The bat is a symbol of intelligence. Russian military intelligence symbol

The military intelligence of Russia is a closed state structure, which has not undergone fundamental changes in its design since 1991. For such special services around the world, certain emblems are used. The symbol of the intelligence of the Russian Federation is a bat, which for a long time denoted belonging not only to the GRU, but also to special units of the KGB. This emblem has remained relevant to this day, despite its recent official replacement with a display of a red carnation with grenadas.

History of appearance

The intelligence symbol is directly related to the formation of the Soviet service, which was organized in November 1918. The Revolutionary Military Council approved the structure of a special registration department, which was the prototype of the modern GRU unit.

In reality, at that time a certain staff was being created, which in a matter of years acquired the largest intelligence network in the world. At the same time, even terrorist actions in the thirties could not destabilize the Intelligence Directorate. Supervisors and subordinates used a variety of ways of working. Even the famous resident Richard Sorge refused to return to the Soviet Union, realizing that nothing good awaited him there.

The role of military intelligence

Before telling where the intelligence symbol came from, it is necessary to outline the role of this organization in difficult times (the war with Germany and the preliminary and subsequent provocations that accompanied it). As a result, the intelligence department managed to outplay the Abwehr, which was considered one of the most constructive and most effective units.

Not very well known is the fact that the partisans in the confrontation between Germany and the Soviet Union were also part of a well-thought-out and well-planned plan of the intelligence department. Partisan detachments were organized and concentrated behind enemy lines, which did not wear the intelligence symbol on their clothes, but were prepared for resistance and combat operations in accordance with the science and characteristics of the GRU. Spetsnaz groups allowed individual detachments to be part of the regular army, which made it possible to strengthen the troops. This was extremely important, especially given the likely nuclear threat.

About symbolism

Parts of the special purpose trained to penetrate the territory of the enemy in order to obtain data on the intentions of hostile countries and conduct other non-standard operations.

The bat became the symbol of military intelligence. Everything is simple here - this animal is secretive in its essence, it makes little noise, but it hears everything. Often the persons of such groups did not serve directly, remaining special forces, ready at any moment to play the role of a soldier, grenade launcher or sniper. This community became more or less open after the fall of 2000. On November 5, the official Day of the military intelligence officer was introduced by order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Heraldry

The intelligence symbol "bat" began to appear on the chevrons of the respective units. Many refer to the first mention of this sign as a special brigade of the ObrSpN. For a long period, the whole situation was unofficial. After the collapse of the USSR, the situation in the army changed, in the elite units they began to consider and accept the official symbols of intelligence.

One of the significant dates in this regard was the 75th anniversary of the formation of the GRU (1993). For this anniversary, a for certain unknown person from intelligence officers decided to provide his colleagues with a new image of the emblem of the special services. The idea was supported by Colonel General F. Ladygin, who served as head of the GRU. The accompanying units and the peacekeeping contingent did not lag behind the scouts). There is very little information about who put more effort into developing their own heraldry.

At the end of October 1993, the heads of intelligence units were able to prepare a draft report with a description and drawing applications of sleeve insignia and chevrons. With the filing of General Kolesnikov, the document was signed by Ladygin F.I.

Defense Minister Grachev approved it already on October 23. Thus, the bat became the symbol of military intelligence. Such a choice cannot be called random. This animal is one of the most secretive and mysterious creatures. It performs all its vital tasks under the cover of darkness, and secretly, which is the key to success in intelligence operations.

Bat - a symbol of military intelligence

The symbol developed and created by the employees of the intelligence departments and their branches was almost never worn openly for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, its varieties quickly spread to related engineering, anti-sabotage and artillery units. Some special units used modified sleeve emblems, the essence of which was directly related to the original.

In any Russian intelligence department, the symbol is combined with some animal or bird. Much depends on the characteristics of the branch and geographical location. No less popular after the bat was the wolf.

Red clove

It is believed that this symbol of intelligence, the photo of which is given below, identifies resilience, devotion, inflexibility and determination in achieving the goals. Grenada with three flames symbolizes the historical image of the grenadiers, considered the most trained members of the elite military units.

