Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia

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Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Военно-оркестровая служба Вооружённых Сил Российской Федерации
2018 Moscow Victory Day Parade 09.jpg
The massed bands of the Moscow Garrison during the 2018 Moscow Victory Day Parade.
Active1711;312 years ago (1711)
CountryFlag of Russia.svg  Russia
Branch Flag of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.svg Ministry of Defense
TypeAdministrative service
RoleThe organization of military bands belonging to the Russian Armed Forces
Size1000+ musicians divided between 200-300 bands
Part of Military Band Service Directorate
Headquarters Moscow
AnniversariesFebruary 19 (Day of the Band Service [1] [2] [3] )
Commanders
Senior Director of Music of the Armed ForcesMajor General Timofey Mayakin [4]
Chief InspectorLieutenant Colonel Igor Shevernev [5] [6]
Notable
commanders
Insignia
Emblem (1991-Present) Great emblem of the Special Exemplary Military Band of the Guard of Honor Battalion of Russia.svg

The Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation serves as the official service of military bands in active service within the Russian Armed Forces and formerly the Soviet Armed Forces. It is part of the Military Band Service Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Contents

Senior Directors

Timofey Mayakin Muzykal'nogo festival' 03.jpg
Timofey Mayakin

History

Drummers of the band service during the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade. 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade-24.jpeg
Drummers of the band service during the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade.

For a country that has not just one of the largest armed forces in the world but also has produced some of the greatest composers and musicians, the MBS-AFR is one of the oldest institutions of military music in Europe and the world, founded by Peter the Great as per Ukaz № 2319 enacted on Feb. 19, 1711, [8] [10] which mandated the formation of military bands and field music formations within both the Imperial Russian Army and the nascent Imperial Russian Navy following the Western practices. As both the Army's two foundation regiments (the Preobrazhensky Regiment and the Semyonovsky Regiment) had their own bands and corps of drums, which would also inspire the formation of the bands and fanfare band units within the artillery and the cavalry, the age of Peter the Great, aside from laying the foundation of the armed forces, also began centuries of the Russian military band tradition, which continues until today. In the 1870s, a post called the Inspector of Naval Bands, held by composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov until its abolishment, became the starting point for the official organized arrangement of military bands. [11] In 1922, the Inspectorate of the Military Bands of the Red Army and Navy was formed, renamed in 1955 as the current Military Band Service. In October 1924, the post of Inspector of Military Bands of the Red Army. As of 1947, Inspectorate of Military Bands reported directly to the head of the 3rd Division of the Combat Training Department of the Soviet Army Headquarters, where it was transferred to on 1 December 1931. [12] [13] Its modern functions and duties were established in an order signed by the Chief of the General Staff Viktor Samsonov on 22 November 1996. [14] [15] [16] In November 2007, by the approval of President Dmitry Medvedev, the band service created a charter for the conductors of garrison bands to have more authority over their events and activities. [17] In 2011, the service celebrated 300 years of Russian military music. [18] [19]

Activities

Valery Khalilov in June 2016. Khalilov was regarded positively due to his successful efforts reorganize and rebuild the military band service in the early 2000s. Valery Khalilov.jpg
Valery Khalilov in June 2016. Khalilov was regarded positively due to his successful efforts reorganize and rebuild the military band service in the early 2000s.
Massed Bands of the Nizhny Novgorod Garrison during a victory day parade in 2017. Massed Bands of the Nizhny Novgorod Garrison.jpg
Massed Bands of the Nizhny Novgorod Garrison during a victory day parade in 2017.

Annual concert activity of the military band service began inside the hall of the Philharmonic Society of St. Petersburg in November 1813.

