The Russian fire service has a rich history dating back centuries. With the advent of the first settlements and the development of cities, fires broke out in them more and more often. Heavy damage was caused by fire tornadoes in Rus', where, since ancient times, mainly wooden buildings.
The formation of Russian statehood provided many examples of decisive actions to overcome social and economic barriers that stood in the way of history. Fires have been and remain a brake on economic development. In this regard, the central authorities of Russia were forced to take certain measures to protect against them. Even Grand Duke Ivan III, who at the head of the royal squad participated in extinguishing the fire of Moscow in 1472 and, despite severe burns, proved himself to be “very good,” immediately issued a decree on fire safety measures in the city. The heirs of Ivan III on the Russian throne were no less decisive. Tsar's decrees on severe punishment for those responsible for fires alternated with demands to use stone in construction, not to place houses close to each other, etc.
From there, they indicated that the crashed helicopter was one of two helicopters that the Air Force provided to the National Fire Service and fire safety V summer time. Both cars were delivered a month ago. Previously, helicopters were checked for technical failures and control flights were carried out.
According to experts, if the cause of the accident is not a malfunction of the machine, there are at least three possibilities for the accident: a thick smoke screen could obscure the terrain, and the pilots later saw the tip where the helicopter crashed later. Again, the thick smoke may have cut off engine power and the crew was unable to raise the vehicle. Third version - strong wind, preventing the maneuvering of helicopters.
Even in the difficult time of troubles, abundant in raids of invaders and internal strife, the fight against the fire disaster in Rus' did not stop.
The fires on Russian soil are not going away. Novgorod and Pskov, Moscow and Smolensk, Ryazan and Tver, Kostroma and Vladimir are burning... In 1212, fire in Novgorod turns 4,300 households into ashes, killing hundreds of people. The fire of 1354 practically destroys all of Moscow, including the Kremlin and posads, in two hours, and the firestorm of 1547 claims several thousand lives in the capital.
According to the head of the Regional Fire and Emergency Safety Service in Blagoevgrad, Colonel Chernozemsky, the military helicopter exploded due to high temperatures. Due to the extremely difficult terrain and emergency services, ambulances from Razlog cannot arrive at the scene. Civil protection teams, firefighters and employees forestry trying to move the medical team to provide first aid to the survivors.
The Chief of the Air Force General Staff, General Dimitar Georgiev, is now heading to the crash site. He said that there is no official version of the case yet, and the military will not comment until the investigative commission investigates the causes of the disaster, which the general has already ordered and is headed by his deputy, General Mladen Kazakov.
The most important transformations in the field of fire fighting took place during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov. In the “Cathedral Code”, developed in 1649, eight articles strictly regulated compliance with fire safety rules in cities and other villages, as well as in forests.
In April 1649, the royal “Order on City Deanery” was issued, establishing strict order when extinguishing fires in Moscow.
About the fire: a fire in Pirin National Park occurred yesterday around 00, the ministry reported Agriculture. Preliminary data covers 600 hectares of forest and bushland. The fire has been localized and more than 200 people are involved - forestry employees, firefighters, military personnel, civil protection employees, and the local population. Police are investigating the cause of the fire, adding Razlog to the investigation. Most likely, however, this was a deliberate arson, since the forest is illuminated to 3-4 places. It is possible that the fire is a reaction to the increased presence of forest workers in the Razlog area, who, according to experts, monitor forest security for an hour and a half around the clock, and have been challenged by the so-called “mafia tree”.
The historical value of the Order lies in the fact that it laid the foundations of professional fire department: a paid staff was created, constant duty was introduced in the form of a city bypass, the use of mechanized water pipes when extinguishing was provided, the bypass workers were given the right to punish city residents for violations of fire handling rules. The City Deanery's fire fighting service was introduced not only in Moscow, but also in other cities of Rus'. The improvement of fire protection services continued.
According to other versions, the cause of the fire may be negligence on the part of tourists or ongoing training activities in the same place in recent days. The fire parameter is extremely high. In addition to the mountainous terrain, there are also many dried trees that create another difficulty, said the mayor of Razlog, Lyuben Tatarsky.
Instead of the tragedy, there are Minister of Internal Affairs Georgy Petkanov, Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs General Boyko Borisov and Director of the National Gendarmerie Service. It is there that Minister of Defense Nikolai Svinarov is leaving. EARLIER: Fire burned thousands of decades of forest in Pirin near the town of Razlog.
