A major event will be taking place over the five years leading up to the start of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi- the Cultural Olympiad. From 2010 to 2014, more than one thousand different cultural events will be held in Sochi and throughout the Southern Federal District.
Hundreds of thousands of viewers will witness dozens of themed festivals, exhibitions and expositions put on by the biggest Russian museums. There will also be workshops and concerts featuring a wide variety of Russian and international stars from every musical sphere.
The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee decided that, starting from 2010, every successive year leading up to the Games will be marked by a different art theme. For example, 2010 will be the year of cinema, 2011 will represent theater, 2012 will be the year of music and 2013 will be the year of museums. The grand finale of the Cultural Olympiad will take place in 2014.
Under the Cultural Olympiad framework, certain thematic projects will be undertaken which are closely tied to the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee. Among them is a jazz project called "Aqua-jazz," a festival featuring Valery Gergiev and Anna Netrebko, a series of concerts by Oleg Mitiaev from "Summer is a Little Life" as well as many others.
Additionally, the Cultural Olympiad will raise public attention about the difficulties faced by people with disabilities. There will be a film festival entitled "Movies without Barriers" and a theatrical festival, "ProTheater.” Participants in these events will include actors, directors and people with disabilities. Many of us will have our first opportunity to experience their creativity.