Russian Holidays - Day of Licensing and Permitting Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation

February 12 is the Day of Licensing and Permitting Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, which began to be celebrated in 1969 It is believed that it was on this day that a special department was formed in the then USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, whose tasks were to control the circulation of weapons and regulate this activity But if you look more deeply, plunging into historical retrospect, it becomes clear that the culture of gun ownership has developed in our country and in Europe as a whole over many centuries Once upon a time, primitive crossbows, and later the first revolvers, were necessary for almost everyone, for example, to protect possessions and defend against robbers It soon became clear that the uncontrolled circulation of these funds could not continue for long In the 17th and 18th centuries, attempts were already made to control the circulation of weapons and their quality In particular, the Decree of Peter the Great of 1723 is well known, which introduced norms and standards for manufactured guns Even more serious control appeared in the 19th century, when governors general or mayors allowed certain individuals to own weapons Then carbines and primitive pistols were issued, but with the condition that they would be wielded by mentally normal people True, there were no special criteria for determining “mental normality”, and this was determined, rather, by eye, on the basis of the personal subjective opinion of the mayor or his representative Even more serious control was organized by the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, who issued a corresponding order prohibiting the import from abroad of military firearms that were used in the army No less stringent requirements applied to exports All this was supplemented by numerous secret decrees, the so-called “circulars,” which directly pushed governors, mayors, and police to confiscate carbines, pistols, rifles, and shotguns Great responsibility was assigned to the heads of local gendarmerie, who had to directly supervise the circulation of rifles and shotguns Yes, over time the trend towards control has only become more stringent In many ways, this also happened for political reasons, since the authorities were afraid of arming revolutionaries and terrorists, which created a direct threat to the existing system It was believed that this could worsen the crime situation Today, the licensing and permitting service works quite smoothly, guided by numerous legal acts As is known, they tend to tighten norms and requirements Especially against the background of periodically arising bloody conflicts The Day of Licensing and Permitting Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation is celebrated very actively, because the life and safety of people largely depends on the efficiency and technicality of the work of this service In fact, this service is a well-coordinated mechanism that quickly responds to changing conditions Traditionally, the date is most actively celebrated within the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs According to the established good tradition, it is customary to remember veterans who have worked in these structures for decades Explanatory work is also carried out with the population Sometimes concerts are organized dedicated to employees involved directly in licensing and permitting work Sharp questions are also being discussed regarding the need to further tighten legislation in order to prevent the occurrence of dangerous situations, including in educational institutions and in crowded places