Dodging Military Draft in the Final Years of the USSR

[@Gloriosus]

Your videos are not boring. I lived through the Cold War, when they didn't tell us much about life in Russia (unless it was something negative), so I like to hear about attitudes, customs and conditions there at that time. It's important to record these details for future generations too. Thanks for taking the trouble to make these videos.

[@resrussia]

Your videos are NOT boring. I like them because they have increased my knowledge of Soviet life and it interesting having something to compare with my wife's experiences in the Soviet Union. Also, I helps me compare what appears in the academic literature with your eye witness accounts.

[@resrussia]

I forgot add in US dodging the draft followed a similar form: connections and going to college. How ironic that young men in the Soviet Union and the US used similar strategies to avoid military service. My dad found exemption from military service by marrying my mother. Also, a quick comment about your father's view of the military - my mother's older cousins both were drafted into US Navy and were proud of their service. My uncle viewed his service in US Army as waste of time (except for being about to buy two complete 35mm camera outfits very cheaply). Fortunately he served in a medical unit Germany with draftee doctors who often take his side against junior regular army officers. One of the reasons, my wife gives for marrying an American was so her children could avoid military. She was less than happy when I told that American males were required register with the Selective Service and that I was eligible for conscription.

[@ashcarrier6606]

@@resrussia The Vietnam-era draft was the beginning of "grade inflation" in American universities. The theory being to keep below-average students out of the draft. Unfortunately, the trend continued.

[@resrussia]

@@ashcarrier6606 Yes, when I was grad student in history , I took a course on Vietnam from a prof who started his career during the 1960s and he admitted helping his male students with better grades.

[@deniseneuman1958]

I was thrilled to learn you graduated from the same institute as Igor Sikorsky! He’s one of my heroes because he was extremely versatile in the many types of aircraft that he designed. I also admire him because he was a fine man of courage and integrity. I’m especially fond of the helicopters he developed, and worked at Sikorsky Aircraft in the 80’s writing repair manuals. One of my favorite memories was visiting Mr. Sikorsky’s office. He had died by then, but employees were allowed to visit his office and look at his things on his desk and bookshelves. His office was kept the same as when he was alive, and it seemed as though he had just stepped out for a minute.

[@UshankaShow]

Sikorsky was also very smart to escape Russia after the revolution. One of his best friends and students Nikolay Polikarpov, decided to stay and went through hell. 1928, under provisions of the Five-Year Plan for experimental aircraft design, Polikarpov was assigned to develop the primarily wooden I-6 fighter for delivery by mid-1930. The plan was unrealistic and failed. As such, in October 1929,[3] Polikarpov and around other 450 aircraft designers and engineers were arrested on fabricated charges of sabotage and counter-revolutionary activities, after which he was sentenced to death. In December, after two months of waiting for execution, he was transferred to a Special Design Bureau of OGPU set at Butyrka prison and had the sentence changed to 10 years of forced labor.[4] Polikarpov and the others were moved to Central Design Bureau 39 (TsKB-39) to complete the I-5 project.[5] After a successful demonstration of the new design, the sentence was changed to a conditional one, and in July 1931 he was granted amnesty

[@deniseneuman1958]

@@UshankaShow Very interesting! I have to say, though, that while Sikorsky was of course brilliant, it was a no-brainer that he should escape. He was tipped off that the Bolsheviks had him on their list for execution, so he pretty much left with the clothes on his back and a small amount of money. He barely made his escape, as the Bolsheviks were already searching for him. I believe they almost succeeded in keeping him from getting on the boat. Have you read The Story of the Flying S? If you have Amazon Prime, you can get it as an ebook for free. I also recommend the documentary Across the Pacific. It depicts Sikorsky helping Juan Tripp build Pan American Airways, which relied on Sikorsky’s flying boats in the early years to succeed.

