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Honor Guard Company (Belarus)

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Honor Guard Company
Рота ганаровай варты
Soldiers of the company at the victory monument in Minsk.
Active 22 January 1995; ago (1995-01-22)
Country  Belarus
Branch Armed Forces of Belarus
Type Honor Guard
Role Ceremonial guard
Part of Minsk Military Commandant
Garrison/HQ Minsk
Anniversaries 17 February (Day of the Honor Guard)[1]
Commanders
Current
commander		 First Lieutenant Vladislav Shepelevich[2]
Deputy Commander Nikolay Grishankov
Insignia
Ceremonial Patch

The Honor Guard Company of the Minsk Military Commandant (Belarusian language: Рота ганаровай варты Мінскага Ваеннага Каменданта; Russian: Рота Почетный караул Минского Военного Коменданта) is an honor guard unit of the Armed Forces of Belarus.

Brief descriptor[]

The company was formed on 22 January 1995 as a unit from the Minsk Air Defense and Rocket School and the Minsk Higher Military Command School.[3] To become a member of the honor guard of Belarus, one should be at least 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) and have strong health features.[4] It was later made into an independent unit on 17 February.[5] Daily training in the company lasts at least 6 hours.[6] The company is made up of 144 military men, all of whom takes part in ceremonies in celebrations in Belarus and other countries, such as China, France, Poland, Qatar, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.[7][8] Despite being part of the Minsk Commandant, it does not actively recruit from the Minsk area.[9]

Duties[]

During a meeting two days after a Russian parade in which the unit participated, President Alexander Lukashenko described it as the "crème de la crème of the Belarusian military".[10] This is reflected in the numerous events the company is seen at such as wreath laying ceremonies and arrival ceremonies (for foreign heads of state at the Independence Palace, heads of government at the Government House and military leaders at the Defence Ministry). The annual Victory Day procession and Independence Day Parades on Victors Avenue take place with the full participation of the company.[11] The Defender of the Fatherland Day ceremony on Victory Square is also covered by the company.[12][13][14][15] During the Independence Day parade, it is notable not only for providing ceremonial markers in front of the tribune, but also performing precision exhibition drill since the 2002 parade on October Square.[16][17] Since 2004, the unit performing this drill routine known as the "Combined Guard of Honour Company" (Belarusian language: зводнай роты Ганаровай варты Беларусі), consisting of full-time units personnel from the Armed Forces, the Border Guard Service, and the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[18][19]

It conducts a number of community organized events, having visited a local gymnasium in 2017 for example.[20] It celebrated its silver jubilee in 2020, getting large congratulations from Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin.[21] In preparations for the 2020 Minsk Victory Day Parade and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus, members of the company was infected with Covid-19.[22]

Foreign parades[]

Belarusian contingent 01

The unit on Red Square.

In 2014, a colour guard took part in Bastille Day military parade in France marking the centennial of the outbreak of the First World War.[23] During the 2010 Caracas Independence Day parade in Fort Tiuna, the company performed its own unique drill routine. It was also represented at the parade on Heroes' Avenue.[24] Those who participated in the trip were presented with an engraved watch from President Alexander Lukashenko.[25] In 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2019, it sent a exhibition team to Moscow with the Exemplary Military Band to participate in the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo on Red Square. The members of the company have also taken part in the 2015 China Victory Day Parade.[26] In 2020, it participated in the 75th anniversary Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square for the first time.[27] During the parade, the banners of the Zheleznyak Partisan Detachment and three units who participated in the Minsk Offensive were carried by the company.[28][29]

Organization[]

  • Honor Guard of the Minsk Military Commandant[25]
    • Honor Guard of the Armed Forces
    • Honor Guard of the Internal Troops (Unit 3214)
    • Honor Guard Company of the Border Troops

Other honor guard units in the armed forces include the following:

  • Honor Guard of the Baranavichy Military Commandant
  • Honor Guard of the Babruysk Military
  • Honor Guard of the Barysaw Military Commandant
  • Honor Guard of the Brest Military Commandant
  • Honor Guard of the Grodno Military Commandant

Unit Band[]

The Band of the Honor Guard Company of the Minsk Military Commandant was founded on 1 July 1995, as the Military Band of the Minsk Garrison's Office. Since 2018, the band has used chromatic fanfare trumpets in its ranks. For 21 years until 2016, the commander of the band was Serguei Kostiuchenko. It works alongside the honor guard in taking part state visits and other ceremonies in Belarus. The signature march of the band is the Grenadiers March. The band is under the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces.[30][31] The following have served as directors of the Band of the Honor Guard:[32]

  • Lieutenant Colonel Igor Khelbus (1993–1995)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Serguei Kostiuchenko (1995–2005)
  • Major Aleksandr Kantsyal (2016–Present)

The company and the band commonly work together on joint visits to different countries.

