Around this topic, there are a huge number of the most controversial myths and legends. The protection of the first persons of the state existed at all times and it included the best warriors of the squad. Such a service has always been considered honorable and often had a ceremonial character, when fighters in colorful uniforms rather determined the status of the monarch. Currently, the functions of protection and protocol are clearly delineated, and each of them has its own field of activity.
The president's security service is usually presented in the form of strong guys accompanying him everywhere, as well as in the form of motorcades. In fact, this is only the visible and not the most significant part of the work of this structure. The protection of the first person of the state is a set of measures that are constantly carried out by special organizations of the state.
Security services of the first persons of the state in different countries
In our country, ensuring the security of the President is entrusted to a special unit formed as part of the FSO. The Federal Security Service was formed on July 19, 1991 by a special decree of the head of state. During its existence, several attempts on the life of the President were prevented both within the country and during foreign trips.
In the United States of America, the Secret Service, founded on April 14, 1865, performs similar tasks. Its functions are as follows:
- protection of the first persons and members of their families;
- prevention of counterfeiting of American currency and other valuable papers and documents;
- investigation of certain types of crimes.
- The work of this unit is aimed at identifying potential threats to the facility and suppressing them at the preparation stage.
- Development of plans to eliminate the danger for the first person and transfer them for execution to other units.
- Direct round-the-clock physical protection of the President during trips, at work and at the place of his stay.
The Secret Service currently has 4,400 employees and a budget of $1.2 billion. The tasks of this division have been expanded, including in the field of combating cybercrime, ensuring law and order during mass events.
The protection of the August family in England is carried out by the Royal Guard, one of the most privileged parts of the British Army. This unit is nicknamed bearskins for some of the details of their dress uniform in the form of high fur hats. They carry out guard duty at the residence of the monarch and accompany trips, perform ceremonial functions. There is a similar bodyguard for the Pontiff; the Infantry Cohort of the Swiss of the Holy Guard of the Pope is stationed in the Vatican.
General principles of organization of protection
Ensuring the security of presidents in each of the countries has certain features. However, general principles their security organizations are almost the same:
Ensuring security in the open space of the head of state is based on the principle of concentric circles. At a long distance, the situation is controlled by snipers located on dominant points. Their task is to suppress the possibility of shelling from the maximum range of destruction. When an object is threatened, they have the right to open fire in order to suppress aggressive actions.
The middle circle consists of employees who are in the crowd and constantly monitor the situation. Their task is to prevent the terrorists from breaking through to the protected person. Such agents do not stand out from the crowd in any way and in most cases they do not attract the attention of others and control the situation in the selected sector.
In sight there are only security officers - bodyguards of the inner circle the main task which is to identify the threat at the right time and stop it. In the hands and they have folding protective screens that instantly open and cover the sectors of fire. The selection of employees in the inner circle is carried out with great care. IN last resort, they should not hesitate to cover the President with their body.
The structure of the security service
Ensuring the protection of the first person involves the constant implementation of a set of measures. This is done not only directly by the Security Service of the President, but also by other structures of the FSO, FSB, SVR, FSK and other units. All information related to the security of the head of state flows to the analytical department. Its employees identify any potential threats and inform the management of the service.
On the basis of the received data, countermeasure operations are planned. Other divisions are directly involved in the detention of perpetrators, and when traveling abroad and law enforcement receiving side. This prevented an assassination attempt on Russian President in Turkey.
Specialization of security personnelIn addition to the direct bodyguards of the near, middle and far circles, there are other agents in the unit. Much attention is paid to the training of drivers from the special purpose garage (GON). These are real professionals capable of driving multi-ton armored vehicles at high speeds. Drivers train daily in the ability to evade pursuit or perform other extreme driving techniques.
The President's security service also has employees of technical services who constantly scan the air in all ranges. They provide a stable connection between structural units and individual employees. Specialists also check food and water for the presence of poisons, as well as radiation dangerous to humans. The Security Service of the President has every opportunity to prevent an assassination attempt and other aggressive manifestations.
Our PSC tries to approach the performance of its duties with the same responsibility, whether office security, restaurants or any other facilities.
