Maria Kozhevnikova (right) hands the Eternal Flame to Tatiana Urzhumtseva. Photo: Dong Feng/GT

The Russian Cultural Center (RCC) in Beijing hosted Thursday a commemoration for the 81st anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. As part of the core activity, Maria Kozhevnikova, deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the 6th convocation, transferred the Flame of Remembrance to the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing for the first time, marking the Russian people's recognition of China's contribution to the victory of World War II. 

Kozhevnikova told the Global Times that as the ambassador of the "Flame of Memory" initiative, she finds it crucial to let the young generation remember the justice in history of World War II.

Kozhevnikova was selected as the ambassador for the mission of the "Flame of Memory" initiative in China. "Because I'm interested in China, I know a lot about this country and we really cherish the contribution of China in the anti-fascist war," she noted. 

The evening was highlighted by the "Flame of Memory" patriotic event. For the first time in the history of Russian-Chinese cultural relations, the eternal flame from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden, near Moscow's Red Square, was brought to the event venue in Beijing.

In her speech, at the transfer ceremony, Kozhevnikova said, "For all of us, Victory Day is a sacred holiday. There is no family in Russia that does not cherish the memory of its own hero, and each of us preserves this memory."

She said it is expected that the flame would remind the whole world that "we are the heirs to a great victory, and that the truth about the war remains forever in our hearts."

In her remarks, Tatiana Urzhumtseva, director of the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing, said, "We know the price our peoples paid for this radiant day. We remember the heroism of the soldiers, the home-front workers, and the children of war - of all those who hastened the Victory, risking what was most precious: their lives and their future."

Urzhumtseva shared more background about the Eternal Flame. "One of the most sacred symbols of our memory is the Eternal Flame," she said, noting that it burns not only by the walls of the Kremlin, but also in the hearts of millions of people around the world. 

"The flame erupting from the granite is a reminder that time is powerless against the courage of the fallen. The Eternal Flame tells us that as long as we remember and as long as we carry this spark of warmth and sorrow within our souls, the heroes live on," Urzhumtseva stressed. 

Urzhumtseva also related the event's significance to today's geopolitical reality. "Yet preserving this memory for future generations and conveying the truth about the war without falsification or indifference is our special and challenging mission."

Alexander Garden (Aleksandrovsky Sad) is a historic 865-meter-long public park located along the western wall of the Moscow Kremlin. Established between 1819 and 1823, it features key landmarks such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Every year, on the eve of May 9th, a miracle takes place. The flame, which never ceases to burn at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall, sets out on a journey. For the tenth consecutive year, activists from the All-Russian People's Front carry this sacred flame across the globe to veterans and to all those fighting against Nazism. This initiative is known as the "Flame of Memory."

The move symbolizes the inseparable connection of the times and the shared memory of the achievements of the Soviet people.