Memorable events and full palette of nature: 80 million people visited Moscow parks in summer
In parks of culture and leisure, summer season traditionally starts on May 1 and wraps up after the Moscow Day. Over 80 million people have visited 54 parks the Moscow Department of Culture is in charge of, until September 10 this year.
Celebrations and festivals
This summer, parks of culture and leisure hosted over 300 nation- and city-wide celebrations and festivals. The season opened with celebrations of the Spring and Labor Day. 21 parks invited Muscovites and tourists of all ages to listen to cover groups, watch stage performances, celebrate May 1 and the coming summer.
On the Victory Day, Muscovites visited music shows in 19 sites, went to historical military machinery exhibition organized by the Vadim Zadorozhny Vehicle Museum at Khodynskoye Pole Park.
The city’s green areas ran theme programs for Children’s Day, Russia Day, Russian National Flag Day. Birthdays of famous Russian culture personalities were celebrated as well. Many parks, for example, ran events focused on Konstantin Paustovsky and his works, the 130th anniversary of the “poet of change” Vladimir Mayakovsky; the Kuskovo Estate celebrated 255 years of Praskovya Zhemchugova, a great actress of Sheremetev Theatre and Count Nikolai Sheremetev’s wife.
On June 3 and 4, the Gorky Park hosted the Moscow Sky Children’s Art Festival. It included 70 programs in education, stage, circus, science, music, and dance. 72.5 thous. visitors attended the fest.
On July 1, the park was the venue for the city-wide prom night. The Gorky in the Gorky Park fest took place on August 11–20. Running for the second time, it coincided with the 155th anniversary of Maxim Gorky’s birthday and 95 years of the Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after the famous writer. In 10 days, they managed to host over 150 events attended by 370 thous. people.
One of the largest summer events was the Youth Day. Building Blocks of the Future fest at Khodynskoye Pole Park. 150 thous. people visited it on July 1 and 2. Three large venues: Sports, Opportunities and Kindness, were used to host themed events prepared by the Moscow Youth project office of the Public Relations and Youth Policy Committee.
The City of Caring charity fair took place on July 8 and 9 in the Bauman Garden. It was organized by Center Vnimaniya. Over 10 thous. people visited it in two days. Guests took part in master classes, a prizes-for-all lottery, purchased foundation products, listened to useful presentations and gave applause to charity organizations’ bands and troupes. The fair raised over RUB 500 thous. for their causes; some animals from Moscow shelters found new homes.
Events and special programs were also arranged for celebrations related to the 100th anniversary of the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve. The main exhibition of the anniversary year – Kolomenskoye. The Masterpieces of the Collection – opened its doors. Other summer tours were scheduled to coincide with the celebrations: Say Hello to Kolomenskoye (evening), Biking around Kolomenskoye. 100 Years of the Museum, More than 100 festival, etc.
On September 9 and 10, parks overseen by the Department of Culture, celebrated the Moscow Day. Main and local squares hosted master classes for children and street performances. The Theatre March festival in the Hermitage Garden jump-started the new season of Moscow theatres.
The Moscow Day agenda was, by and large, all about music shows. There were dance and cover bands along with famous Russian pop singers. Main celebratory events took place around 23 venues, including the Muzeon Arts Park, the Mitino Landscape Park, the Izmailovsky Park, the Khodynskoye Pole Park, the Tsaritsyno and Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserves. Nearly 1.3 million visitors attended the events related to the 876th anniversary of Moscow. On top of that, 363 thous. people used 258 amusement rides in 21 parks for free, as a gift from the Moscow Mayor.
During summer, Moscow parks became venues for a number of projects. Muscovites already know some of them like Moscow Longevity or ports on Weekends, Smart Tuesdays or Cinema Wednesdays, Jazz Thursdays or Zelenka in the Bauman Garden, Mosproducer’s project Street Artists in Parks or traditional VK Fest in the Gorky Park. Together with the City! festival included in the Moscow Mayor’s My District program took place over 19 park areas. The Military Bands in Parks program ran for the seventh time, with 14 shows at 12 venues. Another Times and Epochs festival took place at the Luzhkov Park and the 50-Letiya Oktyabrya Park, the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve and the Mitino Landscape Park. The Mansions of Moscow immersive festival is running September 1 to September 30. Its events are being hosted by Izmailovo, Vorontsovo, Lyublino, Kuzminki, Kuskovo Estates and the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve.
The National Horse Breed festival was organized by the Kremlin Equestrian Riding School for the very first time and hosted in five parks. Nearly 100 thous. Muscovites and tourists of all ages attended the festival in Sokolniki, Kuzminki, Fili, Druzhby and Izmailovsky Parks.
There were also other significant and memorable summer events like Besprintsypnye Chteniya literature and performance project, Chess & Jazz festival, the Second Moscow Jazz festival, festivals in the Hermitage Garden focused on Thai and Indonesian cultures, Latin American and Caribbean countries, Grand Skate Tour skateboarding and roller sport festival in the Gorky Park, etc.
Other interesting events included Art Polyana children’s recreation festival in Pryamikov Children’s Park, Fest Est festival in Krasnaya Presnya Park, Big Jam Fest in Krasnogvardeyskiye Prudy Recreational Area, LetLitFest in the Muzeon Arts Park, traditional fests Top Fili Music in the Fili Park and Olimp Fest in the Olympic Village Park, The Bowl street sport festival in Luzhkov Park, Krutaya Pesochnitsa family and pre-school education festival in the Bauman Garden and many others.
