Sochi 2014 Look of the Games Concept Revealed!

April 25, 2011, Moscow, Russia – The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee today revealed the concept of an integrated visual Look of the Games for the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014.

The Sochi 2014 Look of the Games concept is a logical continuation of the philosophy behind the sochi.ru brand. It offers a new interpretation of different cultures, traditions and ethnicities which together form a united and powerful visual identity.

At the heart of the Look of the Games concept design lies the principle of the "patchwork quilt" - a combination of 16 designs representing the most famous traditional Russian arts and crafts, ranging from Gzhel to Khokhloma. The Look of the Games concept is the visual embodiment of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games philosophy and is intended to express the character of modern Russia whilst at the same time introducing guests from all over the world to traditional Russian hospitality.

Sochi 2014 in its process to develop this innovative and stunning Look of the Games was supported by BoscoSport, sports and leisure apparel company and one of Sochi 2014’s tier one Partners, that today formally handed-over the Look of the Games concept to the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee.

Upon officially receiving the Games Look concept, Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, said:

"The support provided by Bosco was strongly welcomed by the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee as an excellent example of a partner’s pro-active involvement in our Games preparation process. The results have exceeded all our expectations. The foundation of the idea is based on a variety of impressions and emotions that the Sochi 2014 Games will bring - not only to the people of Russia, but to the whole world."

In-keeping with the Sochi 2014 brand, the Look of the Games concept is based on the idea of every resident of the country participating in the Sochi 2014 Games. It portrays emotion and moderation, tact and expression; in short - the Russian character that is inherent in every resident of the host country.

The Look of the Games concept represents a unified design for sports venues, infrastructure facilities, city streets and squares. It will provide a stunning backdrop to the 2014 sports events and will be the clear distinctive feature that creates a unified appearance for the Games. The Games Look will help create the festive mood of the Games and will be the first and lasting impressions for millions of visitors of the country hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Look of the Games will also be long-remembered by the television viewers who will follow the Sochi Games from all over the planet, and who will also actively use the Partner companies and licensees of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games[1].

Head of Bosco di Ciliegi group of companies, Mikhail Kusnirovich, said:

"Participation in Olympic movement is one of the most attracting moments in BOSCO activities. With all responsibility we have taken the first step in creation of the Sochi 2014 visual Look. We are proud for this step. In my opinion, it turned out very juicy! I hope that the new visual Look of the Games will be interesting and joyful both in Russia and in the world. It is great to create! Especially together!".

SOCHI 2014 GAMES LOOK CONCEPT: ORNAMENTAL DESIGN ELEMENTS

Kuban patterns. Southern Russian cultural traditions are reflected in the festive Kuban female costume, whereas most men wore the military uniform of the Cossacks. The sleeves, collar, cuffs and bottom of the hem are traditionally embroidered using hemstitch, cross stitch and satin stitch. The embroidered designs are flowers and animals; they have not only been used to decorate clothing, but they also served as amulets against evil forces.

Gzhel. The so-called "Gzhel bush" is scattered at a distance of 60 kilometers from Moscow; the "bush" is 27 villages where since the mid-17th century clay has been mined for pottery and porcelain. Gzhel dishes are painted by hand using cobalt oxide, which after being baked in the oven becomes saturated blue.

Kubachi patterns. The artistic treatment of metal has been practiced in the Caucasus since deep antiquity. The Kubachi people produced not only cold weapons, but also silver utensils and ornaments. "Do not try to make a fake, try to be inventive," said the master smiths. Such an attitude to the craft has led to the birth of the famous Kubachi patterns. They are based on stylized floral motifs.

Khokhloma. Khokhloma painting is an ancient folk craft that appeared in the 17th century in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. On the proposed Olympic Games Look patchwork quilt concept, juicy red strawberries and rowan berries can easily be distinguished. In the late 19th century this decorative style of painting on a golden background was appreciated and valued in Europe. It is amazing that the wood is not painted with gold, but with silver tin powder. Once the craft item is covered in a special compound and baked 3-4 times it acquires the golden-honey hue of Khokhloma dishes.

