Military Registration

in the USSR a special registration of all reservists and draft-age men. It is done according to their place of residence on the basis of the Law on Universal Military Duty of Oct. 12, 1967 (arts. 80-99). The procedure of military registration is established by the Ministry of Defense of the USSR.

Personal (qualitative) registration of all reservists and draft-age men is done at raion (city) military commissariats. Initial registration of reservists and draft-age men living in rural areas, and initial registration in cities and settlements without military commissariats, is done by military registration desks at the executive committees of the local Soviets of working people’s deputies. Military registration of USSR citizens who are living abroad is done by diplomatic and consular representatives of the USSR.

The law provides that reservists who are leaving for another area for permanent or temporary (more than 1½ months) residence or for study, vacation, medical treatment, or work-related travel for a period of more than three months must turn in to the housing administration (housing operations office, commandant’s office) both their passports and their military records so that their names can be removed from the military registration; after arriving at the new place of residence, they must turn in these documents again so that they may be enrolled on the military registration. Reservists who are leaving rural areas are obligated to appear personally with their military registration documents at the rural (settlement) soviet of working people’s deputies for removal from the military registration; those coming to a rural area are obligated to register themselves within three days. For enrollment on the military registration, reserve officers ap-pear personally at the military commissariats. Draft-age men are obligated to appear personally at the military commissariats for enrollment on the military registration or removal from it.

Enterprises, institutions, organizations, and educational institutions are obligated to maintain records of all reservists and draft-age men according to the rules established by the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. In the event of change in the family situation, place of residence, education, place of work, or duties, reservists and draft-age men are obligated to notify the registration body where they are registered within seven days (art. 88 of the Law of Oct. 12, 1967). During wartime reservists and draft-age men are not permitted to leave the place of permanent residence without authorization from the raion (city) military commissar.

The law requires militia bodies to carry out the passport registration and deregistration of reservists and draft-age men at their place of residence only after their military registration documents have been marked by the military commissariats to show entry on the military registration or removal from it. The militia are also required to assist military commissariats in checking on observation of the rules of military registration by citizens and to search for persons who are evading their military obligations.

For violation of the rules of military registration, reservists and draft-age men are subject to a penalty of up to 10 rubles (which is imposed by the raion or city military commissariat on an administrative basis) with notification of this to the administration at the place of work (or study) of these men.