Manhood Test

Shots are fired, air smells of powder and sweat, army boots are stamping and tiger-style roars scary everything on the way of these men. They are all contenders for a very special enforcement status that will give them the right to wear madder berets and become army elite. More than 600 servicemen have been granted this privilege so far, and new “berets” were awarded at “Volovschina” training center.

The contenders were supposed to negotiate a deep marsh, high and absolutely unattackable wall, concrete screens, get through a contaminated section that bit them and scratched them with hidden barb wire and traps, run through a fire assault track and use an unreliable cableway. After that they all hit their targets using all sort of weapons, including grenade launchers, machine and submachine guns, small arms and pistols, assembled a radio and reported to the headquarters about the completion of the last but one mission.

The final one was the toughest one: a contender was involved in a 12-minute fight with four “enemies” who already wear madder berets. After that you may relax, as there is nothing else you can do. This time nine servicemen were awarded the right to wear the headgear of their dreams — madder berets.

Olga Voronova