Further development preventive measures Peter I gave instructions on fire prevention. It was during his reign that one of the first professional fire brigades was created, the first fire station was built at the Admiralty, fire pumps with leather hoses and copper fire hoses were purchased. And to this day one of Peter’s decrees remains relevant: “... and protect the wealth of the Russian state from fire...”.
Currently, firefighters and soldiers from all over the Blagoevgrad region are trying to contain the fiery element that has developed in the Betalovoto area. By the way, the leadership of the mayor of Razlog is deliberate and threatening to spread the slopes of the mountain. The fire happened last night.
Two civil protection helicopters in Sofia are involved in firefighting, in addition to hundreds of residents of the Razlog municipality and soldiers from the Bansko division who are trying to limit the spread throughout the night. After forest poachers devastated Betalovo, the fire was already over, said Lyuben Tatarsky, the mayor of Razlog.
During the reign of Alexander I in 1803, the first fire brigade was organized in St. Petersburg. By royal decree in 1804, a full-time fire brigade was created in Moscow.
Under Tsar Nicholas I, the systematic organization of fire brigades began in Russian Empire and the widespread construction of fire stations to house fire brigades. One of the attractions of Russian cities soon became a fire tower with a signal flagpole rising above it. For many decades, the tower was the highest point of the city, from where you could see not only the outskirts, but also nearby villages.
Yordan Yordanov leads a team of 15 people with powerful vehicles carrying 8 tons of water. The former director of the Regional Fire Department in Veliko Tarnovo, Yordan Yordanov, directed the personal fire service in the country, which operates the airport in the city of Gorna Oryahovitsa. The 59-year-old Home Office minister was a firefighter for 35 years, of which more than 20 years included being the biggest boss in the region. He was sent with honors and with the honorary badge “For Merit” of the third level to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Until now, the former commissioner refuses to say what kind of pressure he was subjected to, and who, however, jokes that we all understand disasters and accidents.
During the 19th century, fire-fighting equipment factories were opened in St. Petersburg and Moscow, where fire pumps, folding ladders were produced, and the first fire truck was manufactured.
Scientific and technical thought in Russia has always been distinguished by boldness of search, originality of solutions, and rapid implementation of ideas. Russia has become the birthplace of foam extinguishing. In Russia, one of the best designs hydrants and stands, the first manual foam fire extinguisher was developed and tested.
AND NOT ANY POLICE OR FIREWORKS, for a few months he did what he had done all his life. In addition, one of his sons is taking the steps, and now Svyatoslav Yordanov heads the fire department in Strazhitsa. The law does not prohibit the creation of a private fire department and does not say that this activity should simply be a state activity. The company is Sofia and won the competition. Thus, since December, the first private fire at the airport. The team provides air safety functions and the airport's 5-kilometer zone.
The problems of fighting fires received attention even after the revolution. They were placed at the level of the most important and priority tasks of the state. Already April 17, 1918 Russian government The decree “On the organization of state measures to combat fire” was signed. The first head of firefighters in the post-revolutionary period was Mark Timofeevich Elizarov, appointed Chief Commissioner for Insurance and Fire Fighting. In a relatively short time, he was able to lay the organizational foundations of the fire department and put the implementation of the measures defined by the decree on a practical footing.
Private fire Department has three fire extinguishing and one rescue. Unlike the state fire, the vehicles have a capacity of 8 tons of water as required by international aviation regulations. Every airport has a category that the fire department must meet, he said. THE AIRPORT YEAR ALWAYS PLAYS FIREWORKS, but by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This was announced by the government last year, but in practice the airport management is the same in the person of Peter Petrov, who knows whether this is the head of the future.
Having a government company as a partner also provides the necessary aviation expertise. Leo after four years will be able to make 70 thousand Leo. in year. It took almost a year for this idea to become a reality. The municipal council appointed a so-called preparatory committee, chaired by František Kutchan and its members, who drafted the statutes.
In 1920, the Central Fire Department was created as part of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, which was entrusted with the management of fire protection throughout the country.
On March 23, 1923, the First All-Russian fire conference, which was attended by professional firefighters from Russian cities, as well as delegations of firefighters from Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
After the adoption of the charters, the signing of members, both active and founders, as well as participants, followed. An active member must be at least eighteen years of moral conduct of sound body constitution, residing in or near the village. He had the vote and the right to vote. A participating member was someone who contributed a total of 10 kronkkers to the federal treasury each month. He had free access to the choir, could attend the general meeting, attend discussions, but without the right to vote or vote.
