Moscow celebrated the tenth International Yoga Day 2024 in lavish style by organising mass asana sessions, expert talks on Ayurveda and meditation programmes simultaneously at multiple venues across the city. Organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Center at the Embassy of India in Moscow with the support of the Moscow government, the event attracted thousands of locals and city guests.

Festivals dedicated to yoga at Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve and Tsaritsyno Park were also part of the grand event. The festival in Kolomenskoye attracted more than 6,000 participants, and was held in two stages. The Ambassador of India addressed the guests, and after, asanas from the General Protocol of Yoga were demonstrated. The festival also had master classes on various yoga trends and lectures on Ayurveda. A large number of people also joined meditative practices.

The festival at Tsaritsyno featured mass “Surya Namaskar” (Greetings to the Sun), attended by over 2,000 people. The event also had guided meditation programmes, yoga master classes and lectures on healthy lifestyle and self-development. The park also featured a vegetarian food fair and a fair with ecological goods.

The International Yoga Day was lavishly celebrated in many other Moscow locations and venues, the wide range of activities all aimed at strengthening the body and the mind, as well as paving the way for spiritual development.

Although International Yoga Day is officially held on June 21, this year main events organised in the Russian capital were scheduled to be held during the weekend, to facilitate the participation of as many guests as possible. However, the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Center had organised a celebration marking the International Yoga Day on June 21 at the Muzeon Park of Arts. The program included a demonstration of the General Protocol of Yoga, as well as other yoga and meditation practices. In addition, invited by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the Bengali folk music group “Dohar”, under the direction of Rajib Das, performed at the site.

In his comments, Mr. Evgeny Kozlov, Head of the Moscow Tourism Committee, said that such events not only help healthy lifestyles become popular among citizens, but also contribute to the strengthening of cultural and humanitarian ties between Russia and India. In addition, lively large-scale festivals such as Yoga Day can attract travelers from other cities and countries to Moscow, contributing to the development of event tourism in the city.”

He further added that International Yoga Day has been celebrated around the world since 2015 on the day of the summer solstice – June 21. In Moscow the celebration is held in the main parks of the city and is traditionally popular among residents of all ages. The project “Yoga in the Park”, launched years ago, is held from May 25 to August 31 in ten parks of the capital. As part of it, Muscovites and guests of the capital join free yoga and meditation classes in Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve, Severnoe Tushino Park, Fili Park, Lianozovo Park, Mitino Landscape Park, Sokolniki Park, Izmailovo Park, Kuzminki Park, Vorontsovo Estate and Muzeon Art Park.