For the first time in the 22 years of Winter Olympic history, Russia finds itself as host. Spending over $50 billion, Sochi hopes to be the best Olympics yet. Though the Opening Ceremony got off to a rough start, with ill-prepared accommodations for visitors and an embarrassing ring malfunction, the ceremony pulled through in the end with beauty, innovation and historic references. In the U.S., the Opening Ceremony was played many hours after the people of Russia had fallen asleep. NBC channel showed the ceremonies while including their own commentary.
The Ceremonies opened with a video that attempted to connect Russia with the rest of the world, going through the Cyrillic alphabet and using words and images that all cultures can understand. As the NBC newscasters clearly wished to emphasize, the people of Russia consider themselves to be dreamers, which could be seen through many of the sets. A young girl flying a kite suddenly began to float in the air as scenic worlds flew underneath her. This was where the fifth ring of the Olympic symbol failed to blossom out of its star formation.
A wide variety of entertainment was offered for the ceremony, from the 600-year-old Sretensky Monastery Choir, to the Russian ballet, to the final, grand lighting of the Olympic torch. The choir sang a beautiful rendition of the state anthem of Russia, which segued into a gracefully galloping troika of light and an obscure reference to Baba Yaga, followed by a gorgeous inflatable Kremlin that slowly slid across the arena. A Russian ballet, including members from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Ballets, was the last to perform before the team introductions began.
The varying Olympians traversed the Fisht Olympic Stadium, alphabetized by the Cyrillic alphabet. The U.S. Olympians donned their Ralph Lauren-designed outfits, an interesting mix of hipster thrifting and ugly sweater party gear. After the interesting, yet prolonged, entrance of the Olympians, Russia provided a captivating historical performance, portraying how the country had grown and developed. There was a particularly terrifying section devoted to the age of Stalin and industrialization of Russia, dancers moving harshly and deliberately underneath the unforgiving red light of Communism. The ceremony concluded with an impassioned speech from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who called for acceptance of human diversity and unity during the Games. A procession and passing of the Olympic torch followed, culminating in the final lighting and firework show.
Though NBC played some of Bach’s speech, a nearly five-minute segment was cut from the entire ceremony. While NBC claimed they merely edited for time, the section that was removed could be a statement. As many people are aware, Russia’s intolerance for homosexuals has led to extreme violence and many arrests. Bach’s message called for tolerance, hoping that athletes would be able to compete side-by-side without letting discrimination color their experience. Hopefully, these government restrictions will not lead to problems for athletes currently competing at Sochi, but only time will tell.
In comparison with past ceremonies, Russia definitely tried to outdo the rest, especially with its absolutely insane budget. Many speculations have been made that the greatly increased price is a result of corrupt officials. While Vladimir Putin initially speculated that the Olympics would cost $12 billion, the result ended up being more than three times the projected expenditure. In comparison, the Vancouver Olympics cost only $7 billion. The grandeur of the Opening Ceremony was plain, but it could not be considered better or worse than previous Opening Ceremonies. Vancouver’s used the same advanced technology of projections onto ice that actors interacted with as Russia did. China’s has widely been the most impressive Opening Ceremony in years, with the absolute precision and perfection throughout, while England’s highlighted its better known features, such as the work of William Shakespeare or actor Kenneth Branagh. Russia chose to highlight its own important and well-known features, while presenting glorious and captivating set changes.
The Opening Ceremony was a beautiful affair, as it should have been for the whopping budget imposed on the country (hopefully, the profit generated will supersede the cost of extravagance). This night was a glimpse inside a country that many outside of it do not understand—a yawning abyss of unknowable culture to those who are foreign to its depths. Just as many foreigners do not understand American patriotism, so do those outside Russia not have the same love for it. Overwhelmingly, the most interesting part of the performance had to be the historical subsection after the team introductions. While in the stadium, it might have been seen as a merely choreographed dance, the NBC coverage with announcers allowed much of the work to be identified and examined for its deeper importance. An importance that very easily could have been lost—the pride for Russia comes not out of its chaotic past and present but from the culture that has taken centuries to develop and enhance. Truthfully, Russia has its flaws, as evidenced by the LGBT controversy that has become integrated into the very fabric of these Games; yet all countries have their flaws. As with the several past Olympic Ceremonies, Russia has brought a taste of its own to the world; while not as rooted in perfection like China nor media like England, Russia put its culture at the forefront to be experienced by all.
