AP Photos: Cadet ball revives imperial Russia’s splendor

by: ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO, Associated Press

Posted: Dec 17, 2019 / 04:17 PM EST / Updated: Dec 17, 2019 / 04:17 PM EST

Students of military schools rest after dancing during an annual ball in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019. More than 1,000 students from military schools travelled from all over Russia to Moscow to take part in the ball (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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MOSCOW (AP) — Military school students from across Russia lined up to dance Tuesday at an annual cadet ball in Moscow that blends patriotism with imperial-style grandeur.

The organizers said that the fourth International Kremlin Cadet Ball also drew students from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and two regions of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed separatists.

Adolescent participants wore dress uniforms and gowns while dancing traditional routines to classical music, a nod to czarist Russia’s splendor.

Organizers said Tuesday’s ball involved about 1,500 students.

The ball is sponsored by the Defense Ministry as part of government efforts to revive patriotic traditions.