Starting in 1998, the “bat” began to be replaced by the “red carnation”. This symbol of Russia's military intelligence was proposed by the heraldry artist Y. Abaturov. The primary advantages of this sign was the role of the flower as an identification mark, known to everyone since the time of Soviet films. The number of petals characterizes five types of subdivisions:

Ground reconnaissance.
Information Agency.
Air divisions.
Maritime diocese.
Special group.

In addition, there is a hint of the five continents of the globe and a similar amount of senses needed for a scout. Initially, the indicated emblem flaunted on the distinctions "For Service in Military Intelligence". Then she appeared on the sleeves and chevrons of GRU officers (2000).

Innovations

It is worth noting that the updated symbol of Russian military intelligence at first caused a storm of emotions of misunderstanding among the officers and soldiers of the special forces. After the decisive role of reforms became clear, the excitement subsided. At the same time, the "bat" did not disappear anywhere, remaining a cult designation in memory, on tattoos and memories of the people involved. This fact directly answers the question of why the bat, in fact, has remained a symbol of Russian intelligence forever.

In 2002, after all, the championship is given to the “red carnation with grenade”. This is largely due to the fact that the special squads tried to create their own emblem, different from other analogues. As a result, all the predators, birds and herbivores that the warriors wanted to see on their stripes became almost impossible to streamline.

This is despite the fact that in 1994 a special department was created responsible for military heraldry and symbols. It got to the point that the said department was not able to count the existing number and types of sleeve patches. This was the prerequisite for the creation of a single emblem of military intelligence. It is noteworthy that in the main office of the GRU of the Russian Federation, the mark with the “bat” still remains on the floor. There is also a new designation there, only on the walls.

User opinion

As some experts note in their comments, the emblem of "Batman", or a bat, in the Soviet Union was the official one of the special parts under the conditional number "897".

On equipment, machinery and personal items, a stencil sketch of a bat was applied. According to the charter, other drawings and displays with animals, birds or other symbols were unacceptable. Nevertheless, such marks were used by the legendary special forces such as "459" or "TurkVO" (scorpion, wolf, bear).

Additional Information

In any case, the bat is an emblem that unites almost all retired and active intelligence officers in a kind of detachment of exclusivity and unity. In this matter, the factor of discussing a specific unit or the GRU is not important. All these people are doing their job, realizing the maximum possible results as defenders of the Motherland and justice.

Let's summarize

In general, it can be argued that the bat is the main element of the symbolism of Russian military intelligence. Despite the appearance of the "red carnation", the emblem did not lose its position, appearing on chevrons, flags and in related folklore. After the development of the grenade-flower composition, many "Grushniks" and special forces found the opportunity to display "mice" on their "standards". And this also applies to the leadership, including the main headquarters, the walls of which are decorated with this particular emblem.

Today, the Second Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU GSH) is a powerful military unit, the exact information about which (in terms of composition and organization) is a military secret. The renovated center of this organization has been functioning since the beginning of November 2006. The commissioning of the object was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the revolution, it is from there that the most important and useful intelligence information comes in, affecting the further operation of special units and subunits. The building is designed according to modern technologies, taking into account special safety. Only people with a special pass, controlled by various parameters, can enter most of the premises. But at the entrance there is a three-dimensional emblem of the military intelligence of the Russian Federation.

Russian military intelligence is the most closed structure of the state, the only special service that has not undergone any special changes since 1991. Where did the "bat" come from, which for many years served as the emblem of the military intelligence of the USSR and Russia, and even after the official replacement with a carnation with grenade, did not leave the headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Russia?

Just imagine: a new department was created on the fragments of the Imperial Army, which in one decade (!!!) acquired one of the largest intelligence networks in the world. Even the terror of the 1930s, which, of course, was a blow of enormous destructive power, did not destroy the Intelligence Directorate. The leadership and the scouts themselves fought for life and the opportunity to work in all ways. A simple example: today Richard Sorge, who has already become a legend of military intelligence, and then a resident of the intelligence department in Japan, simply refused to return to the USSR, knowing that this meant death. Sorge referred to the difficult situation and the inability to leave the seat vacant.

The role played by the activities of military intelligence in the Great War is invaluable. It was almost impossible to imagine that the intelligence department, which had been destroyed for years, would completely outplay the Abwehr, but today it is an established fact. Moreover, we are talking here about military intelligence, and about agents, and about Soviet saboteurs.

