MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti) – Parts of the poppy installation at the Tower of London commemorating the centennial of the start of the First World War will be displayed until the end of November, BBC reported on Saturday.
"The poppies at the Tower are a stunning memorial to those who died in the First World War,” said British Culture Secretary Sajid Javid. "For me this is public art at its most powerful and moving," he added.
The ceramic poppies will reportedly be fully removed on 12 November. However, other segments of the installation, like the Weeping Willow and the Wave, will be displayed until the end of the month and then toured to other UK cities.
The historic installation “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” was opened on August 5. It represents a sea of hundreds of thousands of ceramic red poppies, created by artist Paul Commins and numerous volunteers. Each of 888,246 flowers symbolizes a WWI British military casualty.
According to the Historic Royal Palaces website, the monument acquired immense public interest and attracted numerous visitors.
“I think the exhibition of the poppies has really caught the public imagination, people have found that incredibly moving,” British Prime Minister David Cameron said, cited the Guardian.
People could buy hand-made poppies and, thereby, make a donation to service charities, which support servicemen and their families in many ways, such as offering medical assistance to former combatants with PTSD and other injuries. According to the Historical Royal Palaces website, all 888,246 poppies have been sold. The flowers will be sent to their purchasers after the installation dismantled.
