There are only a few hours left before the opening ceremony and the start of the main sports festival of the year. The Olympic flame was carried through all cities and nooks, even in space, it has been, and the shops are full of numerous "Olympic souvenirs". They are everywhere, from spoons and envelopes to bed linen and flashlights, as well as the symbols of Sochi 2014: White Bear, Bunny and Leopard. In 1980, the main symbol of the country was a completely different Bear - Olympic.

A bit of history

The mascots of the 1980 Olympics were Mishka, who was chosen, as they say, by the whole world. Vasily Peskov, host of the popular Soviet TV show "In the Animal World", asked the audience to express their opinion. More than 40 thousand letters were sent to the address of the transfer. Among the candidates were: a bison, a bee, an eagle, a horse, a dog and even a rooster. The teddy bear defeated the competitors by a significant, over 80%, lead.

Then a competition was announced for the best image of an Olympian bear. The winner was Viktor Chizhov's variation - a smiling Bear with a buckle belt in the form of Olympic rings. But the Games-80 in Moscow had another talisman, which few people know and remember. Vigri the baby seal symbolized the yachtsmen's competition, which took place in the framework of the 80 Games in Tallinn.

Sochi 2014 symbols or Bear remains

And this time the official symbol was chosen by the whole country. But more modern technology was used as a platform for selection: Russians expressed their opinion using SMS voting.

Three animals won at once: Leopard, Polar bear and Bunny. Each hero of the Games-14 "prescribed" an individual character.

White leopard Barsik is a strong and hardy animal that lives in the Caucasus mountains. He is an expert on mountain slopes and an excellent climber. The leopard protects the nearest villages from bad weather, and in free time teaches his friends to snowboard.

Bunny's name is Arrow. She is active and has time for everything: going in for sports, studying “excellently” and helping her mother in the Lesnaya Zamruda restaurant. And Bunny, together with Dima Bilan, sang the song "About hares" and this helped her to close the top three of the voting leaders.

The White Bear bears the name Polyus, his talisman has the same docile and kind character as his predecessor, the symbol of the 1980 Olympics. The bear is the best friend of children, gives them his care and respect. Ray and Snowflake were chosen as symbols of the Paralympic Games.

Olympic marketing

In the days of the 1980 Olympics, souvenirs with its symbols were sold for a few kopecks, nowadays prices have increased significantly, but the symbols are still in demand.

A watch with the Games-80 symbol can be purchased for 10,000 rubles, and a badge for 1,000 rubles.

A panel with an Olympic Bear for lovers of nostalgia will cost 9.000 rubles.

And the owners are ready to give the flag with the symbols for 1,500 rubles.

Modern symbols - White Bear, Leopard and White Bunny can be found literally everywhere. And the price tag, meanwhile, is equivalent to that at which "rarities of the 80s" are already being sold.

A teddy bear of only 32 cm on one of the "Olympic" sites costs 1,500 rubles.

A soft pillow for the car is 1,000 rubles.

The anthem of the Sochi 2014 Olympics is a very important symbol of it. It is performed twice: on the opening day and on the closing day of the Olympic Games. The authors of the Sochi 2014 anthem were Karen Kavaleryan and Nikolai Arutyunov. At the opening ceremony, the anthem will be performed by Anna Netrebko.

In the fall of 2012, the official slogan was presented: “Hot. Winter. Yours. " Translated into English, the slogan of the Games sounds no less impressive: “Hot. Cool. Yours ".

The main developer of the Sochi-2014 logo was Interbrand. The emblem is mirrored symbols "Sochi" and "2014". And also the Olympic rings with the "ru" element. The inscriptions on the emblems "Sochi" and "2014" symbolize the climatic polarity of Sochi. The element "ru" means the Russian domain zone.

Another integral symbol of the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The text of the Olympic oath of athletes: "On behalf of all athletes, I promise that we will participate in these Olympic Games, respecting and observing the rules by which they are held, in a truly sporting spirit, for the glory of sport and for the honor of our teams."

The Olympic medals were developed by the domestic jewelry company Adamas. Alloy composition Olympic medals famous:

1. Gold medal - an alloy of 92.5% silver, 6.16% copper and 1.34% gold. The top is pollinated with high quality gold plating.

2. Silver medal - an alloy of 92% silver and 7% copper.

3. Bronze medal - an alloy of copper with tin and zinc.

In general, there is no reason not to win.

Olga Lyubimova

One of them loves sledding and playing curling, the second cannot live without his snowboard, and the third always takes prizes in various sports competitions. Two are fierce predators, and the third is a small and defenseless baby, but this does not prevent her from fearlessly standing side by side with her unusual companions. Who are they? What unites them?

Of course, love for sports, because all three became the mascots of the 2014 Olympic Games, which will be held on February 7-23 in Sochi. Their path to fame was not easy: they had to bypass more than one rival and even compete with Zoich himself, but our heroes are not afraid of difficulties. Every day they have to meet with an enemy who is much more terrible - the winter cold, and she really does not tolerate carelessness and frivolity.