[@deniseneuman1958]

Here’s an article mentioning Sikorsky being warned that he was to be executed. www.rbth.com/history/332693-aviation-igor-sikorsky-helicopters-planes

[@bradwalsh9122]

I met Igor Sikorsky Jr. In 1983 in Europe. Also an impressive man. He owned Sikorsky (I believe)after his dad died and he was also a lawyer.

[@arrow1414]

".....I had no specific hobbies except keeping diaries and writing stories..." Little did you know that this will lead you to have a KZbin career (not counting your "day job" as an electrician) in America!😊

[@arrow1414]

@@dkeith45 Yes. He mentioned it. And you reminded me of something.

[@lukethegambino1774]

Been subbed for 3 years now

[@shafur3]

Great story!

[@UshankaShow]

Thanks!

[@90sHighSpeed]

Very interesting, I love your videos, especially the military ones. Do you think if ever in the future if you have time, would it be possible to do a video on your friend who wanted to be a paratrooper or the ВДВ in general? I’m fascinated by them and they are a big reason why I joined the US military to be a paratrooper.

[@tristanholland6445]

Pro tip: the person who gets most upset about “draft dogging” are people that also dodged it in some way or that had an very dull military career

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

SO TRUE!!! in my country they say that people that are playing the weekend soldiers playing the Taft guys", ready for war " etc are usually the ones that dogged their military service or served in some office close to their home town 😉

[@ocudagledam]

Yup! Our recent minister of defense dodged draft when he was young and later he became obsessed with the military - wore some makeshift uniform-like clothes (even before becoming the minister), made up some form of shortened military service for those who never served (even though by that time it had long been abolished), and then served himself, while in office.

[@icascone]

Ah! It's very similar story to Italy... In Italy people would try to avoid drafting, one would either declare themselves "consciousness objectors" and then do social services, either visiting elderly people in the community or taking part in activities where one had to take care of disabled. Another one was to go to university (I think, but I stand to be corrected) A third one was to try and go living overseas lol I also know that there was a lot of bullying in the army too (both Soviet and Italian), so it would have been a bit part for me not to be drafted and would have become a conscious objectors and did also enjoy taking care of people...

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

The same in Greece although " consciousness objectors" jahova witnesses ect do get drafted in what they call " unarmed service" basically they don't get any training spending their entire service between the latrines and kitchen 😏 technically the only way to dogge drafting is to convince the military doctors that you're mentally" to unstable to hold a gun " although that could bite you in the back later in life since although it's illegal many employers will ask you information about your military service and even go as far as asking to see your documents.. Fan fact in the old days there was an other way to escape drafting.. Claim to be gay, something that it seems like many tried because for some years upon being drafted the doctors would ask you to spread your... Butt chics to..see your butthole. In order to prove your claim 😂😂😂😂

[@RogerThat787]

Way to always keep it interesting Comrade.

[@davidlium9338]

Your videos are not BORING! Thank you!

[@noobster4779]

The hole military doging through college was just part of a strategy to educate the peasants into productive members of society. After all what motivates somebody to learn the hardest other then the possibility of doging military service.

[@randomlyrelatable1372]

Smart move by ussr

[@crabyman3555]

in countries where the military is not like prison (USSR definitely was), it also wasn't as feared or hated. Most people in Finland and Sweden for example did not mind their obligatory military service the way Soviet people did

[@ernstschmidt4725]

college people still got to do their army training, but as officers and in summers instead as footsloggers during 2 years.

[@mikecyr5017]

Definitely not boring, thank you for the videos

[@maualkla]

Thx for sharing this stories.

[@andrewoplinger4759]

I didn't think it was boring. I thought it was interesting learning about going to college to avoid the draft. We had the same thing here during the Vietnam war. But, what I didn't understand is why your eyesight would preclude you from all these other jobs, but not welding machine engineering

[@bigmedge]

I love your videos Sergey ! Will you plz make one about your experiences as a junior engineer ?

[@ViaOjo]

Love it!!!

