Rostov police recruit twins

The Rostov-on-Don police force is looking for a few good men, hopefully twins.

The police force in the southern Russian city already has three sets of twins on staff and is seeking to recruit more. The force said it already looking at another set of twins, whom then are now testing for psychological compatibility with other officers. Meanwhile, the management is seriously thinking of creating a special division consisting of only twins.

Rostov police said they believe twins working together on the force could be very beneficial for disorienting criminals. Imagine that while capturing an enemy one twin appears from the window, and the second burst through the door — its just a psychological attack on the enemy, who know thinks that he is double sighted.

Recruiting for a specific physical appearance isn't unusual in Russia: In the Kremlin regiment, for example, soldiers are picked sometimes by eye color.

In Rostov, the first twin brothers to join the special forces were Alexander and Nicholay Matsina came. The brothers came prepared as both were engaged in kickboxing and had served in the army in a reconnaissance company. Then the Pokidovs and Sevryukovs brothers joined the Rostov forces. And for both pairs names are the same - Alexander and Pavel.

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"Initially, there was no such purpose for forming a platoon of twins," said the deputy commander for personnel work of Rostov Special Police Force Roman Vashchenko. "At the stage of training, we began to notice that twins were working smoothly. They grew up together, and they can understand each other without words but with only one gesture or glance. Together twins are a real war machine."

Each pair has its own specialty. Stocky Alexander and Pavel Pokidovs are the power unit. They joke that, taking advantage of their similarity, they cheated girls and teachers. They will enter the Law Institute together, and will marry the same day.

Sasha and Kolya Matsins are "climbers." Those who can sneak into the room where criminals are hiding and neutralize them. The can also provide cover for the guys of the assault team. Matsins are short, flexible and maneuverable. When the Ministry of Internal Affairs needs to demonstrate samples of military weapons during regional events , the choice falls on Alexander and Nicholay.

About the question of whether they feel an invisible connection between each other, twins shrug and say that they are fraternal to any soldier in their division.

"But you are more worried for your brother and ready to do everything possible in order not to fail him, because we have the same blood anyway," Nikolay Matsin said.

First published in Russian in Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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