Photos from Afghanistan. That do not forgotten

Indian quarter of Kabul



There was a quarter of Kabul, now, to my knowledge, been destroyed. There are mainly living people from India, engaged in trade. At the crossroads fervor post number 5 VAI, which can be compared with the service of the military police. Task was to monitor the Soviet military machine.
Several times at this intersection and head of the patrol stood up I am. Even a conflict with the traders. Their business has been focused on the Soviet officers: vodka, blue jeans, CDs, tapes with music. But my task was to avoid giving the Soviet truck stop in this place.
If I had served faithfully - the traders were not selling the goods. To persuade me - offered baksheesh, small gifts. I refused. Then they complain anonymously to me in the military commandant's office, that my soldiers are selling the cartridges.
In order not to bring the matter to escalate the conflict, in this post I will not put ...




I served there for two years, an officer. Senior lieutenant of the 4th Company 317 th Parachute Regiment. 1984-1986 year. I had a camera "Zenit". Done a lot of photos. Many had not even printed on paper.
Many fotograffii require explanation. Where, when and why ...
But with this picture and I'll start. Try not to be lazy and put a few hundred photos with explanations.

So ...

This Hairaton. On the other side - Termez, USSR. We came back from Kabul for food, mines, barbed wire. Day went to the desert. catch lizards, shooting at rocks. There I found a bronze kettle. thought that there hides gin. He rubbed his - gin does not appear.

Clothes for me - for desantnokov scrim. in the heat - just wonderful.

Text and photos will be added to this post, the link - right, as well as individually, every day.


Continuing the theme of the quarter of Indians in Kabul


One of the photos, with a striped cane - I. Very interestingly named stores. Some of them, in Russian letters. "Sergei's Shop." Another - "Mishin store." That's what marketing-oriented audience.




Memoris day, when I first took over the post. I ran to the boy about ten years old. He said:
- Commander, what is?
- What do you want?
- Gasoline is? Condensed milk is? Cigarettes are?
- No.
- Commander, what do you want?
- Nothing.
- If Mike sells 10 bottles of vodka - Eleventh yours.

After a while came another boy, also an Indian.
- What you promised, Misha? Serge, if you sell 8 bottles of vodka, the ninth will give you.




In my hands was whether to allow to stay in the post Soviet machines. And built the conversation - the car stopped, I was approached by an officer and sparshival:
- You can go buy a bottle of vodka?
On that day, to encourage competition, I in turn sent them to different shops, Misha and Sergei.




Sixth checkpoint, south of Kabul

This outpost, 30 kilometers south of Kabul. Then begins the valley, where the now-famous copper deposit in Aynak. Been explored, it was still the Soviet geologists. now bought by China. There's copper ore is richer than in Chile.
And in this photo I'm sitting on a box and read the journal Soviet "Banner." Took him to the regimental library, where printed next adventure Stirlitz Soviet spy. Author - Julian Semyonov. In the famous movie "Seventeen Moments of Spring" Stirlitz spring 1945, at Hitler's headquarters comes into competition with Bormann and Schellenberg. In this journal, which I read, the action takes place after the Second World War. in Spain.

Box. on which I sit in the holes of bullets. It's not on. that I shot. we just practiced shooting with a gun. Then got tired and I went to read a magazine.

The turtles have sex?



This spepnye turtles. Caught them outside the city, on the road at Pul-i-Khumri. I was interested (I'm on the right), as they have sex? Then we made out of turtle soup. Not what is wanted. Just for fun.

I did not have soup. Did not like the smell. I do not like unusual foods.


I am 24 years




This picture was taken in autumn 1984. It was last year when it carried an uncomfortable form - jackets and caps. The picture was taken on the tower, which stood in the garden near the presidential palace. On the tower has been a watch that did not work. Our regiment guarded the palace, was then horzyainom Babrak Karmal. In autumn and winter, the air was clear, the mountains on the horizon seems to pass Paghman.


Immunization against diseases



In this picture - the soldiers of our company vaccinations. At the entrance to the dining room, each suited to a doctor who makes the shot. Hurt quite a lot. In the background, the two officers, one of them ill with anthrax ppozzhe, the other - typhoid fever. More common are hepatitis and dysentery. Met, and cholera.

At that time I belonged to vaccination lightly. Before arriving in Afghanistan in Tashkent, to all officers vaccinated against various diseases. I then thought. that vaccines weaken the strength of will, and they do not need. I have them and did not. At the transit point in tashkenze pay 3 rubles, and in my passport stamped "Vaccinations are made."

The fact that 2 years of service in Kabul, and nothing I did not get sick - just a coincidence. Maybe not.