For the eighth time, the Spasskaya Tower festival was held in Moscow. From the very first show that took place in 2006, this show of military bands, or Military Tattoo, was timed to coincide with Moscow City Day. It is held naturally (and this has become a tradition) in early September.
Musical and theatrical performances
Despite the fact that Russia was the last to join this global movement, the Spasskaya Tower festival stands out from similar musical and theatrical shows: the project is unique in scale and program and has no equal.
The performances of military bands have always been of great interest to the public, because they are not only musical concerts - these spectacles contribute to the development of a sense of patriotism and pride in the army of their country. Accompanied by music, a demonstration of military training, beautiful army ceremonies and paraphernalia made the Spasskaya Tower festival an expected and beloved holiday.
Parents of the Military Tattoo Movement
The first of these events was held in 1880 in London. This Royal tournament gathered almost all the military bands of the great British Empire. It began to be held annually. Tradition was interrupted only for the period when the shadow of war hung over Europe. The shows ended in 1999. In the middle of the last century, namely in 1950, the first famous Edinburgh parade of military bands took place. It is very representative, held annually and gathers up to 200,000 spectators. Canada joined the Military Tattoo movement in 1979, Birmingham in 1989, followed by Norfolk (USA), Sydney and others. Most of the oldest shows were held under the patronage of the royal family of Great Britain. The London tournament in 2010 was renamed the British.
Competitions of military bands in Europe
Continental Europe also did not stand aside. In Paris, at the time of the World Exhibition in 1867, there was not even a show, but a Congress of military bands, which was attended by musicians of the Life Guards of the cavalry guard regiment, which won first place that year. In France, military musician shows have been held on the Field of Mars since 1840. But these were qualifying contests in which the best military orchestras were determined, and since 1867 the shows acquired international significance, although they were not permanent at the beginning, but were dedicated to solemn events.
Poklonnaya Gora marks the beginning of annual shows
Against the background of such a rich and beautiful history, the young festival "Spasskaya Tower", declared as international, could not face the dirt. The venue of the festival, Red Square, immediately determined its status. True, the festival that marked the beginning of this beautiful tradition and which took place in 2006 was held on Poklonnaya Hill, and it was called "Speeches by Honorary Guard Units of the Heads of State." All theatrical performances of the show were accompanied by famous and beloved military bands in our country. There were sensations.
So, the Kazakh company of the special guard demonstrated weapons handling techniques, and not a single army in the world is capable of repeating them. Representatives of this former Soviet republic have been excellent all year, the high level of their numbers is remembered and discussed on the Web.
Great organization
The colorful show of 2006 turned out to be so impressive that it was decided to hold it on a regular basis, but Red Square was already determined as the venue, and the name of the new show was Spasskaya Tower. The organizers of the first show must be indicated.
It was the agency Mikhailov and Partners. Strategic Communications Management. ” This organization systematically and effectively worked to create an attractive image of the capital in order to attract more tourists. The title of the festival was received in 2009. Now Spasskaya Tower has very serious sponsors. The festival takes place with the full support of the government of the capital and under the patronage of the
Public Council.To a beautiful city - a wonderful gift
It was noted above what event the Spasskaya Tower festival was dedicated to - City Day of the capital of the Russian Federation. This is a worthy gift to Moscow. In this colorful show, military, classical music, folk and pop are interwoven.
Colorful costumes of orchestra musicians on parade defile, special effects and dance production performances, performances by stars of the first magnitude, performances and unformatted, one-of-a-kind concerts, horse riding riders from the Kremlin - all this can be seen here.
Multi-day holiday
The Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival is gaining momentum. If 70,000 spectators were declared on Poklonnaya Gora, the last event, held in September 2015, from the 5th to the 13th, was attended by about 200,000 people. Demonstrations began daily at 20.00, but the festival’s life did not stop during the day: master classes and fairs, performances, events called "Spasskaya Tower - for Children", flash mobs and military-themed shows and shows were held much more. Each of the 9 days of the festival was a holiday ending with light shows and special effects.
Having a specific subject
It is worth noting such a trend that has arisen in recent years: each Spasskaya Tower music festival has its own common theme, dedicated to some kind of historical date. For example, in 2011, the holiday was dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the establishment of full-time military orchestras of the Russian army. In 2012, 200 years of the Patriotic War of 1812 were celebrated . And the musical theatrical performance was naturally dedicated to this date.
The theme of the 2013 show was “Reviving traditions, preserving history!”. In the same year, fighting monks from the Chinese Shaolin performed under the leadership of their mentor Shi Yongxing during the festival. The 2014 review, which took place from August 30 to September 7, was marked by a boycott of several countries - they refused to send their musicians to Moscow. Most importantly, the script corresponded in a short time. But the Spasskaya Tower festival of military orchestras still took place and was held at a high level. The theme of this worthy show was World War I. And is it necessary to say that in this, 2015, the theme of the Spasskaya Tower was the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory over the Nazis. The Spasskaya Tower, a festival of military bands, closed in 2015 with a series of celebrations dedicated to the Victory, and was held at an unprecedentedly high appropriate level.
Festival Mascot
A peculiar mascot of the festival was Mireille Mathieu, the famous vocalist from France, who became the holder of the main order of the country (Legion of Honor) twice. So her work was appreciated. The great singer in 2015 for the seventh time visited our capital on these holidays. She did not miss the festival in 2014, when she was strongly advised not to go.
Government project
The scale of this holiday is evidenced by the fact that for all the years the festival has existed, about 100 army orchestras came from around the world (about 40). Russia once again demonstrates to the whole world openness and a desire to cooperate.
The musical director of the festival is Lieutenant General M.F. Khalilov. Over the years, the largest cultural international project in Russia has invariably hosted Red Square. The Spasskaya Tower festival arose and is being held on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. From year to year, more and more interesting and titled groups come to the festival.
Year after year, everything is more representative
So, in 2015, riders of the Andalusian school performed as part of the holiday, their show is by far the best in Europe. The holiday begins with the passage of the combined orchestra of all the arrived military musicians along Tverskaya Street. Later, during the daytime, they perform at various venues in Moscow, where they give free concerts. Until 2015, China and Mexico sent only certain folklore groups to the Spasskaya Tower; in the same year, these countries were represented by the main military bands. On the final day of the grandiose show, according to tradition, a combined orchestra of all participants, consisting of 1,500 musicians, goes to Red Square.
It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this festival. Therefore, active preparation for the musical and theater performance in 2016 began immediately after the closure of the current show.