Silk way Rally, which started from the Red Square, the heart of Russia, and then went to Sochi destined to fulfill the task, set before the organizers by Russian government, - attracting the attention of international community and foreign Mass Media representatives to the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014. The most important starting events took place on the 9th of July 2011. Briefing for competitors was held on the Large sport arena of Luzhniki stadium. The grandiose amphitheatre left lasting impressions on sportsmen. And it seemed like the dome of the sky above the stadium invited the competitors towards the adventures in the Astrakhan sands, in the Kalmykia steppes and in the Caucasian foothills… The atmosphere of the pre-start fuss and companionship was reigning during the scrutineerings on the Red Square. But then the grandiose historical decorations of the centre of the Russian capital made the competitors to feel the grand historical moment and to realize the importance of the event. Thousands of spectators came to the Red Square to support their favorite sportsmen. The sporting festival, which was organized with the help of The Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation and produced
by the professional production Director Natalia Galkina, has started long before the departure of the first car the square was very crowded!. Firstly the spectators had a chance to witness the grandiose Red Bull freestyle-motocross show. During the show the riders were demonstrating difficult tricks on their bikes to the public. Everybody was really very impressed. Because of the Silk Way Rally the Turetsky Choir has decided to postpone its holidays. Specially for their old friends from KAMAZ-master, the best voices of Russia played the anthem of the team, which was composed by Alexandra Pakhmutova and Alexander Dobronravov. Many other famous Russian artists came to the event to wish to the competitors of the Silk Way the good race. Among them were: Gosha Kutsenko and Diana Arbenina, the Bolshoi Theatre actors, the show group Todes, the Tatar cultural centre dancing group, the drummer show group HAMMERS and the children’s music group “Neposedi”. Alexander Zhukov, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, the Chairman of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, the Chairman of the Silk Way Rally Organising Committee and Vitaliy Mutko, the Minister of Sport, Tourism
and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation, the Deputy Chairman of the Silk Way Rally Organising Committee also came to welcome the rally participants. Jean de Gliniasty, the Ambassador of France in Russia and Boris Korol, the vice-president of the title sponsor of the Silk Way Rally – Transneft company, addressed the rally competitors and guests with welcome speeches. The All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company broadcasted the ceremony of the start in live mode nationwide. Each competitor, without exception, was introduced to the public. Semen Yakubov, the Silk Way Rally Project Director welcomed every participant by shaking their hands on a good luck.The ceremony of the festive start of the event finished only late at night. The dark Moscow sky was totally clouded. Gosha Kutsenko asked all the spectators to switch on their mobile phones, and the entire square was covered with thousands of lights greeting the sportsmen! By the end of the ceremony the warm summer rain have started. And rain before a departure is a very good superstition in Russia. There were 7 days of challenging adventures in Russia ahead… 19