The Russian capital celebrated its City Day on a grand scale last weekend: about 3.5 million people took part in holiday events held around the city on Saturday, with some 500,000 revelers partying in downtown Moscow while the festivities continued into Sunday.
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Concerts, theatrical performances, pageants and other events began Saturday morning across the capital.
The Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described the capital in his opening speech a "symbol of permanent renovation in the country" and pointed to the progress in social policy issues which have taken place in Moscow over last years.
September 5, 2009. Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the opening ceremony of City Day in Moscow's downtown Tverskaya Square.
The Russian Air Force ensured the weather was good for the celebrations.
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Moscow at - Manezhnaya, Lubyanskaya, Teatralnaya and Pushkinskaya squares.
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© RIA Novosti . Владимир Федоренко
People sang Moscow songs, danced and waved Russian flags.
Some revelers wore colorful wigs and glasses being sold on the city's streets.
More than 2,000 couples got married in the capital on Moscow City Day.
Forty couples held their wedding ceremonies at Moscow's historic locations, including the country estates of Ostankino (northeastern Moscow), Vlakhernskoye-Kuzminki (southeastern Moscow), Kuskovo (eastern Moscow), Tsaritsino (southern Moscow) and Poklonnaya Gora, Moscow's main WWII memorial, and the Pushkin Apartment Museum on Moscow's Old Arbat.
The traditional tray carrying competition for waiters took place on Teatralny Lane.
Visitors in a park in Maryino, southeast Moscow, were able to watch - or even take part in - “Extreme Russian games”.
Visitors enjoyed a fireworks display, as well as motorbike, bicycle and car stunts.
