The National Guards Unit of Bulgaria ( bg, Национална гвардейска част на България, translit=Natsionalna gvardeyska chast na Bulgaria) is a unique Bulgarian military formation of regimental size, directly subordinated to the Minister of Defence. The unit is purely ceremonial, as the security of the President of Bulgaria, members of the government, of the Parliament and foreign dignitaries on official visits is provided by the . While legally part of the

Bulgarian Armed Forces The Bulgarian Army ( bg, Българска армия, Bŭlgarska armiya) is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military ...

, it is outside of the jurisdiction of the Defence Staff.

Present day duties

The mission of the National Guards Unit is not just to display military traditions and rituals but also to provide a center for their revival and enrichment in order to preserve and enhance the

national identity National identity is a person's identity or sense of belonging to one or more states or to one or more nations. It is the sense of "a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions, culture, and language". National identity ...

of the Republic of Bulgaria and of its Armed Forces. Today it includes military units for state and military ceremonies and a full

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 ti ...

. The National Guard performed the ritual "Ceremonial changing of the honor guard of the Presidency" for the first time on 5 November 2003 and every hour changes guard at the administrative building of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria. The Guard also ensures the security of civil, military and industrial sites in Sofia. The scarlet full dress uniform of the modern Guards is essentially the same as that worn under both the monarchy and the communist regime. It is modelled on historic

hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

dress.

History

19th century

The National Guards Unit of

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 Macedo ...

is the successor of the Personal Cavalry Convoy (squadron) of

knyaz , or ( Old Church Slavonic: Кнѧзь) is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times of history and different ancient Slavic lands. It is usually translated into English as prince or duke, dependi ...

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of A ...

, founded in 1879, when on July 12 the guards escorted the Bulgarian

for the first time. Accordingly, 12 July is the official holiday of the modern National Guard Unit. On August 30, 1881, after the presentation of the first official battle flags in Bulgarian history, the Guards performed a ceremonial march in front of the prince. Immediately after the proclamation of the unification of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia, the guards arrived in

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the ...

Early 20th century and World War Two

During the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and def ...

, the Life Guards Regiment performed important tasks in the field of intelligence and the protection of strategic sites. In the critical battles for the capture of the Edirne fortress on March 13, 1913, the guards were the first to enter the city, capturing the commander of the fortress Mehmed Şükrü Pasha and his staff. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment initially participated on the Southern Front and guarded the western border. From January 1916 it was included in the cavalry division with Commander General Ivan Kolev and fought heroically on the

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...

front. In November 1938, a guard company led by the Minister of War, General Teodosi Daskalov, attended the funeral ceremony of Turkish leader

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...

. The Guards Cavalry Regiment was among the first Bulgarian troops to be met in Macedonia in April 1941. In the autumn of 1944, the Guards Cavalry Division took part in the final stage of the war against

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

Communist era

From the 1950s to the 1990s, the Guards underwent various reorganizations and had different commands from the Bulgarian People's Army and the Ministry of the Interior. The guards also formerly performed guard duties at the now destroyed

Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum The Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum ( bg, мавзолей на Георги Димитров) was a ceremonial tomb on Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was built in 1949 to house the embalmed body of Georgi Dimitrov, the fir ...

. It was known as Post №1. On Sundays, Wednesdays, and on solemn occasions, the guard was mounted at the mausoleum. The soldiers were selected from the entire army as well as the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Interior. There were no cartridges in the rifles while on duty, as police were always on duty in the area.

Modern republic

In 2001 the National Guards Unit was declared the official military unit representing the Armed Forces of Bulgaria and one of the symbols of modern state authority along with the flag, the coat of arms and the national anthem. In 2003, on the eve of 6 May or

St George's Day Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Bulgaria, England, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon and Catalonia. Sai ...

and Bulgarian Armed Forces Day - the biggest Bulgarian military holiday, the Bulgarians saw for the first time the solemn show-ceremony "Iskra" ("Sparkle"). This performance is combination of spectacular demonstration of non-standard combatant positions, movement with and without weapon and saluting battle flags and the heroes, who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of Bulgaria. The ritual "Solemn changing of the sentry of honour in front of the Presidency" first took place on November 5, 2003. In 2012, Gergana Ivanova was accepted into the ranks of the Guards, becoming the first female guard in the unit.

Organization

Regimental Headquarters * 1st Guard Battalion * 2nd Guards mixed battalion * Representative Brass Band * Representative Ensemble * Training Center

Particularities

Symbols

The National Guards Unit has its own regimental colour,

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

, distinctive insignia and

full dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, ...

. The scarlet Guards' uniform was created in 1883 and includes elements of Bulgarian national traditions and symbols. It has remained essentially unchanged throughout the political changes of the last 130 years. The current insignia was introduced in 2002 and consists of Alexander star, which is part of the royal medal "St. Alexander" and is worn on the Guard's hat since 1883. It is placed over a shield in colours of the Flag of Bulgaria. The current regimental colour, which follows the pattern of the traditional Bulgarian military colours during the royal period, dates from July 12, 2003.

Uniform

The scarlet

style uniform of the Guards was established in 1883 and includes elements of national symbolism. Throughout political changes, uniform details such as the eagle feather on the cap and the Alexander star have been retained. The Alexander star was originally a feature of the Bulgarian royal order "St. Alexander".

