Undoubtedly, the information that appeared earlier in Russian newspapers that the former head of the Ministry of Defense Serdyukov is the Hero of Russia shocked many. How could an official who was accused of negligence and misappropriation of state money be able to receive such a high award? Until now, attempts have been made to unravel the secret of why Anatoly Eduardovich did not suffer the deserved punishment for the corruption scandal to which he appeared. And even more so, the fact that Serdyukov is the Hero of Russia is shrouded in a halo of mystery. Is it really true? Let's consider this question in more detail.
The initiative of the president or not?
The sharks of the pen, thoroughly studying the question of why Serdyukov was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, reported that the official received the award at a time when President Dmitry Medvedev would soon have to resign. According to journalists, this happened in March 2012.
Then the above state award was received by the ex-head of the General Staff Nikolai Makarov.
What merits
Many were interested in the question of why Serdyukov suddenly received the title of Hero of Russia. The media managed to find out the reasons: they say the ex-defense minister was able to fully modernize and reform the country's armed forces. It should be noted that most of the innovations of Anatoly Eduardovich was subsequently canceled. But only small articles were published in the press that the title of Hero of Russia was awarded to Nikolai Makarov.
At the same time, the experts had no doubt that the fact of the rewarding of the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff was not a secret for the officers of the military department.
Under the heading "secret"
However, the fact that Serdyukov is the Hero of Russia, they tried not to advertise anywhere.
“This document on assignment, which was signed by the then head of state, had the status of“ confidential ”. The award Makarov and Serdyukov received indoors, where they did not invite journalists and members of the public. However, a certain part of the people in epaulettes knew that Anatoly Eduardovich was awarded a high state award, ”said Major General of the Reserve Vladimir Bogatyrev, head of the association of associations of reserve officers of the Megapir armed forces.
"The noise was raised by veterans"
The fact that Serdyukov is a Hero of Russia, first of all, was not liked by the participants of veteran societies.
It was they who paid attention to this first. In particular, the head of the Union of Paratroopers Valery Vostrotin reacted to the situation as follows: “I was completely perplexed, looking at how they were setting up the head of the Russian state, discrediting the title of Hero of Russia, which today is heard right and left. Anatoly Serdyukov - Hero of Russia? Who would have thought!"
A way to mitigate responsibility?
Some experts are inclined to think that the above state award can help in mitigating the punishment for the ex-minister of the military, if he is found guilty of negligence and corruption. According to the current legislation, honorary titles are one of the extenuating circumstances when considering criminal cases.
Kremlin reaction
It should be emphasized that on the sidelines of the Kremlin refute the fact that Serdyukov was assigned the Hero of Russia.
Representatives of the presidential administration hastened to declare: "This information is not true." Medvedev’s spokeswoman, Natalya Timakova, also said that Anatoly Serdyukov was not awarded a state award.
Military response
Representatives of the Ministry of Defense adhered to the same position as in the Kremlin. At the same time, the military stated that "this cannot be by definition," since the "controversial" contribution of the ex-minister to the reform of the Armed Forces is no longer a secret. But about Anatoly Eduardovich Nikolai Makarov’s colleague, people in uniform said that he really was awarded a prize (Golden Star of the Hero) on the initiative of the president for the competent leadership of the troops during the 2008 Russian-Georgian conflict.
At the same time, some media outlets put forward this version of what was happening: they say that the rumor that Minister Serdyukov was awarded the title of Hero was specifically launched with the goal of “denigrating” it in the eyes of others. According to another point of view, information about the rewarding of Anatoly Eduardovich was released by those who feared legal gaps with which the minister could count on an amnesty.
He does not consider the truth that Serdyukov is a Hero of Russia, and his lawyer, Konstantin Rivkin.
As you know, the ex-minister of the Ministry of War in the fall of 2013 became a participant in a criminal case initiated by investigators on the improvement of the Zhitnoye recreation center. The financing of this project was carried out illegally: funds were spent from the state treasury. The owner of the sanatorium was Anatoly Eduardovich's son-in-law - Valery Puzikov. At the end of 2013, the investigation of the incident came to an end, and Serdyukov began a detailed review of the case file. The sharks of the pen vied wrote that the former official could soon be amnestied in connection with the anniversary: the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution.
Honorary Award
“Hero of Russia” refers to the category of state awards, which are awarded to those who have merits to the people and the state, and they are associated with the commission of a heroic act. A man receives the Golden Star medal. Today, more than a thousand people in Russia own the state award, and half of them received it posthumously.