Finally, anyone can be a founding member once they add up 6 gold coins in the cash register. Late memberships were also registered. A total of 28 citizens participated in the founding assembly, of which 16 were active members and the remaining 12 contributed.
At the Conference, practical steps were outlined for the systematic development of fire protection. Particular attention was paid to preventive work at industrial and transport facilities, in rural areas, to the need to develop scientific work in the field fire equipment And fire prevention. The conference recognized the advisability of having workers in fire departments who specialize in the field of fire prevention.
First general meeting fire brigade in Hřimezdice took place in September. The charters were approved and new members were accepted. The committee's choice was made, and this was already the purchase of syringes. There was a wealth of educational work at the turn of the century. All lectures were provided by local school teachers as well as surrounding schools. After the creation of the municipal library, the library was transferred from the Federal Library. It is clear that the fire brigade also developed a very rich cultural and educational activity at this time.
First World War struck and paralyzed the entire life of the federal state. A number of members joined military service, many of whom pledged their lives in the war. The weakened corps went only to fires and did not develop any other activities. Continuous preparation, public performances and various county conventions were the work of the choir. It was also for educational and theatrical activities.
The first steps are being taken in organizing the training of fire specialists. In December 1924, the Leningrad Firefighting College opened with a three-year training period.
A unified system of State Fire Supervision was taking shape, which, together with professional city and public fire departments and volunteer fire brigades, was called upon to carry out both preventive and defensive measures to combat fire. Responsibility for the fire safety condition of factories, workshops, and warehouses rests with their managers. This government decision disciplined officials and contributed to the improvement of fire fighting.
The old officials left their positions and joined the younger ones. But they failed to give them a new direction. During this time, positive measures were taken, such as the introduction of standardization of hoses and fire dampers. This made it possible to transport water over long distances using multiple syringes.
This law was imposed on national protection committees fire protection. This law simultaneously concerned the payment of costs associated with the performance of the fire protection service from state resources. Therefore local trade unions fire service were relieved of serious concerns about equipment and facilities. The reorganization of firefighters began to contribute to a new direction of activity, namely prevention, i.e. fire prevention. Care has also been taken to improve the response to fires.
The production of domestic fire fighting equipment and weapons is being established, the first domestic fire trucks, mechanical ladders, smoke exhausters are being supplied to fire departments... At the end of 1927, the professional fire department of the country's cities already had about 400 domestic fire trucks in service. At the same time, the training of fire brigade personnel was improved, new ones were expanded and opened. educational establishments. The first graduation of fire specialists took place from the walls of the country's first Faculty of Fire Defense Engineers. For scientific research and organizations design developments In the field of fire protection, a fire testing laboratory was created in 1931, and since 1934 - the Central Research Fire Laboratory, which later became the All-Russian Research Institute of Fire Defense.
Competition should help improve professional level members, improving their physical fitness and discipline. Each year there were more candidates for the competition. Our local unity also showed interest in competition, but only in the third year, that is, the year.
After successfully completing the regional round and after winning the district round in Oborshisht, the men's team advanced to the regional round. In the overall winning competition, the men and the Regional National Committee President's Cup ensured the best relay. Successful preparation, dedication, strength and especially fight. In the nationwide round of the competition, held in July in Bratislava, the team members achieved a very good third place and won the bronze medal. Team leader Jiří Šindelář, clutch rider Zdenek Mesner, engineer Josef Lundak and relay members Josef Černý, Josef, Krejcik, Josef Vacek, Jiří Novak, Jan Januska and Josef Ržižicka.
In 1936, the government decided to significantly expand the functions and rights of the fire department in the field of state fire supervision. The Government Decree approved the Regulations on State Fire Supervision and created the Main Fire Department.
During the tense years of the Great Patriotic War, firefighters extinguished fires caused by enemy bombs and shells, helped evacuate people and equipment, and were among the last to leave abandoned cities. More than two thousand professional and volunteer firefighters gave their lives saving the beautiful city on the Neva from destruction by fire. On November 7, 1941, firefighters took part in a historical parade on Red Square, from where some went to the front, while others returned to putting out fires.