Federal Security Service Russian Federation(FSO) is a complex and highly classified structure. It differs radically from the 9th Directorate of the KGB. These differences are not only in the increased number of the Service, but also in the creation of new structures. If earlier 9 the management, when performing operational and other tasks necessary for protection, turned to neighboring departments and services of the State Security Service, today the FSO is a self-sufficient structure that has all the necessary units to perform tasks of any complexity.
But this does not mean that the FSO does not interact with the FSB, the VGO of the internal troops and other law enforcement agencies. Today, the FSO consists of several departments, each of which has its own departments and departments of combat use, operational, technical, material, and others. The organizational staff of the FSO includes the Presidential Regiment, which performs the tasks of guard duty and protection of the Kremlin; Special Purpose Communications Unit of the FSO of Russia, Directorate for Special Communications and Information of the FSO of Russia in federal districts, centers for special communication and information of the Federal Security Service of Russia, Directorate of Special Purpose, Directorate for Planning and Organization of Special Events SPEC, Garage for Special Purpose, Educational, research and other organizations subordinate to the Federal Security Service of Russia that provide activities federal bodies state protection. And of course, the SBP - the security service of the President and ULO - the Office of Personal Protection.
Let's make a reservation right away that the SBP and ULO are two completely different units. Yes, they have a common goal - to ensure the protection and protection of the President and the first persons of the state. But they are completely different in structure, internal tasks and the way they are carried out.
By and large, the SBP (we will talk more about the SBP in the next issues of the magazine.) Is one of the most well-established, along with the SVR and the FSB, the subject of operational-search activity. But unlike its "brothers" SBP is focused on a completely different "target audience". Their activities affect processes both within the country and outside of Russia. And the main task is to prevent the violent overthrow of power, attempts to change the constitutional order, etc. Do you remember how Emperor Paul was killed (not with his own hands, of course) by his son Alexander I and changed the entire foreign policy of the state? Then, from the closest ally of France, with which plans were even made to seize the English colonies in India, Russia became the main opponent of Napoleon and entered the war with him. The defeat of the Russian army and the armies of the allies at Austerlitz - went down in history. But the work of English special agents surrounded by Alexander I was hushed up until the overthrow of the last Romanov. IN modern Russia it is almost impossible for this to happen. The SBP is in charge of all the financial flows of the President's inner circle, all negotiations and meetings. And technical means, used in such work, the layman could call super fantastic.
However, of course, the closest to the body is the Office of Personal Protection, the successor 18th branch of the 1st department of the 9th KGB security department. Its tasks include not only the protection of the head of state, but also his inner circle, relatives, people holding the highest positions in the country, and, of course, they also protect the first persons of foreign powers who are visiting Russia.
“Excellent physical form and a high level of intelligence and education,” says ULO officer Denis Govorin, “one of the most important criteria for selecting employees. It is not necessary that the ULO employee must graduate from the relevant educational institution FSO. We select people from other, completely different power departments and structures. They are being retrained here. But this selection includes, in addition to the above-mentioned qualities - moral and psychological ... no, not a state, but an attitude towards the implementation of upcoming tasks.
According to the officers of the ULO FSO, knowledge of psychology in their work is the foundation without which not a single task can be completed.
“There is such a concept in our department as “rejection,” Denis continues. - It means the refusal of the protected person from the bodyguard. There is one such case every year. And it is not connected at all with a lack of skill or experience of the employee. You see, in our business there is no concept of personal space. That is, any person, when outsiders enter his personal space, is nervous. And an employee, when a protected person goes “to the people”, is often forced to work closely, in the literal sense of the word, with a protected person. Accordingly, the employee must achieve from the guarded that degree of disposition that only very close people have. The employee of the ULO and the guarded must always be, as they say, on the same “wave”, in constant psychological contact with each other. If an employee causes irritation or even hostility among the guarded for internal reasons that are not supported by any motive, then bodyguard has not completed its task. And ... his direct boss. Since it is he who is responsible not only for protection, but also for the coincidence of the psychotypes of the employee and the protected person.
