22:56 A grandiose firework lights up the sky above the Fisht Stadium in Sochi.
22:54 Vladislav Tretyak and Irina Rodnina light the Olympic flame at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
22:51 Gymnast Alina Kabayeva carries the Olympic flame. She passes it to legendary figure skater Irina Rodnina and hockey player Vladislav Tretyak.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
22:50 Pole vaulter Elena Isinbayeva and Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin carry the Olympic torch.
22:49 The Olympic flame appears at the stadium. Tennis player Maria Sharapova carries the Olympic Torch.
22:43 Skiing coach Anastasia Popkova recites the Olympic oath for coaches.
22:41 Vyacheslav Vedenin, Jr. from the International Federation of Skiing recites the Olympic oath for judges.
22:40 Speed skater Ruslan Zakharov recites the Olympic oath for athletes.
22:35 Famous opera singer Anna Netrebko performs the Olympic hymn.
22:33 The Olympic flag is brought on stage be actress Chulpan Khamatova, six-time Olympic champion in speed skating Lidiya Skoblikova, journalist Anastasia Popova, first woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, two-time Olympic champion in hockey Vyacheslav Fetisov, conductor Valery Gergiev, cyber-athlete Alan Enileev and director Nikita Mikhalkov.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
22:35 Figure skater Irina Rodnina and hockey player Vladislav Tretyak will later light the Olympic flame at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi.
22:30 Russian President declares the XXII Winter Olympic Games open. His words were followed by a firework.
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22:20 President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach has made a speech at the opening ceremony.
22:15 Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee President Dmitry Chernyshenko has made a speech at the ceremony.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
22:06 Russian bobsledder Irina Skvortsova sits next to President Putin at the opening ceremony at the Sochi Olympics. She received serious injuries at competitions in Germany and had to give up professional sports.
(С) ITAR-TASS/Stanislv Krasilnikov
22:04 Famous Russian professional boxer Nikolai Valuev appeared on stage as policeman character from the Soviet children's poems Uncle Styopa.
(С) ITAR-TASS/Stanislv Krasilnikov
22:00 The giant figure of Peter the Great appeared on stage. The next epoch of the ceremony is the XX century with its symbol steam train.
21:53 The guests at the Fisht Stadium saw one of the most famous scenes from Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” – the first ball of Natasha Rostova. Famous Russian ballet dancers performed in the hall of the Emperor’s Grand Palace.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
21:44 The opening ceremony continues, as the waves are rising on stage. Lyubov is floating above the sea. Then she descends and finds a crystal ball. Inside the ball she sees St. Basil’s Cathedral.
21:35 Lyubov has found herself in a world of wonders, surrounded by medieval folklore symbols and mythical images. Spectators witnessed a snow storm. After the storm was over, the sun shone its light on the stage.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
21:32 After the Parade of Nations, the performance “Dreams of Russia” continues. Spectators watch the film “Russian Odyssey”.
21:28 Official mascots of the Sochi Winter Olympics appear on stage. Polar Bear is on skates, Hare on skis and Leopard on the snowboard.
(c) Maria Plotnikova
21:26 Spectators, guests and officials welcome the Russian delegation with a standing ovation. The song of the Russian band “Tatu” “Not Gonna Get Us” plays at the stadium.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
21:22 The Russian delegation has appeared on stage. Bobsledder Alexander Zubkov is the flagbearer of the Russian Olympic team.
21:20 The Japanese team is now on stage. Athletes have two flags in their hands – Japanese and Russian.
21:13 Ukraine’s team is on stage. President Viktor Yanukovich welcomes his compatriots. Skier Valentina Shevchenko is the flagbearer of the Ukrainian team.
(c) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
21:10 The stadium welcomes the Thai team. Among the athletes is a famous violin player Vanessa Mae, who became a professional skier.
21:09 The delegation from the United States appears on stage. They are dressed in the uniforms designed by famous designer Ralph Lauren.
(c) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
21:03 Spectators at the stadium welcome the Norwegian delegation. Alpine ski racer Aksel Lund Svindal is the flagbearer of the national team.
