Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia

Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia
Военно-оркестровая служба Вооружённых Сил Российской Федерации
Active	1711- present
Country	Russia
Branch	Ministry of Defense
Type	Military Band
Garrison/HQ	Moscow
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Timofey Mayakin
Notable commanders	Major General Semeon Tchernetsky (1924–1949) Major-General Nikolai Mikhailov (1976–1993) Lieutenant General Valery Khalilov (2002–2016)

The Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia serves as the official service of military bands in active service within the Russian Armed Forces.

Commanders

• Major General Semyon Cherneysky (1924–1949)
• Major-General Ivan Petrov (1950–1958)
• Major General Nikolai Nazarov (1958–1976)
• Major-General Nikolai Mikhailov (1976–1993)
• Lieutenant-General Viktor Afanasyev (1993–2002)
• Lieutenant General Valery Khalilov (2002–2016)
• Colonel Timofey Mayakin (2016–Present)

History

Drummers of the Band during the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade.

The Band performing the Russian anthem at a 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, 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.

Activities

• The Unit participates in the annual Victory Day parades and before 1991 the October Revolution and May 1 parades as well.

• 

  The Central Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Garrison.

  A branch of the band works for the Kremlin Regiment and the 154th Preobrazhensky Regiment and plays the 2 national anthems during a state visit.

The emblem of the band during the Soviet era.

Composition

The military band of the 79th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment.

Massed Bands of the Nizhny Novgorod Garrison during a victory day parade in 2017.

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

• General Office of the Military Band Service of the Russian Defense Ministry
• Military University College of Military Music and Military Band Conductors School (formerly the Military Bandmaster department of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory )
• Moscow Suvorov Military Music College Lieutenant-General VM Khalilov
• Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of Russia
• Central Navy Band of Russia
• Exemplary Military Band (Honor Guard)
• Band of the 154th Preobrazhensky Regiment
• Headquarters bands of Military Districts, groups of forces, fleets and separate armies, fleets, and marine bases
• Admiralty Navy Band of Russia
• Bands within military units and formations and in military schools

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

• Presidential Band of the Russian Federation – under the Kremlin Regiment
• Military Band Service of the National Guard of Russia
• Military Band Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia
• Military Band Service of the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia
• Police Band Service of the Ministry of Interior of Russia

Concerts

• The Band also takes part in the annual Spasskaya Tower military tattoo.

Current Formation of Massed Bands

The Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of Russia performing.

Formation in Moscow

• Chromatic Fanfare Trumpets, Field Drums, 1st Glockenspiels
• Trumpets, Cornets, Flugelhorns
• 1st Trombones
• 1st and 2nd Marching Percussion
  • Snare drums
  • Bass drums and Cymbals
  • Turkish crescents
  • 2nd Glockenspiels
• 2nd Trombones
• Horns, Mellophones
• Clarinets, Oboes, Saxophones, Bassoons, Flutes and Piccolos
• Baritone horns, Tenor horns, Saxhorns
• Euphoniums, Wagner Tubas, Tubas, Sousaphones

Formation in St Petersburg

• Chromatic Fanfare Trumpets (optional)
• Field Drums (optional)
• Trumpets
• 1st Trombones, Horns and Woodwinds
  • Clarinets, Saxophones
• Marching Percussion
  • Snare Drums
  • Bass drums
  • Cymbals
  • Turkish crescent (since 2011)
  • Glockenspiels
• 2nd Trombones and Horns
• 2nd Woodwinds

  • 

    Fanfare Trumpets participating in a parade on Red Square.

    Clarinets, Oboes, Bassoons, Flutes, Piccolos
  • Saxophones
• Saxhorns, Baritone and tenor horns, Euphoniums, Wagner tubas
• Tubas, Sousaphones (optional)

Formation in Yekaterinburg

• Chromatic Fanfare Trumpets
• Field Drums (optional)
• Trumpets, Cornets
• Saxophones
• Clarinets, Oboes, Bassoons, Flutes, Piccolos
• Marching Percussion
  • Snare Drums
  • Bass drums
  • Cymbals
  • Turkish crescent
  • Glockenspiels
• Saxhorns, Baritone and tenor horns, Euphoniums, Wagner tubas
• Tubas, Sousaphones (optional)
• Trombones and German horns