Sochi 2014 Olympic Flame arrives in Kirov

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay was in Kirov today. The main heroes of the Olympic procession through the capital of the Kirov district were 184 torchbearers, covering a total distance of 30.2 km, and there were more than 104,000 spectators on the scene of today's Olympic path. On Day 90 of the Torch Among the Olympic torchbearers were nominees of the Presenting Partners of the Sochi 2014 Torch Relay: the Coca-Cola Company, OSAO "Ingosstrakh" and OAO "Russian Railways".

The Olympic flame arrived in Kirov on the specialized Sochi 2014 Torch Relay train, which has already visited more than 40 cities and continues to cross the country from east to west, from Vladivostok to the Black Sea coast. Train No. 701, decorated with the branded patchwork quilt and torchbearer images, has already been greeted by residents of the Far Eastern, Siberian, Ural and Volga Federal Districts. This morning the train arrived at the first platform of the "Kirov Passenger" railway station and was greeted by residents and guests of the city. They greeted the first torchbearer enthusiastically - the Governor of the Kirov district, Nikita Belykh. Starting from the train area, he covered his distance and sent the symbol of the upcoming Winter Games on a path through Kirov, a city that has had its name changed many times.

The Kirov torchbearers ran by significant architectural monuments and statues that are imbued with centuries-old history. The Olympic procession passed by the Alexander Grin Embankment, which is named for the Russian prose writer, and the Church of the Holy Martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. The torchbearers ran around the Alexandrovsky Garden, which was constructed after tsar Alexander I’s visit to the city in 1825. Ice climbers Alexey Tomilov and Maria Tolokonnikova were waiting in the center of the garden in a rotunda with snow-white columns. Alexey, a world ice climbing champion, descended a bridge using professional equipment while Maria, who holds a World Cup title in ice climbing, continued the ascent up the garden’s sharp incline on special "grapnels."

Then the Olympic torch passed to the speed skaters. Alexey Suvorov, who holds multiple medals from the Russian Championships—a competition that includes European and international speed skating champions—and Russian Cup medalist Konstantin Ogibalov skated around the Dynamo ice rink.

Next, the Sochi 2014 Olympic flame was lit beside the monument to the renowned Soviet statesman S. M. Kirov, for whom the city is named, and the Relay continued along major thoroughfares of the regional center. For their travel with the Olympic torch, the torchbearers chose another unusual mode of transport: Vasily Ochnev and Yuri Skobov in succession rode a carriage that was pulled by a trio of Vyatka horses—a local breed—and delivered the Olympic flame to the Rodina stadium. There the relay was taken up by Evgeniya Shakhtarina and Denis Kozlov, ice dancers who captured the silver medal in the Cup of Russia.

Among the main heroes of the Olympic celebration were city residents who had earned the right to become torchbearers, thanks to their sports, cultural and public achievements. They were record holder and world champion in powerlifting, Anton Bushmelev; head of the School of Olympic Reserve, Anna Perminova; holder of the Sports Acrobatic World Cup, Elizaveta Dubrovina; honored coach of the Russian Federation in ski jumping, Vyacheslav Lopukhin; world record holder and honored coach of the Russian Federation in weight lifting, Alexander Lekomtsev; and winners of the Special Olympics World Games, Maria Semakina, Stanislav Cherenkov and Inna Ivannikova.

The final torchbearer, honored master of sports in mountain climbing and an Everest conqueror, Pavel Shabalin, descended with the torch from a huge ice wall, enrapturing 8,000 spectators on the city square. Then he ascended onto the stage with the Olympic torch, and together with Governor Nikita Belykh, lit the Cauldron. This symbol of the Sochi 2014 Torch Relay will always remain as a token to the city, thanks to Presenting Partner OSAO "Ingosstrakh".

On January 7 and 8, the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay will be sent to the Nizhny Novgorod district.

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