The Putin Games began at 20.14 local time. A fanfare of fireworks, dancing, music and drama spoke of Russia’s rediscovered might — and launched the XXII Winter Olympics as the crowning glory of Vladimir Putin.
He has seen off the opposition at home, asserted himself as the central figure in the Syrian story and now, at a cost of $51billion, is staging an extravaganza of virility for all the globe to see.
This opening ceremony was reminiscent of the Beijing Games. Watching that night with rapt attention was Putin. He saw how the soft power of a cultural exhibition could bedazzle the world.
Pyrotechnic prowess: Fireworks explode over the Fisht Stadium at the beginning of the the Winter Olympic opening ceremony
We have lift-off: Russian President Vladimir Putin declares the 2014 Winter Olympic Games open at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi
Hoping to be all white: Russian President Putin waits in the presidential lounge before being introduced at the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
For China, the ceremony announced the arrival of the coming superpower; for Russia last night it marked its revival as a post-Soviet powerhouse, confident of its seat at the top table after two decades of doubt and despondency.
There was none of London 2012’s opening-night reticence that saw Danny Boyle omit Dickens and penicillin, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I from the script. This was an unapologetic advert — history on Russia’s terms.
Under the domed roof of the Fisht Stadium, it started with a bang — an arsenal of fireworks from the roof — and barely let up in its intensity, even if the fifth of the Olympic rings suffered an electrical malfunction.
Red alert: Performers entertain the crowds during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi
Glamour guest: Russian tennis player and Olympic medalist Maria Sharapova runs with the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony
We were shown a 13-part history of Russia through the eyes of Lubov, a little, tawny girl whose name means love. She took us through thousands of years of history and across a nation of 6.6 million square miles, nine time zones and 150 ethnicities.
We were introduced to the Cyrillic alphabet before Lubov took to the air on a kite — to the accompaniment of Borodin’s Fly Away on the Wings of the Wind.
She took us back to 100 years before the Trojan War, when legend records that the Argonauts sailed to this coast of the Black Sea. The show took in the fabled Russian troika, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Peter the Great, the Bolshoi Ballet, Tolstoy’s War and Peace and the cosmonaut age.
Interesting headwear: Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Irina Shayk, centre, leads the Russian delegation at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
Reinventing the wheel? An artist performs during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
The programme notes even trumpeted Putin as an Alpine skier, ice-skater and ice hockey player.
There was no mistaking who was the all-action hero of this piece. The light on the presidential box remained on when all others were switched off, in case anyone did not get the message.
But dear Lubov was not even-handed in her history lesson. Lenin and Stalin, those two brutal tyrants of the 20th century, went uncelebrated. No mention was made that the whole shebang is being staged down the road from Uncle Joe’s dacha.
Nor did we hear about repression, dissent, terror fears and the political tension over neighbouring Ukraine.
Eye-catching: Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
Proud nation: The opening ceremony began with the colours of the Russian flag being projected over the Fisht Stadium in Sochi
We must not forget the ancillary stars of Friday night: the athletes. They emerged through the floor.
They did so accompanied by Tatu, a pseudo-lesbian pop duo whose name can be translated as ‘This girl loves that girl’.
Entertainment: Controversial Russian pop duo Tatu performed at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony
Entertainment: Controversial Russian pop duo Tatu performed at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony
A video of them wearing school uniform and kissing has been watched by 44million people on YouTube.
Engaging Tatu would seem to have been a defiant bit of mischief after the revulsion felt in much of the world about a Russian law banning gay ‘propaganda’.
For that reason Barack Obama, David Cameron, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande were not among 44 world leaders in attendance.
But the ceremony’s director Konstantin Ernst said Tatu’s song Not Gonna Get Us was chosen merely because it is one of the few Russian pop tunes known around the globe.
He added that the song — about teenage love — was uplifting and confident and would inspire the athletes.
How absurd.
Great Britain, usually further down the list, marched out 17th of the 88 nations, with the alphabetic order determined by Cyrillic.
Most of their 56-strong delegation, wearing Russian hats and puffer jackets, lined up behind the flag-bearer Jon Eley, a 29-year-old short-track speed skater from Solihull. They emerged to big cheers.
Of great significance to Putin’s desire to impress the world is how many medals the host nation will accrue.
They suffered their worst Winter Olympic results four years ago and immediately set themselves the target of topping the table this time around.
That forecast has since been trimmed so radically that they now refuse to put a number on their ambitions.
But, regardless of the sporting feats that await, the Olympic flame, symbolising the mythical theft of fire from Zeus by Prometheus, was lit in Putin’s Russia last night with the help of Maria Sharapova and the president’s reputed girlfriend, the gold-medal gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
The Kremlin felt the warm glow of power again. Mr Putin almost smiled.