For some reason, the fact that the Soviet partisans are also a project of the intelligence department is little known. Detachments behind enemy lines were created by regular officers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The local fighters did not wear the emblems of military intelligence only because it was not advertised at all. The theory and methodology of guerrilla warfare was put in the 50s and the basis of the GRU special forces being created. The basics of training, the methods of warfare, the aim for the speed of movement - everything is in accordance with science. Only now, special forces brigades have become part of the regular army, the range of tasks performed has expanded (the nuclear threat is a priority), special weapons and uniforms are being introduced, on which the symbol of military intelligence is a matter of special pride and a sign of belonging to the “elite of the elite”.

Created and trained to infiltrate the territories of aggressive states, the GRU Spetsnaz units often participated in tasks far from their main profile. Soldiers and officers of the GRU special forces were involved in all military operations in which the Soviet Union took part. Thus, the military personnel of various reconnaissance brigades reinforced many units conducting combat operations. Although these guys no longer served directly under the emblem, but, as you know, there are no former special forces. They remained the best in any of the combat specialties, whether it was a sniper or a grenade launcher and many others.

November 5 acquired its “open” status only on October 12, 2000, when the Military Intelligence Day was established by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 490.

The bat once became the emblem of military intelligence - it makes little noise, but hears everything.

In 1993, when the national military intelligence was preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its creation. For this anniversary, someone who is fond of heraldry from among the employees of the GRU1 decided to present a gift to his colleagues in the form of new symbols. This proposal was supported by the head of the GRU, Colonel-General F.I. Ladygin. By that time, as is known, the Airborne Forces, as well as the Russian contingent of peacekeeping forces in Transnistria, had already acquired their own officially approved sleeve insignia (the letters “MS” on a blue rectangular patch).
We do not know whether the “heraldists-scouts” and their superiors knew about this or not, but they nevertheless circumvented the law. In the second half of October, the GRU prepared a draft report of the Chief of the General Staff addressed to the Minister of Defense with a description and drawings of two sleeve insignia: for military intelligence agencies and military special forces. October 22 F.I. Ladygin signed it "from the hand" of the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel General
M.P. Kolesnikov, and the next day the Minister of Defense, General of the Army P.S. Grachev approved the descriptions and drawings of sleeve insignia.

So the bat became a symbol of military intelligence and special forces units. The choice was far from random. The bat has always been considered one of the most mysterious and secretive creatures operating under the cover of darkness. Well, secrecy, as you know, is the key to a successful reconnaissance operation.

However, in the GRU, as well as the intelligence departments of the branches of the armed forces, districts and fleets, the sleeve badge approved for them, for obvious reasons, was never worn. But its numerous varieties quickly spread throughout the units and subunits of military, artillery and engineering reconnaissance, as well as anti-sabotage combat. In formations and units for special purposes, various versions of sleeve insignia, made based on the approved pattern, were also widely used.

Each unit of military intelligence has its own unique symbols, these are various variations with a bat, and some specific sleeve patches. Very often, individual units of the Special Forces troops (Special Forces) use predatory animals and birds as their symbol - it all depends on the geographical location and the specifics of the tasks performed. In the photo, the emblem of military intelligence 551 ooSpN symbolizes the wolf detachment, which, by the way, was revered by scouts back in Soviet times, perhaps it was the second in popularity after the “mouse”.

It is believed that the red carnation is “a symbol of perseverance, devotion, inflexibility and determination in achieving the goals set”, and the three-flame grenada is “the historical sign of the grenadiers, the most trained military personnel of the elite units.

By the way, the innovation initially caused rather a negative reaction among the soldiers and officers of the special forces, but when it became clear that the reform did not mean the eradication of the “mouse”, the storm subsided. The introduction of the new official combined-arms emblem of military intelligence did not affect the popularity of the bat among the fighters of the GRU army units; even a superficial acquaintance with the culture of tattoos in the Special Forces troops is enough here. The bat, as one of the main elements of the symbolism of military intelligence, was established long before 1993 and will probably always remain so.

