OREANDA-NEWS. September 12, 2011. The prime minister arrived at Arena 2000, the team's home stadium, and proceeded to the ice rink, where a memorial service was in progress. He placed red carnations at photos of each player.

Having paid his last respects, the Prime Minister held a brief meeting with sports professionals, to discuss the future of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team. The meeting was attended by Russian Hockey Federation President Vladimir Tretiak, Kontinental Hockey League President Alexander Medvedev, International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel, Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko, Kontinental Hockey League Board Chairman Vyacheslav Fetisov and Presidential Aide Arkady Dvorkovich.

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Despite pouring rain, thousands of supporters came to the stadium in the early morning carrying flowers, wreaths, pictures of the hockey players and mourning badges to pay their last respects. The memorial service for the players and coaches of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl lasted several hours. Funeral wreaths were placed everywhere and instead of goals and cheering crowds, the giant screen under the dome showed images of the players one by one against a backdrop of an eternal memorial flame.

Monuments in memory of the victims of the tragedy will be erected at the crash site near the town of Tunoshna in the vicinity of Yaroslavl and outside the Arena 2000 sports palace.