Open Days at the 231st Artillery Brigade, while a relatively common occurrence, are always approached by the military personnel with particular responsibility. This time, the children vacationing at the "Zhemchuzhina" rehabilitation and health improvement center were met at the checkpoint by the Deputy Commander of the Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Druzhinin, and his assistants.
A noisy crowd entered through the gate – over a hundred boys and girls. All were dressed for summer: light, multi-colored, and vibrant, which contrasted sharply with the uniform camouflage of the soldiers. Dmitry Vasilyevich and his assistants greeted everyone and briefly outlined the planned program.
The first stop was a cannon mounted on a pedestal in front of the checkpoint. The boys and girls immediately surrounded it. They were delighted to be able to freely climb around the cannon, touch the aiming handles, and imagine themselves as brave artillerymen firing at columns of enemy tanks. After taking photos, the delegation split into three approximately equal groups, and they proceeded to their respective locations.
In the first stage, the children could sequentially tour the museum of the 52nd Separate Search Battalion, the training building, and the barracks of the 231st Artillery Brigade. The boys and girls immediately took advantage of the opportunities. Some examined a "Maxim" machine gun, familiar from war films, while others held rifles, submachine guns, and mock-ups of bombs and mines. A sports team from Russia was part of the group; these guests were not accustomed to such close proximity to historical exhibits.
The second group was in the barracks at this time. The children, especially the Russians, thought that this word hid something grim and harsh. However, on the third floor, they were met with a bright, spacious room, and the visitors saw neatly made beds. The military personnel organized an exhibition of military uniforms for the young guests. The children saw how soldiers serve in winter conditions. Then they were allowed to hold a specially laid-out submachine gun, a pistol, and three sets of body armor and helmets. Attention was drawn to the latter elementsThe equipment is no longer Soviet-made. The soldiers explained that the new model of Kevlar helmets and vests were issued relatively recently, about a month ago. They are slightly lighter and more comfortable than the previous models.
The last stop of the open day was the combat vehicle park. The military, specifically for the children, rolled out the 2A65 "Msta-B" howitzer, the 2S5 "Giacint-S" self-propelled artillery mount, the 9K57 "Uragan" multiple rocket launcher vehicle, and a MAZ-537 tractor with a trailer for transporting heavy equipment from the hangar to the open area. The children immediately swarmed the combat vehicles; it was a great joy and happiness for them to descend into the combat compartments, sit at the controls in the driver's seat, and turn the gun aiming wheels.
Surprisingly, most of the questions about weapons and equipment came from the girls again. How far does the gun shoot, how heavy is the projectile, how fast can the vehicle travel... Sometimes I caught myself thinking that I was listening not to teenagers, but to adults competent in the subject.
Finally, it was time to part. But the children did not want to leave their hospitable hosts just like that. The boys and girls were almost persuaded to get off the self-propelled artillery mount; gigabytes of selfies against the backdrop of cannons, with officers and soldiers, were uploaded to cameras and mobile phones. As they said goodbye, the guests thanked them for the sincere and warm welcome.