Nothing can put down the Olympic spirit. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia opened with such a spectacular show on Friday. Amid the controversies, the scares, the protests and security problems, nothing can stop the Olympics from happening and Russia from staging the highly-anticipated opening ceremony, the culmination of seven years of planning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has staked his reputation on hosting a successful and safe Olympics. The two and a half hour spectacular, seen live by 40,000 spectators at the Fisht Stadium was not without drama. During one part of the show, there were five giant glittering snowflakes to represent the four seasons in Russia. The snowflakes floated to the middle of the arena and in succession, immediately morphed into large rings. They joined together to form the Olympic rings but one remained closed as a snowflake. The rings were meant to be lighted by fireworks to start the ceremony going. Instead, with the technical glitch, the rings were dimmed and moved out of the center of the arena.
After the glitch, President Putin declared the Olympic Games open.
The spectacular show
The Olympics opening ceremonies at Sochi was indeed very grand. The whole show went through a plethora of spectacles. There were 18 chapters to the opening ceremony. There were the glowing horses made of light that streaked through the sky. The famous onion domes of the St. Basil Cathedral was shown. There were literary references to Russian writers Nabokov, Gogol and Tolstoy, images of skyscrapers during the Stalin regime and the famous singers, musicians and ballerinas of Russia. There some cultural learning as well, with the show providing some background information on the Russian alphabet, references to the country’s long history and its celebrated cosmonauts.
The three giant mascots skated around the arena, with performances by popular artists and Russian athletes adding their stellar presence to the event. One of the memorable episodes in the grand show was when the lights were lowered and performers danced to a Tchaikovsky waltz. They were all wearing white to symbolize peace. The finale was another spectacular affair, with colorful fireworks lighting the brand new stadium and the surrounding area, amid the wondrous sounds of Russian opera and classical music.
First Olympics appearance for the U.S. in Russia
The United States has sent the largest delegation, with 230 athletes representing the country in numerous events. This will be the first time that the United States is appearing in an Olympic event in Russia. The country boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow.
The first day of the sporting action in Sochi begins on Saturday, where the first five gold medals are up for grabs in speed skating, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, cross country skiing and biathlon.
The mood in Sochi is upbeat, despite some people looking for things to complain about. Even the mascots, a hare, a tiger and a bear are looking mightily cute and happy.
Photo credit: Taken by Russian Post under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
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