{image-olympic torch_04042008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Moscow, Apr 4: The Olympic torch of the Summer Games in Beijing, the Chinese capital, arrived today in Russia's second largest city of St Petersburg as part of its five-continent relay.

The Olympic flame arrived in Russia on a special flight from Istanbul in Turkey and its relay through St Petersburg's streets will begin at Victory Square tomorrow morning. The flame will be stored overnight at a secret location 'for security reasons', RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Galina Zybina, Russia's shot put gold medalist at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki (Finland) will the first person to bear the torch.

Mr Zybina will then hand the flame over to the Chinese Ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang, who in turn will pass it to Leonid Tyagachyov, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee.

In all, the torch will be carried in Russia by 80 people, among them famous athletes, cultural and business figures and politicians, covering a distance of 20.4 km.

The stop in St Petersburg is the third in the Olympic torch relay outside China, and it has already been in Almaty (Kazakhstan) on April 2 and Istanbul on April 3.

It will further be carried from St Petersburg to London tomorrow. The Summer Olympic Games will begin in Beijing on August 8. So far there have been no reports of any protests.

UNI