So, the bat is the main element of the symbolism of Russian military intelligence, even despite the appearance of the “carnation”, it does not give up its positions: this symbol today is not only on chevrons and flags, it has also become an element of soldier folklore.
It is noteworthy that even after the replacement of the "Bat" with the "Red Carnation", not only the special forces and the "pear" did not stop considering the "mice" as their symbol, but the "Bat" was preserved on the floor at the headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate, adjacent to the "Carnation", attached to the wall of the hall.

Today, the 2nd Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU GSh) is a powerful military organization, the exact composition and organizational structure of which, of course, are a military secret. The current headquarters of the GRU has been operating since November 5, 2006, the facility was commissioned just in time for the holiday, it is here that the most important intelligence information is now coming in, and from here the command of special forces military formations is carried out. The building was designed in accordance with the most modern technologies, not only construction, but also security - only selected employees can enter many of the "compartments" of the Aquarium. Well, the entrance is decorated with a giant emblem of the military intelligence of the Russian Federation.

November 5, 1918 is considered to be the birthday of the Russian (in those days, Soviet) intelligence. It was then that the Revolutionary Military Council approved the structure of the Field Headquarters of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, which included the Registration Directorate, which was then the prototype of today's GRU.
Just imagine: a new department was created on the fragments of the Imperial Army, which in one decade (!!!) acquired one of the largest intelligence networks in the world. Even the terror of the 1930s, which, of course, was a blow of enormous destructive power, did not destroy the Intelligence Directorate. The leadership and the scouts themselves fought for life and the opportunity to work in all ways. A simple example: today Richard Sorge, who has already become a legend of military intelligence, and then a resident of the intelligence department in Japan, simply refused to return to the USSR, knowing that this meant death. Sorge referred to the difficult situation and the inability to leave the seat vacant.
The role played by the activities of military intelligence in the Great War is invaluable. It was almost impossible to imagine that the intelligence department, which had been destroyed for years, would completely outplay the Abwehr, but today it is an established fact. Moreover, we are talking here about military intelligence, and about agents, and about Soviet saboteurs.
For some reason, the fact that the Soviet partisans are also a project of the intelligence department is little known. Detachments behind enemy lines were created by regular officers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The local fighters did not wear the emblems of military intelligence only because it was not advertised at all. The theory and methodology of guerrilla warfare was put in the 50s and the basis of the GRU special forces being created. The basics of training, the methods of warfare, the aim for the speed of movement - everything is in accordance with science. Only now the special forces brigades have become part of the regular army, the range of tasks performed has expanded (the nuclear threat is a priority), special weapons and uniforms are being introduced, on which the symbol of military intelligence is a subject of special pride and a sign of belonging to the “elite of the elite”.
Created and trained to infiltrate the territories of aggressive states, the GRU Spetsnaz units often participated in tasks far from their main profile. Soldiers and officers of the GRU special forces were involved in all military operations in which the Soviet Union took part. Thus, the military personnel of various reconnaissance brigades reinforced many units conducting combat operations. Although these guys no longer served directly under the emblem, but, as you know, there are no former special forces. They remained the best in any of the combat specialties, whether it was a sniper or a grenade launcher and many others.
November 5 acquired its “open” status only on October 12, 2000, when the Military Intelligence Day was established by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 490.

The bat once became the emblem of military intelligence - it makes little noise, but hears everything.

"Mouse" on the chevrons of the GRU special forces soldiers for a very long time, they say that the first here was 12 ObrSpN. For a long time, all this was unofficial, but with the end of the Soviet era, the view of the "separation of duties" in the armed forces has changed. In the elite military units, they began to introduce appropriate insignia, and approved the new official symbols of military intelligence.
In 1993, when the national military intelligence was preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its creation. For this anniversary, someone who is fond of heraldry from among the employees of the GRU1 decided to present a gift to his colleagues in the form of new symbols. This proposal was supported by the head of the GRU, Colonel-General F.I. Ladygin. By that time, as is known, the Airborne Forces, as well as the Russian contingent of peacekeeping forces in Transnistria, had already acquired their own officially approved sleeve insignia (the letters “MS” on a blue rectangular patch). We do not know whether the “heraldists-scouts” and their superiors knew about this or not, but they nevertheless circumvented the law. In the second half of October, the GRU prepared a draft report of the Chief of the General Staff addressed to the Minister of Defense with a description and drawings of two sleeve insignia: for military intelligence agencies and military special forces. October 22 F.I. Ladygin signed it "from the hand" of the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel General
M.P. Kolesnikov, and the next day the Minister of Defense, General of the Army P.S. Grachev approved the descriptions and drawings of sleeve insignia.
So the bat became a symbol of military intelligence and special forces units. The choice was far from random. The bat has always been considered one of the most mysterious and secretive creatures operating under the cover of darkness. Well, secrecy, as you know, is the key to a successful reconnaissance operation.