Polar Bear lives in the Arctic Circle. His house is made of snow and ice, as are all the things in it. The bear uses an ice computer, a cold bed and a snow shower. But he is not at all afraid of the cold - our athlete does not even suspect about the existence of the summer heat, because he grew up here.

Once upon a time, White Bear was sheltered by polar explorers, who taught him to ski and ice skate. However, most of all, this unusual athlete fell in love with sleds. He became an excellent luge and bobsledder, whose victories are watched with joy by his faithful friends, seals and fur seals.

The leopard works as a mountain rescuer-climber. He is not at all afraid of heights and even settled in the crown of a huge tree growing on one of the highest rocks in the Caucasus. He will never refuse help, as the residents of the nearest village, whom he repeatedly saved from unpredictable avalanches, were convinced.

The leopard rarely leaves his beloved snowboard and has even taught this sport to his curious friends and neighbors. He is cheerful and playful, like any representative of the feline tribe, and simply loves fiery dances.

But little Bunny has not yet decided what her profession will be, but she knows for sure that she will connect her life with her favorite sport. While she is an excellent student at the Forest Academy and diligently helps her mother in their small family restaurant called "Forest Dam", where it is always cozy and fun. And, of course, he never refuses songs and dances.

The current talismans were chosen, as they say, "by the whole world." The final results were announced on February 26, 2011 on Channel One. In the TV show “Talismania. Sochi 2014. Final ”announced the registration of 1.4 million votes of viewers who expressed their opinion. Leopard won 28.2% of the vote, White Bear - 18.3%, and Bunny - 16.4%.

Of course, not everyone agreed with this choice. For example, in the alternative voting on social networks VKontakte and on Facebook, Bunny did not qualify, giving her place to Santa Claus, and the residents of Sochi themselves preferred Dolphin on skis, which they announced back in 2008.

Most of all, critics do not like the round head of the Polar Bear and its resemblance to the mascot of the 1980 Olympics Misha, which the artist Viktor Chizhikov himself does not deny. In addition, many believe that the Leopard should not be white, because then it strongly resembles, which, as you know, never lived in the Caucasus.

However, the deed is done. According to Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of the Sochi 2014 Regional Committee, Leopard, White Bear and Bunny "have already become part of the history of the world Olympic movement!"

Russia has become a host country for the Olympics from all over the world for the second time. in 1980, Russia hosted the Olympics in Moscow for the first time - it was the 22nd Summer Olympics. The lucky mascot of the Moscow Summer Olympics was the bear Misha, who flew into the cloudless sky in a hot air balloon on the closing day of the Olympics.

For the second time, Russia has the honor to host athletes from all over the world at the Olympics. At the 119th session of the IOC in Guatemala, it was decided to select the Russian city of Sochi for hosting the Winter Olympic sports competitions. The Winter Olympic Games planned by the International Olympic Committee will be held in Sochi from 7 to 23 February 2014

Not only the Black Sea resort of Sochi, but the whole country is preparing for the main sports event. The scale of construction, unfolding on the territory of the city of Sochi, and in nearby towns and villages of the Krasnodar Territory is enormous.

Not only the members of the IOC commission, but also all Sochi residents personally see how quickly and efficiently the construction of Olympic facilities is proceeding - the Ice Palace, the mountain tourist center, the winter sports palace, the arena and many others.

The old highways of the Krasnodar Territory have been expanded and new roads have been laid leading to the Olympic venues, new sports hotels, hotels, cottages in Sochi have been built, which are ready to receive both athletes and fans of the future Winter Olympics.

What will be the main mascot of the Sochi Winter Olympics? This issue was actively discussed all over Russia, thousands of drawings of future talismans made by professional artists and, simply, by amateurs, appeared on the Internet and in the media.

The Olympic mascot should reflect the motto of the Olympic movement - “Citius, Altius, Fortius!"- and the very principle of the Olympics, which was defined in 1896 by Pierre de Coubertin:"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not victory, but participation, just like in life, the most important thing is not a triumph, but a struggle."

From childhood, it seems to us an inhabitant of the North Pole and the polar Arctic. A strong, fast and graceful animal can easily be the winner of curling, bobsleigh, tobogganing, speed skiing and skating competitions.

The second character is no less interesting - graceful, light and flexible snow leopard.

In the animal kingdom, it is the fastest animal, its running speed is 16 - 18 meters per second. For him, 8-10-meter long jumps and 4-meter high jumps are easy and common. The leopard is the most perfect cat living in the Caucasus mountains, easily and freely climbs rocks and trees, as if on the ground.

Yielding to a lion and a tiger in size, the leopard always wins in agility and swiftness of movement, he has an instant reaction and lightning-fast attack.

Hare they love for their light and cheerful disposition, their willingness to always come to the rescue. It is known that in the wild, rabbits will always feed not only their own, but also strangers' rabbits left without a mother. The hare knows how to be friends, take care of and win over.