But Muscovites do not only visit parks for large events. It is important that each person in the city had an opportunity to spend some quality time relaxing both in the city center and in its outskirts. That is why all parks are constantly at work on organizing guided tours, master classes, music and stage shows by local artists, cycles of public presentations on various subjects and hobby sessions for people of various ages and interest groups. Over 2.7 thous. such outings have been organized from May to early September. In total, over six thousand events have taken place in Moscow parks this summer.
Fun and education
In addition to standalone events, Moscow parks also host systemic programs. It is especially pleasant to go to your favorite sessions or hobby clubs in summer, because they mostly take place outdoors when the weather is good.
The Krasnaya Presnya Park had something new on offer: roller skating, functional and fitness training. Visitors of the Kuzminki Park could take stage performance lessons or attend a literature club for small kids. Hits of the Moscow Father Frost estate were the Once in a Russian Fairy Tale program and frisbee painting master classes. Lianozovsky Park, according to tradition, organized yoga sessions for beginners, Healthy Back training, badminton and fitness exercises. Visitors of the Angarskiye Prudy Park could attend morning yoga, joint exercises, Cuban and sports dances; the Altufyevo Estate offered yoga exercises, Bibirevo Ethnographic Village - capoeira and stretching.
The park near the Raduga Ponds offered lessons in Lingvo#Park language school and training sessions that mixed elements of Tae-Bo, pilates and general fitness training under the designer Box-Li-Fit program. Children aged three to seven could attend a new Veselye Roliki (Funny Roller Skates) hobby club in the Severnoye Tushino Park. The Tagansky Park expanded its schedule of regular trainings in yoga, Tai Chi and bachata. The Fili Park made its first foray in beach volley training and Heartfulness meditations, while the 50-Letiya Oktyabrya Park invited its visitors to try zumba, softball and Easy Breathing training. Nearly 9.5 thous. regular sessions took place in parks throughout the summer.
Summer reading spaces also proved quite popular: there were 15 of them in culture and leisure parks this season. Children and adults came to seasonal libraries to borrow books to read at home or right there, used book-crossing shelves and book exchanges, got integrated reader cards and participated in theme programs.
12 open air movie theaters were open on weekdays and weekends: in the Babbushkinsky and Tagansky Parks, the Gorky Park, the Muzeon Arts Park, the Angarskiye Prudy Park, the Bauman Garden, etc. 10 parks took part in the national Cinema Night event, inviting everyone to watch popular Russian movies of 2022 and 2023.
Photo exhibition displays in parks were updated more than 150 times. At them, Muscovites had a chance to see unique images from the marine world, colorful children’s drawings, stories of kindness and charity, Russian landmarks and poems by Russian authors.
Beaches and baby care rooms
The best place to be in sunny, hot weather is a beach. The Moscow Mayor’s project Summer in the Park provided for five new recreation areas with open air swimming pools: at the Krasnaya Presnya, Sokolniki, Knodynskoye Pole, 50-Letiya Oktyabrya Parks and the Mitino Landscape Park. 273 thous. Muscovites went to those modern locations to relax. The recreation area near Pervy Putyaevsky Pond in Sokolniki open for swimming was also very popular.
Other four parks got baby care rooms this summer. Those are places where parents could take rest, feed, bathe their babies, change their clothes before continuing their way. New infrastructure objects launched in the Bibirevo Ethnographic Village, the Babushkinsky Park, and the Dubki Park. There are right now over 50 functioning baby care rooms and similar facilities.
Active lifestyle
Sports and playgrounds were traditionally hugely popular during summer. There are over 350 of them in Moscow parks. They include numerous workout and exercise machines areas, skate parks, tennis courts, basketball, volleyball and football fields, rope courses, theme playgrounds for children.
Visitors of all ages took great pleasure in attending night dance sessions and master classes. Over 20 dance floors in Moscow parks offered tango nuevo, bachata, zumba, classic ball dances, Brazilian zouk and lots of other dances.
Yoga is another popular recreation which is active and relaxing at the same time. The Yoga in Parks project has covered even more areas and engaged even more people this summer season. Six thousand guests in 28 parks visited yoga and meditation exercises of various types.
Muscovites also jogged along special tracks and convenient routes with rubberized, dirt or asphalt surfaces. Cyclists were free to choose any route from 79 kilometers of designated bike paths.
Bicycles, scooters, segways, pedal cars, electric carts, longboards and other sports equipment were offered for rent at more than 50 rent stations.
Family and health
Healthy Moscow pavilions opened in May once again in 18 parks. They are likely to stay operational till early October. They offer Muscovites basic medical check-ups and recommendations for follow-up consultations with specialist doctors.
Weddings are most often celebrated in May–September. Muscovites have an option to get married in parks or in palaces and at the surrounding grounds. Many couples chose to tie the knot this summer in the Tsaritsyno and Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserves, the Kuskovo and Lyublino Estates.
Preparing for winter
Right now, parks are preparing for the winter season that will start traditionally when artificial ice skating rinks open. Summer rent stations and boat stations, swimming pools and ice cream stands wrap up for now. Fountains are being prepared for the winter break. Floating duck sheds have to be put away before first frost strikes. Thermophilic geese and swans that stay in Moscow for the winter will be moved to their winter enclosures.
Later in the autumn, park staff will cut damaged tree branches and annual vegetation, plant bulbs and cover flower beds with wood chips, prune bushes. Those sports ground that will be converted to ice rinks for the winter will soon be refurbished and prepared for icing.
The regular training schedule is getting updated. For the winter, most research and hobby clubs will be moved indoors, along with many sports sessions. When snow falls and rinks are iced, skiers and skaters will come out. And of course, various culture and entertainment events are going to continue.