According to FSO employees, there are several rules in the selection of bodyguards and protected persons for each other. The main rule of their work is not to interfere with the one you are guarding. That is, to achieve that “closeness” in which the guarded person does not get nervous when personal space is violated and at the same time does not notice the presence of a bodyguard during important negotiations or meetings, but knows subconsciously that his life and health are out of danger. An employee of the ULO should become, as the officers say, a “shadow of the object”, which is constantly present in his life. The employee should not be the first to start a conversation, impose a smile and direction of movement, should not smoke, with rare exceptions, should always be clean-shaven, neatly cut, dressed, do not use perfume and deodorant, as an extraneous smell can irritate the guarded person or his interlocutors and guests , however, the smell of sweat or other foreign smell must be excluded. Many members of the government sleep 4 hours a day, which means that an employee of the ULO FSO sleeps 2-3 hours, as it is necessary to prepare for the plans of a protected person. The solution of incidental issues from table setting, personal diagnostics of food and drinks, to ordering tickets to the theater also falls on the shoulders of the employee. In addition, the employee must navigate a variety of issues in order to maintain a conversation at the right time. And these can be topics of IT technologies, media, art, sports, hunting ...
But all this is only the first stage of the work of an employee of the ULO FSO.
- On the "mission" of the employees of the ULO, depending on the situation, they can be completely different types weapons - from a combat knife to a machine gun, continues Denis Govorin. - For some meetings you have to take a knife, and a pistol and a submachine gun or other automatic weapon.
Most of the weapons, according to FSO officers, are made to order, "piece" - specifically for each employee, in some cases for a specific task. The weapon is worn secretly under clothing on special belts.
“All employees must be proficient in personal weapons, as well as know all types of weapons that are in service with the power structures of Russia and other countries,” says Denis. “However, if an employee is forced to use it, it means in most cases that he made a serious mistake. After all, its main task is to exclude the very possibility of an attack ...
According to the internal rules, the employees of the ULO FSO, with any movement of the object of protection, develop a plan to ensure its safety. When organizing meetings or negotiations, a huge number of operational employees are involved in any city in Russia. They also have unlimited possibilities in terms of obtaining the necessary information.
- Operational information, technical means, computer diagnostics - all this should be applied, checked and analyzed by the ULO officer during the performance of his tasks, - explains Denis. - When meeting in nature, you have to analyze the ballistic flight paths of a bullet from various shooting systems from various places. Geographical "scrapping" of the area is selected, where the probability of a bullet hitting will be minimal - there is a meeting, fishing, horseback riding. If an employee expects that one of the trajectories of a bullet can pass through a flower bed, a forest fence and other obstacles of natural origin, armor plates are secretly installed there. In general, each trip of top officials is a whole range of measures to protect it, from the collection of operational information to the development of a route using computer diagnostics.
In Western films, moments are often shown when the security guards cover the Presidents with their bodies. For everyone, these people are heroes. But ULO officers see poor quality work in this. If an employee allowed shooting at the President, the flight of the shoe and its hit, as was the case with American President or something like that - he is clearly out of place.
“I am not so categorical towards my Western colleagues,” says Denis, “such an incident is not always the fault of one personal security officer. After all, this is a whole chain of events. Agents, colleagues of the employee, were supposed to conduct an analysis of those at the press conference on his orders. We had to watch for sudden movements and be ready. But apparently those people who were responsible for "working with the press" did not carefully monitor the situation. We would have given a person a warning at the moment when he would just bend down to the boot.
ULO FSO never reports on real cases of prevention of provocations. Everything that gets into the media - information about impending assassination attempts on Putin in 2000 and later - does not always correspond to reality. Sometimes facts about prevented assassination attempts are deliberately provided to the media - in order to avoid an international scandal when the perpetrator is caught outside the country and in a number of other special cases.
The service has to constantly analyze and monitor messages on the Internet, analyze operational data. Colleagues from the FSB help the ULO in this, since they have more opportunities and strength in this direction.
From time immemorial, rulers in Russia have always been accompanied by armed guards. At first it was a princely squad, consisting of the people closest to the prince, who followed him everywhere. Later, she was replaced by royal bodyguards, called rynds, who stood behind the throne at all ceremonies. At times Russian Empire their functions were transferred to the Cossack chambers, and under Soviet rule, the 9th department of the KGB took over the protection of the first persons of the state. With the collapse of the USSR and the formation of the Russian Federation, a new department was created, which began to ensure the security of the president and top members of the government - the Federal Security Service, or FSO.
