When the Central Band of the Czechoslovak People’s Army recorded a LP in the nineteen-sixties which was dedicated to ”Marches of the Warsaw Pact States”, Bulgarian marches became known with us for the first time, as this album was available in the West too. At that time the member countries of the Warsaw Pact provided the Prague Central Band with marches which they considered exemplary of their ”socialist” tradition and stylistic features. When comparing "Das Abzeichen" (The Insignia/Vimpel) by Stefan Marinov (Marinoff) with other marches of Bulgarian origin, this choice was wholly understandable. Since that time this ”model march from the Balkans” which cannot deny its folklore influences, definitely ranks in the top bracket of international marches of quality.