A lantern containing the Olympic flame arrived in Moscow's Red Square where it was greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, before it promptly blew out. <br /> <br />After Mr Putin lit the cauldron, he said the "Olympic flame - symbol of the most important sports competition of this planet, symbol of peace and friendship - has arrived in Russia." <br />The flame then set out on a ceremonial loop through the Kremlin, with 11 torchbearers participating in a relay. <br /> <br />However, the flame, which was lit a week ago in Greece and flown to Moscow earlier on Sunday, went out. <br /> <br />The glitch occurred when torchbearer, former world swimming champion and record holder Shavarsh Karapetyan, ran through a long passageway leading into the Kremlin, which apparently created a wind tunnel, extinguishing the flame. <br />A security guard standing along the route, pulled out a lighter and re-lit the torch. <br /> <br /> <br />The torch relay will stay in Moscow for the next three days, with hundreds of athletes, cultural figures and others, including Prince Albert II of Monaco, taking part. <br /> <br />The flame will then begin its journey across Russia, travelling from the western exclave of Kaliningrad to the eastern-most point just across the Bering Strait from Alaska, before swinging back through the vast country to Sochi in time for the opening ceremony on February 7th. <br /> <br />For most of the 39,000-mile trip the flame will travel by plane, train, car and even reindeer-sleigh, safely encased inside a lantern. <br /> <br />One of the silver and red torches, unlit, will be carried into space in November for a brief visit to the International Space Station, and this same torch will be used to light the Olympic flame in Sochi.
