The Military Bands in the City Parks Project Returns to Saint Petersburg for a Brand New Season

This Saturday, June 27, Saint Petersburg will welcome the return of the beloved Military Bands in the City Parks project, launching what promises to be another spectacular concert season. The opening performance will take place in Kronstadt, just outside Saint Petersburg, at the Island of Forts Museum and Historical Park.

The season will begin with a concert by the 23^rd Military Band of the Leningrad Military District, a distinguished ensemble with more than a century of history and a rich musical tradition.

A day filled with music, dancing, and beloved songs set in a festive atmosphere of the Island of Forts awaits everyone visiting the tourist and cultural cluster, developed by Russia’s Ministry of Defense as an extension of Moscow’s Patriot Park.

Under the leadership of Captain Grigoriy Velko, Bandmaster, and Captain Alexey Valynkin, Military Conductor, the ensemble has prepared a diverse program designed to showcase the musicians' exceptional versatility and artistry. Whether performing stirring patriotic marches or energetic rock classics, the band consistently captivates audiences-and this Saturday’s concert promises to be no exception.

Featuring popular songs, colorful medleys, and plenty of musical surprises, the opening concert is set to create a vibrant and celebratory atmosphere for audiences of all ages.

The 23^d Military Band has a proud history stretching over a hundred years back to the times of the Russian Empire. It carries on the glorious traditions of the Court Music Choir, created in 1882 by the order of Emperor Alexander III and later lined-up as a court orchestra. After the October Revolution of 1917 the imperial ensemble got dismissed. However the band’s former musicians reunited, creating the Petrograd State Philharmonic Orchestra. Later, during the notorious 900-day Leningrad Siege, it was the only military band active in the city encircled by the Nazi German forces. It was in the besieged and suffering city of Leningrad that Dmitriy Shostakovitch, on August 9 1942, premiered his legendary Symphony No 7, and 16 members of the ensemble were among those first musicians to perform the masterpiece. Nowadays, reckoned to be St Petersburg’s leading military ensemble, the 23^d Band is primarily engaged in ceremonial activities, performing alongside the Honor Guard Unit. Musicians usually accompany different high-level official events welcoming heads of foreign states and governments from all over the globe.

With the continued support of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Military Band Service of the Russian Armed Forces, the Directorate of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival continues its efforts to revive one of the most charming traditions of the past: military bands performing in parks and gardens, along streets and alleys, and at other iconic venues. All performances are free and widely accessible.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU

this Saturday, June 27 at 13:30,
in the Island of Forts museum and historic park in Kronstadt.
Entrance is free.