Today, September 1, Moscow hosted the last two shows of the Twelfth Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival.
Every day, from August 23 to September 1, military bands and artistic ensembles form Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, DPR of Korea, Norway, Republic of Korea, Russia, Turkey, Japan as well as two international groups – the International Celtic Massed Pipes and Drums and the International Celtic Dance Team, were stepping onto the cobblestones of Red Square.
Today’s daytime show featured performance of the Combined Band of the State Budget School N. 1 of Moscow, one of the best participants of the Spasskaya Tower Children and Youth Wind Bands Festival. Last year 33 boys and girls, students of the school were given the honor to become part of the main Festival’s program. But this year as many as 144 junior musicians were given an opportunity to show all their skills and talents in the main square of the country. They performed Rimsky-Korsakov’s Easter Overture and a medley of ABBA’s best hits.
The last day of the Festival couldn’t lack the iconic Mireille Mathieu, prominent French singer and symbol of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Tattoo. She took part in both shows of the day performing three songs including Non, je ne regrette rien, Je suis laand Pardonne-Moi Ce Caprice.
The final part of the evening show welcomed all the ensembles, participants of the 2019 production, to once again step onto the cobblestones and become part of the great combined band. Before the last sounds filled the air of this warm evening in Moscow, the anchor of the Festival announced winners of the Spasskaya Tower Audience Choice Award. Throughout all ten days of the Festival audiences might have cast their votes on the official website or mobile app. Today the voting was also available for the audiences of the show’s live streams and TV broadcast. This year 215 thousand of people became part the Spasskaya Tower Festival voting. Scoring 43.5% of the votes theCentral Military Band of the Russian Ministry of Defensewas named the best Russian band of the 2019 Festival, while the Band of the People’s Liberation Army of Chinascored 32.7% of the votes winning the Best Foreign Performance Award. Mr. Sergey Smirnov, Head of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival Directorate, member of the Festival’s Public Council, and Major General Timofey Mayakin, Head of the Military Bands Music Service of the Russian Armed Forces – Chief Military Conductor and Honored Artist of Russia, presented the awards to Colonel Sergey Durygin, Head of the Central Military Band of the Russian Ministry of Defense, and Senior Colonel Liu Xinbo, Conductor of the Chinese Band.
This evening the stands welcomed Colonel General Yuriy Sadovenko, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Madame Silvie Bermann, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to the Russian Federation, Brigadier General Ivan Martian, Defense Attaché of the Embassy of France in Russia, Mr. Bruno Aloise Russi, Dean of the Military Diplomatic Corps and Defense Attaché of the Switzerland Confederation, Mr. Mauro Buttiliero, Vice President of the Associazione Nazionale Alpini, Major General Kim Yong Sin, Defense Attaché of the Embassy of the DPRK in Russia, Colonel Nadir Shabkhazov, Defense Attache of the Azerbaijan Republic Armed Forces in Russia, Mr. Ulabrek Abykeev, Head of the Inspection Analytical Department and Secretary of the Military Council of the National Guard of the Kazakhstan Republic, Brigadier General Muhammed Mansi Muhammed Gebril, Defense Attaché of Egypt in Russia, with his wife, Major General Helmi Ahmet Suleiman Khattab, Head of the Military Band Music Service of Egypt, Ms. Vera Chistova, Deputy Chairperson of the Accounts Chamber of Russia, Mr. Aristarkh Livanov, People Artist of Russia.
Lieutenant General Sergey Khlebnikov, Moscow Kremlin Commandant and member of the Festival Public Council, and Major General Andrey Filyakin, Commander of the Presidential Regiment, greeted guests and participants of the last evening show of the Spasskaya Tower Festival.
This gorgeous celebration of art and music would not be possible without the Rostec Satate Corporation, ROSOBORONEXPORTand Transneft companies, permanent partners and loyal friends of the Spasskaya Tower Festival, that help it in its comprehensive development and growth, as well as remaining one of the most upscale international projects of Russia.
FOR INFORMATION
This year the Audience Choice Award was made by the Argentov Jeweler’s. It is a five-point star, the central part of which features a casing with a piece of cut ruby glass and a cut crystal sphere in the bottom. Passing through the ruby glass and crystal sphere light creates an intricate pattern. The whole piece is placed on the marble base with a golden inscription featuring the year and official emblem of the Festival.
Tatiana Zharkova, Designer, Honored Artist of Russia
Dmitry Samorukov, Master of the Artistic Cutting
Alexander Afonin, Alexander Artamonov, Shamil Zobkov, Jewelers
Festival’s Statistics
Throughout these ten Festival’s days Red Square welcomed more than 30 bands and artistic ensembles from 12 countries featuring Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, DPR of Korea, Norway, Republic of Korea, Russia, Turkey, Japan as well as two international groups – the International Celtic Massed Pipes and Drums and the International Celtic Dance Team.
This year 1922 participants including musicians, soloists, dancers, conductors, flagbearers and riders performed on the main stage and horse riding arena of the Festival. Evening shows on Red Square featured 1835 participants. Lev Kolokoltsev, member of the Exemplary Military Band of the Honor Guard, is 78 years old. He is the oldest participant of this year’s production. Meanwhile Anastasia Goroshenko from the International Celtic Dance Team is the youngest participant as she is only 12 years old. While performing on Red Square bands used 1441 music instruments.
The horse riding arena welcomed 87 participants featuring 82 riders and 5 members of the kids flanking group, as well as 82 horses with 12 of them being ponies. The youngest participant is Alexander Nikitin. He is only 11 years old and member of the Kids Ceremonial Riding Group of the Kremlin Equestrian School.
26 junior bands featuring 1000 musicians took part in the Spasskaya Tower Children and Youth Wind Bands Festival carried at the Children Playground of the Festival. 16 junior honor guard units featuring 200 members became part of this year’s Spasskaya Tower Children and Youth Honor Guard Contest. The average age of junior participants is 14-18 years old. Ivan Fomin is the youngest among them. He is member of the Exemplary Wind Band of the Children Arts School N. 1 of Anapa.
