I am asking my readers: how and what time of a year would he like to celebrate “a city day” and would he/she like celebrating it at all? What does a "city day" mean? This is a date of its foundation! It is an annual holiday of large historical cities, held, as a rule during Sunday or during several days off.
For example, the City of Pisa, which is the Tuscan part of Italy, celebrates a city day with fancy-dress parade. Hundreds of people, disguised in clothes of historical characters, come to some Costume ball, which is conducted on the Miracle square. A similar fancy-dress parade, to be more exact, the football one, is held in another Italian cultural capital, in Florence. It is called, as a parade of the Florentine football. A city day is celebrated here on the 24th of June, in honor of birthday of a city protector Saint Johan the Baptist.
A city day is celebrated in Latvian Riga for two days. For day one city folk organizes night race “Okarte”, which is, some kind of marathon, covering 5km. For day two Riga inhabitants recover calories on a huge banquet of the whole city, located in waterfront!
The oldest city of Feodosia, preserving its name since Ancient Greece times, has been celebrating a city day on birthday of its native born, marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky. Feodosia marks its 2547th anniversary this year!
The country, which is a champion on celebrating of a city day, is Russia. A city day is being celebrated almost in all large Russian cities such, as Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Tomsk, Yekaterinburg, Tver and many other cities!
And do we celebrate a day of city in Baku? No. Not yet! Thus, pretty soon, we are going to celebrate this day, namely, in the heart of the old city. The management of the Historic and architectural reserve «Icherisheher» undertakes obligation to organize such a large-scale action, taking into consideration indispensable role of Baku at Azerbaijan’s social and political, cultural and economic life, as in the region, so, generally all over the world. Certainly, the Old city, embodying Baku’s spirit, heritage and diversity, will serve, as a basis for celebration. However, capital inhabitants and guests will have possibility to celebrate it beyond Icherisheher boundaries and conducting of public festivities is planned in all parts of the city of winds.
I can’t disclose all details, I will open to you only a calendar secret – Baku city day is expected to be held in September and please, share your idea with us, what would you like to see and to do on your native city day?
