Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R), Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky (L), and Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov (2nd R) watch a naval parade in the port of Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad region July 31, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - A parade of over ten military ships and submarines was held Sunday at the harbour of Russia's second largest city for celebration of the national Navy Day.

The exposition of the naval equipment and hardware, which belong to the Leningrad navy base, attracted thousands of citizens and visitors over the Neva River.

Some of the ships were open to public visit during the day.

Russian Navy veterans, participants in the Great Patriotic War, representatives of local government and public organizations laid wreaths and flowers at the legendary Aurora cruiser, which has become a symbol of Russian history of the October Revolution, and at the Peter-Paul fortress, where the Russian navy founder Peter the Great started building the city.

Russia has decided earlier this year to move its navy command headquarter from Moscow to St. Petersburg by the end of 2012.

In Moscow, some 500 marines marked the day in parks. In Kaliningrad, where based the Baltic Fleet, a warship parade at the sea canal in Baltiysk Sunday theatrically reproduced the battle in which Soviet troops seized the Pillau fortress in the end of April 1945, reported Itar-Tass news agency.

In Russia, the Navy Day is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of July. Russia currently maintains five fleets: on the Pacific Ocean in the Far East, on the Arctic Ocean in the north, on the Baltic Sea in the westernmost Kaliningrad region, and in the Black and the Caspian Seas in the south.