[@deanpruit4216]

I love your videos. It's interesting what anyone did after high school. It's neat how in the USA the majority of people who go in the army after high school pretty much do it just because they need money for college.

[@NYC20thCenturyLtd]

Named for Ivan Franko... When I was a kid, after regular American school hours, we had Ukrainian Catholic religious instruction classes on Wednesdays, and Ukrainian School twice a week, usually on Mondays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. These classes were usually from 4:00PM to 6 or 6:30PM. So when we finally got home, there was regular everyday American Homework to do while eating Supper, or Vechera. Sunday evenings was usually spent doing our Ukrainian School HOMEWORK! We learned about Ukrainian history, the Ukrainian dialects, grammar, etc. There was also Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Mazepa, Symon Petliura,Ivan Franko, Bohdan Khmelnitzkiy. Stupid Wikipedia calls Bandera an "outlaw", but for us, Bandera was a Ukrainian Hero. For fun, there was Lys Miketa, little stories about a sly little fox. We also belonged to a Ukrainian Boys Choir, "Dumka". Practice was on Friday evenings. There were always recitals for Christmas and New Years' holidays. And of course, S'viatiy Nikolai- St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, for our American friends. Easter was a big holiday for us. PLAST (Ukrainian Boy Scouts) was on Saturdays. So you see, I and my Ukrainian buddies had a pretty full schedule..! 😀😀😀

[@Pushing_Pixels]

I love your videos! As someone who grew up in a Western country during the late cold war, I've been curious about what it was like in the USSR. I was still young then, a bit younger than you, and all I knew was that if there was a nuclear war we would be on the receiving end of your missiles. No one really talked about what life was like there. I don't think anyone knew. Or if they did it was stereotypes and negative propaganda. Everything was always framed in terms of conflict and war, and how that might play out. When I was a kid I thought that the USSR must be a kind of opposite land, because apparently Communism was the opposite of what we did. One day I remember there was a song on the radio with the lyric "I hope the Russians love their children too", and my mum got quite angry and said "what a stupid thing to say! Of course they do!". That piqued my interest, and is what made me really curious about the USSR. I had to know how they could be our opposite, but be just like us at the same time. That curiosity has stuck with me.

[@_partsunknown_]

I like your channel - all very honest and interesting. I would like to hear more about your university curriculum e.g., what sort of classes did you take? were the faculty nice or no? I am curious how the US electrical engineering university curriculum compares to the Soviet?

[@douglaswaggoner7487]

You were liking the idea of being in the Navy until you learned of the grab bars in the head. You hadn't considered the rock and rolling until then? Just how much time do you spend shitting everyday? Having spent time in the Navy, I would have told you that it's better than an amusement park ride that can't be duplicated. Also, the sea is different everyday. The sea and sky are beautiful to behold, often changing and can't be seen on land. Anyway you've done well and have much more life ahead. God bless you and yours.

[@UshankaShow]

Doug, thanks for your comment! I happened to work with a bunch of ex-Navy guys these days so I've heard all the stories in the world ))

[@douglaswaggoner7487]

@@UshankaShow This is no shit! I was... ;);)

[@steliosarvanitis5606]

There is an urban legend that floats around that engineers in SU had to remember anything they learned in case they had to rebuild society.

[@opl500]

College wasn't really a dodge - you effectively had to enlist in the equivalent of ROTC.

[@ernstschmidt4725]

it was a comfier way to do it though

[@frydemwingz]

and then someone in the Navy told me "There are hardships you'll have to endure." oh well nevermind. lol

[@justdustino1371]

Ships' toilets flush with seawater too! All except the ones in the brig on a large ship.

[@RogerThat787]

Do the toilets flush clockwise or counter clockwise?

[@timmermansj1300]

It's funny how you got into college 😂 I love these stories

[@gustavbabic5004]

Do you know anyone who was in the Soviet Red Army when the USSR was dissolved in Dec 1991? I wonder what conditions were like in the army during the transition period?