Zhostovo painting. The Zhostovo factory has become world famous thanks to its painted tray. Almost two centuries of masters have manually applied bright colours onto a black background of large flowers in the village of Zhostovo near Moscow. Zhostovo trays take advantage of an interesting optical effect: small flowers are painted onto the edges in such a way that they seem to merge with the dark background. So it seems that the basic pattern appears as if from the depths.

Palekh miniatures. Palekh miniatures are lacquered miniatures executed in tempera on papier-mache. Masters paint jewelry boxes, caskets, brooches, panels, tie clips, and needle cases in the village of Palekh in the Ivanovo Region. The artists Golikov and Glazunov are considered to be the progenitors of the Palekh style. Palekh has always been famous for its icon painters. When the masters became acquainted with papier-mache, the tempera painting technique and stylized imagery traditional to icons were transferred from wood to papier-mache.

Pavlov Posad shawls. Already in the 18th century local seamstresses made shawls using golden thread in the small Moscow suburb of Pavlov Posad. The picture was imprinted on the cloth using carved wooden boards. Of course, today custom templates are used which significantly simplify the manufacturing process. The pattern is dominated by lush flowers and garlands.

Vologda lace. White lace embroidery became popular in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. Trend-setters in numerous countries dreamed of wearing outfits embroidered with Vologda lace. In order to make the material, for example, only two threads are used; when it is tied, only one; and when the lace patterns are sewn together there may be as many as 60 or more. In the last century the craft of the lace-worker was prized, and considered as a jeweller’s trade.

Yakutsk patterns. In by-gone times one could have looked at a woman in Yakutsk and made a fairly accurate guess, based purely on her clothes and jewellery, as to her age, social status and how many children she had - even how many cows, horses and goats she possessed. The most popular recurring theme in Yakutsk ornamentation was the lyre. This was a stylized horse’s head. The way colours were coordinated carried great significance. Black and white patterns symbolised life, the cycle of day and night, joy and sorrow. Green was the colour of growth and nature. Blue the colour of snow and air.

Severodvinsk painting. Old believers and Polish settlers in the Russian North brought with them the art of transcribing books using various decorative techniques. After the time of the master-transcribers, these techniques moved into everyday life, and household wooden objects began to be decorated, bringing a festive feel to harsh northern life. Severodvinsk painting can be distinguished by the predominance of red colours and complex floral patterns, including images of fairy-tale birds and animals.

Mezenskaya painting. The river Mezen lies between Severnaya Dvina and Pechora, running along the boundary between taiga and tundra. The lack of bright colours characteristic of ancient Russian art is the main feature of Mezenskaya painting. The stylised drawings of Mezenskaya painting are similar to ancient rock carvings found in the Russian North.

Rakulskaya painting. The centre of folk painting on the Rakul River (a tributary of Severnaya Dvina) opened an exhibition at the Zagorsk Museum-Preserve in the mid-20th century. Rakulskaya painting has a specific graphical style. As a rule the painting on the front of a spinning wheel was composed in three sections: luxuriant twisting branches on the top, images of birds in the centre and tulips on the legs of the spinning wheel.

Uftyuzhskaya painting. The Upper Uftyug Region (a tributary of Severnaya Dvina) is a real-life museum of folk art. Here small birch boxes with lids were made. A characteristic of Uftyuzhskaya painting is that a lot of the surface remains undecorated. The composition is always the same: a new shoot with a small flower and leaves, berries and birds scattered around it.

Trihedral champleve enamelling. This is a national art form for many of Russia’s peoples. The technique was widely used for making spinning wheels (the most famous are the Tarnog spinning wheels from Tarnog District, Vologda Region). The main patterns were made up of carved geometric shapes: rosettes symbolised the sun and tightly intersecting rectangles symbolised tilled earth.

Russian print. Our Slavic forefathers began to weave flax, linen and canvas in the 10th century. The objects that surrounded them in their daily lives were often chosen as the subject for the patterns they wove into the fabric: "little fir trees", "peas", "flowers", "scars", "cages". For the heelpiece ancient lubok flowers, and designs showing spinning wheels frames were used.

The patterns inspired of the firebird images. The firebird feather was a magical bird from Russian folklore, which embodies the dream about of well-being and fortune.

For more information, contact: Xenia Reizhevskaya, Sochi 2014 Head of Press Office, +7 925 999 2551.

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