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