In the Sochi House of Olympic Mascots, the guests of the Olympics will also get acquainted with Ray and Snezhinka - mascots

Olympic Games are a major sporting event in which thousands of athletes from all over the world compete in a variety of sports. There are two versions of this international sporting event - the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, which are held alternately every two years.

History of Olympic Games.

The modern Olympic Games are the embodiment of the idea of ​​the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), a public figure, historian, writer, teacher, sociologist, who was inspired by the ancient Olympic festivals. Many attempts were made to revive the game, but only Coubertin's efforts were crowned with success in the late 19th century. The International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894 and the first modern Olympic Games were held two years later, in 1896 in Athens.

You will learn about where, when and by whom the first Olympic competitions of antiquity were held in the section "OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES".

Olympic Games symbols.

A wide variety of Olympic symbols are offered to mark games: badges, flags, flames and other symbols that are used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympics throughout the year and especially during the games.

Olympic motto consists of three Latin words -

Literally it means "Faster, higher, braver."

However, the more common translation is "Faster, higher, stronger"(in English - Faster, higher, stronger). The three-word phrase was first spoken by French priest Henri Martin Dideon at the opening of a sports competition at his college. Coubertin liked these words, and he felt that these words reflect the goal of athletes around the world.

Initially, the revived Olympic Games only had emblem and flag.

The five intertwined rings featured on the Olympic flag are known as the Olympic rings. These rings are colored blue, yellow, black, green and red and intertwined with each other. They are the symbol of the Olympic Games. The Olympic rings were designed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1912. There is no evidence that Coubertin associated the number of rings with the number of continents, but it is believed that five rings are a symbol of five continents: America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

The Americas are treated as a single continent, while Antarctica and the Arctic were not taken into account.

The meaning of the Olympic rings, in accordance with the decision of the International Olympic Committee, is to reinforce the idea that Olympic movement is an international campaign and all countries of the world are invited to join it. The Olympic Charter recognized the importance of the Olympic rings, stating that they represent the union of the five continents, as well as the gathering of athletes from all over the world for the Olympic Games.

Five Olympic rings were adopted in 1914 and made their debut at the Belgian Olympics in 1920.

White silk cloth embroidered on it with five intertwined rings of blue, black, red (top row), yellow and green (bottom row) colors.

Accepted on all continents and escorted to the venue to light the Olympic flame and start the games.

Olympic principle was identified in 1896 by the founder of the modern Games, Pierre de Coubertin.
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not victory, but participation, just as the most important thing in life is not a triumph, but a struggle."

Olympic oath. The text of the oath was proposed by Pierre de Coubertin, later it changed somewhat and now sounds like this:
"On behalf of all the participants in the competition, I promise that we will participate in these Olympic Games, respecting and observing the rules by which they are held, in a truly sporting spirit, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

The oath is also taken by coaches, team officials and referees, whose oath has been adapted for this purpose. For the first time, the Olympic oath sounded in 1920, and the oath of the arbiters - in 1968 in Mexico City. In 2000, at the Sydney Olympics, for the first time in the text of the oath, words about the non-use of doping in competitions appeared.

Olympic flame. The ritual of lighting the sacred fire originates from the ancient Greeks and was renewed by Coubertin in 1912. The torch is lit in Olympia with a directional beam of sunlight formed by a concave mirror. The Olympic flame symbolizes purity, an attempt at improvement and the struggle to win, as well as peace and friendship. The tradition of lighting fires in stadiums began in 1928 (at the Winter Games in 1952). The torch relay to the host city of the Games was first held in 1936. The Olympic torch is delivered to the main stadium of the Games during the opening ceremony, where it is used to light a fire in a special bowl in the stadium. The Olympic flame burns until the close of the Olympics.

Olympic medals. Winner gets gold medal(in fact, this medal is silver, but covered with a relatively thick layer of gold). A silver medal is given for the second place, a bronze medal for the third. The medals are presented at a special ceremony after the competition. The winners are placed on the podium according to the places won. The flags of the countries represented by the winners are hoisted. The anthem of the country is played, the representative of which is the winner of the gold medal.

Talismans

The mascot of the Olympics is the ideological embodiment of what the organizers wanted to say about the Olympic values ​​and the cultural and historical significance of the region where the Games are held. It is for this reason that each time the creators of the mascot must go their own way, which will best reflect the ideas of the future Olympics. For all the time, mascots have been animals, dolls, folklore characters and fictional heroes.

If in the last century representatives of the local fauna enjoyed great popularity, then at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of ours, animals and birds gave way to mythical, folklore or simply fictional characters. The symbol of the Olympics should be bright, memorable, have a name and, most importantly, reflect the history and spirit of the place where the games are held.

A good mascot should be flexible: it looks equally good in electronic and print media, and also looks attractive like a plush toy.

The emblem and symbol of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, of course, is remembered by all citizens of the former USSR. This is "our affectionate Misha", who, by the way, had the full official name Mikhail Potapych Toptygin.