Instead, it was Frantisek Kocurek. twenty-sixth. Even in the following years, we achieved success in the “National Fire Fighting Competition”. In the regional round and in June at the airport in Gorzyn near Melnik, where the men turned out to be the second and senior students as the third. Even individuals at that time had successful representatives. And this is for Stana Jandova, who became the champion of the region and Josef Cerny's man, who took third place in the honor. Josef Szlastka, the youngest in the district, took first place.
At the national convention of the Czech Fire Protection Association, our choir was awarded the “Honorary Battalion” for many years of successful activity. Success in competitions has always been due to generous child labor for young people. Currently, Maria Yunkova is dedicated to working with children.
For the courage and heroism shown during the Great Patriotic War, thousands of soldiers and fire officers received military orders and medals. In 1941, the Russian Government expresses gratitude to Moscow firefighters for the courage and heroism shown in putting out fires during enemy raids on the city. In 1942, the Leningrad fire department was awarded the Order of Lenin. In 1947, the Moscow fire garrison was awarded the Order of Lenin.
Modern living conditions of society contribute to an increase in the number of fires and the size of the socio-economic consequences from them throughout the world. Every year, more than 5 million fires occur on the globe, from which several tens of thousands of people die and material assets worth tens of billions of monetary units are destroyed. Huge damage to nature is caused annually by forest and peat fires, as well as fires from emergency oil and gas fountains. Fires in the 20th century became a real disaster for humanity. This forces specialists to constantly look for new, more advanced means and methods of fighting fires.
Fire protection today is a complex system, which includes the fire extinguishing service and preventive apparatus of the State Fire Supervision, which performs the task of protecting the property and property of Russian citizens from fires.
Most often, firefighters have to solve tactical problems with the help of the duty guard - this is the main tactical unit in the combat work of firefighters. The guard is constantly ready to go to the fire. All guard personnel are given a very strict time limit for mustering alerts - forty to fifty seconds. During this time, firefighters must put on combat clothing, take their places on the vehicles, receive the address of the fire from the dispatcher, and go to the place of extinguishing.
To successfully extinguish a fire, you need water or foam, fire-extinguishing powder or inert gas, a smoke mask or heat-reflective suit, a ladder for rescuing people, a device for opening building structures in order to penetrate to the source of combustion. Dozens of devices, tools and various kinds of devices are required for a firefighter to successful fight with fire, smoke, sizzling heat, and he must always maintain high efficiency, speed, endurance, composure.
Saving people in a fire, providing them with quick assistance, protecting material property is the sacred duty of every firefighter.
In the process of increasingly widespread development of the latest achievements of science and technology, brought to life by the acceleration of scientific and technological progress, issues of their fire and explosion safety must also be resolved.
Fire prevention is one of the main areas of work of the fire department to ensure the life and health of people, preserve material assets. All work in the field of fire prevention is subordinated to the main goal - reducing the number of fires, reducing human casualties and reducing material damage from fire.
Fire prevention is considered as a system of state and public events carried out in our country to prevent fires, successfully extinguish them and create conditions that ensure the safety of people in the event of a fire and their evacuation.
In 2001, according to the Presidential Decree Russian Federation The State Fire Service became subordinate to the Ministry of the Russian Federation for civil defense, emergency situations and disaster relief.
Today, the State Fire Service (SFS) is a powerful operational service within the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, with qualified personnel, modern technology, which has developed scientific and educational bases. State Fire Service units annually make about two million trips, while saving more than 90 thousand people from death and injury in fires.
According to statistics, the majority of fires (72.4%) are registered in the residential and industrial sectors. The main reasons for their occurrence are careless handling of fire, including drunken citizens, violation of fire safety rules when operating electrical equipment and household appliances, violation of fire safety regulations and improper installation stove heating etc.
Scientific support on fire safety issues is provided by the All-Russian Research Institute of Fire Defense. Training of fire safety engineers is carried out at the Academy of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, the St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, the Ural and Ivanovo Institutes of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, the Voronezh Fire-Technical School of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.
Fires in Rus' have always been a terrible disaster. They caused immeasurable material damage to the state; thousands of people died in the fire every year. Villagers suffered especially, as they were completely defenseless against the fire elements. The fact that until the 15th century a fire was considered large only when several thousand households burned down indicates the scale of the consequences and the regularity of the fires that occurred. The chronicles did not even mention fires that destroyed 100-200 households.
