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Official website of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival
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Official website of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival
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Official website of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival
14 October 2017

The Kremlin saw the Closing Ceremony of the 2017 Foot and Horse Guard Mounting Ceremonies’ Season by the Presidential Regiment

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The last foot and horse guard mounting ceremony of the season by the Presidential Regiment took place at the Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin on the 14th of October.

The ceremony is performed by the following units of the Federal Guard Service of the Russian Federation: Special Guard Regiment, the Cavalry Honorary Escort of the Presidential Regiment and the President’s Band. Being the hallmark of the Spasskaya Tower Festival, these bands offer performances which grace both the Festival’s night program as well as its day activities.

The Foot and Horse Guard Mounting Ceremony is considered a ceremonial highlight which brings together various epoch of the glorious history of the Russian armed forces, to showcase the continuity of the military traditions of the nation.

The present-day Horse and Foot Guard Mounting Ceremony is effective since autumn 2004. The new ceremonial is a reconstruction of the centuries-long warfare traditions encompassing the highlights of the military ritual practices including demonstrations of arms-drill and elements of horse carousel accompanied by the wind music.

The 2017 ceremony kept all the traditional key elements: fast-paces re-formations and arms-drill showcase. It is of utmost importance all the elements be eurhythmic and coordinated.

However, each year the servicemen try surprising audiences with new exciting elements: this year, they were building up a diagonal adding particular arms-drill; performed the element featuring three «corridors» formed by the servicemen crossing rifles overhead, as well as a new one with ‘domino» effect. New arms-drill with visual effects has definitely enriched the performance.

The marching step has always remained the hallmark of the Kremlin Regiment. The ¾ of the Foot Guard consists of the army draftees serving at the Special Guard Regiment since 2016; both the Foot Guard and the Colour Group feature draftees from all over the country; the most complicated arms-drills are performed by the contract servicemen.

The Cavalry Honorary Escort of the Presidential Regiment performs such difficult though beautiful horse drills as the figure of eight, horse carousel, mill, candle and chain, and showcases drills with cold weapons.

The ceremony is accompanied by the performance of the President’s Band of the Moscow Kremlin’s Commander Service. Ending the ceremony, the servicemen head to their posts of duty accompanied by the march composed by Colonel Evgeny Nikitin, conductor of the President’s band and Honorary Artist of Russia.

The ideal simultaneity of regiments' actions tooks the audience’s breath away; therefore, there is no wonder that thousands of people get to the Cathedral Square to witness the fascinating show. Throughout last years, the Foot and Horse Guard Mounting has become the hallmark of the Moscow Kremlin.

Throughout the season 2017, the public from Russian regions also was given opportunity to attend the ceremony: servicemen of the Special Guard Regiment and the Cavalry Honorary Escort accompanied by the President’s Band exhibited their artistry at solemn events and various celebrations of Tula, Orel, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Yaroslavl.

Year 2017 has seen the total number of 36 Foot and Horse Guard Mounting Ceremonies performed by the Presidential Regiment.

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