This organization is, in fact, a separate special service, which reports directly to the President of the Russian Federation. A separate division is engaged in the protection of the first person - the Security Service of the President of the Russian Federation.
To get into the ranks of the FSO, you must complete military service, be in good health, have no criminal record, bad habits and tattoos. Full list The requirements for candidates are much longer, but those listed by us are considered the main ones. We only add that the applicant may also receive a refusal if he has unreliable relatives: for example, those with a criminal record or dual citizenship.
Every member of the Security Service is an incredibly broad specialist. He must be in excellent physical shape, master hand-to-hand combat skills, be able to parachute, scuba dive, understand explosives, shoot accurately and manage all types of equipment - from a car and an armored personnel carrier to a boat and an airplane. In addition, each specialist must have higher education and know at least one foreign language.
In fact, the Security Service is the president's personal special forces, which is constantly near him and is ready to fulfill the task assigned to him at the first request. Its formation was due, among other things, to the fact that during the events of 1993, the Alpha and Vympel special forces refused to storm the White House. And then the authorities realized that they needed forces that would be reliable and subordinate directly to the president.
Given the specifics of the work, employees are equipped with the most modern equipment. Each of them carries a weapon - it can be both domestic and imported samples. It is known that many of them love and choose Austrian Glock pistols. In the arsenal of the service, for example, there are German MP-5 submachine guns from Heckler and Koch and, of course, all types of Russian weapons.
Employees also have secure radio stations with them, with the help of which they constantly report on the situation. The transparent earphones worn by the presidential guards are the same radio transmitters.
One of the unusual items of equipment is an armored case. Outwardly, it looks like an ordinary suitcase, but at the moment of danger it is opened, turning it into a protective Kevlar plate, which can be used as a cover for the president, or as an assault shield if it is necessary to attack an armed target.
Many employees of the FSO perform not only the functions of bodyguards, but also adjutants. Constantly being close to the head of state, they gradually get to know and understand him better. Later, the most distinguished in this field receive a new appointment - they are sent to other departments, where they help solve problems on the ground, and the president at the same time checks how they perform in an unfamiliar environment. An example is the former personal bodyguard of Vladimir Putin, and now the governor of the Tula region, Alexei Dyumin.
The President's Security Service does not eat its bread in vain. During its existence, it prevented more than one attempt on the head of state. So, there were several cases when unknown people tried to break through the motorcade to Putin's limousine, but their cars were always rammed by escorts in a jeep.
Attempts to kill the president with a rifle were also prevented. In at least several incidents, the so-called. "Chechen trace". In 2000, two snipers intended to deal with Putin when he was still acting. president and came to the funeral of Anatoly Sobchak. They were neutralized in their firing positions.
Another case that became public knowledge was when in 2008, on election day, a 24-year-old citizen of Tajikistan planned to shoot the president. The latter rented an apartment for the assassination attempt on Sadovnicheskaya Street, from where a view of Vasilyevsky Spusk opened. The shooter was detained, and a rifle ready for firing was found with him.
Every healthy man with good physical fitness has thought more than once about how to become a security guard for the president. Now such a prestigious profession is accompanied by stringent requirements. These requirements are put forward by law enforcement agencies. To do this, you need to undergo appropriate training. About what medical certificates are needed, you can check in the licensing system at the place of residence. After the exam, obtaining a license and a certificate of discharge, you need to submit documents to the territorial police authority. Before you get the 6th rank of a guard, you need to pass the appropriate exams. Initially, the student undergoes training for several weeks or months, bringing his knowledge and skills to perfection, then he takes an exam to receive the rank of a security guard.
After successfully passing the exam, the security guard will be issued a license for the appropriate category, after which he will know how to get a job as a security guard and will be able to work in high-paying positions in the most prestigious organizations, structures, and even as a presidential security guard. Almost every security guard dreams of protecting the head of state. Before hiring a security guard for the president, it is necessary to verify his identity, at this place of work - this is one of the main factors, if he is suitable in all respects, a special employment contract is concluded with him. And the salary of a security guard depends on the complexity of his work. A security guard hired must have a license to carry out this activity, a security guard certificate and a certificate from the Ministry of Health. The guard must be informed in advance of his duties. It should be taken into account that when protecting a high-ranking person, there will be practically no time left for personal life.
