The lights in the Moscow Kremlin will be turned off on Saturday between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 pm. to support the international environmental campaign Earth Hour, the Kremlin's press service said a statement Friday.
A total of 900 buildings will conserve electricity and go dark during Earth Hour in Moscow, including St. Basil's Cathedral, the GUM department store, the State Historical Museum and the building of the Russian government.
Earth Hour is an annual event initiated by the World Wildlife Foundation, aimed at drawing the attention of the international community to the problem of preserving the planet's resources. During the event, millions of people worldwide turn off lights and appliances between 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.
Russia has been participating in Earth Hour since 2008. The Kremlin joined the lights-off event in 2013 on the order of President Vladimir Putin.
This year, the Moscow City skyscrapers will turn their lights off for Earth Hour for the first time, Moscow's department of natural resources and environmental protection said, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.