Mountain rescuer-climber Leopard lives in the crown of a huge tree that grows on the highest rock in the snow-capped mountains of the Caucasus. He is always ready to help and more than once saved the nearby village from avalanches.

The leopard is an excellent snowboarder, he taught this sport to all his friends and neighbors. The Leopard has a cheerful disposition, he cannot live alone and loves to dance.

Polar bear from early childhood he was brought up by polar explorers. It was they who taught him to ski, skate and play curling. But most of all the White Bear liked to ride on sports sleds. He became a real toboggan and bobsledder, and his friends - seals and fur seals - watch his victories with pleasure. Now they organize competitions in these sports together, and they have no time to get bored on a long polar night!

Bunny- the most active inhabitant of the winter forest. Her friends are always surprised - and how does she manage everything !? After all, Zayka not only manages to study at the Forest Academy with excellent marks, to help her mother in the family restaurant “Forest Dam”, but also to participate in various sports competitions. Bunny assures her friends that she has no secret: she just really loves sports. She also loves to sing and dance.

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee reported that the image of the Olympics was based on the principle of a patchwork quilt - a combination of 28 ornaments from 16 national crafts of Russia.

For all of us, of course, it is obvious why the organizers took the idea of ​​a patchwork technique - the unification of various parts into a single whole, this is organically the principle of an international sporting event.

The visual image should convey a huge abundance of feelings and sensations associated with such concepts as Motherland, Family, Culture, Time, Olympics, Peace, Nobility, Friends, Memory, Honor, Dreams, Beauty, Freedom, Pride, Warmth, Joy, Greatness, Reliability, Victory, Creativity, Hospitality, Creation, Future, Russia, Planet Earth.
“Each of the patches is saturated with the personal warmth of many folk crafts from different regions of Russia: in one blanket they combined Uftyug painting and Vologda lace, Gzhel and Zhostovo enamel, Kubachin patterns and flowers of Pavlovo-Posad shawls, Mezen painting and Khokhloma, Yakut patterns, Ivanovsky typical Russian patterns. Thus, we have received a completely original and modern visual image of our Sochi Olympics, ”says the official statement from Bosco.

And what can we take on board from this pleasant combination of patchwork and the Olympics in Russia?

Spend your time profitably:
Read and do sports!

Material prepared using information:
http://www.olympichistory.info/symbols.htm
http://www.sochionline2014.ru.

Paralympic Games is the culmination of a four-year sports cycle for Paralympic athletes and the rest of the Paralympic movement. The Paralympic Games are the most prestigious competitions for athletes with disabilities, selected through national, regional and global competitions.

The name "Paralympic Games" was originally associated with the term parapledgia (paralysis of the lower extremities), as the first regular competitions were held among people with spinal diseases. With the beginning of participation in the Games of athletes with other types of disabilities, the term "Paralympic Games" was rethought as "beside, outside the Olympics": a merger of the Greek preposition "Para" (next, outside, besides, about, parallel) and the word "Olympics". The new interpretation was supposed to indicate that competitions among people with disabilities were held in parallel and on an equal footing with the Olympic Games.

History of the Paralympic Movement.

The first attempts to introduce disabled people to sports were made in the 19th century, when in 1888 a sports club for the deaf was formed in Berlin.

In 1924, the Olympic Games for the Deaf were held in Paris for the first time, the program of which included competitions in athletics, cycling, soccer, shooting and swimming. However, the development of the world sports movement for the disabled began only in the second half of the 20th century.

The founder of the Paralympic movement is an outstanding neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttmann(Ludwig Guttmann), born in Germany and emigrated to England in 1939. Using his techniques, Guttman helped many soldiers wounded in World War II to return to normal life. Guttman proved in practice that sports for people with physical disabilities creates conditions for successful life, restores mental balance, and allows them to return to a full life regardless of physical disabilities.

In 1948, in Stoke Mandeville, Ludwig Guttmann hosted the "National Stoke Mandeville Games for the Disabled" competition in archery among wheelchair athletes, in which 16 paralyzed men and women were ex-servicemen. The Olympic Games were opening in London at the same time. In 1952, the Stoke Mandeville Games received international status.

In 1960, the first Paralympic Games were held at the Olympic sports facilities in Rome. Then it was decided to abandon the practice of unified structures.

For the first time, the term "Paralympic Games" is mentioned in connection with the 1964 Games in Tokyo. This name was officially approved in 1988, at the Winter Games in Innsbruck (Austria). Until 1988. The Games were called "Stoke Mandeville" (in accordance with the place where the first Paralympic competitions were held).

For the first time, the USSR national team took part in the 1984 Paralympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. The team had only two bronze medals conquered by the visually impaired skier Olga Grigorieva. In the Paralympic Summer Games, Soviet Paralympians made their debut in 1988 in Seoul. They competed in swimming and athletics competitions, winning 55 medals, of which 21 were gold.

In 1989, the International Paralympic Committee was formed.

Since 2000, the Paralympic and Olympic Games have been hosted by the same organizing committee. The Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee was the first to begin preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization that is involved in the preparation and conduct of the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, World Championships and others. international competitions for athletes with disabilities.