It is believed that the red carnation is “a symbol of perseverance, devotion, inflexibility and determination in achieving the set goals”, and the three-flame grenada is “the historical sign of the grenadiers, the most trained military personnel of the elite units

But starting from 1998, the bat began to be gradually supplanted by the new symbol of military intelligence, the red carnation, which was proposed by the famous heraldry artist Yu.V. Abaturov. The symbolism here is extremely clear: carnations were very often used by Soviet intelligence officers as an identification mark. Well, the number of petals on the new emblem of military intelligence is five types of intelligence (ground, air, sea, information, special), five continents on the globe, five senses that are extremely developed in a scout. Initially, she appears on the insignia "For Service in Military Intelligence". In 2000, it becomes an element of a large emblem and a new sleeve insignia of the GRU, and, finally, in 2005, it finally occupies a central place on all heraldic signs, including sleeve patches.
By the way, the innovation initially caused rather a negative reaction among the soldiers and officers of the special forces, but when it became clear that the reform did not mean the eradication of the “mouse”, the storm subsided. The introduction of the new official combined-arms emblem of military intelligence did not affect the popularity of the bat among the fighters of the GRU army units; even a superficial acquaintance with the culture of tattoos in the Special Forces troops is enough here. The bat, as one of the main elements of the symbolism of military intelligence, was established long before 1993 and will probably always remain so.

One way or another, the bat is an emblem that unites all active and retired scouts, it is a symbol of unity and exclusivity. And, in general, it does not matter who we are talking about - about a secret GRU agent somewhere in the army or a sniper from any of the special forces brigades. They all did and are doing one very important and responsible thing.
So, the bat is the main element of the symbolism of Russian military intelligence, even despite the appearance of the “carnation”, it does not give up its positions: this symbol today is not only on chevrons and flags, it has also become an element of soldier folklore.
It is noteworthy that even after the replacement of the "Bat" with the "Red Carnation", not only the special forces and the "pear" did not stop considering the "mice" as their symbol, but the "Bat" was preserved on the floor at the headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate, adjacent to the "Carnation", attached to the wall of the hall.

Today, the 2nd Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU GSh) is a powerful military organization, the exact composition and organizational structure of which, of course, are a military secret. The current headquarters of the GRU has been operating since November 5, 2006, the facility was commissioned just in time for the holiday, it is here that the most important intelligence information is now coming in, and from here the command of special forces military formations is carried out. The building was designed in accordance with the most modern technologies, not only construction, but also safety - only selected employees can enter many of the "compartments" of the Aquarium. Well, the entrance is decorated with a giant emblem of the military intelligence of the Russian Federation.

There is an opinion that the traditional symbol of Russian military intelligence is a bat. However, few people know when and under what circumstances these bats suddenly acquired such a status. From time immemorial, November 5 was celebrated as the annual holiday of military unit 45807, better known as the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. On this day, in 1918, by secret order The Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic No. 197/27 announced the staff of the Field Headquarters of the RVSR, within which the Registration Directorate was created, which was in charge of all issues of undercover intelligence. And although this staff was approved by the Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council E.M. Sklyansky, Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Republic I.I. Vatsetis and member of the Revolutionary Military Council K.Kh. Danishevsky four days earlier on November 1, and in order No. 1 on the Register dated November 8, 1918, it was said: “The Registration Office of the RVSR Field Headquarters is considered formed from November 1 of this year ...”, later the day of the annual holiday was exactly the 5th. November 5 acquired its “open” status only on October 12, 2000, when the Military Intelligence Day was established by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 490.

