There was a time when the phrase “young and promising officer” sounded inspiring. A new generation stepping in — 28 years old and already a colonel! Young, free from the Soviet mindset, with a fresh, modern way of thinking. I honestly believed it was something positive. That these young officers would bring change, progress, a different kind of leadership.
But over time, I realized that age alone means very little. A Soviet mentality isn’t about when you were born — it’s about how you think. And sometimes, a 28-year-old can be just as stuck in outdated thinking as someone in their sixties. The difference is, the older person at least has life experience. They’ve seen a lot, and they’ve moved past the point of getting worked up over everything. Things like jealousy or the need to constantly prove themselves? They’ve outgrown it. Sometimes they just want peace and a steady paycheck.
The young ones, though, are still burning — but not always for the right reasons. They’re full of ambition, but they haven’t learned how to channel it. They can be jealous, controlling, eager to show they’re in charge — not through intellect, but through authority. They don’t have a solid set of principles yet, because they haven’t had the time or experience to build them. They don’t even know how to build a stable family — and yet they’re being put in charge of thousands of people.
It really makes you think: is this the right way? We all celebrated the arrival of young faces, but what we got was the same old problems in new packaging. Because it’s not about age — it’s about character. Without real-life experience, moral backbone, and a bit of maturity, it doesn’t matter if you’re 25 or 45 — the results won’t be any better.
So now, when I hear “young and promising officer,” it no longer reassures me — it makes me cautious. Because “promising” doesn’t always mean “on the path to something great.” Sometimes, it just means someone hasn’t had the chance to do damage yet.