Before receiving the rank of a security guard, an employee must work in this structure for several years and have a certain length of service. The future security guard should not have a criminal record, as well as health problems. In schools for security guards and detectives, they will tell you what documents are needed (medical examination certificate, TIN, pension insurance card) in order to start classes (most often they are paid). If the student did not pass the exam the first time, that is, the right to take it again by paying 500 rubles. To become a security guard for the president, a person must receive an offer from his security service. In order for this offer to follow, the person must be noticed. This can happen if he somehow showed himself. Years of experience and a spotless reputation of a person can open doors for him to the most prestigious organizations and structures of the country. There may also be a chance to become a bodyguard for the president and other dignitaries.
Before receiving the rank of a security guard, an employee must work in this structure for several years and have a certain length of service. The future security guard should not have a criminal record, as well as health problems. In the schools of security guards and detectives, they will tell you what documents are needed (medical examination certificate, TIN, pension insurance card) in order to start classes (most often they are paid). If the student did not pass the exam the first time, that is, the right to take it again by paying a state fee of 500 rubles. To become a security guard for the president, a person must receive an offer from his security service. In order for this offer to follow, the person must be noticed. This can happen if he somehow showed himself. To obtain a security guard license, you must be professionally fit for the job. Many years of experience and a spotless reputation of a person can open doors for him to the most prestigious organizations and structures of the country. There may also be a chance to become a bodyguard for the president and other dignitaries.
Former Putin bodyguard Alexei Dyumin (now governor of the Tula region and, it is believed, one of his possible successors as president): “We have had enough of such things and moments that were associated with threats to the security of the head of state. About some of these things, maybe in a certain number of years it will be possible to tell, remember something ... They are still under the stamp.
Dyumin (left) with Putin
Putin during a dive on the Mir-1 deep-sea submersible to the bottom of Lake Baikal, 2009. © RIA Novosti / Reuters
In 2012, a few days before the presidential election, which Putin was running for the third time, the Kremlin and the secret services “sensationally” announced that they had thwarted an assassination attempt on him, conceived by Chechen separatists from the territory of Ukraine. And that in total, since 2001, at least four assassination attempts have been prepared on Putin.
Tambov, 2012
For the past 16 years, since Putin came to power in 2000, the FSO has been led by a former Leningrad security official, General Evgeny Murov. In May 2016, he was dismissed due to his 70th birthday (the age limit for civil servants).
Evgeny Murov. © Gennady Cherkasov, MK
His place was taken by Dmitry Kochnev, whom the media called "a man without a biography," since at that time there was no information about him on the websites of the Kremlin and the FSO. Now there is only a short "summary" with very general wording, for example: "From 1984 to 2002. served in the law enforcement agencies of the USSR and the Russian Federation.
Action "Immortal Regiment", May 2016 Kochnev - in the photo on the right
The FSO, under the name SR-1 (“special development”), is armed with a Serdyukov pistol (named after the creator, who, by coincidence, is the namesake of the former Minister of Defense). This 9mm armor-piercing pistol was developed in Russia from scratch, is not classified, but is known exclusively to weapons experts and is considered one of the best modern pistols in the world. They say that even in the hands of a mediocre shooter, he shows excellent accuracy. Its latest modification can be used with a laser sight and a silencer, as in this photo from the Oboronexpo 2014 exhibition, where the head of the military-industrial complex Dmitry Rogozin and American action actor (and more recently a Russian citizen) Steven Seagal admire the gun.
© RIA Novosti / Sergey Mamontov
Barack Obama and the US Secret Service
In a strange way, this federal agency performs two fundamentally different tasks at the same time: protecting the president and his family and fighting counterfeiting American money. Unlike their Russian "colleagues", they talk about themselves in some detail on the official website. For example, they openly report that they have about 3,200 special agents, 1,300 security guards of the White House and other important facilities, and more than 2,000 "auxiliary" employees (technicians, managers, etc.) - a total of 6,500 people.
