A grandiose and patriotic ceremony to welcome the Olympic flame in Russia, demonstrating the country's pride in hosting February's Winter Games, was held in the heart of Moscow on September 6.
The Olympic flame arrived in Moscow with an official delegation of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee on a chartered flight from Athens. The Olympic flame was given its own row of seats in the plane at one end of the passenger compartment.
In the photo: Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak (right) and president of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko at the ceremony of welcome for the Olympic Flame in Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.
In the photo: Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak (right) and president of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko at the ceremony of welcome for the Olympic Flame in Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.
To mark the moment of the flame’s arrival in Moscow, a concert was organized on Red Square.
Russian President Vladimir Putin exited the Kremlin’s Spassky tower and walked along a red carpet through Red Square to the stage, where he officially started the Olympic flame relay.
“Today is a joyful and triumphal day: the Olympic flame – the symbol of the world’s most important sporting event, a symbol of peace and friendship – has arrived in Russia and in a few minutes time will begin on its journey around our enormous country,” said Putin.
Celebrations took place throughout the day in Moscow, with the main event being held on Red Square. More than 50,000 people took part, according to police.
After the Russian president gave the official start to the Olympic flame relay, torch-bearers carried the flame around the Moscow Kremlin.
In the photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin during the official ceremony to start the Olympic flame on the Red Square. On the left are figure skaters Lina Fyodorova and Maxim Miroshkin.
In the photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin during the official ceremony to start the Olympic flame on the Red Square. On the left are figure skaters Lina Fyodorova and Maxim Miroshkin.
First symbolic relays to deliver the Olympic flame to the host city began in the 20th century.
In the photo: retired Soviet Armenian finswimmer Shavarsh Karapetyan hands over the torch to Paralympic athlete Alexei Ashpatov.
In the photo: retired Soviet Armenian finswimmer Shavarsh Karapetyan hands over the torch to Paralympic athlete Alexei Ashpatov.
The Olympic flame, taken to Moscow on Sunday, was lit with a parabolic mirror on September 29, during a traditional ritual in Ancient Olympia, Greece.
In the photo: teenage piano prodigy Daniil Kharitonov hands over the Olympic flame to ballet dancer Diana Vishneva.
In the photo: teenage piano prodigy Daniil Kharitonov hands over the Olympic flame to ballet dancer Diana Vishneva.
On its journey, a special team of keepers accompanies the heavily-guarded Olympic flame. According to head of the Sochi 2014 organizing committee Dmitry Chernyshenko, the fire brought to Moscow is kept in 30 backup lanterns.
In the photo: ballet dancer Irina Vishneva carries to Olympic flame.
In the photo: ballet dancer Irina Vishneva carries to Olympic flame.
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© RIA Novosti . Andrey Telichev
Russian bobsleigh racer Irina Skvortsova gives the Olympic torch to subway train driver Andrei Ulyanov.
Moscow subway train driver Andrei Ulyanov, who received the Order For Merit to the Fatherland for saving passengers’ lives when a section of tunnel fell onto a metro train in 2006, carries the Olympic flame.
14-year-old Olesya Pokrovskaya, who rescued a drowning woman, was among the torchbearers.
The Sochi Olympics torch relay, the longest in history, will begin in Moscow on October 7. During the 123-day marathon, the flame will travel across 2.9 cities and towns in nine time zones, covering over 65,000 km. Other high points include a trip up Russia’s highest mountain, Elbrus, in sub-zero temperatures and the sending of an unlit torch into space.
In the photo: teenager Olesya Pokrovskaya and subway train driver Andrei Ulyanov during the start of the Olympic torch relay.
In the photo: teenager Olesya Pokrovskaya and subway train driver Andrei Ulyanov during the start of the Olympic torch relay.
On its way through Russia’s 83 regions, the torch will make its way back into European Russia, winding down to the Black Sea resort of Sochi for the opening ceremony on February 7, 2014.
In the photo: Hero of the Soviet Union, WWII veteran Boris Runov (left) hands over the Olympic flame to Hero of Russia, military pilot Ivan Nechayev.
In the photo: Hero of the Soviet Union, WWII veteran Boris Runov (left) hands over the Olympic flame to Hero of Russia, military pilot Ivan Nechayev.
