Today, May 18, on the Day of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Moscow, the beautiful and blooming Alexander Garden was transformed into a big concert venue.
Three of some of the best and
Concerts staged within the program lead up to one of the most anticipated events of the year featuring participation by some of the world’s best military bands and artistic ensembles. That’s the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival.
From May 25 to August 17, fourteen Moscow’s parks and gardens will open their gates to welcome military musicians of the Moscow Garrison. This year wonderful sounds of waltzes and marches, popular songs and compositions will fill the air of the Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill, Gorkiy Park, Sokolniki, Muzeon, Zaryadye, Red Presnya Park, Fili Park, Kuzminki, Bauman and Ermitazh gardens as well as Perovskiy, Babushkinskiy and Izmailovskiy parks. August 17, the season will break off in the Alexander Garden, the same place where it started.
The Cadet Band of the Moscow Military Music College named after Lieutenant General Valery Khalilov was the first to perform that day in the Alexander Garden. Down the Italian Grotto they dazzled the audience with several music pieces composed by Russian and foreign authors, featuring Boris Kozhevnikov, Vitaliy Voronkov, Leroy Anderson, John Williams, Jérôme Naulais and others. Artem Shirokov and Mikhail Melnik were ahead of the band.
At the same time on Manezhnaya Square, Muscovites and guests of the capital were enjoying the Exemplary Band of the Honor Guard performing near the Marshal Zhukov Monument. When the performance at the Italian Grotto was over the official opening ceremony began.
Mr. Sergey Smirnov, Head of the Directorate of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival,
welcomed everybody who that day gathered beneath the Kremlin walls to attend this wonderful event.
He began with a question. “What should we do to oust the bad mood away
in a gloomy day when the sky is grey and the people around are as black as clouds
on that sky?” And music was the answer. He said that to transform Moscow in the city
of
In his turn Major General Timofey Mayakin, Head of the Military Music Band Service of the Russian Armed Forces — Chief Military Conductor and Music Director of the Spasskaya Tower Festival, thanked the audience on behalf of his service, pointing out that he was very pleased to see that each year not just the number of parks hosting military bands concerts but the number of guests attending them was growing. “This program is for all of you”, he said. “Come and enjoy yourself, get inspired and lift up your spirits”, added Major General welcoming everybody to spend summer in Moscow’s parks and gardens listening to good music.
Mr. Alexander Kibovskiy, Head of the Department of Culture of Moscow, attended the ceremony on behalf of the City Government. He congratulated everybody on three important events — on the International Museums Day, the Day of Parks and the start of the Military Bands in the City Parks that saw light in 2016 thanks to the initiative of Lieutenant General Valery Khalilov, the first Music Director of the Spasskaya Tower Festival. “The International Museums Day is always marked by rain, unlike the day when we launch this wonderful program. It is amazing signifying that the skies themselves favor this project. This year these two dates coincided. Thus, you may see that the weather is exceptional”, said Mr. Kibovskiy. He expressed great thanks to all engaged in that program, particularly to military musicians, participants of the Moscow Longevity program as well as its loyal audience. “Welcome to parks, museums and military bands’ concerts”.
Following the end of the opening ceremony, the wonderful sounds of music once again filled in the air
in the Italian Grotto of the Alexander Garden. It was the Central Band of the Navy named after
