From Rome to Mir: Flame of Peace torch relay welcomed in Grodno Oblast

The Flame of Peace torch relay of the 2nd European Games continues its journey across Belarus: Brest Oblast passed the baton over  to Grodno Oblast. Here the Flame of Peace will stay for six days and will travel across the most interesting places of Grodno: Augustow Canal, Swedish mountain in Volkovysk, castles in Mir and Lida and even the Belarusian nuclear power plant NPP in Belarus!

In Grodno the flame of the 2nd European Games was welcomed in Lenin Square.  Basketball player Ivan Edeshko repeated his legendary full-court shot that brought Team USSR the gold medal at the Munich Olympics 1972 to give a ceremonial start to the Flame of Peace torch relay in Grodno Oblast. The torch was carried through the streets of the city along the main sights of Grodno by famous athletes: world champion, Olympic medalist in hammer throw Ivan Tzikhan, Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics Yelena Volchetskaya, 1992 Olympic handball champion Andrey Barbashinsky, shooters Vitali Bubnovich and Ihar Basinski.

From the city of Grodno the relay went to the agrotown of Vertelishki, and then to the famous Radziwill family residence - Mir Castle. The torch was carried by Deputy CEO of the Minsk European Games Organizing Committee (MEGOC) Anatoly Kotov, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Belarus Fionna Gibb, TV presenter Tamara Lisitskaya and singer Viktoria Aleshko to the courtyard of the Castle. The flame welcome ceremony was accompanied by a canon shot and was followed by the European Games medal presentation ceremony.

Journey of the 2nd European Games torch relay in Grodno Oblast in our photos!