The eternal
flame symbolizes the eternal memory of someone or something. As a rule, it is part of a thematic
memorial complex.Flowers are always brought to him, they come to bow, stand and be silent. It burns in any weather: in winter and summer, at any time of the day: day or night, not allowing human memory to fade away ...
The eternal flame was ignited in the ancient world. For example, in Ancient Greece, the Olympic flame burned without extinguishing. In many temples, he was supported as special shrines by special priests. Later, this tradition migrated to ancient Rome, where the eternal flame burned constantly in the temple of Vesta. Before that, it was used by both the Babylonians and the Egyptians and Persians.
In modern times, the tradition was born after the First World War, when the memorial of the unknown soldier was opened in Paris in 1921 - a monument whose eternal flame illuminates the Arc de Triomphe. In our country, for the first time it was solemnly lit not in the capital, but in the small village of Pervomaisky near Tula, at the monument to the heroes who fell in the Great Patriotic War. In Moscow, today, three symbols of memory are burning right away: at the Kremlin wall, as well as at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and on Poklonnaya Hill.
For many, military monuments are a sign of gratitude to those who were able to avert the threat of fascism from the world, but the Eternal Flame is special. Sometimes it seems that the flame breaks out of the stone by itself, but this is not entirely true, since a person sees only the result of very complex devices. The mechanism is a pipe through which gas is supplied to the device where a spark is created. This design needs periodic prevention. Specialists regularly check the integrity of the pipeline, clean the spark-cutting mechanism from settling dust or soot, and update the external cladding, usually made of metal in the form of a torch or star.
Combustion inside the device takes place in a burner where oxygen access is limited. The flame, going out, flows around the cone through the holes in the crown. The eternal flame burns regardless of the weather: from rain, snow or wind. Its design is thought out in such a way that it remains protected always. In calm weather, rain falling into the cone is self-draining out through the drain pipe, and water that is at the bottom of the metal cylinder evenly flows out of the holes in it. And when there is an oblique rain, then the droplets, falling on a red-hot burner, immediately evaporate, not reaching the core of the flame. The same thing happens with snow. Once inside the cone, it immediately melts, being brought out. At the bottom of the metal cylinder, the snow only surrounds the flame and cannot in any way extinguish it. And the teeth provided on the crown reflect gusts of wind, forming a kind of air barrier in front of the holes.
Memorials created in memory of the lost heroes were erected in many cities of the former USSR republics. And almost everywhere they were preserved, as evidenced by their numerous photos. The eternal flame is a mandatory attribute of these memorials, remaining the holiest and most expensive symbol of the memory of the feat.