The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Torch Relay continues journey across Russia

The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Torch Relay continued its journey in eastern Russia on Thursday (27 February) with torchbearers taking part in relays in the Far Eastern Federal Districts of Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Yakutsk, Magadan and Anadyr.

The Torch Relay started on Wednesday (26 February) morning when the first rays of the rising sun lit a fire as part of a projection show at Cape Dezhnev - the most extreme point of the Eurasian continent and first place in Russia to see dawn.

On the same day, the Paralympic Torch Relay also started in five cities of the Far Eastern Federal District.

In the Chukchi Autonomous District, amongst the 30 torchbearer were famous athletes who had represented the city and the district, teachers and doctors.

They carried the torch around Anadyr's iconic attractions and as part of the celebrations, cultural events displaying the diversity of the creative heritage of the peoples of the Far North were held. Visitors and residents of the city also observed a play by the Ergyron Chukchi-Eskimo group.

Pavel Stepanchenko, master of sports in northern decathlon, was the final torchbearer of the day who was responsible for lighting a Bowl of Fire erected in the central square.

In Vladivostok, there were 100 torchbearers and the first of the day was Ruslan Chukanov – the multiple winner of the Invasport regional competitions. He lit his torch from the Lampion of the legendary Count Nikolai Muraviev-Amursky, one of the founders of Primorye.

"The Fire will carry our country's victory. Hopefully, it will bring our Paralympians good luck!" said Chukanov, from the stage.

The lighting ceremony of the City Bowl of Fire took place in the Fetisov Arena and was a spectacular conclusion to the city stage. At 16:00, a festive concert took place, featuring local bands. The final torchbearer Vitaly Obotin – a multiple world champion and seven-time gold medallist at the Deaflympics - lit the Bowl of Fire to close the day.

In the capital city of Khabarovsk Krai, 15 people participated in the Torch Relay including Paralympian Alexei Kapura, Ivan Khmelnitsky, Leonid Dzhuruk and Viktor Rudenko. The first torch was lit from the sparks produced during the shamanic ritual. At the end of the city stage during the city celebration, the final torchbearer Alexei Kapura - honoured master of sports in swimming - lit the City Bowl of Fire.

In Yakutsk, the first spark of the city stage of the Torch Relay was also produced using the local shaman's symbolic rite.

In the Lena Pillars Tourist Complex, the shaman held a rite of blessing and produced the Fire of the Paralympic Games by striking the "steel" and the "flint", obtaining a spark which was used to light the splinter.

Seventeen torchbearers participated in the Paralympic Torch Relay in the capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), including International Sports Games "Children of Asia" medallist Leonid Dushkevich, honoured coach Boris Fyodorov, and Beijing 2008 Paralympic silver medallist Anastasia Diodorova.

The final torchbearer in Yakutsk was Vladimir Balynetc, a powerlifting silver medallist from the London 2012 Paralympic Games, who finished the day off lighting the Paralympic Bowl of Fire.

In Magadan, the Fire of the Paralympics Games was lit during the melting of gold at the refinery. Then 15 torchbearers passed the Flame to each other, walking with the Torch in the main streets of the city.

Among the torchbearers were the representatives of the city organisation of the disabled Serey Leskov and head of the regional department of the Russian Society of the Deaf, a veteran of labor Lyudmila Grechukhina.

In the city stage final, the Relay was received by the nominee for the "Philanthropist" international award from the Magadan region, an active member of the city public organisation of the disabled, Alexander Sokolov - who lit the city Bowl of Fire.

After the extinguishing of the Bowl, in each of the five cities of the Far Eastern Federal District, the ceremony of transfer of sparks to Sochi was held. During this ceremony, the symbolic Fire was transferred to the capital of the Paralympic Games, as the Unification Ceremony of the flame of the Sochi 2014 Paralympics will be held in Sochi on 5 March, in anticipation of the main Bowl in the Olympic Park.