V. Demina

Domestic Military Traditions in Parade Music of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army in 1918

The article is devoted to the music of the first military parades in the Soviet state. The author’s purpose is to establish the continuity of domestic cultural traditions in music decorating of festive ceremonials. The research tasks are to study the history of the first parades, their structure, music repertoire of the ceremonial, as well as to detect the music works connecting the celebrations of the 18–19th centuries with new Soviet holidays. The material of research contains documentary photos and videos on parades, musical notations of marches and revolutionary songs, as well as reminiscence of eyewitnesses. On the example of the holidays devoted to the Day of International and October Anniversary the ideological bases of the Soviet festive culture are considered. The research points out that the most significant culmination stages of celebrations in 1918 were meetings and parades of troops in Red Square and Hodynsky field of a new capital. The music accompanying these celebrations combines traditional and innovative elements of ceremonial: along with ancient marches in choral and orchestral performance it includes songs of the First Russian revolution and revolutionary underground. It is noted that the musical and poetic component of celebrations changes, however the connection with the parades before and after the revolution remains in the imperial and military marches sounding while the troops pass. The music embodies the idea of glorification of the Fatherland and its defenders.

Key words

music of parades, Soviet celebration, military history of Russia.

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