The history of the Olympic flame in ancient Greece. How is the Olympic flame lit at modern games? We want all records...
Are five rings of different colors, a hymn, an oath, an olive branch. The most impressive in its entertainment was the Olympic flame, which surpasses all previous symbols.
Olympia - birth Olympic flame
The birth of a symbol
Since the time Ancient Greece There is a tradition that has successfully survived to this day. According to one ancient Greek mythology, it was believed that Prometheus stole fire from the god Zeus and carried it to Earth, where he transferred the fire to people. For which he was severely punished later. This symbol was founded in honor of Prometheus. At the beginning of the last century, this tradition was renewed. It has been preserved to this day. Now, before each Olympics, the Olympic torch relays are held. For the first time, such a relay race was held in Germany in 1936, when fire in the form of a burning torch was delivered from Olympia itself to the city of Berlin. The Olympic flame is lit in the city that wins the competition to host the Olympic Games. It is lit on the first day of the opening of the Olympics and continues to burn until the very last day.
How fire is born
The lighting of the fire takes place long before the opening of the games - in Olympia. Eleven actresses are involved in this unique spectacular performance. They represent the priestesses. Then a fire is lit. As a rule, a torch is lit, which is then delivered to the city. According to a long-established tradition, the torch is passed from hand to hand by runners. Special lamps are used to prevent the Olympic flame from fading.
After lighting the fire in the homeland of the Olympic Games, it moves towards the city that will host the next Olympic Games. The apotheosis of everything is the lighting of the Olympic torch at the main stadium of the Olympics.
Who is honored
The Olympic flame is always lit by one of the most famous athletes. It has already become a tradition. This tradition is accompanied by a theatrical performance. It is often based on a particularly significant history that is characteristic of the state. For example, at the Tokyo Olympics, the honor of opening this event fell to a student who was born just on the day when Hiroshima was bombed. It became a symbol of the revival of the country of the rising sun after the Second World War. When the games were held in Canada, the Olympic flame was lit by two schoolchildren speaking different languages. By this, the unity of Canada was shown. And the first woman who was lucky enough to open the games by lighting a fire was Mexican Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo at the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
Invariable part of the Olympic Games - olympic fire- which has been used since ancient times. According to tradition, the fire is lit in the Greek city of Olympia from the sun's rays. After that, the torch is delivered to its destination by relay method, and on the day when the fire reaches the city, the grand opening of the Olympic Games begins. A large fire is lit, which continues to burn until the solemn closing ceremony ...
EsSochi 2014 Olympic torch tafeta will be the largest in the history of the Olympic movement, breaking all records for duration (123 days) and length (65,000 km). Moreover, according to the statement of the President of the ANO Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Nikolaevich Chernyshenko, The fire will not only be carried through the whole of Russia - it will visit the bottom of Lake Baikal, as well as on the top of Elbrus, at the North Pole and even in space.
Lighting a fire for winter Olympic Games in Sochi will take place a week before the start of the relay, September 29, 2013 on the territory of Greece Ancient Olympia.
In ancient Greece, fire symbolized purification, rebirth. It was a gift from Prometheus to people. Recall that Prometheus stole it from Zeus, for which he was severely punished.
Relay transmission of fire also went from ancient Greek times. Each city of Ancient Greece was equipped with an altar with fire, which did not go out for a moment.
In 776 BC, athletes began to compete in the ancient Olympic Games. Especially for their opening, the fire was lit and transported to the finish line.
The process of delivering the Olympic flame meant maintaining the purity and strength of the natural elements in a stable state. This was taken care of by 10 Athenian tribes, who allocated 40 trained young men for this process. These youths delivered a torch from the altar of Prometheus straight to the Athenian altar. The distance was 2.5 kilometers.
The modern torch relay dates back to 1936, when the Olympic Games were held in Berlin. The first athlete to start a relay in the modern era was the representative of Greece, Konstantinos Kondylis. And the first fire at the stadium was lit by the German Fritz Schilgen. Since 1960, the transmission of the Olympic flame has been broadcast on television.
Lighting the Olympic Flame - 2012
The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame existed in ancient Greece during the ancient Olympic Games. The Olympic flame served as a reminder of the feat of the titan Prometheus, who, according to legend, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to people. The tradition was revived in 1936 and continues to this day.
