During the Cold War, this was the site of military exercises showcasing the latest in Soviet innovation.

Nowadays, the grounds are the site of the Otkritie Arena, the home of FC Spartak Moscow, one of Russia's leading football clubs.

In 1937, the parade was attended by nearly a million[7][8] people, observing the masses of aircraft spelling in the sky "LENIN", "STALIN" and "SSSR".

The celebrations repeated until the fall of Soviet Union, and continue[1][9][10] in Russia (the location is now Zhukovsky International Airport, see MAKS airshow).

The crowd was unofficially estimated to number at least 1.5 million people[15] and went down in history as the largest concert all participating bands have played in their respective careers.