Paralympic emblem.

The Paralympic emblem first appeared at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Turin. The logo is made up of three hemispheres of red, blue and green colors located around the central point - three agitos (from the Latin agito - "set in motion, move"). This symbol reflects the role of the IPC in uniting athletes with disabilities who inspire and delight the world with their achievements. Three hemispheres, the colors of which - red, green and blue - are widely represented in the national flags of the countries of the world, symbolize Mind, Body and Spirit. Olympic rings, symbolizing the Olympic Movement, are not used in the symbols of the Paralympic Games.

Paralympic flag.

The Paralympic flag features the main Paralympic symbol, the IPC emblem, centered on a white background.

This symbol underlines the role of the IPC in uniting athletes with disabilities who continually inspire and delight the world with their achievements. The Paralympic flag may only be used at official events sanctioned by the IPC.

Paralympic anthem.

Since 1996, the anthem of the Paralympic Games has been a composition by Thierry Darnis entitled "Anthem of the Future".

Paralympic motto.

Spirit in Motion Spirit in motion

This motto succinctly and vividly conveys the essence of the vision of the Paralympic Movement - to provide Paralympic athletes of all levels and backgrounds with opportunities to inspire and delight the world through sports. The motto "Spirit on the Move" expresses the character of the Paralympic Movement and symbolizes the strong will of every Paralympic athlete.

Paralympic flame Is a fire that is ignited under the auspices of the IPC. The first Paralympic Torch Relay took place in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea.

Paralympic Oath

The proclamation of the Paralympic Oath is an important part of the protocol during the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games. After the Paralympic flag is raised, an athlete from the team of the country that organizes the Paralympic Games walks to the podium. He (or she) holds the corner of the Paralympic flag in his or her right hand and raises it as he proclaims the Paralympic Oath, thus reaffirming, on behalf of all participants, a commitment to fair wrestling and the ideals of the Paralympic Movement:
“On behalf of all athletes, I promise that we will participate in these Paralympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules of their conduct, pledging to compete without drugs and drugs in a truly athletic spirit for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.”

The Paralympic Oath dates back to the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960. Her words are an adapted version of the Olympic Oath, which was originally written by Pierre de Coubertin.

Paralympic Movement Values

Courage(Сourage) - to do the unpredictable and achieve the impossible, overcoming stereotypes.

Purposefulness (Determination) - to overcome obstacles and overcome unfavorable circumstances, maximizing their physical capabilities.

Inspiration (Inspiration) - to admire Paralympic athletes, using the example of their fortitude and achievements in their own lives.

Equality(Equality) - Paralympic sport aims to erase social barriers that discriminate against people with disabilities.

Dates of the

The Paralympic Summer and Winter Games are held every four years immediately after the Olympic Games. The duration of the Paralympic Games (Summer Games) cannot be less than twelve and more than fourteen days.
The duration of the Paralympic Winter Games must comply with the requirements established by the sports program of the Paralympic Games, but in any case cannot be less than nine or more than twelve days. The Paralympic Games must be run as an independent event. No other international events for persons with disabilities can be scheduled concurrently with the Paralympic Games, or within three months before and after the Games.

Location.

The Paralympic Games are held in the same city and in the same year as the Olympic Games. Paralympic events are held at the same sports venues that hosted the Olympic Games.

Official languages.

The official languages ​​of the Paralympic Games are English and the languages ​​of the host country.

Symbols of the Paralympic Games in Sochi 2014.

A ray flew to Earth from a planet where it is always hot. When he landed, he saw that everything was different on Earth, not the same as on his home planet. Everything was new for him: cold winters, snow, wind, and, of course, strangers around him. With its amber skin, sparks in huge eyes and hair like tongues of flame, Ray was very different from earthlings. Ray was always nice and friendly with everyone, always ready to help and support those around him. Very soon, Ray became a real favorite of everyone around.

But, despite the fact that there were many friends around him, Ray still felt lonely. One day he saw Snowflake. She flew to Earth from an icy planet. Her skin was white and transparent, like the first snow, and she herself looked like a snow crystal. And, despite the fact that Ray and Snowflake were completely different, they had a lot in common. Ray introduced Snowflake to his friends on Earth and talked about sports. Snowflake also began to ski with pleasure from the mountains, and together with Luchik they came up with completely new sports for earthlings - curling in wheelchairs and ice sledge hockey. People watched with admiration for their incredible sporting achievements. Moreover, they themselves fell in love with these sports! They gladly copied the technique of Ray and Snowflake, and everyone wanted to be the same as a star sports couple.

Ray and Snowflake decided to stay on Earth and not just use their incredible opportunities in sports, but help their friends and other earthlings discover fantastic opportunities in themselves!

Ray and Snowflake have become a real personification of contrast and harmony. Together they have the power that makes everything possible, and once again confirms to all people on Earth that the impossible does not exist!

