History 02/01/20 Than Afghan women shocked the Soviet soldiers
Limited contingent of Soviet troops were in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. The soldiers and officers, brought up in the spirit of class solidarity and gender equality, many of the customs and traditions of this Asian country seemed strange, even shocking. Especially surprising was the Afghan women and their position in society.
do Not visit public places
a Renowned expert on military history Elena Senyavskaya in his book “the Psychology of war in the twentieth century. The historical experience of Russia” (Moscow, 1999) has written a strong impression on the Soviet soldiers and officers made the Afghan reality. And one of the most shocking factors were the total religiosity of the local population. So our kids brought up in the spirit of atheism, much seemed unusual.
E. S. Senyavskaya has led in its work, the recollections of an ordinary A. G. Bannikov, who served in Afghanistan in 1985-1986: “of Course, our first point was the market. It’s like in the last century: farmers in ragged robes, not women, about Dukan, as if mounted on the wall, squatting sitting whether poor, whether the owners of these shops…”.
Indeed, the almost complete absence of women on the streets of villages and towns of Afghanistan was evident, especially in the USSR, women were free to go about their business without a male escort. And in a country with strict Islamic traditions, they had no personal freedom, and during the war to walk the streets is just dangerous.
Wear the burqa
In the 80 years of the twentieth century representatives of the Central Asian republics that were part of the USSR, was quite emancipirana not to wear the veil. But in Afghanistan, this kind of clothing is called “burka”, and no woman went without her even at home. A rare exception was the young resident tableItza, who succumbed to the propaganda of the ideas of communism. But after the deterioration of the overall humanitarian situation in the country such liberties were forgotten.
“Afghanistan existed at the same time as if in two dimensions – in the dark ages and the “enlightened” twentieth century, intricately combining the characteristics of both,” wrote E. S. Senyavskaya.
Survive in poverty
Many soldiers in their memoirs, wrote that after arriving in Afghanistan just horrified by the poverty in which mired the local population. People living in poor clay buildings, and the women prepare food in a primitive furnaces ovens, many even do not have warm clothes and even some shoes.
the average C. Fesyun served in 1980-1981, both spoke about their experiences: “When we arrived, the winter was. There was no snow, but the wind, penetrating to the bone, evil to some. We, soldiers in padded jackets and were freezing. And local farmers at this time walked barefoot. All their homes out of sand and clay cut. Then I saw a tree sold on the pounds, carefully weighing”.
meanwhile, the Afghan women worked from morning till evening in their fields, literally breaks his back. Many of these husbands were either killed or taken away to war. Despite the hard rocky soil and lack of fertilizers, they managed to survive.
can shoot
If at the beginning of the Afghan operation, the local population joyfully greeted the Soviet soldiers as liberators, who will help in the fight against spooks, pretty soon the attitude changed, first to concern and then to outright hatred of the enemy soldiers. So shoot back could not only men, posing as civilians, but women as well.
As now, in those years, Afghanistan was flooded with weapons. And all his people Willy-nilly had to be able to handle it.
On the causes of the hatred felt by the local population to the Soviet soldiers, says the book “Soldiers of the Afghan war” (Novosibirsk, 1999d edition), which was written by a direct participant in those events Sergey Boyarkin. In this documentary investigation given the memories of soldiers-internationalists.
for Example, a military interpreter captain Alex we briefly (66 DSHB, Ghazni province, 1984-1985) said: “…cause, forcing the commandos to kill Afghan civilians, was due to “precautions.” Being in the desert or mountains on a combat mission in isolation from the main forces, any group of special forces could not allow its whereabouts was solved… that’s why special forces could not afford to play in humanism, when the rate was their own life and the task”.
That is, not trusting the Afghans, Soviet soldiers killed civilians, because they feared that a random stranger can tell the spooks where they are. Seeing their fathers, brothers or husbands shot of Soviet weapons, the women began to hate. And here and shot in the back nearby.
Although one can argue that the murder and robbery of civilians, rape and abuse of prisoners, if such incidents became known to command, remained unpunished. The article by candidate of historical Sciences Andrey Pochtarev “Damned and forgotten?”, which was published in “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” on 13 February 2004 said that from December 1979 to February 1989 to criminal liability for various crimes committed in the territory of Afghanistan, were involved in 4 307 thousands of soldiers-internationalists.
of children
the Soviet soldiers were surprised by the number of children in families of local residents. At thirty women could be more than 10 children as married in the Muslim countries it is customary to leave early, and to use contraception prohibits religion.
According to the memoirs of participants in the Afghan operation, hungry and ragged toddlers in crowds around the military and excitedly begged. While older kids could have something to steal, cost only slightly gape.
Not familiar with traditional medicine
Even ordinary Soviet people for drugs, like aspirin or antibiotics, for the Afghan people was something fantastic. Therefore, member or officer capable of giving the sick child the usual febrifuge, at once became in the eyes of the local population with medicines-magician.
Women Afghanistan always gave birth at home, in the best case – with the help of local herbalist or knowledgeable relatives. About the trip to the hospital more often, and speech did not go.
Never tried alcohol
Another feature of the women of Afghanistan related to religious traditions, the surprise Soviet citizens – that they had never tasted any alcoholic drinks. If men, in secret away from the watchful eyes of relatives or neighbours could “relax” in the company of friends, in the lives of women alcohol simply did not exist.
As you know, as part of the Limited contingent of Soviet troops was served by the ladies – nurses, doctors, cooks, barbers, etc. when Dealing with Afghan women, they were surprised that local women do not know the taste of alcoholic beverages.
Origanum Tanatarova
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