MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A St. Patrick's Day parade will be held in one of the parks in the centre of the Russian capital on Saturday, the City of Moscow Agency for Parks and Recreation (Mosgorpark) has announced.
"An Irish culture festival, Irish Week, will be held in Sokolniki Park as part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations," the Mosgorpark press service informed on Friday.
The yearly parade will start with a greeting from representatives of the Irish Embassy and the organizers of the event, which is expected to attract thousands of Moscow residents.
Irish musicians and street performers will be taking part in the parade, which will be followed by a concert of Russian-Irish music bands.
Saint Patrick's Day, traditionally celebrated on March 17, is an Irish holiday that commemorates Saint Patrick, who died on that day, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Introduced in the early 17th century as a religious holiday, St. Patrick's Day has since become a general celebration of the Irish culture and heritage. The holiday has been especially popular with the Russian youth in the past few years.
Various cultural events, including an Irish film festival, are taking place in Moscow on March 11-22 as part of the Irish Week.