Presidential candidate Obama surrounded by bodyguards, 2008
Obama was privy to the details of the job secret service as much as 18 months before the election - much earlier than any of the presidential candidates in the history of the United States. According to rumors, this was done to appease his wife Michelle, who had every reason to fear that the first black leader and his family would have many more radical haters. Over time, this proved to be true - experts say that the Secret Service has never before faced such challenges and risks as under Obama.
Inaugural parade in Washington, 2009. Far left in a bright red tie - the current head of the Secret Service, Joe Clancy
The Secret Service is constantly receiving cutting-edge developments, from face-recognition gadgets to the latest armored vehicles. Obama drives a Cadillac with military-grade armor and 20cm-thick doors that don't have keyholes. The code name of this car is "Stagecoach", the popular nickname is "The Beast". Inside the limousine, the president is completely cut off from the outside world, but is equipped with reliable means of communication. According to rumors, the Secret Service has about a dozen absolutely identical Cadillacs.
Obama and his "Beast"
But more important than any technique, the human factor, and he let the agency down more than once, seriously undermining security. So, in 2012, at the Summit of the Americas in Colombia, Obama's guards ordered prostitutes to their hotel and, possibly, used drugs. One of the priestesses of love stated that if she were a terrorist, she could do anything, because the client slept peacefully in her presence. The guilty were recalled in disgrace. Obama was furious and called them "stupid", and the service was forced to tighten the charter.
Dania Suarez, one of the prostitutes involved in the scandal However, in 2014, when a woman was put in charge of the Secret Service for the first time in history, it almost got worse. In the spring, three of Obama's bodyguards were expelled from Amsterdam because one of them was lying drunk in the corridor of a hotel, and the other two did not stop him from getting drunk. A new scandal erupted in the same autumn: having jumped over the fence, in White House a man with a knife entered without hindrance. The alarm at the entrance did not work because it was disabled due to a malfunction. The intruder overpowered a female security guard at the door and entered the banquet hall, where he was grabbed by an agent who was already on his way home from work. The head of the Secret Service was fired.
Donald Trump and the SEALs
According to rumors, long before the election of the President of the United States, when Trump was a "simple billionaire", he hired in his personal protection entirely former Secret Service agents and soldiers of the Navy SEALs, an elite special forces unit.
And Trump's main bodyguard since the late 1990s has been a former NYPD detective with a naval background, Keith Schiller.
He is said to be infinitely loyal to Trump and his family, and is more experienced than many current Secret Service agents. "Soft and kind" in life, but "fast and merciless" in work, Schiller managed to become famous for public brawls. He first drew attention to himself in 2007, when he restrained professional wrestler Vince McMahon, who jokingly tried to attack the billionaire. And in Lately he famously cracks down on those dissatisfied with Trump's anti-immigrant policies.
"Fight" with McMahon
Bodyguards of Petro Poroshenko
In May 2016, the Ukrainian media burst into catchy headlines in the spirit of: "Poroshenko's bodyguards are recognized as the best in Europe." The presidential security team then took 1st place in the Bodyguard-2016 all-around championship, where, in addition to Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Romania, Georgia, Bulgaria and Poland represented Europe.
Winning team
One of the performances during the competition
Bodyguards for the Ukrainian leader are provided by the State Security Department. It has about 3 thousand employees, mostly conscripts, but there are contract soldiers, as well as civilian personnel working under an employment contract. The investigative journalism program “Schemes” (a joint creation of the Ukrainian “First” channel and Radio Liberty) showed how to distinguish the guards in the crowd: they “talk into the hand” and are dressed in the same type of jackets with the department’s badge on the lapel.
The same journalists were surprised to find agents among Poroshenko's bodyguards who had previously accompanied Viktor Yanukovych. However, the head of the State Security Department, Valery Geletey, replied that “it would be crazy to get rid of people who are professionals, but have previously worked with someone else.”