[@UshankaShow]

Depends where. It was quite a mess in Ukraine since many soldiers from Russia refused to take an oath to the new independent Ukraine.

[@gustavbabic5004]

@@UshankaShow I've heard second and third hand stories from others that things were very very hard in the Russian Army during that transition period. In one case I remember hearing a story about soldiers who were in basic training at the time the USSR dissolved, and do to all of the confusion occurring around that time, they had a hard time getting enough food to eat. Well, I've never been a big fan of Marx, but I most certainly don't like to hear stories about people not getting enough food, just because the politicians have made a blunder.

[@bangochupchup]

Arnold at the end of the video again!

[@agnosticlibertarian175]

Can you make a video about your first experience with fast food? Im curious about how your first McDonalds or Taco Bell compared to growing up eating in Soviet Cafeterias

[@UshankaShow]

I didn't grow up eating at cafeterias. )) 99.9% of the time I ate at home

[@agnosticlibertarian175]

@@UshankaShow i apologize for wording the comment the way i did, i thought you went to cafeterias like in school so i apologize for not specifying

[@UshankaShow]

Hardly ever. No problem.

[@noobster4779]

Soviet Doctor: Your eyesight is really bad, im sorry :( Comrade Sergey: Not good but not bad eather :P Soviet Doctor: :O

[@user-03-gsa3]

5:24 7:59 ideal physique and health

[@joeygoguen1525]

What is that bell ringing in the background?

[@pieterwillembotha6719]

fyi, @ 16:45, _wanna_ could also mean _want a_

[@aarontenenbaum9536]

I am curious as to how they scored your entrance exam to KPI. Did you use a scantron bubble sheet to fill in your answers or did someone have to score it manually?

[@UshankaShow]

Math 4, Physics 5, Russian Literature 5. I believe everything was checked manually

[@giritharjeevasuba5206]

I love USSR✊✊✊✊✊✊✊✊✊🌟🚩😍

[@willr7849]

So was everyone drafted? Or was it like the American draft where they choose a certain number of people

[@UshankaShow]

Every male that turned 18.

[@relaxationstation7374]

I totally love the pictures, hopefully, Czar Putin approves.

[@colonel1066]

2 years for all services except Soviet Navy was 3 years I believe. Is this correct Serge?

[@UshankaShow]

Yes

[@Svetlana-says-it-as-it-is.]

With the series of the last days of the Soviet Union does that mean the channel will stop? will you still continue or are you going to move onto modern Ukraine?

[@UshankaShow]

There are plenty to discuss about the USSR.

[@Svetlana-says-it-as-it-is.]

@@UshankaShow Great, I always look forward to watch your content :)

[@mr.waffentrager4400]

@@UshankaShow leaders of the Soviet Union were the most powerful men alive Can you change my mind .

[@Acetyl53]

I may have asked this before, but was there anything about biological effects of weak electromagnetic fields in general Soviet culture or your electrical engineering study? (Called magnetobiology and bioelectromagnetics in English). A lot of what I know about the Soviet work in this area comes from a Western persperctive, I am curious about a Soviet persprective.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

After you came to America, did you end up getting an engineering job in your engineering field? Did U.S. companies accept college degrees from the soviet union?

[@UshankaShow]

Eventually yes, I got a job at a local power plant. The degree helped, of course

[@craiglarge5925]

Very good question.

[@jacobtennyson9213]

Absolutely in the USSR whether in college or not, every Soviet youth will get 2 years of Soviet Military Training. There is no way out of it unless you very disabled with pre-existing conditions.

[@UshankaShow]

You are wrong. If your college had military cafedra, no soldiering for two years was required.