Chronicles note that many Russian cities were repeatedly subjected to devastating fires. Cities burned out several times: Yuryev, Vladimir, Suzdal, Novgorod. Moscow burned completely in 1238, when the hordes of Batu Khan raged in Rus'. Historians note that there were devastating fires in Moscow in 1335 and 1337. The Moscow fire of 1356 destroyed almost the entire city, including the Kremlin and posads, in two hours.
With the growth of cities and the development of means of production, losses from fires became more and more significant. The need to create a nationwide system of measures aimed at preventing and extinguishing fires was increasingly felt. It was also necessary to change the population's attitude towards the problem of fire safety. During the formative period Russian statehood central government It was necessary to solve, along with many other problems, the problem of fires.
After the death of Yaroslav the Wise (1054), his three eldest sons - Izyaslav, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod entered into an alliance with each other for joint actions to solve political and military problems. One of the first mentions in the official codes of laws of measures to combat fires dates back to the time of the existence of this union. The sons of Yaroslav compiled the so-called “Pravda Yaroslavichs” - a document in accordance with which punishments for various crimes were determined. Article No. 32 of “Pravda Yaroslavichi”, in particular, talked about punishment for arson of the princely side.
After repeated invasions of Polovtsian hordes into Rus', half a century of fragmentation of the state, which disintegrated into feudal principalities, wars and upheavals, Vladimir Monomakh came to power in 1113. During the reign of Vladimir and his son Mstislav, Kyiv again became the center of a large state for several years. The laws establishing penalties for acts related to fires have been supplemented with several articles.
Under the Grand Duke of Moscow and “Sovereign of All Rus'” Ivan III (1440-1505), attention to the “fire” problem increased. For the first time in Russia, Ivan III gave legislative force to the fight against fires from domestic causes, recognizing them as the most common due to the complete carelessness of the population when handling fire. The Code of Law of 1497 established the most severe punishment for arson (the arsonist, along with other most dangerous criminals, should have been executed by “death penalty”).
The punitive measures applied to arsonists remained the same in subsequent sets of judicial laws. Both in the Code of Laws of Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) from 1550, and in the Code of Laws of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich from 1589, the punishment for arson remained just as severe: “do not give life, execute by death.”
For a long time, the fire prevention system relied solely on punitive measures. The first effective measures aimed directly at preventing fires began to be carried out only in the Moscow state. After the “All Saints” fire (1365), Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich decides to protect the city from enemies and from fires with a new fire-resistant building material- white stone. As a result of the construction, the length of the Kremlin wall reached 2 thousand meters by 1367. From that time on, Moscow began to be called “white stone”. However, the bulk of residential buildings on both sides of the Kremlin wall were still wooden, and fires continued to periodically devastate the capital.
In 1434, Grand Duke Vasily II ordered not only careful handling of fire, but also determined the conditions for using fire in the most dangerous crafts and in everyday life. When a fire did occur, and this happened in Rus', unfortunately, often, the main effective force in extinguishing fires, as many centuries before, remained the people armed with hooks, picks and buckets.
In 1493, the Moscow white-stone Kremlin burned twice due to the fire of numerous wooden buildings that came close to its walls. After these fires, the Grand Duke of Moscow and “Sovereign of All Rus'” Ivan III issued an order to demolish all houses, shops and other buildings located at a distance closer than one hundred and ten fathoms (about 235 meters) from the Kremlin walls. Subsequently, the Kremlin is surrounded by a deep ditch, through which water is released from nearby rivers. This ditch and the wasteland around the Kremlin wall performed both fire-fighting and defensive functions.
First fire regulations were published for the population in 1504. They prescribed: not to heat huts and baths in the summer unless absolutely necessary, not to keep fire in houses in the evenings (spears, lamps, candles); blacksmiths, potters, and gunsmiths should carry out their work away from buildings. It was forbidden to engage in glass production within the city, which was considered a very fire hazard, and smoking tobacco was strictly persecuted.
At the beginning of the 16th century. By decree of Ivan III, a fire guard was organized in Moscow. On the streets of the city, special outposts with lattice gates were installed, which were closed at night. There was a 24-hour watch at the outposts. Citizens from every ten households, headed by grid clerks, were recruited as watchmen. The duties of the watchmen were to ensure that “there was no fighting, robbery, inn and tobacco, no theft, so that thieves did not set fire anywhere, did not throw fire, did not steal from the yard or from the streets.” The service at the outposts was controlled by appointed officials from the nobility, the so-called “circumventive heads.” Also, to help the “rubbish heads”, tens, sotskys and thousanders were appointed from among the residents, who, in the event of a fire, rounded up the people to extinguish it. Those who refused to extinguish the fire were beaten with batogs and dragged to the fire by force.
