Visit to memorials of military glory in Moscow as part of Eternal Flame monument maintenance and care project

Young finalists of the Energy of Generations 2017 charitable triathlon competition commemorated the fallen in the Great Patriotic War. The children laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin Wall and observed a minute of silence.

The visit to the memorials of military glory located in the Hero City of Moscow had been organized by Gazprom under the Eternal Flame project for monument maintenance and care. The purpose of the activity was to provide the children with a deeper understanding of Russian military history and foster a patriotic spirit among the younger generation. The visit brought together children from boarding schools, children's homes and other social institutions based in Astrakhan, Novy Urengoy, Pangody (Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area), Ryazan, Surgut, Saratov, Orenburg, and Stavropol.

During the three-day trip, the young athletes were getting acquainted with the landmarks of the Russian capital. They went to the Moscow Kremlin, had a walk on Red Square and took part in the interactive tour titled “The Glory of Those Days will Never Fall Silent...” at the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve. From the tour, the children learned where air defense batteries were placed and where a hospital, warehouses and trenches were located at the time of the Battle of Moscow. After that, they took part in a symbolic induction to the Red Army forces, learned how to use a groundsheet cape, roll up a military greatcoat, pack a military backpack, put on military uniform and a combat helmet, and hold a submachine gun and a grenade.

At the end of the tour, the children had a lunch consisting of the soldiers' ration: buckwheat porridge with stew meat and hot tea. One of the most impressive events for the children during the trip was the visit to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War at the Poklonnaya Hill, where they saw the legendary Victory Banner.

The Energy of Generations 2017 charitable triathlon competition is a social project run by Gazprom Energo since 2016 for children from boarding schools, children's homes and social rehabilitation centers being under the patronage of the company. In the regions where Gazprom Energo operates, mixed teams are formed that include a married couple with their own child and two children from social institutions; the teams compete in intellectual games and the disciplines of classic triathlon. In the two years since the launch of the project, a total of 260 people took part in it, including 156 children, 108 of them vulnerable.