[@jacobtennyson9213]

@@UshankaShow ... Still in the Russian Constitution (The Dumas) since early Stalin years absolutely any Soviet Citizen can be drafted for 2 years in service or try to attend any college or university. The Soviets will not let their people be lazy. If you're disabled or having pre-existing conditions will can not serve in the any military service. You said yourself in stories that you did not serve in the Soviet Army because you have eye problems. I don't need to be right. To correct my statement look Soviet Constitution even it's has been changed several times over the years. I did some Soviet schooling years back, too.

[@Donaldperson7]

I was lucky also I the USA HASNT had a draft since Vietnam. I was to young for that and they haven’t called yet. Now I couldn’t go anyway due to health and age

[@colinlove5062]

There’s some interesting parallels between college age kids in Soviet society during the Afghan War & American kids during the Vietnam War. The massive community college system in the US didn’t exist until the late 60’s the growth driven by students who traditionally hadn’t planned on attending university. Obviously the USSR wasn’t a free society propaganda & censorship were a part of everyday life so we’re talking apples or oranges. But the way a significant proportion of the youth planned their lives around getting out of military service is strikingly similar to American youth of the late 60’s. It’s funny mentioning that being born in that sweet spot in the case of the USSR ‘72. My dad graduated high school in ‘72 so even if he had trouble getting into college he wasn’t likely to get drafted because the drawdown was underway. The cherry on top for him was in ‘71 Michigan dropped the drinking age to 18 and didn’t raise it back to 21 till 78 so he was able to drink legally as soon he became an adult like everywhere else in the world hahahaha.

[@delanorrosey4730]

The irony? Your friend gets a degree in gas and oil exploration, dodges the draft, goes to work for American petroleum companies and makes a lot of money.

[@UshankaShow]

Unfortunately, it had never happened. He never used his degree besides the draft shield.

[@belstar1128]

My dad also dodged draft in western europe when we still had this crap i am glad its no longer a thing in my country i don't see how people forced into the army against their will could be good soldiers.

[@xgamerbih]

I think it's a good thing. Makes a man out of sissies, and it's an issue with sissies these days. For example, in Yugoslavia, military for teens lasted 1 year, but many enjoyed it. Yes, it was tough and everything, waking up early... but, many were glad to move out from their parents' home, you could also go out in weekends to have some fun in the local town, or to meet with girls and such. Also, many people bear nice memories with other young comrades all around the country. And, it was a rule that if you for example lived in the West part of Yugoslavia, you would be sent to some base that is in the East, or South, or anywhere just to make sure you go live in a place where people with different nationalities and religion live. So even, if you're for example a Croat, you'd be sent to the Maceodnian republic, and that kind of stuff. Also, Yugoslavia, including the USSR and other Warsaw Pact nations were under constant threat of an invasion, especially Yugoslavia because it had it's borders are between the East and West, making it neutral. So, attacks from both East and West were possible whoever started the war. Also, schoolkids would be taught the basics of emergency cases, like nukes, war, flood, fires, earthquakes and such. I think the modern society needs army training, if someone wanted it or not. Also, you shouldn't compare the west style and socialist style of living when it comes to a secure job, no throwing out, no firings, free education and guaranteed jobs and such.

[@ashcarrier6606]

I am an Army veteran and I am totally against a draft or conscription. It is hard enough training and leading volunteers. I would have no interest in being around conscripts who were dragooned into the service without a choice. So a draft only in times of an existential threat. The North Vietnamese Army, for example, was not and never could be an existential threat to CONUS. And them taking over the entire country ended up having no effect on daily life in America...at all. And we spent 50,000 lives learning that. As far as using the military to socially engineer or collectively raise our children? That isn't what the military is for.

[@PsilocybinCocktail]

I would reply to this but don't have 37 hours free time to inform about the B.E.F.

