In the cozy palms of a narrow bay, remote from the worldly bustle by steep slopes of hills, dark and mysterious underwater missile carriers are dozing. The Connection of nuclear submarines has been based here since the second half of the 50s, and a decade ago there was no place to drop a needle in the bay... Today, ships are allowed to "drop on needles". Much has changed, but the winged "strategists" of the reliable Project 667-B still sail away into the distant seas, and people who are completely devoted to their work still serve here.

An inside view

When a submarine goes on a long-term mission, it is powered by an atomic reactor. But what drives the people who hold the country's nuclear missile shield in their hands? It is not only about enduring the long and psychologically challenging months of intense duty in a confined space, at great depths, on the invisible line between life and death, but also about carrying the immense responsibility on their shoulders. What spiritual force fuels their souls? Even the most in-depth scientific research is unlikely to provide a complete answer to this question. The psychology of human relationships is a very complex field. However, it is possible to gain at least a general understanding by considering different perspectives and opinions.

The crew of Captain 1st Rank K. Shcherbakov is considered one of the best in the Pacific Fleet. What can I say, when they have completed combat patrol missions twice in a year? In today's Russia, not many military sailors can boast of such success. However, this period was not only marked by positive experiences, but also by the challenges they faced. The crew's resilience can be attributed to the fact that they are made up of officers and midshipmen of the old school, who are the backbone of the fleet.

Captain 1st Rank A. Prokhorov, Deputy Commander of the Unit for Educational Work, who recently completed a long-term deployment with his crew, says:

- The stable performance of combat missions at sea is primarily the merit of the crew commander and his deputy for educational work, who work together, showing mutual trust and solving personnel problems together. The effectiveness of this interaction has been confirmed by the experience of several long-distance voyages. Captain 1st Rank K. Shcherbakov listens to the advice and opinions of his deputy, Captain 2nd Rank V. Belous, knowing well that the individual psychological characteristics of each crew member are known to the officer-educator better than to anyone else. Valery Ivanovich is a good psychologist... But it's also difficult for him to work. The submarine crew comes from different regions. They share news from home, summarize the facts, and create a "picture" of the situation in the country, which makes it challenging to discuss high-level matters and the progress of reforms with them. The situation is different from before, and the daily bread is not the same. This complicates the work with people both at the base and at sea. Sometimes, you just have to say, "Guys, be patient!" Politics are not our concern, they will sort it out. We must fulfill our duty

the task. Our job is to protect our homeland." So the overall rating for a long-distance hike - "excellent" rightfully applies to educational work in the crew of captain 1st rank K. Shcherbakov. By the way, a pattern has long been noticed: education and training are most effective when they are tied to specific combat tasks. The less combat training, the more different kinds of deviations from the norm in all categories of military personnel.

Alexander Mikhailovich emphasized the most important thing: nothing happens by itself at sea, and every day of a long voyage is a huge responsibility and a strain on all your forces...

Shcherbakov's Know-How

A medium-sized, thin, and agile 44-year-old Captain 1st Rank Konstantin Fedorovich Shcherbakov simply radiates energy. They say he's priceless, a commander from God... It's no wonder that the submariners composed a song:

We are with the Shcherbakov crew

Leaving again, again, again...

And the submarine is ready again,

Well, my dear, stay healthy!

You'll agree that not every commander has his subordinates singing songs about him. But that's just a matter of lyricism. There's also physics involved. Take the docking of a strategic missile submarine with Konstantin Fedorovich on the bridge. However, this is almost a song in itself: without slowing down in the tight bay, the ship expertly enters the docking point and gently touches the pier. It's a testament to the commander's perfection.

All the more interesting are the opinions of the highly professional commander, Captain I Rank K. Shcherbakov, about educating people:

- No far-sighted commander would refuse a competent deputy for educational work, responsible for the moral state of the personnel, studying people using psychological analysis methods, and predicting the course of events. Do you want to hear about a vivid example of the successful work of Captain 2nd Rank V. Belous in a difficult field situation? Believe me, the value of a specialist is not in shining in exceptional cases. On the contrary, with normal, systematic, and planned work, there should be nothing extraordinary. The work of an officer-educator consists not of flashes and insights, but of everyday preventive work, which must be stable. Despite the annual change of "generations" and the multitude of public naval and army problems, Captain 2nd Rank Belous manages to achieve this.

One cannot but agree with the commander: the analysis of prospects and the substantive care for people are the most important components of stability in the team. And here is what he said about another pedagogical emphasis, quite unusual in the work:

- The main focus of our educational activities at the base and at sea is on officers and warrant officers. Why? The sailors and petty officers of the regular service are temporary people, and they make up only a third of the crew.

The weather is made and the main burden of responsibility is carried by the old-timers, the professionals. By the way, in the event of an extreme situation, the sailors are removed from dangerous places (objectively, they are only capable of performing initial actions to protect themselves), and the problem is solved by their senior comrades. I have been following this policy for nine years as a commander, and it has proven to be effective, concludes the submarine commander.

By the way, these nine years included seven long-distance voyages and many other important tasks at sea, all of which were completed with a good margin of safety. Therefore, Konstantin Fedorovich's opinions are well-founded and significant.

The crew of Captain 1st rank K. Shcherbakov is a good school of combat skills and at the same time a "Research Institute of educational work". Here everyone is given a chance to evaluate their behavior objectively, and there are prospects for professional growth. Every year, three or four crew officers enter the academy.

"How could it be otherwise?" Shcherbakov concludes. "They are young, talented, and need to grow. Special attention is paid to the midshipmen. The "sea souls" of senior midshipmen Oleg Dariy, Sergey Pustoderov, Sergey Malakov, Viktor Bratko, and midshipman Vladimir Sorokin have been nurtured here..."