Gallery[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ↑ https://www.mil.by/ru/announces/4652/
  2. ↑ https://strana.ua/news/203777-polkovnik-kapitan-i-dva-lejtenanta-v-vsu-nazvali-imena-voennykh-pohibshikh-pri-padenii-vertoleta-mi-8.html
  3. ↑ tushinetc (2017-08-16). "Рота почетного караула и оркестр Вооруженных сил Беларуси на фестивале "Спасская Башня"". http://tushinetc.livejournal.com/674499.html. 
  4. ↑ "20 лет исполняется Роте Почетного караула военной комендатуры Вооруженных сил Республики Беларусь". НОВОСТИ. http://www.ctv.by/20-let-ispolnyaetsya-rote-pochetnogo-karaula-voennoy-komendatury-vooruzhennyh-sil-respubliki-belarus. 
  5. ↑ https://www.tvr.by/news/obshchestvo/25_let_rote_pochetnogo_karaula/
  6. ↑ "Belarusian military in Beijing parade to mark WWII anniversary | 70th anniversary of the Great Victory in Belarus | Belarus.by" (in en). http://www.belarus.by/en/press-center/70th-anniversary-of-the-great-victory/belarusian-military-in-beijing-parade-to-mark-wwii-anniversary_i_0000026910.html. 
  7. ↑ "The Honor Guard and the Band of the Armed Forces of Belarus at the "Spasskaya Tower" Festival — [EN Spasskaya bashnya"] (in ru). http://www.kremlin-military-tattoo.ru/en/news/rota-pochetnogo-karaula-i-orkestr-vooruzhennykh-sil-belarusi/. 
  8. ↑ https://www.mil.by/ru/news/39855/
  9. ↑ https://news.tut.by/society/95562.html
  10. ↑ https://eng.belta.by/president/view/lukashenko-plans-to-go-to-russias-rzhev-to-attend-war-monument-inauguration-ceremony-131326-2020/
  11. ↑ "Belarussian Armed Forces Honor Guard" (in en). http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?216401-Belarussian-Armed-Forces-Honor-Guard#/topics/216401. 
  12. ↑ https://blr.belta.by/photonews/view/rota-ganarovaj-varty-ryhtuetstsa-da-svjatkavannja-dnja-abarontsau-ajchyny-4634/
  13. ↑ https://www.belarus.by/by/press-center/news/lukashenka--dzen-abarontsa-ajchyny-skla-vjanok-da-manumenta-peramog--mnsku_i_19760.html
  14. ↑ "Рота почетного караула: непарадная сторона — Во славу Родины" (in ru-RU). https://vsr.mil.by/2011/12/27/rota-pochetnogo-karaula-neparadnaya-storona/. 
  15. ↑ ""Мы привыкли что мы слоны тупые и всегда виноваты". Вся правда о службе в Роте почётного караула. | Армия Беларуси" (in ru-RU). http://belarmy.by/novosti/my-privykli-chto-my-slony-tupye-i-chto-my-vsegda-vinovaty-vsya-pravda-o-sluzhbe-v-rote-pochyotnogo-karaula. 
  16. ↑ [1]
  17. ↑ https://www.mil.by/ru/news/87807/
  18. ↑ https://www.mil.by/by/news/31416/
  19. ↑ "Парад 9 мая 2010. Рота почетного караула" (in ru). http://www.ctv.by/%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8/%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4-9-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%8F-2010-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%B0. 
  20. ↑ http://gymn16.minsk.edu.by/ru/main.aspx?guid=33421
  21. ↑ https://minsknews.by/ih-rastyazhku-oczenila-by-sama-volochkova-reportazh-ob-elitnom-podrazdelenii-belorusskoj-armii/
  22. ↑ https://charter97.org/ru/news/2020/4/28/374551/
  23. ↑ "Belarus’ Guard of Honor carry national flag at Champs-Elysees | Press releases, Belarus | Belarus.by" (in en). http://www.belarus.by/en/press-center/press-release/belarus-guard-of-honor-carry-national-flag-at-champs-elysees_i_0000013329.html. 
  24. ↑ "Венесуэла отмечает 200-летие независимости" (in ru). http://www.ctv.by/novosti-venesuely/venesuela-otmechaet-200-letie-nezavisimosti. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 ""Мы привыкли что мы слоны тупые и всегда виноваты". Вся правда о службе в Роте почётного караула.". http://belarmy.by/novosti/my-privykli-chto-my-slony-tupye-i-chto-my-vsegda-vinovaty-vsya-pravda-o-sluzhbe-v-rote-pochyotnogo-karaula. 
  26. ↑ http://www.mil.by/ru/news/45581/
  27. ↑ https://iz.ru/1022102/2020-06-10/v-belorussii-zaiavili-ob-uchastii-roty-pochetnogo-karaula-v-parade-v-moskve
  28. ↑ https://www.vitbichi.by/amp/navstrechu_75_letiyu_velikoy_pobedy/post42398.html
  29. ↑ https://eng.belta.by/society/view/belarusian-military-carry-belarus-flag-at-victory-parade-in-moscow-131258-2020/
  30. ↑ "История оркестра". http://orchestra-minsk.www.by/history. 
  31. ↑ https://vsr.mil.by/2017/12/02/odin-den-iz-zhizni-voennogo-dirizhyora/
  32. ↑ "Контакты". http://orchestra-minsk.www.by/contact. 

External links[]

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