Hot. Winter. Yours: a new exposition opened at the RUSSIA EXPO to mark the 10th anniversary of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi
A total of
eight expositions are presented at the Alley of Glory at the Exposition: about
90 name steles with almost 600 genuine gold medals introduce visitors to famous
Russian athletes and their achievements in the global sports arena. The new
exposition is dedicated to one of the most significant events in modern Russian
history - the 10th anniversary of the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
The 2014
Winter Olympic Games became not only a national holiday of the country, but
also a global event. A record number of participants, almost 100 sets of awards
in 15 disciplines, for which there was a fierce struggle, and the first victory
of the Russian national team in the medal standings. Now some of these medals
can be seen on the Alley of Glory.
The opening
ceremony of the new steles was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
Dmitry Chernyshenko.
"Today
we once again honor our champions, who brought us the pride and joy of victories
10 years ago. This period has been very fruitful for Russia. We see how the
infrastructure of both the city of Sochi and the whole country is developing.
Sports facilities are being created, new records are being set. If you
remember, when President Vladimir Putin personally presented the bid in
Guatemala, he said: "We do not promise, we guarantee that we will make the
best Olympic Games." And he did it. But the Games are always made for the
athletes, so they can showcase their outstanding achievements and become role
models for future champions. We thank the winners and medalists for their
efforts, for their faith, for their skill and for their dedication to their
Motherland. And let our anthem continue to sound in honor of our
victories!" said Deputy Prime Minister.
The event
was also attended by Igor Levitin, Aide to the President of Russia, Deputy
Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Physical Culture
and Sports. On behalf of the Olympians Support Fund, he thanked those who stayed
in the sport and tied their lives to it after ending their competitive path.
Many continue to work for the benefit of sports development in federations,
public organizations, educational centers, work as coaches and mentors.
The heroes
of the Alley of Glory who personally put their original medals into the
exposition include: Dmitry Solovyov, Ekaterina Bobrova, Alexander Legkov,
Dmitry Malyshko and Alexei Volkov.
In
addition, among the heroes of the new Alley of Glory there are: Evgeni
Plushenko, Nikita Katsalapov, Vladimir Grigoriev and Alexander Tretyakov.
On this
day, the outstanding athletes of our country were also greeted by the Minister
of Sports of Russia Oleg Matytsin.
"It is a great joy to be here today and feel a sense of belonging to history. It is you, athletes, coaches, who have made a huge contribution to this history. The victory from 10 years ago still lives with us today, lives in your labors and children who come to training inspired by your victories. I want to congratulate the entire team led by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin for this project. A victorious project, a project of pride, which has left such a rich legacy," said Oleg Matytsin.
Maxim Dreval, Director General of the Russian Society "Knowledge", also made a welcoming speech: "We are opening the eighth and final part of the Alley of Glory. These steles contain more than 600 authentic gold medals won at the Olympic Games and other international competitions. Now, walking through the RUSSIA EXPO, we can look at your victories and be proud of them as our own. I thank you, your coaches, team members and your families for repeatedly proving that nothing is impossible for us. When we are united, Russia cannot be defeated. I would also like to say that although we are completing the sports Alley of Glory with this exposition, we will soon open another one, dedicated to young champions, winners of international schoolchildren's Olympiads, and we will show more than 100 of their medals. So, we will say goodbye only for a short while".
The event will feature a presentation of a collection of essays written by participants of the international project "Open Dialogue: The Future of the World. New Platform for Global Growth."
