The Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Participated in the Solemn Celebrations in the Belgorod Region

The 75^th anniversary of the Kursk Battle and Prokhorovskaya Tank Battle was widely celebrated in the Belgorod region. Three days celebrations were held within the Second Wind Bands Festival Parade “The First Firework of Victory” from July 12 to 14, 2018.

Among the participants of the solemn campaign were the Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, bands from Nizniy Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Tula, Kaluga, Lipetsk and Istra, the wind band of the Government of the Tyva Republic — the only riding wind band in Russia as well as wind bands from various districts of the Belgorod region.

Attracting large audience, the Wind Bands Festival Parade “The First Firework of Victory” was successfully held in the Prokhorovka village where one of the biggest tank battles of the Great Patriotic War unfolded on July12, 1943. The solemn marching parade was headed by the Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, considered to be the chief band of the Russian Armed Forces and headed by the Honored Artist of Russia Colonel Sergey Durygin. After the ceremonial parade the band performed its concert program dedicated to the great act of bravery of the Soviet officers and soldiers. The concert was held on the square in front of the bell tower, the chief monument of the Prokhorovskoe Field memorial complex.

In the remaining days the band participating in the solemn campaign leaded by the head of the Military Band Service of the Russian Armed Forces — chief military conductor Honored Artist of Russia Colonel Tymofey Mayakin held marching parades and gave concerts in various towns of the Belgorod region. As far as the Central Military Band, it performed in the town Stroitel’ (in Zvezdnyi House of Culture) and on Victory Square in Stariy Oskol.

The Great Hall of the Belgorod Regional Philharmonia welcomed the last concert of Central Military Band within the Second Wind Band Festival Parade “The First Firework of Victory”. The band performance was accompanied by its leading singers including the Honored Artist of the Dagestan and Khakasiya republics Natalia Manulik, laureates of international contests Svetlana Kolonina, Fedor Rytikov and Nikolai Ryabukha. About two hundreds musicians took part in this grandiose concert program that lasted three hours.

The Festival has become the leading cultural, social and political event not only of the Belgorod Oblast’ but of the whole region as well.