On May 18 Moscow will be celebrating the International Museum Day. Accordingly all metropolitan museums will be open from 10:00am to 10:00pm, so that Moscovites and guests of the capital will be able to visit numerous city museums, galleries and exhibition halls. The local authorities explained that Moscow's mayor Yuriy Luzhkov issued the directive.
The citizens will have a chance to visit famous commemorative places including those that are usually closed on weekdays. The visitors are welcome to Tsaritsino and Kuskovo Estates, Ostankino Palace, Spaso-Andronnikov, Donskoy and Novodevichy Monasteries, and Metropol and National hotels.
Moreover, this year Moskovites and guests of the capital may evaluate the quality of the renovation work. On the International Museum Day the famous Pashkov House that had been renovated for 10 years; the N. D. Staheyev Mansion of the late XIX - beginning of XX centuries on Novaya Basmannaya Street; and the Averky Kirillov's Chambers, a wooden house in Turchaninov Lane will open their doors to visitors.
Different social, religious organizations, military departments and private companies will also allow to visit historic buildings they occupy.
On May 18th one can take a free walking tour around the city. Everybody will also have a chance to visit presentation rooms of the Government Building on Tverskaya Street. On this day foot and cavalry guards parade of the Presidential Regiment will take place.
Some museum guides are high school students Education Colleges students. The Department of Education reports that a project entitled "Moscow City Juvenile Travel Agency" and aimed at the development of tour guide activities with students, has been launched. Soon nearly 170 seniors and teachers will become tour guides.