The XI Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Sochi, Russia, from 7 to 19 March 2014. The International Olympic Committee has chosen the city of Sochi as the capital of the XXII Olympic and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014. Thanks to this decision, Russia will be able to conduct the first in its history winter Games.

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In 1980, the Olympics took place in Moscow. Its symbol was Mishka, who flew into the sky at the closing ceremony to the tears of sentimental Soviet citizens. "Goodbye, goodbye," - Mishka sang goodbye, and everyone believed that he would return.

When choosing the mascot of the Sochi Olympics, an all-Russian vote was held for the candidates through a variety of channels: the Internet, telephone, etc. The collection of ideas for creating a mascot began in Russia on September 1, 2010, and then the mascot of the Olympics, according to the VTsIOM poll, most respondents wanted to see the bear cub.

As a result, 11 candidates were nominated for voting, including a brown bear. Far from being as touching as 30 years ago, and therefore he took 8th place, far from the top three. Thus, in 2014 he will definitely not return.

The leader according to preliminary polls of the same VTsIOM was Santa Claus. This popular referendum was crowned by SMS-voting on the air of the First Channel. During the Talismania show, all the applicants, among whom, in addition to those named, were images of the Bunny, Leopard, Sun, White, Fire Boy, Snow Girl, Matryoshka, Dolphin, Bullfinch, received three minutes of airtime for their presentation.

Before the final vote, two things were brought to the attention of the Russians. Firstly, Santa Claus, through the host of the show, Ivan Urgant, conveyed a message in which he withdrew his candidacy from the election campaign for the title of the symbol of the Olympics. Secondly, a few hours before the start of the program, there was information on all channels that the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin spoke for Leopard. At the same time, he asked the voters not to be guided by his opinion.

As a result, the winner of the vote was the leopard Barsik, drawn by Vadim Pak from Nakhodka. 28% of Russians voted for him. The Polar Bear is 10% behind the Leopard. The third place with 16% of the votes was taken by Zayka. The main surprise of the vote was that everyone will become the mascots of the 2014 Games, the Olympics will have three symbols.

Tip 2: the largest objects winter Olympics in Sochi 2014

The organizers of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi had to do a tremendous amount of work. After all, it was necessary to build a number of new sports facilities, and at the highest level, to lay new roads, to improve the infrastructure. Now, when there is very little time left before the opening of the games, it is already safe to say that an ambitious project of grandiose proportions has been successfully implemented. Each sports facility of the future Olympics is very important and irreplaceable, but several of the largest can be distinguished against the general background.

"Fisht" - "White Head"

Sports competitions will be held in two regions (clusters) - coastal, located in the Imeretinskaya lowland, and mountain, located near the village of Krasnaya Polyana. The coastal cluster is designed to host all ice skating competitions: ice hockey, speed skating, short track speed skating, figure skating, as well as curling competitions. There will also be held the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, and the awarding of prize-winners. Among the objects of the coastal cluster, the largest is the new Fisht stadium, designed for 40 thousand spectators.

Translated from the Adyghe language, the word "fisht" means "snow head". This name is one of the mountain peaks of the West Caucasian ridge, 2852 meters high. The stadium is the largest sports facility in the south of Russia. Its length is 269 meters, width - 239 meters. In the future, after the end of the Winter Olympics, it is planned to replace the artificial turf with a natural turf, so that the matches of the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup can take place at Fishte.

The second largest sports facility in the coastal cluster is the Bolshoi Ice Palace. This building, designed for 12 thousand spectators, will host ice hockey competitions. The Ice Palace has a beautiful and original shape that resembles a frozen drop.

The largest object of the mountain cluster

The most impressive facility in terms of size and labor intensity, located in the area of ​​the Krasnaya Polyana village, is the Sanki bobsleigh complex. It is a giant concrete gutter shaped like the Latin letter U. The gutter is 1,814 meters long. The difference in height is relatively small - 132 meters, so bobsledders will not be able to reach very high speeds. This was done in agreement with the Olympic Committee in order to prevent a repetition of the tragedy at the Vancouver Olympics, when an athlete died during a training race.

On February 7, 2014, the Winter Olympic Games will open in Sochi. The upcoming Olympics will mark a record number of medals: 98 sets of awards will be drawn. The competition program includes a number of new disciplines. Sports lovers will find a bright, eventful show.

What is included in the 2014 Olympics program

Olympians in Sochi will compete for medals in 7 sports: biathlon, bobsleigh (which also includes skeleton), ice hockey, curling, luge, speed skating (speed skating, short track, figure skating), skiing (cross-country skiing, skiing, ski jumping, snowboarding, freestyle).

Considering the great interest of spectators in one of the brightest and most spectacular sports - ice hockey, the NHL leadership went to meet the International Olympic Committee and agreed to take a break in the winter season so that NHL players could take part in matches for their Olympic teams.

Venue of the competition

The Olympians will compete in two places: directly within the borders of Sochi and outside, about 40 kilometers from the city. These places have received official names: "coastal cluster" and "mountain cluster".

