Traditionally on the last weekend of September in Vladivostok the Day of the Amur tiger will be celebrated. The rare predator will become the hero of the day for the 15th time, so the festival will be organized on a lavish scale (the festival is organized by the Primorsky Krai Administration and the administration of the city of Vladivostok). This year, for the first time, the Amur Tiger Center, which was created last summer by the Russian Geographical Society at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, takes an active part in the organization.
The environmental festival in honor of the Amur tiger, which is the symbol of Primorsky Krai and Vladivostok, conceived in 2000. Vladimir Troynin, a well-known writer and hunter and Russian and international environmental organizations were among initiators of the festival. In 2001, by the decree of the head of the Vladivostok administration, Tiger Day received the status of the official city holiday. In subsequent years it was celebrated annually in the capital of Primorye.
The main goal of the festival is to raise public awareness and support for wildlife conservation. The Amur tiger, listed in the Red Book, is one of the rarest representatives of the world fauna. The bulk of its population lives in the south of the Russian Far East - in Khabarovsky Krai and Primorye. According to the latest census there are around 500 tigers in our country.
"There are not so many holidays that draw people’s attention to the fact that the world around us is very fragile, our neighbors are vulnerable, and that each of us can preserve a particle of a pristine nature. The festival of the Amur tiger is just one of those days. – said Sergei Aramilev, Director of the Primorsky branch of the Amur Tiger Center. - Of course, the festival in honor of the tiger will not directly affect the state of the its population. On the other hand, nothing depends on the tiger, no matter how strong it is: it will not be able to protect itself and other representatives of the fauna from extinction, unique forests from logging and fires. The fate of the tiger is in the hands of the people who live next to it. The survival of not only the tiger, but of the entire unique natural complex depends on the choice that people make."
The festival will begin on Saturday, September 27. At noon at the sea-front of Sportivnaya Bay a children's festival in honor of the anniversary of the opening of the bronze composition dedicated to the tiger cubs and the presentation of a book called "Amurchik, or the Adventures of a Tiger cub” by Sergei Georgiev, a modern children's writer will be held. The illustrated book was published by the Amur Tiger Center in partnership with the ROSMEN publishing house in order to attract the younger generation’s attention to the preservation of rare species of animals. From the pages of the colorful publication, which the first little readers will receive for free, one can learn about the exciting adventures of the family of Amur tigers.
This year the festival will be focused not only on the tiger itself, but also on the people who have made a significant contribution to the implementation of programs to preserve the large predator. A tiger monument presented to the city by the Amur Tiger Center will be dedicated to them. The opening ceremony of the new sculpture will take place in the square near the State Primorsky Opera and Ballet Theater. The event will be attended by the Chairman of the Amur Tiger Center’s Supervisory Council, Aide to the Russian President, Chief of the Presidential Control Directorate Konstantin Chuichenko, and the Mayor of Vladivostok Igor Pushkarev; they will make a keynote speech. In the evening at the theater the activists who have taken a distinguish part in preserving the unique natural complex of the south of the Far East will be awarded with Certificates of Honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A festive concert will close the event.
On Sunday, in Vladivostok, a traditional festive parade will take place along Okeansky Avenue to the Central Square of the city. Children and adults from all over the region, dressed as tigers, will walk along the city streets with placards and scrolls in support for the Far Eastern flora and fauna. In the Central Square everyone will get a chance to learn a lot about environmental organizations' activities and the hero of the holiday. Children will get to participate in competitions.
The program of Tiger Day also includes: dance staging performances with elements of acrobatics, the award of the carnival procession winners and the concert of the B-2 (Russian vocal group). The Amur Tiger Center has prepared a special gift for the youngest guests – a holiday matinee “Good night, kids” (Spokoinoi nochi, malyshy – a famous Russian children’s TV show). It is expected that about 10,000 people aged between 3 to 70 will take part in the festival.
The Amur Tiger Center invites everyone to participate in Tiger Day.
Event schedule:
September 27 (sea-front of Sportivnaya bay)
12:00 - 13:00: A children's festival, dedicated to the anniversary of the opening of the bronze composition "Tiger cubs". Children's book presentation, games.
15:40 - 16:20 Presentation of the Amur Tiger Center’s educational programs in Far Eastern Federal University;
17:20 - 18:00 Opening of the monument "Amur Tiger" in the square at the State Primorsky Opera and Ballet Theater;
19:00 Solemn meeting in honor of the celebration of Tiger Day in the State Primorsky Opera and Ballet Theater (admission by invitations only).
September 28 (Square of the Revolution Fighters)
10:30 - 12:00 Registration of the participants in the parade near the Center of Children's Creativity;
12:00 - 13:30 Carnival procession along Okeansky Avenue to the Square of the Revolution Fighters;
14:00 - 15:00 Awarding the winners of the carnival procession (1,2,3 places);
14:15 Solemn First Day ceremony dedicated to Tiger Day, with the participation of Chairman of the Amur Tiger Center’s Supervisory Council, Aide to the Russian President, Chief of the Presidential Control Directorate of the Russian Federation Konstantin Chuichenko, and the Mayor of Vladivostok Igor Pushkarev; and Director General of the Russian Post Dmitry Strashnov;
15:00 - 17:00 Contest of environmental teams (cheerleading);
17:00 - 18:00 Announcement of the contest results, award ceremony (1,2,3 places);
12:00 - 18:00 Presentation of environmental organizations in Vladivostok;
19:00 to 20:00 Musical concert;
20:00 - 21:00 Concert of the B-2.