BAKU, October 3 (RIA Novosti) - Dimitris Papaioannou, the art director of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics 2004 in Athens, will produce the opening ceremony of the European Games-2015 in Baku, the Operation Committee of the first European Games (BEGOC) said Friday.
"My appointment to create the Baku 2015 Opening Ceremony is both an honor and a challenge. My aim is to tell a universal human story using elemental Azerbaijani ingredients in a way that is contemporary, inventive and playful, but always respectful of the culture's enormous richness and depth," Papaioannou was quoted by BEGOC's official website.
Dimitris Papaioannou is a renowned artist, choreographer, performer and visionary, who received the Golden Cross of the Order of Honor from the Greek President for his outstanding artistic achievement at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
On Friday, the European Games-2015 also launched the application process for volunteers who want to perform at the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Games.
The 2015 European Games will be the first multi-sport event for European athletes. It will be held on June 12-June 28 in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. The decision to hold the first ever European Games was made in 2012, during the 41st general assembly of the European Olympic Committee in Rome. The Baku-2015 European Games will feature a total of 20 sports, including 16 Olympic and four non-Olympic sports.