The coastal cluster includes the Olympic Park, where all the ice arenas are located, as well as the new Fisht stadium, designed for 40 thousand spectators. In addition to this stadium, there is the Bolshoi Ice Palace, the Puck Ice Arena, the Iceberg Winter Sports Palace, the Adler Arena and the Ice Cube, where curling competitions will take place. All these sports facilities are located so close to each other that they can be considered within walking distance. In this respect, the Sochi Olympics can be considered unique.

Open-air competitions will be held in the mountain cluster located on the territory of the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort. Here medals in biathlon, skiing, luge and bobsleigh will be competed. This cluster includes 5 modern complexes that meet the highest requirements. The Laura complex will host biathletes and cross-country skiing competitions, the Russkiye Gorki will host ski jumping, the Sanki complex will host sledges and bobsledders, and visitors to the Rosa Khutor complex will see alpine skiers' competitions. On the territory of Rosa Khutor there is also a separate complex called Extreme Park, where freestyle and snowboarding competitions will be held.

The XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi will take place from 7 to 23 February 2014. This grand event is eagerly awaited by both the residents of Russia and the whole world. This Olympiad will differ from others in various innovations.

Features of the Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics have been held since 1924 as an addition to Summer Games... From 1924 to 1992, the Winter Olympics were held in the same year as the Summer ones. Since 1994, the Winter Games have been held 2 years after the Summer Games. The generally accepted month for the Winter Olympics is February.

The date of February 7, 2014 and the city of the Olympic Games were selected during the 119th session of the International Olympic Committee in 2007. The members of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee were appointed responsible for the organization of the Winter Olympic Games.

During the closing ceremony of the previous Winter Olympic Games, IOC President Jacques Rogge handed the Olympic flag to Anatoly Pakhomov, the mayor of Sochi. A few months earlier, the Sochi 2014 logo was presented to the public. The residents of Russia chose the white Bear, Snow Leopard and Bunny as the mascots of the 2014 Winter Olympics. 500 days before the start of the Olympics, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee announced the slogan of the Games: “Hot. Winter. Yours. "

Preparation for the start of the Winter Olympics

365 days before the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, on February 7, 2013, countdown clocks were launched in many Russian cities, which display the days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining before the opening of the Olympic Games. These cities are Nizhny Novgorod, Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Pyatigorsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow. In addition, many Internet sites have installed electronic countdown clocks.

Several more important dates are associated with the number 7, anticipating the beginning of the Olympics and related events. On February 7, 2013, the official sale of tickets for the 2014 Sochi Olympics began. On October 7, 2013, the start of the Olympic torch relay in Russia was scheduled, which will continue until the very opening of the competition on February 7, 2014.

The city of Sochi will also host the Paralympic Games. Their opening is scheduled for March 7, 2014. The closing ceremonies of the Games promise to be important and memorable events. The Sochi Olympics will end on February 23, 2014, and the closing ceremony of the Para Olympic Games scheduled for March 16.

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The choice of the mascot for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi began back in 2008 with an unofficial vote held by the residents of Sochi. In 2010, an all-Russian vote was held, during which the official mascots were approved. At the same time, the inhabitants of Russia did not stop creating alternative versions of the symbols of the Olympics, some of which also became very popular.

Choosing a mascot

In 2008, the residents of Sochi also chose the Black Sea dolphin on skis as a mascot, designed by the artist Olga Belyaeva. The dolphin was not approved as an official symbol, as the Russians decided that it could not represent the Winter Olympics.

In September 2010, the official All-Russian competition for the mascots of the Sochi Olympics started. More than 24 thousand works from all over Russia came to the address of the organizing committee. People approached the creation of the talisman creatively and even with a fair amount of humor. People's favorites immediately arose, including the mascot Zoich from Evgeny Zhgun from Moscow in the form of a tailless amphibian. Mittens have become no less popular.

A short scandal arose when participants in the competition tried to promote satirical images through the Internet and at various exhibitions exposing the Russian authorities of fraud and large-scale embezzlement of budget funds during the construction of Olympic facilities. But the incident was quickly hushed up.

Jury decision

The expert jury did not include abstract and caricature characters in the list of finalists, preferring more serious, but at the same time bright and eye-catching characters. For quite a long time there have been debates over whether it is worth approving as a candidate for talismans the image of Santa Claus, the authors of which are the workers of the tourism sector from Volgograd. As a result, he was excluded from the list of applicants, since after the election the mascot of the Olympics should become the property of the International Olympic Committee. Ded Moroz is a well-established symbol of Russia and Russian traditions.

10 candidates for the Olympic mascots and 3 options for the Paralympic Games took part in the final voting. About one and a half million viewers cast their votes for the mascot of future games. More than 28% of the votes were received by the Snow Leopard or Leopard. 18% of the votes were given to the White Bear, and 16% were received by the Bunny. Thus, the jury decided to select all three characters as the official mascots of the Olympic Games. The organizers did not forget about the Paralympic Games. Snowflake and Ray became their talismans.

