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St Petersburg to mark 340th anniversary since birth of Czar Peter I

Friday night, all the works included in the program will be devoted to Peter I

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

St PETERSBURG, June 9 (Itar-Tass) – Public quarters in St Petersburg, Russia’s former Imperial capital, will hold a number of functions Saturday to mark the 340th anniversary since the birth of the city’s founder, Russian Czar Peter I, who is also known in history as Peter the Great.

To pay tribute to the czar, who is broadly viewed as one of the greatest reformers in Russian history, flowers will be laid at various sites commemorating him across the city territory, including the bust at his tomb in the Imperial Vault of the St Peter and Paul’s Cathedral, the Bronze Horseman on Senate Square, the bust at Moskovsky railway station, and the monument to the Czar-Carpenter on the Admiralty embankment.

Taking part in the ceremonies will be members of the Preobrazhensky Leib-Guard Regiment military history club, performers from the city’s numerous theaters, the choir and the orchestra of the St Petersburg Court Capella.

The traditional noon cannon shot at the St Peter and Paul’s fortress will also be devoted to Czar Peter. It will be made by members of the Congress of Czar Peter’s cities – St Petersburg, Moscow, Azov, Arkhangelsk, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Murom, Omsk, Petrozasvodsk, and others.

At night, the Capella will host a gala concert. The choir of State Singers Choir, instituted by Peter I, turned overtime into the Imperial Court Capella.

Friday night, all the works included in the program will be devoted to Peter I.

St Petersburg started marking the Czar’s day as an official holiday seven years ago.

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