LONDON, March 22. /TASS/. The 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) will be celebrated in London by laying wreaths at the Soviet War Memorial near the Imperial War Museum, Russian Ambassador to UK Alexander Yakovenko said on Sunday.

"The issue of preserving our historical heritage is inextricably linked with the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory celebrated this year," Yakovenko said. "I invite everyone to the solemn ceremony of wreath-laying on May 9. All our friends from CIS [Commonwealth of Independent State] countries and other countries will be there, along with our British partners, of course," he added.

On May 17, "a concert will be held at the Kensington Municipal Council dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory Day," chairwoman of the coordination committee of Russian compatriots in the UK Olga Balakleets told TASS earlier.

The Soviet War Memorial was opened in 1999 in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park in London Borough of Southwark. Embassies of Russia and CIS countries, along with local authorities and British public organizations lay wreaths at the memorial three times a year. Events are held on May 9 - Victory Day, on January 27 -the day of Auschwitz concentration camp liberation, and on second Sunday of November - Remembrance Day in the UK.