Moscow celebrates birthday

Three and a half million Muscovites and guests participated in the Russian capital yesterday and today in celebration of the 862nd birthday of Moscow. Day of the City is marked with more than 4,000 holiday program on all streets of the capital. Everywhere is heard the music, were held parades, concerts, festivals, competitions, entertainment ...

Men Can the Russians to fame, from an early age are taught to respect tradition, and Moscow all have a special status. "Chair" (the capital) is a symbol of Russia, as President Medvedev said: "its great destiny, its unity and extraordinary diversity. And what is the main symbol of constant renewal and development ... city with an exceptional internal energy.

It all started on Tver Street, in front of City Hall. For that opportunity is closed, this wide street turned into a huge square with round tables, guests, flags, colorful balloons ...

High Noon arrived President Medvedev, Patriarch Cyril and Mayor Luzhkov. After the address of their citizens began a magnificent celebration - on the lawn out young people in formal suits and girls in colorful dresses ball. Started the play titled "Moscow, forever young" in 2500 which was attended by actors, poets, musicians. In the end, everything turned into an explosion of color, music, beauty ...

Most attention was drawn to the event in Red Square - the beginning of the festival, "Spassky Tower," which marked the eight strokes of the clock tower and sounds "Preobraženskog march. After that, open the Kremlin's Spassky Gate, which opens only in ceremonial occasions, and on Red Square started the column of military orchestras of Russia, Kazakhstan, France, Denmark, India, Italy, Great Britain and Israel.

If any of the tens of thousands of guests expected to hear the military music, certainly was surprised - Musicians in vivid ceremonial uniforms played jazz, spiritual music, and much does not usually play.

Grenadier in plaid suknjicama and gajda in the hands of representatives gardijskog Scottish Regiment and the Royal Regiment of Scotland, together with the Orchestra of bagpipes from Moscow surprised the audience potpurijem Beatles tunes and Russian folk songs. It started romance "Nights Under Moscow, after which the" granules "Obladi-oblada" and her "Kalinka" and "Yellow Submarine" ... and so on.

Italians are the music Verdi, Puccini and Tchaikovsky showed the flags of virtuoso playing, medieval art resulting from the Apennines, which to this day taught from generation to generation, while France was represented by the orchestra honorary guard Republican Guard, which was founded by Napoleon.

Representatives of Israel, who a day earlier said that it will not appear at the opening of the festival (Saturday Jews do not work), but appeared in Red Square, and the performance of their song "Hava Nagila," the audience stood and listened aplaudirajući.

The special charm of the music program was given by the famous French singer Mireille Mathieu who first sang two songs accompanied by orchestras all together (more than eight hundred and fifty musicians), conducted by the Chief of Military orchestra of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian service, Major General Valery Halil. And then, without music, "čornije Eyes" in Russian.

Seen off the ovation and flourish.

Huge interest in viewers caused performance honorary presidential guard regiment of Russia, which staged a complex geometric figure with a virtuoso Handle weapons.

Particularly effective was the cavalry with their special programs and figures "coach", "mill", "twist" ... Star evenings were five young people, better to say small, guard, military school students, the pony who delighted attendees with his skill.

Exotic surprise was the performance of school students Shaolin Temple martial arts monastery in China. The sounds of drums, they were able to demonstrate the power of spirit and ancient skills.

In the end they, along with a huge fireworks all together orchestras perform Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, and Red Square are left with the anthem of the Russian capital.

The celebration continued today at the Cathedral Square Kremlin's magnificent concert which involved Russian National Symphony Orchestra and Choir of the Academy of Choral Art, and the world of opera star Ana Netrepko (officially the best singer in the world), Olga Borodin, Sergei Skorohodov, Pat Burčuladze ...

Theme of the festival, "Spassky Tower" this year is marking three centuries of the famous Russian victory over Swedes at Poltava. The festival will last until 10 September and a series of concerts will be held in Moscow parks and squares, and every evening završavaće a concert in Red Square.