The Russian capital is celebrating its 864th birthday. The solemn celebration ceremony began at noon with the chimes of the Kremlin tower clock.

For the first time in the last two decades, a dramatized show took place in Red Square in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, city mayor Sergei Sobyanin and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Before the show, city authorities laid flowers on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the statue of Marshal Georgy Zhukov.

Over 6,000 war veterans, leaders of the country and its capital, representatives of public and youth organizations  and religious confessions were among spectators on the stands specially established in the main square of the country on the occasion of the Moscow City Day.

The show was divided into five parts in which famous symphony orchestras, dance groups, Bolshoi Theatre soloists and Todes Ballet dancers showed their skills.

The show was meant to combine the history, the present day and the future of the Russian capital. Congratulating Muscovites, Dmitry Medvedev stressed the city’s historical role and assured its residents that their opinions on the development of the city will be taken into consideration.

“Today’s Moscow is one of the most beautiful and influential cities of the world. We have started to implement such initiatives as building an International Financial Center and also an administrative center on the city’s new territory. Undoubtedly, this is a historic task. Both these centers are meant to make Moscow a comfortable, well-planned and competitive city.”

City Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared that the Moscow economy has overcome the crisis and now industry, science, small and medium-sized business, trade and services are rapidly developing in the city. Moscow has started large-scale reconstruction of the transport and social systems and  housing and social construction. Owing to the enlargement of the city’s area, this work will reach a higher level, Sobyanin  said:

“The Russian president supported the initiative of the governor of the Moscow Region and the mayor of Moscow to expand the city area. The added territories will provide Moscow with more opportunities for development: not only  administrative buildings but also new universities, medical centres, parks, sports complexes and modern comfortable residential buildings will be created.

The growth of business activity and investment will guarantee thousands of highly-paid jobs for Muscovites and residents of the Moscow Region.”

Hundreds of thousands of Muscovites and visitors of the city took part in the festivities today.  They listened to poetry in the parks, watched open-air dramatized shows, visited art exhibitions where they could attend well-known artists’ master classes. The peak of the festivities is planned for tonight: a light and music show will be organized in the Sparrow Hills and a hip-hop festival at the Tushino air-field.