Senior Director of Music and regional directors

The office of Senior Director of Music of the Military Band Service is the operational and administrative leader of the service. His/her role is laid out in a decree from Soviet Defence Minister Rodion Malinovsky dating back to July 1963. [20] Local military bands of military garrisons and units are managed by the chiefs of the military bands services of the military districts, with their appointment being as the Senior Director of Music. As such, local conductors report to the director and are accountable to him/her only. [21]

Mass service-wide events

Over 1,000 musicians of the service divided into 40 bands [22] participate in the annual Victory Day parades and before 1991 the October Revolution and May 1 parades as well. [23] The service is an active sponsor of the annual Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo in Moscow. Joint military concerts are commonly held between the bands of the service and foreign military bands on Russian and foreign soil. Mass events were held on the service's tricentennial in 2011. Every couple of years, officials from the service conduct contests to identify the best bands in the service as well as inspections to identify those that retain the standard for bands. [24] In 1928, the first national competition of military bands being held. [25]

Individual bands

The military band service provides military bands for the Kremlin Regiment and the 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment during special occasions and state visit. [23]

Composition

The band under the direction of Colonel Sergey Durygin during its 90th anniversary concert in 2017. 90th anniversary of the Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense.jpg
The band under the direction of Colonel Sergey Durygin during its 90th anniversary concert in 2017.

The composition of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation include: [26]

Not under the armed forces but affiliated to the Band Service:

The Band of the Moscow Garrison is in that it consists of the 190 quality musicians who come together from different exemplary bands throughout the former Moscow Military District. At one time, it included the Headquarter Band of the MVO, the Combined Band of the Internal Troops, the Band of the Military Institute of Military Conductors, the Band of the Military Academy of the Strategic Rocket Forces, the Band of the Moscow Higher Military Command School, and the Band of the 147 Automobile Base of the Ministry of Defense. The support all important state events and special events in the Russian capital, including military parades on Red Square and international music festivals. [30]

Current Formation of Massed Bands

A chromatic fanfare trumpeter of the 3rd Battalion, 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment participating in a parade on Red Square. Russian Fanfare Trumpets.jpg
A chromatic fanfare trumpeter of the 3rd Battalion, 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment participating in a parade on Red Square.

Formation in Moscow

Formation in St Petersburg

The band of the St. Petersburg Garrison. Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Garrison.jpg
The band of the St. Petersburg Garrison.

Formation in Yekaterinburg

Symbols

The emblems and patches of the band service were adopted by order of Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov on 7 February 2005. [31]

Common elements of military band symbols include: [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade</span>

The 2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade was held on Victory Day on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Great Patriotic War ending in the defeat of Nazi Germany. This was the first time the Russian Federation opened its vehicle showcase since 1991, and the airshow since the Cold War. The parade was commanded by Army General Vladimir Bakin, Commander of the Moscow Military District, and reviewed by Anatoliy Serdyukov of the Russian Ministry of Defence. A speech was made by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who took office just two days prior. This would be notable to be the first ever major Russian military parade seen on television worldwide when RT carried a live broadcast of the parade for the first time in its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanfare band</span>

A fanfare band, fanfare corps, fanfare battery, fanfare team, horn and drum corps, bugle band, drum and bugle corps, or trumpet and drum band is a military or civilian musical ensemble composed of percussion instruments, bugles, natural horns and natural trumpets. Fanfare bands are the descendants of the old medieval trumpet and drum teams that sounded fanfares on important occasions and are related to drum and bugle corps internationally.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Moscow Victory Day Parade</span>

The 2007 Moscow Victory Parade was a celebration of the 62nd anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. It was the last time Vladimir Putin made a holiday address in his first term as president. The parade was commanded by the head of the Moscow Garrison General of the army Vladimir Bakin, and reviewing the parade was Minister of Defence Anatoliy Serdyukov .Music was performed by the Moscow Garrison's Central Orchestra under Major General Valery Khalilov.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo</span>

The Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival is an annual military music event and military tattoo held in Moscow on Red Square. Participating in the festival are Russian and foreign military bands, folk groups, and honor guard units of foreign countries. More than 40 countries have taken part in the festival since 2006. It is named after the world-famous Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Its TV partner is TV Centre. The festival's motto is "To Revive Traditions and Preserve History".

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Nikolay Mikhaylovich Mikhaylov was a Soviet military conductor. He was the Senior Director of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1993.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band of the 154th Preobrazhensky Regiment</span> Regimental band unit

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See also