In turn, the bloggers identified foreign mercenaries near Poroshenko, dressed in American-made uniforms and armed with Belgian submachine guns. Presumably, they are from the Polish special forces, working for the private security firm Aegis Defense Services, headquartered in London. For the “Westernizer” Poroshenko, the choice is not surprising, because even the US Department of Defense hired Aegis employees for hundreds of millions of dollars for their operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Angela Merkel and the SG department
The protection of the German chancellor is engaged in ... the criminal police. It is subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior, and not to the governments of the federal states, like the ordinary police. Officers for personal protection are selected in the so-called SG department (German: Sicherungsgruppe - “support group”).
They must have "steadfast character, perfect physical training and excellent manners", drive special protection vehicles, shoot accurately and "react quickly and adequately in all situations."
Merkel with handsome bodyguards, 2011
In addition, all bodyguards are medical specialists capable of providing emergency assistance. This came in handy, for example, in December 2014, when Merkel fell and suffered a pelvic injury while skiing with her escort in the Swiss Alps.
Bodyguards of the British Queen and the Prime Minister
Members of the royal family and the government are protected by the Protection Team, which is part of the Special Operations Department of the London Police. The officers of the Team are mostly armed, unlike most British police officers who do not carry firearms and do not even have a license for them (it is quite difficult to obtain and keep one, and a shooting resulting in the death of anyone, including a criminal, is being investigated from all over the world). severity).
The security of the British prime minister is considered one of the best in the world, although it happened that agents behaved strangely unprofessional. In 2014, some guy just ran up and pushed David Cameron on the street. The stranger was tied up, but while they were fiddling with him, Cameron remained completely alone. As explained former employee The defense teams had to cover him up quickly and put him in the car, saving him from other possible encroachments.
And in the defenders of Elizabeth II there are also these brave guys - the Guards Grenadiers guarding the royal residences.
Everyone mistakenly considers them a palace “decoration” and tourist fun, but in fact they are fully combat-ready units of the British army, where they take the best of the best. For the military, serving in the Royal Guard is a special honor, despite the gross disrespect and constant mockery of tourists.
By the way, the guardsmen are not unresponsive, as is commonly believed. They have the right to shout at especially clingy ones and sharply point a rifle with a bayonet at them. And if this does not work, they can arrest the offender or call for help.
Their dress uniforms include the famous 45 cm high bearskin hats. They are believed to have been originally worn to appear taller and more formidable to the enemy and to enhance the impression in parades. Traditionally, they are sewn from the skins of North American black bears (or brown, dyed black), and one skin is entirely used for one hat. Naturally, animal rights activists protest furiously. It happens that due to a long motionless standing in such hats in the heat, the guardsmen lose consciousness. By the way, contrary to popular belief, it weighs a little - only 1.5 pounds (less than 700 grams).
Fainting at the parade, June 2016. © Reuters
The Pope and the Swiss Guard
Another "toy" army, fit only for colorful ceremonies, some consider the Swiss Guards of the Vatican in their funny uniforms and with medieval weapons. Their number is approximately 135 people.
Guardsmen in full ceremonial uniforms. © Reuters
However, it is they who for 500 years (since the time when Swiss soldiers served in European royal courts) have been ensuring the personal security of one of the most influential figures on the planet, because the Pope heads the largest Catholic Church in the Christian world, and his protection is an extremely responsible matter.
Guardsmen salute Pope Francis. © Reuters
Only unmarried Swiss Catholics from 19 to 30 years old, at least 1.74 m tall, who have been trained in the Swiss Armed Forces, can get into the guard. After the assassination attempt on John Paul II in Vatican Square in 1981, when the Pope received four gunshot wounds and lost a lot of blood, the Swiss Guard stepped up its security role. During training, hand-to-hand combat and shooting skills are honed.
Guardsmen during target practice at an army base in Switzerland, 2016. © Reuters
In addition to outdated weapons (halberds, spears, swords, swords), which are used for ceremonies, the bodyguards are armed with modern army pistols and machine guns, German Heckler & Koch MP7 submachine guns, as well as ... pepper spray. After serving at least 3 years, the guardsmen can marry and continue to serve.
Wives are not forbidden to be with them and even help with vestments before the ceremonies. © Reuters
By the way, the salary of the guardsmen is relatively low when compared with the average salary in Western Europe- 1300 euros per month (in Italy it is higher, in "poor" Spain it is higher, not to mention other countries), but it is not taxed, and plus they are provided with free housing and food.