Weapons

Throughout the years the structure of the guards has changed from convoy to squadron, regiment and after 1942 - division. The guardsmen have however changed their weapons from cavalry sabres to infantry rifles. The standard issue rifle of the unit is

SKS The SKS (russian: Самозарядный карабин системы Симонова, Samozaryadny Karabin sistemy Simonova, 1945, self-loading carbine of (the) Simonov system, 1945) is a semi-automatic rifle designed by Soviet small arms ...

(Samozariadnaia karabina Simonova) and a ceremonial version of the

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...

assault rifle. They also use the much heavier rifle

Mosin–Nagant The Mosin–Nagant is a five-shot, bolt-action, internal magazine–fed military rifle. Known officially as the 3-line rifle M1891 and informally in Russia and former Soviet Union as Mosin's rifle ( ru , винтовка Мосина, ISO 9: ) ...

for training.

Commanders

The following have served as unit commanders: *Captain Alexander Mosolov (1879-1883) *Dimitri Riesenkampf (1883-1884) *Captain Yuri von Kube (1884-1884) *Colonel Baron Alfred Corwin (1884-1885) *Captain Todor Kabakchiev (1885-1886) *Captain Vladimir Tsankov (1886-1886) *Major General Petar Markov (1886-1908) *Colonel Ivan Kolev (1908-1912) *Colonel Genko Markholev (1912-1913) *Paun Bananas (1913-1916) *Colonel Alexander Kisov (1916-1918) *

Sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second hig ...

Lubomir Bosilkov (1918-1920) *Colonel Nikola Stanimirov (1921-1923) *Colonel Malcho Malchev (1930-1934) *Colonel Konstantin Markov (1934) *Colonel Matei Zlatoustov (1935-1936) *Colonel Iliya Dobrev (1941) *

Ivan Bozhinov (1941-1944) *

Ivan Sandev (1944) *Colonel Ivan Todorov (1945) *Colonel Tseno Tsenov (1946-1947) *

Ivan Chepishev (1948) *

Krastyu Antonov (1948) *Colonel Atanas Timnev (1950-1954) *Captain Kostadin Pandev (1967-1970) *Colonel Nikolai Nikolov (1978-1983) *Colonel Atanas Assenov (1982-1985) *Colonel Angel Stoyanov (1997-2002) *Colonel Krum Alexandrov (2002-June 1, 2008) *Brigadier General Boyan Stavrev (June 1, 2008 – December 12, 2016) *

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

Ilko Yordanov (December 12, 2016 – April 14, 2019) *Colonel Kancho Ivanov (since April 14, 2019)

Gallery

Image:Georgi_Obretenov.jpg, G. Obretenov with typical 19th century Bulgarian revolutionary uniform, prototype of the National Guards' uniform, c. 1876 Image:Alexander II of Russia (Nikolay Lavrov 02).jpg,

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Fin ...

dolman The somewhat vaguely defined term dolman (from Turkish ''dolaman'' "robe" ) can refer to various types of clothing, all of which have sleeves and cover the top part of the body, and sometimes more. Originally, the term ''dolaman'' referred to ...

of His Majesty's Life-Guards

Hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

Regiment, 1873 Image:Bulgarian Life Guard Cavalry Squadron, 1896, The Vinkhuijzen collection.jpg, Bulgarian Life Guards Cavalry Squadron, c. 1896 Image:Bulgarian Life Guard Cavalry Squadron Officers, 1903, The Vinkhuijzen collection.jpg, Officers of Bulgarian Life Guards Squadron, 1903 Image:Bulgarian Life Guard Cavalry squadron Officer, c. 1908, The Vinkhuijzen collection.jpg, Officer of Bulgarian Life Guards Cavalry Squadron, c. 1908 Image:National Guards Unit of Bulgaria Officer's Uniform.jpg, Officer's Uniform Image:National Guards Unit of Bulgaria Serviceman's Uniform.jpg, Serviceman's Uniform Image:Bulgaria Bulgaria-0535 - Presidential Palace Guard (7390209294).jpg, Headgear: kalpak with

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

feather and Alexander star Image:Bulgarian-presidency-guardians.jpg, Summer uniforms Image:Sofia-presidents-office-imagesfrombulgaria2.jpg, Winter uniforms Image:Cambio_de_Guardia_I,_Sofia,_Bulgaria,_marzo_de_2011.JPG, Winter

greatcoat A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the ...

s Image:President of Bulgaria, Residence, Guard change 007.JPG, Changing of the Guard Image:Sofia guard 20110711-10.jpg, Changing of the Guard Image:Rousseff Parvanov guard.jpg, Parade during a visit of the President of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Dilma Rousseff Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil, holding the position from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the first ...

References

External links

National Guards Unit official page

Official site
of National Guards Unit.
Rules of the National Guards Unit
passed on May 22, 2001.
"Дълг, чест и гвардейска душа"
article in "Български войн" magazine, number 7, 2004.
"За честта и славата на родината" - в навечерието на Трети март"
article in "Българска армия" newspaper, number 16310, March 3, 2006.
"Традицията се отстоява всеки ден"
article in "Български войн" magazine, number 7-8, 2007. {{in lang, bg National symbols of Bulgaria Military units and formations of Bulgaria Guards regiments Guards of honour