A criminal case has been opened against a woman who lit a cigarette from the Eternal Flame in Kazan.

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      A criminal case has been opened against a woman who lit a cigarette from the Eternal Flame in Kazan

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      A criminal case has been opened against a woman who lit a cigarette from the Eternal Flame in Kazan (photo: www.flickr.com / Photobank Moscow-Live)

      Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin ordered that a criminal case be opened against the woman who lit a cigarette from the Eternal Flame in Uritsky Park in Kazan.

      Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin has taken personal control of the investigation into the incident involving the desecration of a symbol of military glory in Uritsky Park in Kazan. According to the agency, in August of this year an unknown woman used the Eternal Flame to light a cigarette, which was recorded by witnesses and caused a wide public outcry. During the procedural check initiated by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan, the circumstances of the incident were established. A video recording showing the moment of desecration of the military memorial was published on local Telegram channels and quickly spread online.

      "Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin instructed the head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan, Valery Andreevich Lipsky, to open a criminal case and present a report on the circumstances established during the initial investigative actions, and upon completion of the investigation — on its results," the information center of the Investigative Committee of Russia said. It is specified that this incident is being qualified under Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Desecration of symbols of military glory"), which provides for punishment of up to three years' imprisonment. Over the past several years similar cases have been handled by the Investigative Committee of Russia in other regions. The Eternal Flame in Uritsky Park is a cultural heritage site dedicated to the memory of those who fell in the Great Patriotic War.

      Arina Mikhailova

      Published: 25.08.2025 11:30

      Edited: 25.08.2025 11:30