The subject matter of the article is the content of one of the practices of commemorative discourse, namely memorial plaques put up in the 1920s - early 21st century. The article is aimed at analysing some mechanisms and means of knowledge transfer in commemorative discourse from an interdisciplinary perspective, using the example of memorial plaques. The work is based on the study of 1,500 memorial plaques in various cities of Russia, including national autonomies. Comparative analysis became the main research method. The ideas of cognitive approach made it possible to trace the processes of linguistic interpretation and understand the principles of information representation and knowledge transfer, which is relevant for the study of the informative and communicative function of commemorative discourse. The authors came to the following conclusions: the content of memorial plaques contributes to knowledge transfer; at that, this process is inseparable from the informative and communicative function of commemorative practices. The form of commemorative discourse under study can include all the main mechanisms of knowledge transfer; however, the focusing-defocusing mechanism is of primary importance, which is due to the peculiarities of a small-format text. All parts of the commemorative ensemble are involved in knowledge transfer. At the turn of the 21st century elements of the artistic design of memorial plaques, which expand and intensify verbal information, begin to play an increasingly significant role in this process. The results of the work can be used both in further theoretical research and in the practice of creating memorial plaques aimed at deepening their informative and communicative function.