PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, February 23 - RIA Novosti's Oksana Guseva. On Wednesday, February 23, a Victory relay race started off from Russia's easternmost border guard post on Ratmanoff Island.

Andrei Orlov, head of the press service of the North-Eastern border department of the Coast Guard of Russia's FSB, told RIA Novosti that from Ratmanoff Island, which is separated by barely four kilometers of water from U.S. territory, border guards of the north-east will carry the relay’s banner of victory across Chukotka, Kamchatka and the Magadan Region in order to pass it on to the frontier guards of Severo-Kurilsk.

Concerts and rallies will be held at frontier posts and populated localities along the route.

From Severo-Kurilsk the relay's banner and a capsule with  earth from all border posts through which it will travel will set off along the southern borders of Commonwealth member-countries.

Border guards of the north and north-west with their banner and earth-filled capsule will meet them on May 9 in the capital of Russia.

The victory's relay race will pass along all borders of CIS countries and finish on Red Square on the day of the 60th anniversary of the victory.

Taking part in the race will be heads of the Federation's constituent members and Commonwealth countries, veterans, famed athletes, artists, musicians, and Orthodox clergymen.

The relay decision to organize the race was taken last October at a gathering of heads of Commonwealth border guard services under the chairmanship of Colonel-General Vitaly Gritsan.