  We consider propagation, storing and retrieval of slow light (probe beam) in
a resonant atomic medium illuminated by two control laser beams of larger
intensity. The probe and two control beams act on atoms in a tripod
configuration of the light-matter coupling. The first control beam is allowed
to have an orbital angular momentum (OAM). Application of the second
vortex-free control laser ensures the adiabatic (lossles) propagation of the
probe beam at the vortex core where the intensity of the first control laser
goes to zero. Storing and release of the probe beam is accomplished by
switching off and on the control laser beams leading to the transfer of the
optical vortex from the first control beam to the regenerated probe field. A
part of the stored probe beam remains frozen in the medium in the form of
atomic spin excitations, the number of which increases with increasing the
intensity of the second control laser. We analyse such losses in the
regenerated probe beam and provide conditions for the optical vortex of the
control beam to be transferred efficiently to the restored probe beam.
