An elephant in the Russian army is not necessarily called a huge and, of course, not a gray soldier. Contrary to all kinds of associations, the “elephant” in the army is a kind of title in the informal hierarchy of military personnel.
Hierarchy in the army
There are several levels in the army that servicemen go through from the moment they are called up until they return home. This is a tradition in the military environment. In the process of moving along these steps, all soldiers receive army nicknames, nicknames. In army slang, five ranks are most often found: spirit, elephant, skull, grandfather, and demobilization.
Sometimes the concept of "smell" is used, which characterizes the draftee before the oath. The oath can be called a ritual, after passing through which a young man begins to occupy a certain place in the midst of army relations.
Spirit
Spirits are called recruits. These are young guys who took the oath and served in the army for less than a hundred days. They have not yet fit into the team, so they are tested for strength by more experienced colleagues. The duties of spirits include mainly cleaning, which is reluctant to perform. Spirits are just beginning to comprehend the basics of military service and do not have authority among the holders of the other missions. The abbreviation "SPIRIT" means "I want to go home terribly, " which is not surprising, since being spirits, soldiers will inevitably adapt to life under command.
Elephant
The soldier receives the nickname of the elephant after one hundred days of service. "ELEPHANT" is a "soldier who loves awesome loads." Not just sports. “Awesome” loads include chores that require stamina and strength. For example, digging holes and cleaning the area from snow. Of course, there is no question of love for such activities. It is understood that the responsibility for physical labor rests with elephants, because it has historically developed. The elephants still have a lot to do, but they have already passed the beginning of the journey. The dream of demobilization helps them gain strength for further service.
Skull (scoop)
Skulls in the army are also often called scoops. In the decoding “CHERPAK” - “a man daily destroying the peace of the army barracks”. Soldiers receive this title after two hundred days from the time of the draft. Sometimes this step is skipped due to reduced life. To be a skull is much better than an elephant, and, of course, many times more pleasant than a spirit. Skulls gain more freedom in the collective and are not rewarded with responsibilities within the hierarchy. Skulls make sure that elephants and spirits do not relax in the process of service, perform their work efficiently. The skull is not yet the highest link in the inconsistent hierarchy of ranks, and grandfather is above it.
Grandfather
Grandfathers with one foot are already in civilian life, so they are sovereign masters of the structure of internal army relations. Army men become grandfathers after three hundred days of service. Having seen everything and everyone, these are the most experienced and privileged guys who obey the skulls, and elephants, and spirits. Grandfathers should not touch objects that are designed for cleaning. This is considered somewhat absurd, because cleaning lies on the shoulders of spirits. All the lower-ranking soldiers in the hierarchy want to become grandfathers, but, of course, not as much as demobilization.
Dembel
To become a demobilization means to fall under the order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to be dismissed and feel the approach of freedom. Dembel needs to be responsible for completing the service and not face the dirt. Everyone wants to become a demobilization in the army, because he will soon be home, where he will be affectionately called by name, where he has been loved and has been waiting for a whole year.
Why not worry about this hierarchy
Hazing (in the bad sense of the word) in the army ceased to be relevant when the term of service in the army was reduced to a year, this happened in 2008. Of course, there are exceptions, but in most cases in the army a soldier simply goes the way from an inept young man to a strong man, and it becomes easy to become one: you need to be in the spirit, and an elephant, and a scoop, and a grandfather and demobilization. It is important to understand that the nickname in the army determines the life of a soldier, not his identity. The missed title does not put a mark of shame on a person and does not hang a winner’s medal on him. The hierarchy in the army is a ladder, walking along which a soldier goes through an irreplaceable school of life.
A soldier, being an elephant, needs to perceive physical labor as an opportunity to acquire skills that are important for a man, an occasion to develop muscles and endurance. Any stage in the army is temporary, any difficulties have their end. In the absence of the usual comfort for social life, it is not easy to control your psychological state, and with the help of physical labor you can splash out emotional aggression without harm to others. If you learn to see in the hardships and limitations of a soldier's life opportunities, not problems, you can achieve excellent results not only in the army, but also in civilian life.
Symbolism of the elephant
The elephant as an animal has been used since ancient times as a cargo transport and, of course, an important combat unit of any army. Therefore, a soldier with the title of an elephant is experiencing serious physical exertion. The perception of an elephant as an animal and the status of a soldier as an “elephant” are interdependent and in many ways opposite. The elephant is a large and noticeable animal, and in the army elephants are far from the most reputable army men. Even the trunk in the army is called the nose of a soldier with a short period of service. It turns out that the presence of a trunk (length expression) is opposed to the service life of its owner. It is symbolic that the next step in the inconsistent hierarchy is the skull (not even a nose). While the soldier is in the status of an elephant, his service is called a little elephant.
