page_title: Eternal flame
section_title: Russia
hierarchical_section_title: Eternal flame / Current man-made eternal flames / Europe / Russia
caption_attribution_description: English: Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Moscow
context_page_description: An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which can be initially ignited by lightning, piezoelectricity or human activity, some of which have burned for a long time.
  In ancient times, eternal flames were fueled by wood or olive oil; modern examples usually use a piped supply of propane or natural gas. They consume oxygen, transforming it to carbon dioxide. Human-created eternal flames most often commemorate a person or event of national significance, serve as a symbol of an enduring nature such as a religious belief, or a reminder of commitment to a common goal, such as diplomacy. The concept is the same as that of a candlelit vigil.
context_section_description: Moscow, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden to honor the dead of the Great Patriotic War. A second one at Victory Park, also built to honor the dead.
  Saint Petersburg has three sites with eternal flames. The first is at the Monument to the Fighters of the Revolution, on the Field of Mars, in memory of those who died during the Bolshevik Revolution. The second is at Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery in memory of those who perished in World War II during the Siege of Leningrad. At Victory Square, several flames can be seen at the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad, in commemoration of the victims and survivors of the Siege of Leningrad.
  Volgograd has two eternal flames. The first is located at Mamayev Kurgan in the Hall of the Warrior Glory in tribute to all those who died defending the city from 1942–1943. The second is located at The Square of the Fallen Fighters on the monument of those who died defending in the Civil and Great Patriotic War
  Kursk has two eternal flames. One is located at the war memorial and the other close to the Triumphal Arch.
  Saratov has two eternal flames: in the Theatre Square and in the Victory Park
  Tambov
  Tolyatti, at the Obelisk of Glory, lit in 1978
  Samara, at the Obelisk of Glory
  Tver has an obelisk and an eternal flame nearby, located on Ploschad Pobedy near the confluence of the rivers T'maka and Volga, to honor the Soviet soldiers who fought against Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War (ru:Великая Отечественная война)
  Yekaterinburg, on Kommunarov Square, where dead soldiers were buried in a common grave in 1919. An eternal flame was lit at the site in 1959.
  Omsk, an eternal fire was lit in 1967 on Memorial Square, in honour of fallen soldiers in World War II.
  Severodvinsk
  Ufa has two eternal flames. The first was lit in 1980 in Victory Park, honouring Alexander Matrosov and Minnigali Gubaidullin. The second was lit in 1967, honouring soldiers, who fell fighting for the Soviet Union.
  Salavat, opened in 1981. Honors Salavat citizens, who died during the Great Patriotic War.
  Arkhangelsk, in honor of fallen Northerners in 1941–1945
  Sterlitamak
  Biysk
  Bryansk
  Kovrov
  Kolchugino, located on Lenin Square
  Kaspyisk
  Mahachkala
  Kaliningrad
  Petrozavodsk
  Anapa
  Sochi
  Novy Urengoy
  Sergiyev Posad
  Vologda
  Oryol, an eternal fire was lit in 1967 on Tankman's Square.
caption: Eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Moscow
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