The inauguration of the 44th U.S. President Barack Obama starts in Washington, D.C. Despite the cool and cloudy weather in the U.S. capital, around the Capitol building, on the steps of which the inauguration ceremony will be held, hundreds of thousands have gathered, the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports from the United States.

Officials estimate that during the inauguration and subsequent parade, there will be from 500 to 700 thousand people present at the ceremony. Recall, however, that at the first Obama’s inauguration in 2009, a record number of people – more than 1.5 million – were present.

This day, Barack Obama and his family began with a visit to the service in the Episcopal Church of St. Joseph, which is located near the White House.

The current inaugural theme is “Faith in America’s future.”

The United States Marine Band, which is the oldest professional musical orchestra in United States and which was created by the decree of the Congress in 1798 will open the ceremony. The ceremony will be continued by the PS 22, Staten Island, New York and Lee University Festival Choir, Cleveland, Tennessee orchestras.

The senior U.S. Senator, Democrat Charles Schumer and civic activist Myrlie Evers-Williams will continue the ceremony.

The inauguration ceremony will then welcome Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, and then with the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor the oath of Office Administered to Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr will be held.

Then, well known folk musician James Taylor will perform a patriotic song “America the Beautiful.”

After the performance of Taylor, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court John Roberts will take the oath of President Barack Obama. Unlike Franklin Roosevelt, who took his oath on the same Bible all four times, this time Barack Obama will be using two Bibles for his 2013 swearing in ceremony, the one used by President Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “pocket” Bible.

After taking the oath, Obama will address the U.S. citizens with his inaugural message on his vision for the United States in the coming years. Details of the message have not been disclosed, but according to the White House, in his speech, Obama will address the issues related to the tightening of gun control, as well as changes in immigration law and the end of the military operations in Afghanistan.

The ceremony will end with the poem, a pray and eventually the anthem of the United States, which will be performed by Beyoncé.

After the ceremony, President Obama, Vice President Biden, members of Congress and other officials will leave for an inaugural luncheon at the Capitol building. The menu includes steamed lobster with New England clam chowder sauce, served on sauteed spinach with sweet potato hay with Tierce 2009 Finger Lakes Dry Riesling (NY). The main course is hickory grilled bison with wild huckleberry reduction, strawberry preserve and red cabbage, red potato horseradish cake, baby golden beets and green beans and butternut squash purée with Bedell Cellars 2009 Merlot (Long Island, NY). For the dessert Hudson Valley apple pie with sour cream ice cream and maple caramel sauce will be served. Aged cheeses and honeycomb will also be served, including Toma Celena and Jersey Girl Colby from Cooperstown Cheese Company (Milford, NY) with Korbel Inaugural Cuvee (California).

After the luncheon, the president and his family will take part in the inauguration parade taking place along the Pennsylvania Avenue.

Tonight a number of inauguration balls will be held in Washington DC, both official and informal. Unlike Bill Clinton, who, in 1997, set a record by visiting 14 inaugural balls in one night, Obama plans to attend only two of them.