Driven to entertain: Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
He has seen off the opposition at home, asserted himself as the central figure in the Syrian story and now, at a cost of $51billion, is staging an extravaganza of virility for all the globe to see.
This opening ceremony was reminiscent of the Beijing Games. Watching that night with rapt attention was Putin. He saw how the soft power of a cultural exhibition could bedazzle the world.
Pyrotechnic prowess: Fireworks explode over the Fisht Stadium at the beginning of the the Winter Olympic opening ceremony
We have lift-off: Russian President Vladimir Putin declares the 2014 Winter Olympic Games open at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi
Hoping to be all white: Russian President Putin waits in the presidential lounge before being introduced at the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
For China, the ceremony announced the arrival of the coming superpower; for Russia last night it marked its revival as a post-Soviet powerhouse, confident of its seat at the top table after two decades of doubt and despondency.
There was none of London 2012’s opening-night reticence that saw Danny Boyle omit Dickens and penicillin, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I from the script. This was an unapologetic advert — history on Russia’s terms.
Under the domed roof of the Fisht Stadium, it started with a bang — an arsenal of fireworks from the roof — and barely let up in its intensity, even if the fifth of the Olympic rings suffered an electrical malfunction.
Red alert: Performers entertain the crowds during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi
Glamour guest: Russian tennis player and Olympic medalist Maria Sharapova runs with the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony
We were shown a 13-part history of Russia through the eyes of Lubov, a little, tawny girl whose name means love. She took us through thousands of years of history and across a nation of 6.6 million square miles, nine time zones and 150 ethnicities.
We were introduced to the Cyrillic alphabet before Lubov took to the air on a kite — to the accompaniment of Borodin’s Fly Away on the Wings of the Wind.
She took us back to 100 years before the Trojan War, when legend records that the Argonauts sailed to this coast of the Black Sea. The show took in the fabled Russian troika, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Peter the Great, the Bolshoi Ballet, Tolstoy’s War and Peace and the cosmonaut age.
Interesting headwear: Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Irina Shayk, centre, leads the Russian delegation at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
Reinventing the wheel? An artist performs during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
The programme notes even trumpeted Putin as an Alpine skier, ice-skater and ice hockey player.
There was no mistaking who was the all-action hero of this piece. The light on the presidential box remained on when all others were switched off, in case anyone did not get the message.
But dear Lubov was not even-handed in her history lesson. Lenin and Stalin, those two brutal tyrants of the 20th century, went uncelebrated. No mention was made that the whole shebang is being staged down the road from Uncle Joe’s dacha.
Nor did we hear about repression, dissent, terror fears and the political tension over neighbouring Ukraine.
Eye-catching: Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
Proud nation: The opening ceremony began with the colours of the Russian flag being projected over the Fisht Stadium in Sochi
We must not forget the ancillary stars of Friday night: the athletes. They emerged through the floor.
They did so accompanied by Tatu, a pseudo-lesbian pop duo whose name can be translated as ‘This girl loves that girl’.
Entertainment: Controversial Russian pop duo Tatu performed at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony
Entertainment: Controversial Russian pop duo Tatu performed at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony
A video of them wearing school uniform and kissing has been watched by 44million people on YouTube.
Engaging Tatu would seem to have been a defiant bit of mischief after the revulsion felt in much of the world about a Russian law banning gay ‘propaganda’.
For that reason Barack Obama, David Cameron, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande were not among 44 world leaders in attendance.
But the ceremony’s director Konstantin Ernst said Tatu’s song Not Gonna Get Us was chosen merely because it is one of the few Russian pop tunes known around the globe.
He added that the song — about teenage love — was uplifting and confident and would inspire the athletes.
How absurd.
Great Britain, usually further down the list, marched out 17th of the 88 nations, with the alphabetic order determined by Cyrillic.
Most of their 56-strong delegation, wearing Russian hats and puffer jackets, lined up behind the flag-bearer Jon Eley, a 29-year-old short-track speed skater from Solihull. They emerged to big cheers.
Of great significance to Putin’s desire to impress the world is how many medals the host nation will accrue.
They suffered their worst Winter Olympic results four years ago and immediately set themselves the target of topping the table this time around.
That forecast has since been trimmed so radically that they now refuse to put a number on their ambitions.
But, regardless of the sporting feats that await, the Olympic flame, symbolising the mythical theft of fire from Zeus by Prometheus, was lit in Putin’s Russia last night with the help of Maria Sharapova and the president’s reputed girlfriend, the gold-medal gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
The Kremlin felt the warm glow of power again. Mr Putin almost smiled.
Driven to entertain: Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
Post a Comment