Another nuance in the work of Shcherbakov and his assistants is the mandatory holding of professional skills competitions during the voyage. The last one was no exception. In the multi-stage and multi-day competitions, the best results were achieved by Senior Lieutenant Andrey Zhuravlev, Midshipman Andrey Duritsky, and Chief Ship's Petty Officer Anatoly Medvedev. In a confined space and during an endless series of watches, such competitions are like a breath of fresh air on a hot day: the excitement of competition, the excitement of the fans, the joy of victory, and the awarding of certificates and monetary prizes from the crew commander's fund. All this affects the moral atmosphere of the team. But the main thing is a healthy competitive spirit. It encourages both the growth of responsibility and the refinement of professionalism. Perhaps the "socialist competition", which has sunk into oblivion, was not such a mediocre invention of the "era of stagnation"?

Political and ballistic safeguards

By the way, about the past. A decade ago, when carrying out a combat mission at sea, the crew had a clear and distinct understanding of the potential enemy. Today, there are missions, but no enemy. Any sailor might ask, "Why are we patrolling, and who are we protecting from?" This is not an idle question. We have to explain the significance of our strategic forces to our crew members through indirect examples. Here are our closest neighbors abroad, who have held exercises in their border regions and mobilized several million troops in just one day. Or let's talk about how NATO resolves conflicts with Yugoslavia and Iraq. At first, they consulted and coordinated with us, but now they are ignoring Russia's opinion. Our unilateral disarmament does not make the world safer. The West's assurances of its friendly attitude towards us do not affect the number of foreign missile submarines patrolling with nuclear warheads... Who are they targeting?

Politics is a very changeable thing, so Russia needs an ocean-based nuclear missile shield. No one from outside can guarantee us permanent good neighborliness. Each country has its own difficulties and problems... Reliable guarantees - here they are, in the mines of our underwater "strategists". And what else can Russia oppose to the external threat today?

The people in the crew of Captain 1st Rank K. Shcherbakov understand the importance of their service and long-range missions with nuclear weapons on board. They take pride in being part of Russia's strategic submarine fleet.

Upbringing... by corrosion

Captain 2nd Rank V. Belous began his officer service as deputy commander of a marine infantry company. Later, by the will of fate, he spent ten years strengthening discipline in the military construction units of the Pacific Fleet. In 1992, after completing his part-time studies at the University's Department of Psychology, he was appointed as a psychologist for the submarine fleet. In 1995, he embarked on his first long-range mission. In November 1996, he became the deputy commander of a nuclear-powered submarine crew, four days before the scheduled long-range voyage. Nothing, people get to know each other faster at sea... Today, Valery Ivanovich has a wide field of activity. The deputy commander for educational work is slow and thorough in his conversation:

- The crew is stable. I was lucky with the commander - a wonderful sailor and a man. True, it can be hot... By the time of my appointment, many in the crew were heavily "offlazhkovany" penalties and, accordingly, did not receive bonuses and other incentives. And the salary is not very generous as it is. So not everyone was in the mood for the service. However, Konstantin Fedorovich and I have found a common approach to this issue: misconduct should be dealt with severely, but not so severely that it discourages or unnerves the person. Taking care of our people is our top priority. The key principle is to follow through on our promises. My closest allies are the commanders of our combat units. Only by working closely with them can we ensure a continuous impact on all categories of personnel in all combat shifts. I agree with the crew commander that the effectiveness of our training efforts is evident in the absence of any notable incidents. Although I remember such a case. During the hike, one of the main lines inside the water tank was damaged by corrosion (the boat is not new). Nothing special. And yet, they didn't wash their faces for a day, until Sergei Pustoderov, an experienced specialist and the senior petty officer of the hold crew, came up with a temporary solution to bypass the damaged area. It was nothing short of "masterful handling of the hold." The commander immediately rewarded the inventor by giving him a watch from his own wrist... It was a remarkable achievement! The fight against the frustrating corrosion of metal turned into a worthy example for the officers of the entire crew... Our work knows no bounds, and we must make the most of every situation.

Elements of equilibrium

When I leave the submarine unit, I always make a promise to myself to come back. Perhaps the winged missile submarines have a strange way of attracting people's souls. These ships are as harmonious as weapons can be. Sometimes I feel that there is a sense of planetary completion and balance in the departure and return of the submarine missile carriers. If the world were to be supported by "three pillars," it would be fitting for one of them to be the SSBN of Captain 1st Rank K. Shcherbakov. Many submariners look at these things more simply, and yet, in a philosophical sense, strategic submarines are probably not so much weapons as scales that balance good and evil. It is no coincidence that I noticed the dark face of an ancient icon in the commander's cabin...

Good and evil are not abstract here. According to Russian experts, after 2000, the United States plans to have 18 submarines with Trident ballistic missiles, the United Kingdom has 4, France has 7, and China has the same number. In the early 21st century, Russia will be able to counter this armada with a few more than a dozen Delta-4 and Typhoon submarines. Ships of previous series will be morally and physically obsolete by that time, and the construction of new submarines of this class is practically not carried out... Given the economic state of our country and the gradual technological slide in the field of armaments, it is appropriate to ask: what will follow the complete loss of domestic strategic deterrence forces?

These are questions that do not seem to be directly related to the crew of Captain 1st Rank K. Shcherbakov. However, it is precisely these people who give us the opportunity to "see the sunrise without paying taxes" today...

Let there be peace in the world. And let the crews of Russia's submarine missile carriers make this world stronger.

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