The Sochi 2014 Olympic Flame in the heart of Eastern Siberia

Irkutsk became the 65th city to host the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay. The Two-hundred-and-twenty-seven torchbearers carried the Olympic flame through the streets of Irkutsk, covering a distance of 34.3 km. Among the Olympic torchbearers were the winners of the competition organized by the Presenting Partners of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay, the Coca-Cola Company, OSAO "Ingosstrakh" and OAO "Russian Railways."

Actors dressed as Russian nobility and peasants from the 19th century together with top officials and hundreds of the city residents greeted the Sochi 2014 Olympic Relay train arriving from Buryatia at Irkutsk Railway Station.

The flame keepers lit the torch of Alexander Khaustov, triple champion of the Deaflympics in Greco-Roman wrestling, in the square in front of the train station.

City expressed its love for sport in the shape of a heart, which is unusual for the Olympic Torch Relay route: One after another the torchbearers traversing the city streets impressed a flaming heart on the map of eastern Siberia. Athletes, doctors, teachers and public officials earned their right to carry the symbol of the Olympic Winter Games.

Alexander Zaytsev, Russian champion in powerlifting and track and field for the visually impaired, Irina Belova, Olympic silver medallist in track and field, Olga Buyanova, honoured coach of Russia in track and field, Natalya Ivanova, Olympic silver medallist and world champion in taekwondo, Valery Golubev, winner of the title "Best Teacher of Irkutsk Region," Viktor Sokolov, honoured coach of Russia in shooting, and Valeriya Kladovikova, