Moscow City Day

Moscow City Day (Russian: День города Москвы) is an official event in Moscow that honors the city's founding. Moscow traditionally celebrates during the first weekend in September. The celebration involves free cultural events, a parade and evening fireworks.[1][2]

Moscow City Day
Official nameДень города Москвы
Also calledMoscow Day
Day of Moscow
Observed by Russia
 Moscow
TypeLocal
SignificanceCelebrates the founding of Moscow in 1147
CelebrationsParades throughout the city, Fireworks
Date5 September
Next time5 September 2021 (2021-09-05)
Frequencyannual

History

The Moscow City Day was on January 1, 1847, celebrating Moscow's 700th anniversary. At the end of prayers held in the Chudov Monastery, the bells in the Ivan the Great Bell Tower sounded. The city celebrated its 800th anniversary in 1947, this time during Soviet rule. According to a mandate of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, a special medal was awarded to almost 1.7 million Soviet citizens. In 1997, the 850th anniversary of Moscow was celebrated. Moscow Day was introduced as an annual event in 1986 by future-President Boris Yeltsin, who served as Secretary of the Moscow City Committee at the time.[3]

Celebrations
Main article: Tourism in Russia

About 1,000 different events and activities are held during the holiday, including parades, fairs, street entertainment, sports contests, and live music concerts. 67 Moscow museums offer free admission. Over 170 free walking and bicycle tours are organised.[4][5][6][7] Dozens of Moscow museums offer free admission on this day and historical tours are organised over the holiday weekend.

Parade

The celebrations begin with a procession along Tverskaya Street and finishes at the Kremlin. Tverskaya traditionally transforms into a pedestrian zone. The parade usually includes various national academic and military marching bands, and occasionally the participants of the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo, which takes place earlier in the month.

Concerts

Evening concerts usually take place in large areas such as Red Square, Cathedral Square and Manezhnaya Square. Classical music concerts are also held at city parks such as Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno and Sokolniki. The Patriarch Ponds annually hosts a unique concert-on-water. Concerts range from rising independent artists to international performers and urban classical orchestras.[8]

Mass event

A traditional mass event is held at Luzhniki Stadium in the Khamovniki District. The event features amusement rides, games and competitions. The main stage opposite the central entrance features famous singers, while the car park by the South Sport Complex provides a venue for a rap music concert.[9]

Other

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, the 2020 celebrations were reduced to a singular ceremony attended by President Putin in the Zaryadye Park Concert Hall.[10]

Controversies

The past two Moscow City Duma elections (in 2014 and 2019) have coincided with the city day commemorations. During the 2019 election, hip hop recording artist Timati took part in a congratulatory video featuring Guf in which both rappers expressed support for Mayor Sergey Sobyanin and criticized the political protests. On September 10, Guf apologized for the video by explaining that he was unaware of the political developments while Timati said that "a high-profile opinion is often perceived through the prism of negativity, as any unpopular decision is", but this time "it was over-the-top".[11]

See also

References
  1. "Перечень праздничных, памятных дней, дней проведения торжественных и иных мероприятий, к которым на территории города обеспечивается праздничное и тематическое оформление" (pdf). Официальный сайт Мэра Москвы. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  2. "День города: как и где отмечать праздник". Ntv.ru. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  3. {{cite web|url=https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/europe/russia/moscow/city-events/
  4. "Moscow City Day Russia E-guide". Russiaeguide.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  5. Sorokina, Anna (26 August 2017). "How to celebrate Moscow City Day like a local". Rbth.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  6. "Best of Moscow: City Day Celebrations". Themoscowtimes.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  7. "Moscow City Day - Russia E-guide". Russia E-guide. 2014-09-01. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  8. "The Moscow City Day - Russia Travel". Russia-travel.com. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  9. "Events / Moscow City Web Site". Mos.ru. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  10. "Putin commends Moscow authorities for well-coordinated work amid pandemic". TASS. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
  11. Звезда, Сергей (10 September 2019). "Гуф извинился за клип про Москву и заявил, что его "развели". Тимати удалил видео". TJ (in Russian). Retrieved 10 September 2019.
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