But let's go back to 1993, when the Russian military intelligence was preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its creation. For this anniversary, someone who is fond of heraldry from among the employees of the GRU1 decided to present a gift to his colleagues in the form of new symbols. This proposal was supported by the head of the GRU, Colonel-General F.I. Ladygin. By that time, as is known, the Airborne Forces2, as well as the Russian contingent of peacekeeping forces in Transnistria, had already acquired their own officially approved sleeve insignia (the letters “MS” on the blue rectangular patch) their bosses or not, but they, nevertheless, bypassed the law. In the second half of October, the GRU prepared a draft report of the Chief of the General Staff addressed to the Minister of Defense with a description and drawings of two sleeve insignia: for military intelligence agencies and military special forces. October 22 F.I. Ladygin signed it "from the hand" of the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel-General M.P. Kolesnikov, and the next day the Minister of Defense, General of the Army P.S. Grachev approved the descriptions and drawings of sleeve insignia.

So the bat became a symbol of military intelligence and special forces units. However, in the GRU, as well as the intelligence departments of the branches of the armed forces, districts and fleets, the sleeve badge approved for them, for obvious reasons, was never worn. But its numerous varieties quickly spread throughout the units and subunits of military, artillery and engineering reconnaissance, as well as anti-sabotage combat. Special forces and units also widely used various versions of sleeve insignia made based on the approved pattern. But starting in 1998, the bat began to be gradually replaced by the new symbol of military intelligence, the red carnation, which was proposed by the famous heraldry artist Yu.V. Abaturov. Initially, it appears on the breastplate "For service in military intelligence"5, in 2000 it becomes an element of the large emblem and the new sleeve insignia of the GRU6, and finally, in 2005, it finally occupies a central place on all heraldic badges, including sleeve patches.

It remains to add that the palm in the use of the image of a bat belongs to the air forces of Great Britain and the United States: for the first time, bats appeared on the emblems of British and American squadrons back in the First World War. In the early 1920s, they became widespread in the aviation of the US Navy and Marine Corps, and during the Second World War in the Royal Air Force of Canada and the Union of South Africa. The image of a bat is used on the emblem of the military intelligence of South Korea and the naval intelligence of Israel. As for "our" bat, it was borrowed and is still used on the sleeve insignia of the reconnaissance units of the armed forces of Ukraine (16, 26 and 54- th separate reconnaissance battalions, 1457th reconnaissance artillery regiment, 50th special training center, special forces units) and Belarus (113th separate reconnaissance battalion, reconnaissance units of the 103rd and 317th separate mobile brigades, 153rd separate radio engineering brigade , 12th and 83rd communication centers, special forces). At the same time, the sleeve insignia of the Belarusian mobile brigades are almost exactly the same as their Russian counterparts.

Where did the “bat” come from, which for many years served as the emblem of the military intelligence of the USSR and Russia, and, even after its official replacement with a “carnation with grenade”, did not leave the headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Russia?

Here are some hypotheses on this issue that are present on the Internet:

An investigation conducted by the Intermonitor.ru website: “We found a mention of the origin of the “Bat”, as a symbol of military intelligence, which has authorship, in an authoritative publication - the magazine “National Forecast”, published by ITAR-TASS Ural. For ITAR-TASS, in principle, it is typical to verify information - therefore, such a source deserves attention.

“The symbol of Russian military intelligence was invented by a journalist from Yekaterinburg. He claims that while serving in the special forces of the Northern Fleet in 1987, he drew the emblem for his group - a bat inscribed in a globe. She "protocolated" the overalls of all the fighters and commanders of the group. For the first time, the Severomorians publicly “lit up” the emblem in the summer of 1988 at the championship of special forces units in Pechory (now Estonian Petseri). The group then participated in the special forces championship for the first time, but performed successfully, and the emblem on the chest of the "fur seals" was remembered by the intelligence elite of the USSR. A few years later, the commander of the unit, Gennady Ivanovich Zakharov, already in the rank of rear admiral, with the "core" of his combat swimmers, went to serve in the security of President Yeltsin. And the bat, invented then for internal circulation, began to live its own life.

Due to the fact that the editorial office of Intermonitor is located in Yekaterinburg, it was possible to find eyewitnesses of this event and question them.

