dmitrik wrote:

The titles on the photos and everything else suggest that was a
"strojbat" - "construction batallion", basically the workforce.

If it were a construction battalion belonging to GUSS -- IIRC that's
"Glavnoye Upravleniye Spetsial'nykh Stroitelstv" (Main Directorate of
Special Construction [Works]) -- it might be interesting. GUSS was
responsible for building sensitive/important installations and
facilities, including some at Baykonur.

See
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikonur_r7_1.html
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikonur_origin.html

But that's just reaching for possible interest.