1936: The Olympic Flame was lit from the sun's rays using a concave mirror in Olympia, Greece, and carried to Berlin by over 3,000 runners. German athlete Fritz Schilgen lit the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the XI Olympic Games in a stadium decorated with swastika banners.
1948: The Olympic torch at the end of its transfer on the bridge over the Thames at Windsor towards the Empire Stadium (Wembley Stadium) for the opening of the London Olympic Games.
1948: British athlete John Mark delivers the Olympic torch to the Empire Stadium at Wembley and inaugurates the 1948 Olympic Games by lighting the symbolic flame.
1952: Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi lights the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the Summer Games at the stadium in Helsinki.
1956: Australian athlete Ron Clarke, junior mile champion, delivers the Olympic torch to the stadium at the Melbourne Olympics. The torch-passing ceremony was disrupted during the conflict when a student named Barry Larkin successfully handed a fake torch made from underpants attached to a chair leg to the mayor of Sydney.
1956: Italian speed skater Guido Caroli falls while delivering the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony of the 7th Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy. Karoli stumbled over the microphone wires laid on the ice field, but did not let go of the torch.
1960: Italian student Giancarlo Peris holding a torch after lighting the Olympic flame in Rome at the opening of the 17th modern Olympic Games.
Rome hosted the first commercially broadcast Summer Olympics, which was also the first major doping scandal, when Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen collapsed during a race under the influence of Roniacol and died the same day. day.
1964: Yoshinori Sakai, a student born in Hiroshima on the day of the first atomic bomb that destroyed that city, carries a torch up the stairs to light a fire in a bowl at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
1968: The "High Priestess" raises the Olympic torch high in the ancient Greek city of Olympia, from where it will be carried to Mexico City.
1968: Mexican hurdler Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to light the fire in the Olympic bowl at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Mexico City.
1973: National flags around the Olympic flame in Munich are flown at half mast in memory of 11 Israeli athletes who were victims of Arab terrorists.
1976: Stéphane Préfontaine and Sandra Henderson light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Montreal.
1980: The Olympic Flame rises over Lenin in front of the Lenin Stadium at the Moscow Olympic Games.
1984: Gina Hemphill, granddaughter of Jesse Owens, delivers the Olympic torch to the Coliseum in Los Angeles.
1988: Torchbearers greet the crowd after lighting the Olympic flame in the bowl at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
1992: Archer aims fire arrow on the Olympic cauldron at the stadium on Mount Montjuic at the official opening ceremony of the Barcelona Summer Games.
1994: A ski jumper prepares to descend with the Olympic torch in hand at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.
1996: Former champion heavyweight boxer and gold medal winner at the 1960 Olympics Mohammed Ali lights a fire at the Olympic Stadium in Atlanta at the opening ceremony of the Games.
2000: Wendy Craig-Duncan, a marine biologist, on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, delivers the Sydney Olympic torch underwater.
2000: Torchbearer Cathy Freeman lights the flame in the Olympic chalice at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.
2002: The 1980 U.S. Olympic team cheers after the lighting of the Olympian flame at the opening ethtvjybb of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
2004: Actress Thalia Prokopiou, dressed as a high priestess, lights a torch from the Odymnia fire, obtained from the sun's rays with the help of a parabolic mirror, in an ancient sanctuary, where in 776 BC. the first Olympic Games took place.
Greek sailor Nikolaos Kakalamanakis lights the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
2008: A demonstrator tries to snatch the Olympic torch from broadcaster and torchbearer Konnie Huq during the torch delivery stage in London. Demonstrations to protest human rights violations in China and actions in Tibet took place along the route of the delivery of the Olympic flame.
2008: Gymnast Li Ning delivers the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony of the Games at the National Stadium in Beijing.
A high priestess with a lit Olympic torch and an olive branch, during the dress rehearsal of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony, which took place on May 9, 2012 in ancient Olympia, Greece.
The Olympic flame is passed to Spyros Yianniotis, a 32-year-old Liverpool-born swimmer who won a silver medal in Greece during the competition at open water that took place four years ago in Beijing.
Spyros Yianniotis, world champion swimmer, carries the Olympic torch during the dress rehearsal for the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony ahead of the London 2012 Summer Olympics held on May 9, 2012 in ancient Olympia, Greece.
First torchbearer Spyros Gianniotis, world champion swimmer (pictured left) passes the Olympic flame to British boxer Alexandros Loukas on May 10, 2012.
The Olympic Flame of the 2012 London Summer Olympics lit at Ancient Olympia on May 9, 2012.