[@ashcarrier6606]

@@joek600 Historically, a large draft army has not seemed to deter us from going to war. All of our biggest, bloodiest wars since and including the Civil War through Vietnam had the draft. But I seriously doubt Americans would allow a draft now simply to fuel one of our African or Middle East regime-change and nation-build wars. The type of war I am quite specifically sick of waging.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

@@ashcarrier6606 well for a small country a war is a very existential threat and can explain why they still draft people into military service.. Also armies are being used for social and even actual engineering since the ancient Romans, just think about all those national days, parades, ceremonies ect it's all about social engineering, armies are also being used during natural catastrophes and most of the time the engineering core will help to some civilian project - especially if civil engineering companies aren't interesting for those projects..

[@maverickfoxbmsn]

I knew a friend who fled Ukraine to avoid the war in Donbass.

[@khanlo4f333]

My biological grandpa served in the soviet navy

[@PsilocybinCocktail]

He was a - dare I say it - a SEAL?

[@craiglarge5925]

My parents generation, 1940s and 1950s, young men where they lived joined the military. Why was that ? The only work available in coal mining country was mining, it was a way to get out of Appalachia aka Americas white ghetto. Also WW2 then Korean War happened. I mean, for them it was expected that they did so. I suppose it was the same way in the USSR way back then.

[@SameerKhan-hd1qw]

Cut your friend some slack! I'm a oil and gas engineer too!

[@logicbomb5511]

In the US navy it is often said "When as sea, real men sit to pee" for much the same reason, though you cant fall into US navy toilets though the poop sewage backs up into the shower though the drains when they secure all the values during battle, emergencies or just to fix stuff. Your parents probably happy you wanted to be in the navy and didn't encourage journalism cause from your other episodes i heard they got paid pretty bad?????

[@UshankaShow]

I was told by ex-Navy that NAVY stands for Never Again Volunteer Yourself

[@tristanholland6445]

Imagine the bad luck of the immediate post Soviet guys that were in the Russian Army is 1992-1995 and stuck in Chechnya.

[@lkrnpk]

at least he's Ukrainian so he would not get that

[@therickson100]

You need to read "A Brat in Moscow" by Kirsten Koza.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

In my country Technically you can't dodge military service at least not for ever , that's why you see 30 years old something, lawyers and doctors serving along side 17 yo farm hands.. By the way the story of little Sergei being fascinated by the navy reminded me how much little Pavlos, loved tanks, was building little scale models of them and wished that when he will be old enough he will be drafted to the armored vehicles ( you know what people say - be aware of what you wish for) and yeah taking to account that i was hanging around with members of "KNE "( greek communist youth) back then.. 'Cause" only leftists are getting le... Eeee.. The girls ".. you can say that i was a" tankie "in every possible aspect of the term 😁 for the story i was eventually drafted for the armored vehicles becoming what people was calling us a" little black crease rat " 😁😁😁

[@Svetlana-says-it-as-it-is.]

Comrade, why didn’t you wear contact lenses to go for that health test, they probably wouldn’t have noticed the only people that notice you wear contact lenses are the ones that wear them themselves like me.

[@UshankaShow]

Contact lenses in the USSR? 🤔 Do you think I wore those ugly glasses to keep the girls away from me? 😇

[@Flamechr]

@@UshankaShow yes otherwise you would drown in sweetlanas 😂

[@Svetlana-says-it-as-it-is.]

@@UshankaShow Just wondered.

[@tristanholland6445]

An optometrist would be able to tell that you had contacts in as soon as they looked at your eyes.

[@UshankaShow]

Unfortunately, we didn't have those available

[@spicn00]

Лучше бы "говорит и показывает Мичиган" 😁

[@ulyssespulido9556]

I am noticing a pattern of poop killing time your dreams. First a pet dog and now the navy.

[@UshankaShow]

LOL

[@oatlord]

Is it Moscow or Mosco? I thought only Americans pronounced it Moscow.

[@UshankaShow]

Moskva

[@RogerThat787]

You ever drank a Moscow Mule?

[@dm8336]

Boring, interesting & amusing uplifting all in one :)

[@cottonmouth521]

You're mom is very beautiful