Military Ceremonies

Categories / Army. Navy/Military Ceremonies, Life, and Service
MILITARY CEREMONIES, performance by military units of the regular kinds of professional activities, accompanied by a number of formalities, producing a theatrical and strong moral effect on the participants and spectators. Military ceremonies were an integral part of St.Petersburg's life from the 1710s through 1917. The principal and most spectacular part of military ceremonies are panel formations and troops marching in full uniform, usually to the accompaniment of brass music, as well as fireworks, banner rituals and other military regalia, etc. Some military ceremonies were part of other ceremonies (participation of the military personnel in the state celebrations, reception by officers of foreign delegations; Epiphany parade; New Year's parade), yet in other military ceremonies military personnel were the cause and the main participants of these ceremonies (seeing-off and welcome ceremonies, festivities in honour of military commanders, parades, regimental holidays and others). After October 1917 military ceremonies decreased in number, they became less solemn and spectacular. Nowadays, the military parades and other events on Victory Day on May 9, the Navy parade on the Navy Day, have become regular and publicly available military ceremonies in St. Petersburg. See also Guards Sentries, Parades and Reviews, Regimental Holidays, Conscripts Assignment.

References: Вилинбахов Г. В. Петербург - военная столица: Гвардейский образ Северной Пальмиры // Родина. 2000. № 11. С. 50-57.

G. V. Kalashnikov. Вилинбахов Г. В. Петербург - военная столица: Гвард. образ Северной Пальмиры // Родина, 2000