The Ceremonial Guard Battalion (), also known as the Honour Battalion () is a military unit of the
Macedonian Military. The mission of the Ceremonial Guard Battalion is to perform military honors for all events regulated by the rules of engagement in ARNM, as well as maintaining the combat readiness of the Ceremonial Guard Battalion units at the highest level.
History
After the departure of Yugoslav People Army's from Macedonia, the ''Ceremonial Guard Battalion'' became an official regiment on March 26, 1992 as part of the ''First Guard Brigade''. On July 22, 2002 the ''Honour and Serving Guards Battalion'' was designated as the main guard of honour for Macedonia. On March 1, 2006 it was renamed as the ''Honour and Serving Battalion''. It has officially been entitled the Ceremonial Guard Battalion since April 1, 2012.
The battalion provided honours for the
state funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...
s of President
Boris Trajkovski
Boris Trajkovski (GCMG) ( mk, Борис Трајковски, pronounced ; 25 June 1956 – 26 February 2004) was a Macedonian politician who served as the second President of Macedonia from 1999 until his death in 2004 in a plane crash.
Traj ...
and songwriter
Toše Proeski
Todor "Toše" Proeski ( mk, Тодор "Тоше" Проески, ; 25 January 1981 – 16 October 2007) was a Macedonian multi-genre singer and songwriter. Considered a top act of the local Macedonian and Balkan music scene, Proeski's music w ...
.
Structure
* Battalion Command
** Battalion Commander
* Battalion Headquarters
* Administration Company
* Guard Company
** Guard Platoon
** Guard Platoon
** Guard Platoon
** Guard Platoon
* Guard Company
** Guard Platoon
** Guard Platoon
** Guard Platoon
** Guard Platoon
*
Military Band
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...
Military Band
The
Military Band
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...
(
Macedonian: ''Воениот оркестар'') is a professional and unique unit inside the battalion, engaging in its duties by performing at significant protocol events organized by the army and the federal government. It was founded in 1944 in the city of
Bitola
Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...
, as part of the 7th Macedonian Drill Brigade. After the creation of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
(SFRY), the band worked in the ranks of the Third Army Area of the
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...
, based in Skopje. After independence, the band was reformed to represent the ARM in its entirety, acting as a musical ambassador. It has performed in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
,
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
and
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, and used foreign compositions made by famous composers such as
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
,
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dist ...
,
Johann Strauss
Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ove ...
and
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
.
Traditions
The members of the honour guard battalion performs the well-known drills such as their trademark "Egzircir" routine.
Unit Day
11 November, is known as the Day of the Unit. It was chosen in honour of the traditions of the First Macedonian Kosovo Shock Brigade of the
National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Macedonia, which was established on this date in 1943 in the village of
Slivovo.
Activities
A contingent from one of the companies took part in the
Great Union Day
, nickname = ro, Ziua Marii Uniri
, observedby = Romania, Moldova (unofficially)
, begins =
, ends =
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = annual
, scheduling = same day each year
, date = 1 December
, da ...
military parade
A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...
in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
in 2019. Within the visit, members of the Honor Guard Battalion met with the Ambassador of North Macedonia to Romania, Gabriel Atanasov.
Uniform
The
Macedonian Ministry of Defence designe
new uniformsfor the battalion in 2010. The new uniform is based on the uniform of the
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
(IMRO) and specifically the uniform of Bulgarian revolutionary
Ilyo Voyvoda
Iliya Markov ( bg, Илия Марков, mk, Илија Марков, ; May 28, 1805 – April 17, 1898), known as Ilyo Voyvoda or Dedo Iljo Maleshevski, was a Bulgarian revolutionary from the region of Macedonia, who is considered a national h ...
who served in the
Bulgarian Legion )
, war= National awakening of Bulgaria
, image=
, caption=The standard of the Bulgarian Legion
, active=1862–1868
, ideology= Bulgarian nationalism
, leaders= Georgi Sava Rakovski
, groups=
, headquarters= Belgrade, Serbia
, area=
, size=
, parto ...
in the mid-19th century.
Презентирани нови гардиски униформи- микс на Армани и дедо Иљо Малешевски
accessed 8 July 2015.
See also
* Special Forces Battalion
*The Rangers Battalion
The Rangers Battalion is a Special operations force in the Special Operations Regiment of the Army of North Macedonia. It consists of the former Reconnaissance battalion and the Parachuting squad as well as servicemen from other units.http://www.a ...
* Macedonian Air Force
*Army of the Republic of Macedonia
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
*Military Reserve Force (Macedonia)
The Military Reserve Force ( mk, Резервисти на АРМ, translation=Reservists of the ARM) is a military unit of Republic of Macedonia, North Macedonia. It is part of Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, Army of the Republic of Ma ...
*Military Service for Security and Intelligence
The Military Service for Security and Intelligence of North Macedonia is an intelligence office within the Minister of Defense (North Macedonia), Ministry of Defence of North Macedonia.
Mission
:Planning, analyzing, processing and dissemination o ...
* Macedonia
References
{{Commons category-inline, Ceremonial Guard Battalion
Military units and formations of North Macedonia
Military units and formations established in 2002
Guards of honour