Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay To Unite The Whole Of Russia

October 7, 2012

Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay To Unite The Whole Of Russia

To mark one year before the arrival of the Olympic flame to Russia, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has announced the route that the Olympic flame will travel in the hands of 14,000 torchbearers, over 123 days, and through 2,900 towns and settlements.

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola, Ingosstrakh Insurance Company and JSC Russian Railways, will cover over 65,000 kilometers on foot, and by car, train, plane, and even on a Russian "troika" - a traditional Russian sleigh pulled by horses or reindeer. Up to 130 million Russians are expected to be able to see the Relay as it travels around the country. Dmitry Chernyshenko, Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee President and CEO, announced the capitals of the different Russian regions that the Olympic Flame will visit at a ceremony held today in Moscow.

According to tradition, the Olympic flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece, from where it will be transported to Moscow on October, 7th, 2013 and the next day, it is expected to start its journey across Russia. While traveling across the entire country, the Relay will take a route from Moscow to Sochi and visit many important historic, cultural and picturesque areas of Russia, including Yasnaya Polyana, the Russian part of the Curonian Spit, the Avachinskiy Volcanoes and the Kizhi Museum Reserve. The relay will then celebrate the new Olympic year in one of the most beautiful cities in Russia, Kazan.

So that as many Russians as possible can experience the magic of the Olympic Torch Relay, the route has been designed to try and ensure that 90% of Russia's population will be within an hour of the Relay at some stage. This should allow about 130 million residents to be able to see and participate in the event.

The Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay will become the longest in the history of the Olympic Winter Games and also among exclusively national relays, in terms of the distance that the relay will cover. The flame will visit more than 2,900 towns and settlements across all 83 Russian regions, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, covering on average 535 kilometers per day. 14,000 torchbearers and 30,000 volunteers are expected to participate in the Relay.

The President of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko, noted:

"The Olympic Torch Relay is one of the most important and magical Olympic occasions. It continues the build-up of excitement ahead of the Games and as well as spreading the Olympic values to the whole country, we will be creating, as a nation, an important part of Russian history. I am sure that the Olympic Torch Relay will be welcomed by a wonderful celebration in every city it visits. The Sochi 2014 Relay will bring the entire country together, highlighting the diversity and beauty of Russia, particularly, for the people of Russia themselves. For one day during the Relay, each town or settlement that the Olympic Flame visits will become the centre of attention and it will be a unique chance to showcase itself to the whole world".

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