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Each Olympic Games has its own mascots, which are part of the Olympic symbols and help to better convey the national flavor of the host country of the competition, and also bring good luck to athletes. Most often, an animal or a fictional creature is used as an Olympic mascot. In 2011, the mascots of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi were determined.

How talismans were created

Initially, the residents of Sochi chose their mascot for the upcoming Olympic Games. It was a skiing dolphin, painted by the Yaroslavl artist Olga Belyaeva. Voting took place in 2008. However, after the publication of the results, the Sochi-2014 organizing committee announced that the elections for the official mascot of the Games would take place no earlier than 2011.

In 2010, an all-Russian competition was announced to create an idea for the Games mascots for everyone. In total, 24,048 works were sent to the competition from participants from all over Russia, as well as from foreign countries. The contestants sent in many comical versions, many of which became popular favorites. Among them are the tailless toad Zorg, Mittens and even Pedobir, popular on the Internet. Despite the nationwide recognition, the Sochi 2014 Olympic Committee and members of the selection committee did not allow dubious candidates to participate in the final vote.

How was the final vote

In December, an expert jury summed up the results of the first round and selected 11 main contenders for the title of the symbol of the Olympic Games in Sochi and 3 for the Paralympic Games. Before the decisive vote, it was announced that the jury had excluded Santa Claus from the list of candidates for the title of the mascot of the Olympics, since for Russians he is already a symbol of the New Year, and in case of victory it would belong to the International Olympic Committee, like the mascots of all the Games.

In February 2011, the official mascots were finally chosen from the final ten options. This happened during the voting on the air on the First TV channel. In total, 1.4 million Russians cast their votes. The jury announced the three winners that best fit the winter nature of the Olympics. They were the Snow Leopard, who received over 28% of the votes, the White Bear, for which 18% of the viewers voted, and the Bunny with 16% of the votes. Snezhinka and Luchik became the mascots of the Paralympic Games by the choice of the Paralympic athletes.

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Tip 7: How to find out the schedule of events of the Winter Olympics in Sochi

The XXII Winter Olympic Games will take place in the southern city of Russia, Sochi. This right was granted to him in 2007, during a meeting of the International Olympic Committee. In addition, the Winter Olympics flag was handed over to the hosts of this grand event. The organizing committee of the Games has already prepared an exciting program of sports and entertainment events, which will begin on February 7, 2014.

Olympiad program

Currently, the competition schedule has already been approved by the International Olympic Committee and sports federations. The official website of the Olympiad contains a complete schedule of all events. From 7 to 23 February 2014, Sochi will be the site of truly exciting sporting events.

The Olympic Games will begin with the opening ceremony on February 7, 2014, which will be held at the Fisht stadium, located in the coastal cluster and accommodating up to 40 thousand people. This event will also be shown live on the main Russian and world channels. To see it with your own eyes, you need to purchase tickets on the official website of the Olympics. One of the most colorful events of the Olympic Games will also be their closing ceremony, which will take place on 23 February. On the same day, the final sport competitions cross-country skiing and final hockey matches.

The first competitions of the Winter Olympics will take place on 8 February. Skaters and skiers will compete for championship titles and gold medals on this day. One set of awards will be played in biathlon and freestyle, and participants in cross-country skiing will compete for two championship titles at once. On the same day, ice hockey, figure skating, ski jumping and luge competitions will begin.

Where the competition will take place

The competition venues will be sports facilities located in the mountainous and coastal clusters of Sochi. Facilities for competitions requiring elevation differences (luge, ski jumping, bobsledding, snowboarding, etc.) are located in Krasnaya Polyana, forming a mountain cluster. Cross-country skiing and biathlon races will also take place here. A media village has been built here especially for journalists and television.

Ice rinks for figure skating, hockey, curling and speed skating tournaments are located along the Black Sea coast. There are also stadiums where ceremonial and cultural events will take place.

The weather in the capital of the Olympics ranges from about +14 to +16 degrees Celsius. On the beach you can go and even sunbathe. But this weather does not at all interfere with the training and competition of athletes: the ice in the arenas is normal, the snow does not melt on the ski slopes. Hot also because people from all over the country came to cheer for our people, for whom this event will not leave indifferent.

About an hour from the sea - and you find yourself in winter. On the mountain slopes, at an altitude of 1500 m, where skiers compete, there is enough snow. As it turned out, winter competitions can also be held at this latitude. And if in the evening (at this time the biathlon competitions are held) you stand for ten to fifteen minutes, then you can turn into ice. By the way, there are a lot of beautiful ice statues in the Olympic Village, and they don't melt!

Everyone who has come to Sochi will have to understand this: spectators, athletes, journalists, volunteers, etc. A lot has been built here and a lot of effort has been invested. Stadiums, hotels, three Olympic villages at once, all at a high level of comfort and convenience.

The Olympic Games in Sochi are undoubtedly a grandiose world-class event that will remain in the memory of everyone who took part in the Games - both athletes and fans. And for everyone they will be hot, of course, winter and their own.

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