ST. PETERSBURG, July 29. /TASS/. Celebrations marking Russia’s Navy Day have started in St. Petersburg with the Main Naval Parade, reviewed by President Vladimir Putin, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces.

The parade has kicked off on the Neva River, TASS reports from the site. In the early hours of Sunday, the Annunciation (Blagoveshchensky), Palace (Dvortsovy), Trinity (Troitsky) and Liteyny drawbridges were raised for the passage of warships. The crews of five ships have lined up on the desks in dress uniforms, ships are decorated with flags. Naval officers have also lined up on the Angliyskaya (English) Embankment.

Stands have been installed in front of the Bronze Horseman statue for the veterans and honorary guests of the parade. All embankments are decorated with state and St. Andrew’s flags.

Prior to the parade, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Korolev accepted the reports via a video link-up from the commanders of all fleets, the Caspian Flotilla and the Naval base in Tartus (Syria), who reported about their readiness for the parade.

The president has got onto the presidential boat, accompanied by Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Vladimir Korolev. The boat will sail on the Neva River from the Peter and Paul Fortress, where Putin will greet the crews of the Admiral Makarov frigate, the major amphibious ship Minsk, the small antisubmarine warfare ship Kazanets, the Baltic fleet corvette Soobrazitelnyi, the Dmitrov diesel-electric submarine. The naval officers will greet the president with "Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah". After that, the boat will dock at the English Embankment.