"Gruz 200" or "Cargo 200" is a term used to designate a soldier killed in action. This morally heavy topic is majorly forgotten and almost never talked about. It is usually universally forgotten. After every war it is rarely common to talk about the fallen soldiers. There even is a famous soviet song about Afghanistan, where it says how "Afghanistan is not fashionable anymore to talk about". But, of course, wounds and death are common in a war zone.
Where did the term "Gruz 200" come from?
It is unclear where such commonly used term comes from.
There are several different versions explaining the origin of the term:
By the number of the corresponding order of the USSR Minister of Defense.
Based on the standard weight of a transported container with the body of a serviceman (200 kilograms) — as stated in paragraph 65, section 4 of the "Guide to the Arrangement of Military Transport in the Ministry of Defense and the Settlements for It," approved by Order No. 200 of the USSR Minister of Defense on October 8, 1984.
Allegedly from the form number of the waybill used for recording shipment data; however, the actual waybill form number was "2" (Appendix No. 6 to paragraph 101 of the Guide).
The term came into widespread use during the Soviet-Afghan War following the adoption of the 1984 guide. According to this guide, when transporting the body of a deceased serviceman:
A baggage coupon for 200 kg of cargo was issued if the transportation was carried out by aircraft.
A baggage coupon for 300 kg was issued if the transportation was by rail.
Transportation Rules
The guide laid out detailed rules for transporting the remains of fallen soldiers:
For air transport (military aircraft, helicopter, or civil aviation), a 200 kg baggage coupon was issued from the departure airport to the arrival airport.
For railway transport, a 300 kg baggage coupon was issued from the departure station to the destination station.
For sea, river, or road transport, a Form 2 waybill was issued, marked: "Coffin with the body of the deceased."
These regulations were later incorporated into Article 24 of the 1981 Directive No. D-0041 from the Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR.
The transport documents were issued separately for each mode of transport and accounted for transfer points when switching between air, sea, and road transport.
This complex, bureaucratic system — born from logistical necessity — ended up leaving a lasting mark on military terminology and the cultural memory of the conflict.
Soldiers killed in Afghanistan
For the Soviet troops in Afghanistan, it was of the outmost importance to collect those killed in action and deliver back to motherland. Leaving bodies behind was a very uncommon practice, that was reserved for the most complicated scenarios. Search parties from the regiment or special units were sent to retrieve the bodies of fallen comrades.
This practice was important for both sides of the Soviet-Afghan War. For the Soviets it was work of honor and for Afghans it was of the religious importance - per Islamic traditions, deceased had to be buried until the sunset.
The bodies were not retrieved in the uncommon situations, such as falling into an abyss or when the deceased was completely annihilated by the explosion. In such cases, as well as when the body was severely damaged, extra weight was added by pouring sand into the casket. The zinc container was welded and it was forbidden to the relatives to open.
The process of delivering the body to the motherland
The bodies of the deceased were processed in the regimental or divisional morgue. This was, by all means, a very hard and unpleasant job. Yet, those soldiers who worked there, were fine with that. In the traditions of black humor, their most common quote was:
"It is better to work here, then to be a client"
In the morgue, the deceased were dressed in parade uniforms. This scene is presented in the best movie about Soviet-Afghan War - "Afghan breakdown".
Gruz 200 was delivered to the Soviet Union by transport planes AN-12. The plane was loaded with the caskets and escorted by an officer. Again, this is presented in the "Afghan Breakdown", accompanied by a famous song, "Black Tulip".
The plane typically make couple of stops across the Soviet Union, unloading the cargo 200 in the airports. At this point, the local army recruitment center had to pick up the cargo and deliver it to the relatives, who were informed prior to that.
The deceased was buried on a local graveyard. As the war progressed, special sections of graveyards were designated to those killed in Afghanistan.
The experience was very tragic for the parents of the killed soldier. The demographic situation in the European regions of the Soviet Union was not great in the second half of the twentieth century and many families had just one child. The overall depressing state of the Soviet life in the 1980s was not helping. Loosing the only son often ended up in broken families, alcoholism and suicides.
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