In 1547, after a devastating fire in Moscow, Ivan IV (the Terrible) issued a decree prohibiting Muscovites from lighting stoves in their houses in the summer. To prevent anyone from breaking this law, wax seals were placed on the stoves. The same decree obligated Moscow residents to have vats of water on the roofs of their houses and in their courtyards. This allowed residents to quickly extinguish the fire on their own in the initial stages, without wasting time on delivering water from the nearest well.
In 1550, the Streltsy army was established in Russia. According to the royal decree, archers were required to attend fires and take part in extinguishing them. This was undoubtedly a step forward in preventing and extinguishing fires. Subject to strict military discipline, the archers could be organized much faster to extinguish a fire than the motley urban population, and they were more useful in extinguishing them. Russia became the first country in the world to use military units to fight fire.
It should be noted that most of the efforts made to combat fire in Russia have not had much of a positive effect. To change the approach to this issue, it was necessary to create a professional fire department. And these had to be not just organized people subject to strict discipline, but professionals well trained in fire extinguishing, united in special, permanent units - fire brigades. And it should be noted that attempts to organize such teams were made more than once in Moscow and St. Petersburg throughout the 16th-17th centuries.
In 1624, the first fire brigade was organized in Moscow at the Zemsky Dvor. It consisted of 100 people from the “yaryzhny” (lower-ranking police officers), who went over to the support of the state. By 1629, the number of this team was already 200 people, and in the summer an additional 100 people were hired. The team was equipped with barrels of water, water pipes, buckets, hooks, shields and other equipment allocated by the treasury. At the Zemsky Court, 20 horse-drawn cab drivers were constantly on duty, ready to deliver firefighters with their tools to the fire site at the first alarm. The Zemsky Prikaz, responsible for extinguishing fires, collected taxes from the population for the maintenance of the team.
Due to underdevelopment technical means extinguishing fires, one of the most important methods of fighting fire was preventing fires from occurring.
In 1649, two documents related to fire prevention measures were published. The first document, the “Cathedral Code,” introduced criminal liability not only for arson, as was the case before, but also for careless handling of fire, which resulted in significant losses. The law established special liability for theft of property during a fire. On April 30, 1649, the second document was issued - “Order on the City Deanery”, which basically repeated the previously adopted rules for handling fire in everyday life: it ordered all residents to have buckets and a supply of water in their houses, and to follow the rules for using stoves. Along with this, the Order for the first time established responsibility officials for compliance with fire safety rules (since 1999, April 30 is celebrated as the professional holiday of firefighters “Fire Protection Day”).
After the abolition of the Streltsy army in 1698 and the creation of regular regiments, troops were still involved in putting out fires. However, along with the troops to supervise fire safety condition The urban population was also involved in extinguishing emerging fires.
The beginning of the 18th century was characterized for Russia by an upsurge in all areas of state building, rapprochement with advanced powers, and an active desire to participate in the process of “big European politics.” In this situation, it was no longer possible to tolerate the powerlessness of the authorities and people in the face of the inevitable emergence of big fires, which, like many centuries ago, continued to rage almost unhindered throughout Russia.
Peter I made a great contribution to the development of fire fighting. He understood perfectly well that the government was obliged to take care of the fire protection system and eliminate the causes of fires, so he paid special attention to the development of fire prevention measures. During his reign, new fire safety rules were introduced, borrowed from Holland. In 1701, a decree was issued in which it was ordered that in all Russian cities “not to build wooden buildings at all, but to build stone houses or, at least, mud huts, and not to build among courtyards, as happened in the old days, but linearly along the streets and alleys." Gradually, stone construction became mandatory. Failure to comply with fire safety requirements entailed punishment and penalties. For violation of fire safety rules in Moscow and St. Petersburg, since 1722, the following fines were established: “From noble people 16 altyn and 4 money, from non-noble people - half as much.”