The history of the Olympic flame originates in ancient Greece. This tradition reminded people of the legend. According to legend, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to people. How did the modern history of the Olympic flame begin? More on this later in the article.
When did they start lighting fires?
In which city did the ancient Greek tradition continue? In 1928, the modern history of the Olympic flame began in Amsterdam. Before the games in Berlin, in 1936, the first relay was held. The author of the idea was the Ritual of the Relay of Fire, which then perfectly suited the ideological doctrine of the Nazis. He embodied several symbols and ideas at once. The torch was designed by Walter Lemke. A total of 3840 pieces were made. The torch was 27 centimeters long and weighed 450 grams. It was made from stainless steel. A total of 3331 runners participated in the Relay. At the opening ceremony of the Games in Berlin, the Olympic flame was lit by Fritz Schilgen. Over the next few years International competitions were not carried out. The reason was the 2nd World War started by Hitler.
The history of the Olympic flame has continued since 1948 - then the following games took place. London became the host of the competition. Two variants of torches were made. The first was for the Relay. It was made of aluminum, fuel tablets were placed inside it. The second option was intended for the final stage at the stadium. It was made of stainless steel, and magnesium burned inside it. This allowed even in the bright light of day to see the burning fire. The first Relay of the Winter Games started in the Norwegian town of Morgedal. This place was very popular among slalomists and ski jumpers. I must say that in Norway there has long been a tradition of skiing at night with a torch in hand. The skiers decided to deliver the symbol International Games in Oslo. For these competitions, 95 torches were made, the handle of each had a length of 23 centimeters. On the bowl was an arrow that connected Oslo and Morgedal.
Helsinki, Cortina, Melbourne
The Finns were the most economical. A total of 22 torches were made for the Helsinki Olympics. They were attached (total 1600 pieces), each was enough for about 20 minutes of burning. In this regard, they had to be changed relatively often. The symbol of the games was made in the form of a bowl planted on a birch handle. Next Games were held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, in northern Italy. Part of the Torch Relay then took place on roller skates. Probably one of the prototypes for the design of the symbol of the games in Australia was the version created for the London competition. Simultaneously with the Australian Olympics, equestrian competitions were held in Stockholm. In connection with this, the symbol of the games went to two countries at once: Sweden and Australia.
Squaw Valley, Rome, Tokyo
The organization of the closing and opening ceremonies of the 1960 International Games in California was entrusted to Disney. The design of the competition symbol combined elements of the Melbourne and London torches. In the same year, the games were held in Rome. The design of the games symbol was inspired by antique sculptures. The Olympic flame was delivered to Tokyo by land, sea and air. In Japan itself, the flame was divided, it was carried in 4 directions and connected at the end of the Relay into one whole.
Grenoble, Mexico City, Sapporo
The route of the Olympic flame through France was filled with adventure. So, through the Puy de Sancy mountain pass, the symbol of the games had to be literally crawled because of a snow storm. A swimmer carried the torch through the port of Marseilles outstretched hand. The relay race in Mexico City is considered the most traumatic. All three hundred torches outwardly looked like whisks used to beat eggs. At the opening ceremony of the competition, a woman lit a bowl of flame for the first time. Inside the torches was fuel, which turned out to be highly flammable. During the Relay, several runners suffered burns. During the games in Sapporo, the length of the relay was more than five thousand kilometers, and more than 16 thousand people participated in it. The height of the torch was 70.5 cm. Just like before the competition in Tokyo, this time the flame was divided and carried in different directions so that the torch could greet as many people as possible.
Munich, Innsbruck, Montreal
The torch of the games in Munich was made of stainless steel. In different weather conditions, except for the extremely hot ones, it has passed "endurance" tests. When, on the way to Germany from Greece, the air temperature rose to 46 degrees, a sealed torch was used. The "relative" of the Munich became the symbol of the games in Innsbruck. Like the previous one, it was made in the form of a sword, which was decorated at the top. At the opening ceremony, two bowls were lit at once - as a sign that the competitions were held here for the second time. "Space" transmission of the flame took place in honor of the opening of the games in Montreal. At these competitions Special attention was given to how the fire will look from TV screens. To enhance the effect, it was placed in a black square mounted on a red handle. Until that moment, the history of the Olympic flame had not yet known such a transmission of the flame. In the form of a laser beam, with the help of a satellite, it was transferred from continent to continent: to Ottawa from Athens. In Canada, the bowl was lit in the traditional way.
