President Putin declares Sochi Winter Olympic Games officially open

Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the Winter Olympics in Sochi on Friday after a lavish opening ceremony showcasing Russia as a resurgent nation. “I declare the 22nd Winter Olympic Games officially open,” Putin said, raising the curtain on an Olympic Games that started as his pet project and has become the crowning moment of his third term as president.

The XXII Olympic Winter Games are oficially opened in Sochi on Friday, February 7. The opening ceremony started exactly at 20:14 at Sochi's Fisht Stadium (16:14 GMT). The Olympic flag with five rings symbolising the unity of athletes around the world is solemnly hoisted and the Olympic flame is lit.

Legendary sports celebrities of the 20th century, figure skater Irina Rodnina and ice hockey goalkeeper Vladislav Tretyak have lit the Olympic Flame that XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The lighting, which was staged in the form of a fiery pathway dashing from the a special torch installed on the ground up to the Olympic Cauldron, was preceded by a mini-relay race on the Fisht stadium, which brought together the mega-stars of Russian and international sports, Maria Sharapova, Yelena Isinbayeva, Alexander Karelin, and Alina Kabayeva.

The Olympic flag, which is turning a hundred years this year, has been raised over the Fischt stadium to the sounds of the Olympic Hymn sung by renowned Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko and played by the State Symphony Orchestra Novaya Rossiya (New Russia). Representatives of athletes, judges and coaches took an Olympic oath on behalf of all athletes, judges and coaches.

The official opening ceremony of the XXII Olympic Winter Games started at the Fischt sport stadium with a bright theatrical extravaganza telling the history of Russia through the dreams of a little girl called Lyubov.

The show began with excursions into the depths of Russian history followed by trips to the country’s future. “We want to tell the people on Earth about Russia and how we love it. We hope that spectators in various parts of Russia will be able to feel and share our love. You are Welcome! This is Russia!” the Games’ organizers said.

The show titled “We are in Russia!” is divided in 13 parts. It started with a chapter called “Azbuka” (an A-B-C book), a style of writing which is different from other alphabets. The viewers heard voices from all parts of Russia: from twinkling Polar Lights over the Arctic Ocean to sub-tropical Sochi; from the hot gazers of the Kamchatka peninsula to the Urals.

A separate part of the show is devoted to the Russian tricolor. The spectators will get acquainted with the Russian Odyssey - a gallery of historical characters who took part in the construction of the Russian state and glorified the great Russia.

The two final parts are called “The Dove of Peace” and “The Olympic Gods”. The organizers explain that that a dove occupies an honorary place in the world of symbols, including the Olympic ones. That is why the breath-taking choreography of world famous ballet dancer Diana Vishneva combined with modern technologies will create an inimitable image of a magic dove, which will be replaced by a dynamic installation: a bright combination of two elements - space and sport.

The final scene called “The Olympic Gods” is devoted to the cosmic achievements of Russian athletes where the images of great athletes are associated with the images of great Olympic Gods.