This and other things have been revealed today, August 16, in the course of the official press conference in the Multimedia press center of the Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency by the main organizers of the Eleventh Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival which is going to be held in Moscow from August 24 to September 2.
The press event was opened by Lieutenant General Sergey Khlebnikov, Head of the Service of Moscow Kremlin’s Commandant — Moscow Kremlin’s Commandant, who highlighted the main aims of the Spasskaya Tower Festival set by the organizers at the very beginning when the Festival was just a concept. They have been the following: igniting the interest of common people to the military music culture, comparing the professional level of Russian military bands to some of the best foreign groups, achieving the world’s standards in organizing military music festivals.
According to him, various regions of Russia have already adopted the best practices of the organization of the Spasskaya Tower Festival which has proved that in a plethora of aspects Russian military bands are on par with their foreign colleagues.
Khlebnikov told that the topic of the 2018 Spasskaya Tower Festival was chosen in accordance with the Internet users’ opinion polls results showing that the audience wanted that more attention was given to the world’s classical music and pieces written by famous composers. Thus the theme of this year’s Festival is the Officer’s Ball which will be translated in the participants’ performances as well as in the design of the whole event. The show will be adorned by dancing pairs.
The Moscow Kremlin’s Commandant also told that this year the audience would have an opportunity to choose the best Russian and foreign group that would be awarded the audience prize.
Khlebnikov noticed that the realization of the Spasskaya Tower Festival was possible thanks to the participation of Sergey Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow, who had put the documents on the initiative of organizing the Festival on the President’s table and stepped out in supporting it.
According to the Moscow Kremlin’s Commandant right from its beginning the Festival Spasskaya Tower was cherished by the late Ludmila Shvetsova who back then had been the first deputy of the Mayor of Moscow and done her very best to translate the Russian Military Tattoo into life.
“The support provided by the Government of Moscow is essential for carrying out the Military Bands in the Parks program and Children and Youth Wind Bands Festival and Contest of the Central Federal District which this year was held in May in Moscow’s Zaryadye Park”, noticed Khlebnikov.
According to Alexander Kibovskiy, Minister of the Government of Moscow, Head of the Department of Culture of the City of Moscow, the Spasskaya Tower Festival has paved the way for other festivals in the city and now Moscow receives more than 300 different events annually.
“In 2016 the Spasskaya Tower Festival for the first time broadened its territorial horizons going beyond Red Square”, Kibovskiy told. “That year performances of the Festival’s participants were held onsite VDNH. And now, in 2018, some of the best military bands of Russia have already staged their concerts in thirteen parks and gardens of the capital including those situated within distance from the center. For example, the audiences of military bands performances in Kuzminki Museum Preserve and Perovskiy Park numbered about 3.5 thousands of people”.
The Head of the Department of Culture of the City of Moscow pointed out that this year the performances of military bands in the parks coincided with the FIFA World Cup and all the football fans that had come to Moscow had the opportunity to enjoy the professional skills of the ensembles. Then the social media saw a lot positives publications and comments.
According to Kibovskiy the Spasskaya Tower Festival has already become a key event of the cultural life of the capital and even showering rains can’t hamper the performance of a military band whose resilience inspires the
“I’m sure that for many successive years the Festival will strongly resonate with the public feelings”, said the Head of the Department of Culture of the City of Moscow at the end of his speech.
Sergey Smirnov, Head of the Directorate of the Spasskaya Tower Festival, told that on the 20th and 21st of August Moscow airports would start receiving the foreign participants of the Festival. This year the military bands will represent eleven countries including Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Monaco, Mexico, Oman, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Besides two combined international groups will present their programs on Red Square featuring the International Massed Celtic Pipes and Drums and International Irish Dance Team. Many of the groups will take part in the Festival for the first time.
According to Smirnov, the Festival envisages a large charity program. During the daytime anyone can absolutely for free visit the Children Playground on Red Square where children will be offered various master classes, interactive programs and quests. For two days the Children Playground will turn into a stage for the Children and Youth Brass Bands Festival organized within the Spasskaya Tower for Children program. Besides every day the horse riding arena will host performances of the Kremlin Equestrian School and Cavalier Escort of the Presidential Regiment of the Service of Moscow Kremlin Commandant of the Federal Guard Service of Russia as well as of the cavaliers of the Cordoba Equestrian Association, our guests from Spain.
“The peculiarity of this year’s Festival is going to be the first ever daytime show on Red Square which is going to be held on the 2nd of September along with the evening show. It is accounted by a number of things including the big tickets demand as well as the fact that the show is visited by a big number of little children and the night time is not very suitable for them. Besides on the 25th of August at 12:00 the annual marching parade of the Festival’s participants will be held onsite VDNH and on the 1st of September they will perform in Moscow parks and railway stations”, told the Head of the Festival’s Directorate.
According to Smirnov, the Festival receives great support from its partners featuring Rostec State Corporation, ROSOBORONEXPORT, FOSAGRO, LukOil and various others. This year the Presidents Library named after Boris Eltsin has become the partner of the Festival.
Besides the Head of the Spasskaya Tower Festival Directorate thanked the Festival’s permanent information partners including Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency, TV Center Channel and Zvezda TV and Radio Station.
Colonel 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, told about the music component of the Festival.
“The prologue of the main show on Red Square will immediately set the theme of the Festival. That is the Officers’ Ball”, said Mayakin. “Thus the prologue will feature the especially written potpourri, performance of dancing pairs including the best pairs, participants of the Moscow Longevity program organized this year in the capital’s parks and gardens. Pairs will dance wearing garments of three different epochs of the 18th century, the Great Patriotic War times and modern days. The grand finale of the show will also have the waltz potpourri of famous compositions of Soviet and foreign composers including Shostakovich, Sviridov, Strauss and others. The audience will be offered to sing along under the accompaniment of the combined band”, told the Chief Military Conductor.
The Music Director of the Spasskaya Tower Festival joyfully noted that the festival movement was expanding encompassing other regions of Russia. Thus, military music festivals are already being held in Khabarovsk (the Amur Waves), Tambov, Sakhalin including even the Kuril Islands. In October the movement will be joined by Tula.
Before the beginning of the press conference the Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation performed for all the media representatives and employees of the Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency. The concert of the renowned ensemble was so enthusiastically received by the public that it lasted beyond the scheduled time thus the beginning of the press conference was slightly delayed.