St. Petersburg: Nine days after the tragedy

St. Petersburg honors the memory of the victims of Airbus A321, which crashed on the Sinai Peninsula. Today, on the ninth day after the deaths of the passengers, the northern capital of Russia will host an "Hour of Memory" of the plane crash victims. The mourning bell of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which will ring 224 times, will herald the mournful event.

"The Cathedral will host a memorial service, open to all citizens," the St. Isaac's Cathedral Museum reported. The timing of the work of the electronic bell ringer that manages the bells will be planned out in such way that the memorial bell will ring both during the service and as people leave the cathedral after it finishes," TASS reports.

After the priest completes the Liturgy, the Smolny Cathedral Choir will come out with candles in their hands. For half an hour they will perform musical compositions of mourning.

Commemorative events dedicated to the victims of the A321 continue in St. Petersburg for a whole week. All the clergy of St. Petersburg's diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church have been instructed to say prayers for the dead and perform a panikhida. Clergy will also assist in the funeral service of the victims and spiritual support for their families.

The internet community also mourns the victims of the plane crash in Egypt. The city created a website dedicated to the tragedy. The list of passengers, their photos and stories about them have been published on it, including about the 'main passenger' – 10-month-old Darina Gromova. In a special section 'Your Condolences', Petersburgers can post their poetry and condolences.

An electronic petition to install a memorial at Pulkovo Airport in memory of those who died in the plane crash of the A321, created on November 1st, has already collected more than 230 thousand signatures.

Meanwhile, the fourth plane of EMERCOM with the remains of those who died in the plane crash of the A321 in Sinai has already flown from Egypt to St Petersburg, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the press service of the Ministry.