MOSCOW, September 5. /TASS/. Moscow will celebrate its 868th anniversary on Saturday. The holiday organisers have prepared for Muscovites and visitors more than 500 festive events, including a bicycle parade, brass bands’ festival and a concert of a famous rock band and a grand fireworks display.

The main festive programmes are scheduled for September 5. Moscow mayor’s office expects more than 10 million people to attend the celebration events that will last for two days - on September 5 and 6. Celebrations will cover the entire city - festive events will be held not only in the city’s centre but also in districts. The mayor's office says the events will not leave anyone indifferent.

Festivities begin with a procession of the participants in the Spasskaya Tower festival from Tverskaya Street to Pushkin Square. Then the official events will begin in which representatives of the city authorities, the public, veterans will lay flowers and wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander’s Garden near the Kremlin wall. The opening ceremony of the City Day will begin in Red Square at noon. Russia’s TV - Channel One, TVC and Moscow 24 will broadcast the ceremony live. Other events in the city’s holiday programme will be launched simultaneously at 13:00 with playing the Moscow anthem.

Moscow parks

The festivities in honour of the City Day will be held in Moscow’s 22 parks. All events will start at 13:00 simultaneously with playing the anthem of Moscow, and at 22:30 fireworks will be launched in 18 parks.

Up to 150 ambulance brigades will be on duty in the mass holiday venues. More than 16,000 police officers and 4,000 volunteers will ensure public order during the celebrations. The sale of alcohol will be prohibited at the festive events. Also, maintenance crews will be on standby in case of emergencies in the urban utility networks.

Moscow authorities have promised to ensure good weather during the festivities, despite the occasional rains forecast. The technology for creating favourable weather conditions for public celebrations - cloud dispersal - was developed in Russia in the 1990s. The Ilyushin IL-18, Antonov AN-12, AN-26, AN-28, AN-30, AN-32, AN-72, Sukhoi Su-30 or M-101 Gzhel planes will be engaged in dispersing clouds using granulated carbon dioxide, liquid nitrogen and a special cement. A meteorological laboratory will conduct a reconnaissance flight early in the morning.