Most States once the Soviet Union renounced the biennial call. Not only Russia, but also Belarus reduced the term of service in the armed forces until 1 year or year and a half. Today in the Republic of Belarus young men-conscripts have to serve from six months to eighteen months depending on the availability of higher education.

For youths who successfully completed training in one of higher educational institutions provides a service life of 12 months, and citizens who have not received a diploma of higher education, are obliged to serve in the army for a period of 18 months.


For those with a higher education, graduated from Universities and the military Department, the term of service in the army of Belarus will be only 6 months.

Graduates in the ranks of the troops



However, some men of military age trying to "hang" from the army. At this moment in Belarus there are only 65 thousand personnel, which is a pretty small number. The government is trying all possible ways to attract graduates into their ranks.

In early 2014, the head of state Alexander Lukashenko was recorded an adjustment to the law on military service in Belarus. It stipulates that citizens who have three or more children will be suspended from their military duties in peacetime, but in wartime it is also subject to appeal. The amendment started its operation January 21, 2014.

Alternative military service



In addition, in 2013, was negotiated and adopted the Law "On alternative service". It gives the right to those people who shy away from their military duties to work on unpopular positions, thus trying to serve their homeland in a similar way.
Citizens of military age are encouraged to work in aid to the elderly, children in orphanages, providing humanitarian assistance to victims of disasters and other works in various fields of activity.


The alternative service is slightly more than urgent: recruits with higher education will have to "work" 20 months instead of one year; citizens without a diploma of higher education will need to work these jobs all 30 months.

The period of alternative service does not take into account:
- release of citizens in connection with the acquisition of higher education,
- the time of the arrest under alternative service conscript
- the period during which the draftee on alternative service has not fulfilled its assigned tasks in connection with administrative penalties to it
- calendar days, during which men were absent from their work more than three hours without showing sufficient reasons.