The Honor Guard and the Band of the Armed Forces of Belarus at the “Spasskaya Tower” Festival

At the anniversary International Military Music Festival «Spasskaya Tower» Belarus will be represented by as many as two bands — the Demonstration Band and the Honor Guard of the Armed Forces of the Republic.

The participants from Belarus have prepared a colorful concert program. They will start their performance from a well-known march «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» and continue with fantasia on Belarus folk song themes.

The Demonstration Band of the Armed Forces of the Republic.of Belarus was founded in 1950 as the band of the headquarters of the Belorussian Military District, and now it’s the number one military band in the country. Its mission is cultivating the sense of national identity and spirituality in the officers and men supporting their spiritual comfort and popularizing the pieces of the world music culture.

The band’s repertoire consists of more than 500 compositions of the best-known composers, both classic and contemporary. The band gives regular performances in the Central House of Officers, garrison and military clubs, is broadcasted on TV and radio, gives performances on tours around the country and abroad, and takes part in all military parades, tattoos, and other cultural public events.

The fans of the Band of the Armed Forces of Belarus especially love its open air concerts with solo, ensemble, and orchestral performance typical for concert halls.

The band is directed by the chief of the military bands' service of the Armed Forces, honored artist of the Republic of Belarus — Colonel Sergei Kostiuchenko. The artistic director is the chief bandmaster — Colonel Evgeny Dovzhik.

The Honor Guard of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus was formed in 1995 to accompany the arrival and departure of the foreign leaders and government delegations. It is the hallmark of the country and participates not only in nationwide events and ceremonies, but in celebrations in other countries: Russia, France, Venezuela, Poland, Qatar, the UAE, and China. The Honor Guard comprises 144 military men, who execute synchronized ceremonial arms drills with rifles and swords to a tune. The members of the Guard share experience with their foreign colleagues and are constantly learning new manual skills. That’s why every their performance is unique.

The Honor Guard is commanded by First Lieutenant Vladislav Shepelevich.