Construction in St. Petersburg wooden houses was prohibited since 1712. In addition to stone ones, only adobe houses were allowed to be built. The buildings were ordered to be erected in one row, and the distance between buildings had to be at least 13 m. To avoid fires, all wooden buildings near important and fire-hazardous objects were demolished.
Fire safety requirements in construction have been constantly updated. In 1736, standards for the construction of fire walls (firewalls) were introduced; decrees were issued aimed at protecting forests from fires, as well as regulations! relating to construction in villages and villages.
After the death of Peter I, attention to fire prevention issues weakened. Individual decrees and resolutions adopted during this period only duplicated regulations, developed under Peter. At the same time, more and more attention is being paid to the formation of fire extinguishing forces and means.
In 1722, a specialized fire brigade of workers was created at the Admiralty in St. Petersburg. In 1741, fire brigades were organized to guard the Winter Palace and summer residences in Tsarskoe Selo.
In 1763, in St. Petersburg and Moscow, “fire offices” were established as part of the police, and a staff of ranks for fire equipment was also determined. However| As before, the untrained urban population was recruited to extinguish fires as part of fire service. Mandatory fire watches distracted from main activities, so the townspeople assigned to duty avoided the burdensome duty as best they could.
In 1798-1799 “fire offices” are renamed “fire expeditions”. However, this did not in any way affect the improvement of the firefighting organization. There is a need to radically change the approach to solving the issue of fighting fires. It was necessary to abolish the fire service of the urban population, which did not meet the tasks assigned to it, and begin to organize a truly professional fire service. The turning point in resolving this pressing issue was early XIX century.
By the Manifesto of September 8, 1802, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was created in Russia. The Ministry included “deanery councils”, which were led by chief police officers who headed the police in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Similar councils were organized in provincial cities. The task of the boards included centralized management of fire protection in cities, and they can be considered the prototype of today's fire departments in the country.
On November 29, 1802, the Decree of Alexander I “On the establishment of a special fire brigade under the police” was issued: “To relieve the inhabitants of the local Capital from the supply of fire workers in kind, I ordered the establishment of a special team under the Police to correct this duty, as well as to maintain the night watch, consisting of 1,602 people, consisting of soldiers incapable of front-line service...”
Almost immediately after this fire brigade began working, by the Decree of Alexander I of June 24, 1803, the population of the capital was exempted from fire duties: providing night watchmen, maintaining fire workers, and street lighting. From now on, the maintenance of fire brigades was completely borne by the state.
On May 31, 1804, a similar fire brigade was created in Moscow, and later in other cities of Russia.
The appearance in Russia in the middle of the 19th century can be considered a new page in the matter of preventing and fighting fires. volunteer fire brigades, which were organized by the residents of cities and other villages themselves. The need for volunteer teams arose due to the fact that professional firefighters were not able to fully control the situation with fires in the state. Volunteer firefighters did not need to be encouraged to handle the fire with care. They themselves stood guard over the property and lives of their loved ones and were the best promoters of fire safety measures.
In 1893, the United Russian Firefighting Society began its work (since 1898, the Imperial Russian Firefighting Society), which united around itself almost all volunteer fire forces in the country.
After the October Revolution of 1917, on the recommendation of the Council of the All-Russian Fire Society, the All-Russian Council National economy(VSNKh) formed a commission that sent to the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) a “Project for the reorganization of firefighting in Russia.” This document became the basis for the decree “On the organization of state measures to combat fire” adopted by the Council of People's Commissars on April 17, 1918, which marked the beginning of the creation of a fire safety system in Russia.
To protect the heritage of the Republic from fires, to guide, unite and develop measures to combat fire, the Fire Council was established. The Council included 23 people from various commissariats, which made it possible to quickly resolve organizational issues.
Despite the acute shortage of equipment, firefighters heroically fought the fire, saving people and property. For courage and dedication, the fire brigades of Borisoglebsk, Krasnodar and Moscow in 1923-1925. were awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the highest government award of that time.
The approval in July 1924 of the “Charter of Voluntary Fire Organizations” allowed legal basis expand the construction of volunteer fire brigades.
On July 10, 1934, by decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, the NKVD of the USSR was formed. It included the newly created Main Fire Department (GUPO).
An important step in the development of fire prevention was the adoption on April 7, 1936 of the “Regulations on State Fire Supervision.” In prevention work, the emphasis was on community involvement. In workshops, enterprises, and in the residential sector, special cells are created to prevent and combat fires.
