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MOSCOW, September 2 (Itar-Tass) - Official celebrations on the occasion of the City Day have been started in Moscow. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, representatives of the Moscow government, of public, children’s and youth organisations, as well as veterans, escorted by the guard of honour, laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the monument to Marshal Zhukov, paying a tribute of respect for the memory of those, who had defended Moscow during the Great Patriotic War.
This year the City Day is devoted to the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi troops near Moscow. “That victory was extremely important. It became a turning point in the war,” Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov told journalists. “Today we fete our veterans. We resolve their problems …Moscow is in a good mood today on the occasion of the City Day. This is a most warm and cordial holiday for the Muscovites. Our city is developing, growing and settling its social problems.”
Some 90 delegations from various countries came to Moscow to attend the celebrations.
President Vladimir Putin came to the central part of the capital to attend celebrations on the occasion of the 859th anniversary of Moscow. He took part in the opening ceremony outside the monument to Yuri Dolgoruki.
Addressing Muscovites, the President congratulated them on the occasion of the City Day and said that “Moscow has done a lot for the country… Our capital has always been famous for its people – persistent, vigorous, hard-working and talented... All the best and most talented people have always been concentrated in Moscow. This is reason enough for us to be proud of the Russian capital.
Putin described Moscow as “the city, at which the whole world is looking, and this is not an exaggeration… It is a symbol of the greatness of the Russian state, of its glorious traditions.” The President reminded of the invaluable contribution made by Moscow and Muscovites to the victory over Nazism in the Great Patriotic War.
“Moscow has always attracted people from all parts of Russia. Now Moscow is on the rise. It is developing, keeping up with time and preserving its glorious traditions,” he continued.
This year the motto of the City Day is “Moscow – the city of music and lights.” Some 3,000 activities will take place during the weekend. The celebrations will end with impressive fireworks near the Moskva River and with a laser show in the Sofiisky Embankment.
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