retreat

military ceremonial music and a military signal played at a specific time on the drum, horn, or trumpet or by a band. The retreat appeared in various armies in the 18th century. In the Soviet armed forces the retreat is played in training centers and camps after the daily evening roll call and in the barracks after the evening roll call for the whole regiment or the battalion. The retreat music that is presently used was written by S. A. Chernetskii. On state holidays of the USSR, of the armed forces, of an armed service, or of a combat arm and on annual holidays of units and when certain persons (specified by the Military Regulations of the Internal Service of the Armed Forces of the USSR) visit a summer encampment a ceremonial retreat is sounded. For this ceremony, all the personnel of the summer encampment assemble in the area indicated by the commanding officer of the summer encampment. At the designated time, signal flares are fired, an artillery battery fires a volley of blank rounds, and a composite band plays the retreat and the anthem of the Soviet Union, after which the troops file past the band.