Former Severomorsk special forces (currently serving in a number of Russian special services), the information of the National Forecast was confirmed. According to the eyewitnesses we interviewed, that mouse was exactly like the illustration in our material, but the globe was not round, but oval. Parallels and meridians were present on it. The mouse itself was exactly the same. And yet - there was not a single letter. On overalls there was only an emblem and numbers - each fighter has his own number. For example, the number 1412 meant "141 reconnaissance groups, 2nd number."

Since the early 1990s, the GRU had an emblem in the form of a black bat spreading its wings over the globe, but in 2000 this emblem was replaced by another one - a red carnation, which was proposed by the famous heraldry artist Yu.V. Abaturov. Initially, it appears on the badge "For service in military intelligence", in 2000 it becomes an element of a large emblem and a new GRU sleeve insignia, and finally, in 2005, it finally takes center stage on all heraldic signs, including sleeve patches.

According to some media, this happened after a major scandal: “To streamline the riot of animals, birds and skulls that settled on the stripes of the military was beyond the power of even the department of military heraldry and symbols specially created in the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in 1994. At the moment, no one can say for sure how many types of sleeve patches exist in the Russian army.

The last straw that overflowed the patience of military commanders was the trick of one of the GRU special forces brigades. The commandos broke into the department of heraldry and demanded that another scorpion be approved as a symbol of the brigade. The response decision was tough: a single emblem was introduced for the entire GRU.

The situation with the commandos who burst into the heraldry department, of course, is more like a fairy tale, but, nevertheless, the special forces also got a new emblem with a carnation!

The elements of the GRU emblems symbolize:
three-flame grenada (the historical sign of the grenadiers - the most trained military personnel of the elite units of the Russian army, distinguished by high combat skills, training and the ability to perform complex combat and service tasks) - the continuation of the glorious military traditions of the Russian army;
a red carnation (a symbol of perseverance, devotion, inflexibility and determination in achieving the goals set) is the most important quality of the servicemen of the Directorate, formations and military units of special forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

It is noteworthy that even after the replacement of the "Bat" with the "Red Carnation", not only the special forces and the "pear" did not stop considering the "mice" as their symbol, but the "Bat" was preserved on the floor at the headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate, adjacent to the "Carnation", attached to the wall of the hall.

Here is such a story ... But on the Internet, there are also other eyewitness accounts who claim to have seen the emblem in the form of a bat much earlier than the 1988 event described above by Intermonitor.

Here are some of them:

In the spring of 1987, at the annual internship of officers-students of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, demonstrative classes were held, where two officers were already with a similar emblem. When working at a training place in the RU SF, this was seen by all the officers of the Directorate, including Vice Admiral Motsak.
Other eyewitnesses met an unofficial "mouse" in the early 80s ... And in Afghanistan in 1986-88. at the GRU special forces.
Those who served in the SPN GRU in 1987-89 saw some of their ensigns on their shoulders. But, not against the backdrop of the globe, but separately. And ensigns served from the beginning of the 80s, so the “mouse” was already then.
And here is the opinion of military intelligence officers of the Pacific Fleet:
“In 1993, the domestic military intelligence was preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its creation. For this anniversary, someone who is fond of heraldry from among the GRU employees decided to present a gift to his colleagues in the form of new symbols. This proposal was supported by the head of the GRU, Colonel-General F.I. Ladygin. By that time, as you know, the Airborne Forces, as well as the Russian contingent of peacekeeping forces in Transnistria, had already acquired their own, officially approved, sleeve insignia (the letters “MS” on a blue rectangular patch). In the second half of October, the GRU prepared a draft report of the Chief of the General Staff addressed to the Minister of Defense with a description and drawings of two sleeve insignia: for military intelligence agencies and military special forces. October 22 F.I. Ladygin signed it "from the hand" of the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel-General M.P. Kolesnikov, and the next day the Minister of Defense, General of the Army P.S. Grachev approved the descriptions and drawings of sleeve insignia for military personnel of military intelligence agencies and military special forces units. Both sleeve insignia depicted a bat. The bat must be gold on blue the globe(or against the background of the target of the special forces).

So, what is the question of when did the bat appear on the emblems of special forces and military intelligence? and who is its author? remains open...

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