21:00 Three independent Olympic athletes appeared on stage. These are sportsmen from India. In December 2012, the International Olympic Committee disqualified the Indian Olympic Committee for the interference by the government in the election of the committee’s head.
20:52 The Canadian delegation has appeared on stage. Canadians earned a record number of medals at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
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20:41 The German delegations appears on stage. President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach cheers and welcomes his compatriots.
20:40 The delegations appear on stage in the alphabetical order. The Greek delegation traditionally opened the Parade of Nations.
(C) Maria Plotnikova
20:35 Around 3,500 athletes from 88 countries will take part in the Olympic Parade of Nations.
(c) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
20:34 The Olympic Parade of Nations has begun. For the first time in the history of the Games, athletes appear on stage from the middle of the stadium, where they climb up the special ramp.
20:32 240 performers are on stage. They are dressed in white, blue and red costumes. A group of Russian cosmonauts lifted the Russian flag.
20:30 The host of the ceremony announced in three languages – English, French, and Russian – the arrival of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach. Their appearance was followed by the Russian national anthem, performed by the Sretensky Monastery Choir.
20:24 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is present at the opening ceremony, along with 44 foreign leaders.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
20:22 Lyubov continues to fly across seven islands, which demonstrate Russia’s magnificent nature: the Ural, Russian countryside, Kamchatka, the Lena River, Lake Baikal, Chukotka. 500 gymnasts, performing on stage, were dressed in traditional costumes of Russia’s regions.
20:20 Spectators have started their journey across Russia with the girl Lyubov. Pictures of the great country are flowing in the sky. Lyubov has found a kite, which took her up. The snowy plain has made way for flowing clouds, while music from the opera “Prince Igor” was playing.
(c) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
20:18 Russian alphabet Azbuka has appeared on the screen. Azbuka is a unique phenomenon among existing writing systems. Then the spectators saw the girl Lyubov. She welcomed the guests to the journey along the Russian alphabet, which was represented by Russian achievements, scientific breakthroughs, inventions, great masterpieces: Mendeleev periodic system, paintings of Kandinsky and Malevich, Russian ballet and Pushkin’s fairy-tales.
20:16 Guests of the ceremony will learn about Russian history through the dreams of a little girl Lyubov. At first they will be taken to the past. Later, spectators will get a glimpse of the future. The show is called “We in Russia”.
(c) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
20:14 The opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games has begun
20:08 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the guests at the Fisht Stadium in a video address. “Olympic and Paralympic Games are held to reveal the best of the best athletes,” the Secreatry-General noted. “Let the Olympic spirit prevail on the planet,” he added.
(C) Maria Plotnikova
19:55 Guests at the ceremony will take part in the celebration. Spectators received improvised Olympic medals that glow different colors.
19:54 Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Sochi Olympic Games will give an opportunity to have a fresh look at Russia, its achievements, specifics and traditions.
19:42 Two-thirds of the seats at the Fisht Olympic Stadium are already occupied by guests and spectators.
(C) ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
19:40 The delegation of the Russian Federation to the Olympic Games will be the largest, comprising 250 people.
19:39 An Afghan delegation led by President Hamid Karzai has left for Sochi to take part in the opening ceremony of the 22nd winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
19:38 Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has met Ukraine’s Olympic team in Sochi and wished it success and victories at the Sochi Olympics.
19:30 Hosts of the opening ceremony Ivan Urgant and Yana Churikova have welcomed guests at the Fisht Stadium. After that, a Russian band “Tokyo” has performed the hymn of Sochi spectators.
Ivan Urgant and Yana ChurikovaI at the opening ceremony at Fisht stadium in Sochi
ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
19:20 The Olympic Games in Sochi will sum up the results of the development of Russia’s sports industry in the past five years, Russian Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko told Itar-Tass.
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19:15 Many spectators and guests have already arrived at the Fisht Stadium, where an opening ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics will begin in less than an hour.
19:13 Russian President Vladimir Putin called for not confusing the problems of sports, politics and human rights.