In the Army Now
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Enlisting in the Russian Army to bust military myths – In the Army Now Ep.01
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Dressing in 45 seconds & army food test – In the Army Now Ep.02
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Are reindeer and huskies really part of Russian Army transport? – In the Army Now Ep.03
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Arctic Regiment as testing ground for cutting-edge military hardware – In the Army Now Ep.04
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Joining firefighters at Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome – In the Army Now Ep.5
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Rocket launch at Plesetsk Cosmodrome – In the Army Now Ep.6
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Becoming marines with the Caspian Fleet – In the Army Now Ep.7
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Demining the sea & why a woman on board is bad luck– In the Army Now Ep.8
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Navy slang, driving a Corvette, and marine initiation rituals – In the Army Now Ep.9
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Inside Russia’s once-secret space surveillance station in Tajikistan – In the Army Now Ep.10
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UFO hunting at Okno Surveillance Station – In the Army Now Ep.11
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Joining the 201st Motor Rifle Division & training with ‘Gods of War’ – In the Army Now Ep.12
Navy slang, driving a Corvette, and marine initiation rituals – In the Army Now Ep.9
After two days of gruelling training aboard the corvette “Grad Sviyazhsk”, Anna and Pavel are entrusted with navigation. Given her experience of driving in Moscow traffic, Anna is convinced that operating a ship at sea will be a piece of cake. The resulting manoeuvres, however, don't go to plan: they make her seasick and she fears that Pavel may have broken the ship.
Related: The adventures and challenges of serving in the Russian Baltic Fleet
Once the situation is under control, the two brush up on their navy slang. It turns out that Russian naval officers aboard a ship have different words even for ordinary objects. Using the wrong terminology would not only mark them out as rookies, such a misstep could also cause a misunderstanding and even serious offence. In learning the lingo, Anna and Pavel also familiarise themselves with naval traditions and ship etiquette.
Related: On board the Russian research vessel heading to the Arctic Circle
Armed with their new knowledge, Pavel and Anna are now ready to join the crew. The final step is to undergo an initiation ceremony… a trial which involves drinking a considerable amount of sea water.