February 14 marks the thirtieth anniversary of creation of the Special Police Detachment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of South Ossetia - the only official power structure of that period. The detachment was formed to protect against an external enemy in the midst of Georgia's military aggression, while simultaneously fighting rampant crime in the Republic itself.
"Legendary OMON" - this is how they say about the detachment, the fighters of which found themselves in the forefront of the defenders of the Fatherland during the years of permanent war. The best of them died a hero's death and will remain in history, in the legends that future generations will lay down about them.
The structure under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic was created on February 14, 1992 by Vadim Gazzaev, an employee of the Tskhinval Department of Internal Affairs, together with 12 comrades-in-arms. OMON of our days is different from the previous one. The composition, the number of staff has changed, the conditions have improved significantly ... But the spirit, loyalty to each other and the traditions of the detachment remained unchanged in the OMON.
“The riot police still observe the traditions laid down at the very beginning by Vadim Gazzaev.. Thanks to these traditions, our structure remains strong,” the OMON commander Igor Pliev the “Res” news agency.
Pliev has recalled the conditions under which the OMON fighters began to serve.
“We had to go on combat missions with a minimum number of weapons, with an unequal number of fighters with the aggressor, and in difficult periods, the guys did not see their homes or relatives for months. Today, the OMON officers serve in peacetime, having good conditions. I am glad that they do not see war and death,” he noted.
According to the commander, it was prestigious to get into the only official paramilitary structure, but many could not stand it and left, the most enduring remained.
There are many people who want to get into the riot police today. According to Pliev, for one vacant place - 10-15 people. When hiring, each employee undergoes a selection process.
"There are many f people who want to work with us, especially recently with the improvement of working conditions and salary increases. We choose employees with the best indicators. We could use some extra staff. There are more than 200 employees in the OMON today, but there are not enough guys during raids or mass events and we have to attract those who have days off," said Pliev.
There are sappers and dog experts at the OMON. All fighters in these departments have completed advanced training courses in Russia, and now they are highly qualified specialists. For example, one can single out the victory of Georgy Tuloev along with his dog Arza in the international tournaments.
The commander of the detachment, Pliev, a man dedicated to his work, has been working in the OMON for 30 years and, together with the detachment, went through all the wars. In August 2008, the detachment lost six fighters. One of them was killed by a Georgian sniper while on duty at one of the combat posts. There were also many wounded among the riot police.
Many of the riot policemen were awarded the highest state award "Uatsamongae". Among them - assistant chief of staff Alan Bezhanov. According to the riot policeman, service in the detachment is, first of all, a duty that you fulfill to your Motherland, "we serve for the sake of the people."
Bezhanov came to the OMON at the age of 19, devoted 22 years to the service. He is glad that the current generation does not see the war.
“We have gone through difficult times. In those years, a riot officer, leaving for a post, did not know whether he would return or not. It was such a period when you grew up literally in a day. Everything changed, thoughts, habits, outlook on life, in just one day you could turn from a young man into an adult man,” he says.
According to Bezhanov, the service in the OMON is not easy even in peacetime.
“Not everyone can stand our service, but if a new employee comes, we teach him what we were taught. From generation to generation, we pass on the knowledge that the older generation of riot police has put into us, the system of values that has long been established here,” Bezhanov emphasized.
"OMON is our second home," said another officer, analysis and planning inspector Inal Kulumbegov, who also served 19 years.
“Our work is based on trusting and respectful relationships, we are like brothers here, we are one big family,” said Kulumbegov.
According to him, he does not regret that he chose this particular structure, and even if he had the opportunity to start working elsewhere, he could not leave the riot police.
“I chose OMON to protect my people, my family. Since childhood, I liked OMON, I saw myself only here. For me, this structure is legendary, because it arose in the most difficult times for the Republic and people could always count on its protection. The name OMON is a huge force, this structure is built on the blood of many of our guys who gave their lives for peace. I am proud of being a part of it,” Kulumbegov said.
Recalling the service of senior riot policemen, he has noted that the difficult war times gave rise to strong personalities, of which today the main backbone of the riot police consists.
“Sometimes, communicating with those who have gone through all the wars, all the hard times in the Republic, you understand how large-scale a person is in front of you and what a pride it is to have the opportunity to serve shoulder to shoulder with them,” he said.
He has also noted that almost all conditions have been created for today's riot policemen - equipped offices, high salaries. The only thing, according to him, that the employees lack is the barracks. As noted by Kulumbegov, for many years the functions of the barracks have been performed by the gym and during competitions and training camps there is nowhere to conduct them.
“We should have had barracks for a long time, but they don’t exist, and it’s a pity for the guys, they don’t have the opportunity to train and relax normally,” Kulumbegov emphasized.
There are many new employees in the OMON. In the communications department, for example, communications inspector Andrey Vaneev has been working for two years now. According to the young man, its legendary history contributed to the choice of this structure, and the fact that his brother once was serving here, who, unfortunately, died tragically.
“I have long wanted to join the riot police, but did not dare. I worked elsewhere, but later decided to try my hand. I don’t regret my choice, I’m glad to be among the team and defenders who spared no effort to defend the Motherland,” he said.
The OMON building really has a warm, friendly and cheerful atmosphere. Cheerful until you touch on the topic of war - then the fighters seem to turn off and find themselves there - in the war, where they lost many comrades and loved ones.
There is one large stand with portraits of fallen soldiers in the corridor, and this stand is also an important link in the system of educating young fighters. To remember...
