Remedy for nostalgia

Five years ago, the Olympics in Sochi happened: there was joy, but still ashamed

The best remedy for Sochi-2014 is anniversary reminders from TV screens about how everything was extremely cool and wonderful. Zero reflection, continuous delight. As if nothing was after.

A sense of shame, immanently inherent in a person from the moment of birth, is dull over the years, and someone disappears completely. In any case, the current Russian representatives of the authorities and their apologists are difficult to find even a hint of its manifestations. So with the home Olympiad - in the dry remnant the feeling of all -consuming pride: they could, surprised, transformed. The triumph is an unknown, Olympic heritage not in books, but in reality, there is no end to the tenderness of those who want to see him, if they are boiling where it is in Sochi. In the exemplary region, magically transformed only thanks to the key word of the Olympics in just seven years. We can say, in a year -round paradise, where everything reminds of glorious victories.

Probably, it’s really good there. Like five years ago, it smells of the sea in the spring, and in the mountains from beauty it is breathtaking, and the entire cosmic infrastructure is as new.

There was no time to be sad. It was necessary to have time to see something else before the closure. It was necessary to understand what happened, and share the sensations that acquired a somewhat unrealistic shade, like the Olympiad itself.

We went to Sochi not to sing, but to reflect. However, “we”, referring to Yuri Mikhailovich, to speak too arrogant. We did not agree on anything, it just turned out by itself that in our small “orchestr” I was responsible for the rhythm, and Yuri Mikhalych led a solo party. He led, as expected, the master’s subtle and accurately, each chord was unique, and I could not help but be proud that I was in a duet.

But - about reflection. The scale of all kinds of problems with Sochi-2014 was clear, the price of the Olympiad was exorbitant (one and a half trillion rubles-not huhra-mukhra),

Excessive patriotic delights were not caused by anything but disgust, but directly at the holiday, since it took place, it was ridiculous to climb the dusty corners.

An event happened that is unlikely to be still able to see at home. Which millions of people dreamed of getting, and the vast majority of those who were lucky to get into Sochi felt what was happening precisely as a holiday.

It was not necessary to try to get into this whirlwind, it was enough for him not to resist. Yes, and it is impossible, being in the epicenter of the same sprint biathlon race, to think about something else, except what happens before your eyes, at the distance of an outstretched arm. Sochi Olympic sports action in all its bright and not devoid of drama of diversity was alive.

There were real games. Creded joys and sorrows, exploits and falls, which, perhaps, balanced each other, organically fit into this living reality and did not allow Russia to suspect Russia of something reprehensible. Of course, there was enough disorders, the shortage of gold was felt, but all this was redeemed by a simple thought: not for ourselves we spend this holiday, but for the whole world. And the fact that there are not very many reasons for enthusiasm, and there are fewer fears that the patriotic OR will score everything else. The Russian hockey team, which brilliantly failed the tournament, which was gently failed.

Irreality overtook the curtain when the golden rain poured.

After so many lost, guaranteed medals no one was waiting for him, and then Russia rushed evil and desperately. The 13th record and last fatal Russian award was the gold of the Bobslene four Alexander Zubkov. No one was going to give medals just like that, everyone took on a battle, but the Fast and the Furious did not look natural. Something in him was not right.

In the course of the games, I was ready to believe that the victory in the unofficial standings is far from the main goal, that there would be enough world recognition of the Sochi Olympics as successful in all respects. But someone seemed little to someone. Even the teams did not have to be given from above.

And it was already blazing in Kyiv, echoing in a weak echo in Sochi. Ukrainian biathletes took overpower with tears in their eyes.

The anxiety grew rapidly, but the logs were not yet thrown into the fire of the war, for more than two weeks of the embodied Olympic ideals of peace and friendship. At the closure ceremony, it was not only sad for me. And not only because the Olympic action ended.

What ends with a relatively peaceful era, no one knew. I probably did not know.

The world praised Russia sincerely, even environmental ill -wishers through their teeth recognized the unconditionality of success, the impeccability of the organization, and exceptional cordiality. The world saw another Russia, which, it seems, everyone rejoiced with a different degree of sincerity.

Less than a month later, the “enemies” harshly formulated that the Sochi Olympiad was just a performance, whose grandeur was designed to camouflage the true face of the country. The fact that ordinary participants in the action made a holiday from all their hearts was no longer taken into account.

The cold geopolitical calculation launched the cat under the tail of what was acquired by overwhelming labor.

For a triumphant national pride, there was a much more important reason than the Olympics. It was called Crimea.

After more than three years, what happened behind the scenes of the “performance” was revealed to the world. After an annual anti -doping investigation of the International Olympic Committee, Russia will begin to deprive one after another medals of the Sochi Olympiad. In February 2018, the sports arbitration court will remove the charges of 28 athletes for lack of evidence, return the majority of awards, Russia will come first in an unofficial team standings.

But the presence of a grandiose Sochi deception will no longer be in doubt (we agreed with the main conclusions of the report of Richard McLaren, right?). Two gold in Bobsleu, by the way, will not be returned. Triumph was shame.

There is no desire to retell the epic of the cursory head of the Moscow anti -doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov, which has not tired of exposing the system for three years, one of the authors of which he was. It is possible to designate his efforts as “onvsevre”, you can laugh as a “hole in the wall” as much as you like, but he does not lie, except that he is pumping, and not everything can prove. It is important that his inspirers and the roof were not the latest officials, he suited everyone to the United States, and in Sochi he was completely “the main doping” awarded a government award.

The desire to put the authorities can take the most ugly forms, but it is not considered a crime. Unless. “Excessors” are still not named, Sochi shame, if you call a spade a spade, is not reflected. He seemed to be not there. Only a holiday remained, about the elegant completion of which even the spiteful people wrote this: "The triumph of Russian culture was more effective than a demonstration of power."

It was exactly five years ago.

Without mentioning Sochi, a standard news TV output rarely costs. The region holds 300 large events per year, from forums and festivals to congresses and corporate parties - positive is provided. Not everything is okay with the legacy, but in the end it is not for nothing that the President of the Russian Federation elected the city with its main away residence.

The joy of the Olympics was, it is true. But for some reason it is still very embarrassing.