In 1940, the “Combat Regulations of the Fire Department”, “Charter of the Internal Service” and a number of other documents regulating the activities of the fire department were put into effect. At the end of 1940, the GUPO organized training for the population in fire safety rules, techniques and tactics for combating incendiary bombs.
On the eve of the Great Patriotic War, the country's fire department was an organized force. It was centrally provided with personnel, necessary equipment. All combat and preventive work was based on uniform regulations and instructions.
During the Great Patriotic War, fire departments and fire brigades of the NKVD entered the system of local air defense (LAD), but were quickly subordinated to the GUPO. When extinguishing fires arising from air strikes, they acted independently. It was the paramilitary and professional fire brigades of the NKVD. Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad, Smolensk, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Tula, Voronezh, Astrakhan, Tuapse, Rostov-on-Don, Yaroslavl and other cities located in the zone of action of enemy aircraft took on the brunt of extinguishing fires that arose as a result of barbaric bombings .
In 1956, the fire department was reorganized in major cities of the country. The functions of preventing and extinguishing fires were combined in one unit.
In 1956, international cooperation in the field of fire protection intensified noticeably. Fire department delegations from Bulgaria and Hungary visited the USSR. A delegation of Soviet firefighters visited Czechoslovakia. In September 1957, an international congress was held in Warsaw under the auspices of the Technical Committee for the Prevention and Extinguishing of Fires (CTIF), in which Soviet firefighters took part as observers. A year later, at the next congress, the Soviet fire department was presented as a full member of CTIF.
The work of advanced volunteer fire brigades over these years has shown that these units successfully protect not only rural settlements, but also cities. The development of volunteerism was hampered by fragmentation and the lack of unified leadership. On July 14, 1960, by resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR No. 1074, the All-Russian Voluntary Firefighting Society (VDPO) was organized. With the creation of the VDPO, these problems were resolved.
1966 marked new stage development and strengthening of fire protection. With the re-creation of the Union-Republican Ministry of Public Order, centralized fire protection management was restored. Professional fire protection of cities, other populated areas and facility fire departments were transferred to the Ministry’s system.
A big and responsible task faced the fire department during the preparation and holding of the XXII Olympic Games in Moscow. As a result of preventive measures taken by the fire department in places associated with the Olympics-80 and the cultural program, fires were avoided.
On the night of April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the fourth block of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The firefighters who arrived at the alarm fulfilled their duty to the end. There were 28 of them - the first to take on the heat of the flame and the deadly breath of the reactor: Vladimir Pravik, Viktor Kibenok, Leonid Telyatnikov, Nikolay Vashuk, Vasily Ignatenko, Vladimir Tishura, Nikolay Tytenok, Boris Alishaev, Ivan Butrimenko, Mikhail Golovnenko, Anatoly Zakharov, Stepan Komar, Andrey Korol, Mikhail Krysko, Victor Legun, Sergey Legun, Anatoly Naydyuk, Nikolay Nechiporenko, Vladimir Palagecha, Alexander Petrovsky, Petr Pivovar, Andrey Polovinkin, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Prishchepa, Vladimir Ivanovich Prishchepa, Nikolay Rudenyuk, Grigory Khmel, Ivan Shavrey, Leonid Chavreuil. For courage, heroism and selfless actions shown during the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the title of Hero Soviet Union assigned to internal service lieutenants V.N. Kmbenku and V.P. Pravik (posthumously), Major of the Internal Service L.P. Telyatnikov was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner to senior sergeants of the internal service V.I. Ignatenko and N.I. Titenok, internal service sergeants N.V. Vashchuk and V.I. Tishchura. 473 fire department workers who were directly involved in eliminating the fire and its consequences at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were also awarded state awards.
On December 21, 1994, the Federal Law “On Fire Safety” was signed. The problem of fire safety is no longer just a problem for the fire service. According to the Law, ensuring fire safety is one of the essential functions states. The Law comprehensively addresses issues of ensuring fire safety; the status of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (since 2002, the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia) was determined as the main type of fire protection; the powers of government bodies, enterprises, officials, and citizens are determined.
The history of firefighting in Russia is filled with exploits, glorious deeds, enthusiasm and outwardly invisible work of more than one generation of firefighters. Many cities and towns remember their heroes. You can learn about the development of the fire department in your city (region) by visiting local fire departments and from conversations with fire department veterans.