Lake Placid, Moscow, Sarajevo
The relay race in honor of the games in the USA began where the first settlements were founded by the British. The number of participants in the race was small, and they all represented the states of the United States. A total of 26 women and 26 men ran. The symbol of the competition did not feature any new design. In Moscow, the torch again acquires an unusual shape with a golden top and a golden decorative detail on the handle with the emblem of the games. Before the competition, the manufacture of the symbol was ordered by a fairly large company in Japan. But after the Soviet officials saw the result, they were extremely disappointed. The Japanese, of course, apologized, moreover, they paid a penalty to Moscow. After the manufacture was entrusted to the Leningrad representative office of the Ministry of Aviation Industry. Torch for games in Moscow eventually became quite convenient. Its length was 550 mm and weight - 900 grams. It was made of aluminum and steel, a nylon gas cylinder was built inside.
Los Angeles, Calgary, Seoul
The 1984 US Olympics were held loud scandals. Firstly, the organizers offered the athletes to run their stages for 3,000 dollars/km. Of course, this caused a wave of indignation among the founders of the competition - the Greeks. The torch was made of steel and brass, the handle was trimmed with leather. For the first time, the slogan of the competition was engraved on the symbol of the games in Calgary. The torch itself was relatively heavy, weighing about 1.7 kg. It was made in the form of a tower - the sights of Calgary. Pictograms were made on the handle with a laser, which personified winter views sports. A torch made of copper, leather and plastic was prepared for the games in Seoul. Its design bore similarities to its Canadian predecessor. hallmark The true Korean engraving became the symbol of the games in Seoul: two dragons, which symbolized the harmony of East and West.
Albertville, Barcelona, Lillehammer
The games in France (in Albertville) ushered in an era of extravagant designs for the competition symbol. Philippe Starck, who became famous for his furniture, was involved in the creation of the torch shape. The torch of the games in Barcelona was radically different from all the previous ones. The symbol was designed by André Ricard. According to the author's idea, the torch was supposed to express the "Latin" character. The bowl at the opening ceremony was lit by an archer who shot an arrow straight into its center. A ski jumper carried the torch into the Lillehammer stadium, holding it at arm's length in flight. As before the competition in Oslo, the flame was lit not in Greece, but in Mordegal. But the Greeks protested, and the fire was brought to Lillehammer from Greece. He was entrusted to the ski jumper.
Games in Sochi 2014
The model of the torch, its concept and project were invented Initially, polycarbonate and titanium were assumed as materials for its manufacture. However, aluminum was used in production. This torch has become one of the heaviest of all that have ever been. Its weight was more than one and a half kilograms (the photo of the Olympic flame in Sochi is presented above). The height of the "feather" is 95 centimeters, at its widest point the width is 14.5 cm, and the thickness is 5.4 centimeters. Takova Short story Olympic flame. For children living in Russia, the games in Sochi have become a truly significant event. The symbolism of the competition has become loved by adults as well.
In ancient Greece, the Olympic flame, which symbolized the purity of thoughts and divine design, was lit in Olympia during the competition.
ancient greek tradition
In memory of the feat of Prometheus, the Olympic flame was lit in the days of ancient Greek sports in Olympia. Constantly divine fire burned on the altar of the goddess of the hearth Hestia, and during the Olympic Games - in the temples of Zeus, Hera.
The rise of the Olympic flame tradition
In 1928, the tradition of lighting the Olympic flame was revived. For the first time, this honor was awarded to an employee of the Amsterdam Electricity Company at the Olympic Stadium in the bowl of the Marathon Tower. In 1936, in Berlin, it was held for the first time. About 3,000 runners took part in transporting the torch with the Olympic flame from Olympia (where it was lit using a concave mirror that formed a directed beam of sunlight) to Berlin.
The lighting of the Olympic flame during the event took place in 1936 and in 1948. The Olympic torch relay was first organized in 1952. In this relay, the honor of lighting the Olympic torch was given to nine times Olympic champion Paavo Nurmi.
Olympic torch relay
The Olympic torch relay is scheduled to finish on the opening day of the Olympics, with the name of the last torchbearer often not known until the very last moment. An outstanding athlete of the host country runs up the large stairs to the Olympic bowl and lights the fire.
Names famous athletes who lit the Olympic cauldron: Michel Platini - French football star (1992), Mohammed Ali - heavyweight boxer (1996), the first woman to light the Olympic cauldron, Keta Basilio - Mexican runner, Cathy Freeman (2000), Wayne Gretzky - hockey player (2010). In addition to athletes, the fire was lit by Yoshinori Sakai, a Japanese student-athlete who was born on the day of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
The torch with the Olympic flame is usually carried by runners, betraying the attribute in the relay, but sometimes quite unusual methods of transportation were used. So, in 1952 they used an airplane and skis, in 1988 the torch was moved on a snowmobile, in 1992 - on a Concorde supersonic aircraft. In 2002, the attribute rode a dog sled, a sleigh, a snowmobile, and in 2006, a Formula 1 car of the Ferrari team, a Venetian gondola. During the Summer Olympic Games, the fire was delivered: in 1956 - by horses, in 1968 - by ship, boat, water skis, in 1972 - by a motorcycle, in 1976 - by a laser beam, into which the fire of the Olympic torch was converted, in 1984 - by helicopter , in 1992 - by the frigate Cataluna, in 1994 - by a reindeer team, on wheelchair, by parachute, in 1996 - by pony express, canoe, train, steamer.
The Olympic flame is one of the symbols of the Olympic Games. Lights up with the start of the Games and goes out when they end.
The tradition is deeply rooted in ancient Greece, when the Olympic flame served as a reminder of the feat of the titan Prometheus, who, according to legend, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to people.
In modern history, the idea of lighting the Olympic flame from the sun's rays at the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was first proposed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1912. They revived the ancient tradition only on summer games 1928 in Amsterdam, when, for the first time in the history of modern Olympism, the Olympic flame blazed over the main stadium of the Olympics in a specially designed bowl (in the figure).
Olympic torch relay was first held before the opening of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. It is believed that the author of the idea was a professor and sports functionary Carl Diem. Under Hitler, he was appointed general secretary of the preparatory committee for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. On one of the ancient vases, he discovered a plot depicting ancient Greek athletes with torches in their hands. Dim took this idea as a basis for the implementation of his project. But what is forgotten or hushed up is that he received a strong recommendation on this matter from the "Imperial Ministry of Public Education and Propaganda", which was known, among other things, for organizing torchlight processions throughout Germany. As planned by the organizers, the fire was supposed to connect the Third Reich with Ancient Greece in the minds of the Germans. Then, especially for the Olympic torch relay, the Germans Walter Lemke and Peter Wolf (Walter Lemcke, Peter Wolf) designed first Olympic torch.
The organizers of the 1952 Oslo Olympics decided to hold for the first time winter olympic torch relay. However, it did not originate in Olympia, but in a Norwegian town Morgedal (Morgedal). The source of the fire was a fireplace in the house-museum of the popularizer skiing Sandra Nordheim. The idea of the Norwegians to further extend this tradition to all winter games did not find support. Just two more times before winter games 1960 in Squaw Valley and 1994 in Lillehammer, the Olympic torch relay started in Norway. Moreover, before the 1994 games, the Olympic flame for the international part of the relay was lit in Olympia.
Fire lighting ceremony at Olympia(on the Greek peninsula Peloponnese) is strict and verified by time. Girls-actresses, dressed in antique dresses, portray ancient Greek priestesses. The “high priestess” on the ruins of the temple of the goddess Hera says a prayer to the gods Apollo and Zeus with a request to send the sacred Olympic flame to the earth and, kneeling, brings the torch to a parabolic mirror that focuses the rays of the Sun.
The ritual of lighting the Olympic flame in Olympia on the ruins of the temple of the goddess Hera
For this ceremony, a special amphora in the ancient Greek style is also made, on the sides of which are depicted running Hellenic youths. After lighting the torch, the priestess approaches the amphora and lights a fire in it. Before passing the torch to the participants in the Olympic relay, the priestesses must perform a dance. And only after the dance is completed, from the torch of the priestess, the fire of the torch of the first Olympic torchbearer is lit, which opens the Olympic torch relay to them. This relay, or rather its Greek section, takes eight days and ends in Athens. There, the Olympic flame is handed over to the organizers of the next Olympic Games.
Currently, the news about the presentation of another bizarrely shaped high-tech torch or an impressive Olympic torch relay attracts the attention of millions of people on the planet, and the details of the ritual of lighting the Olympic flame in the stadium bowl are the main mystery of the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games.
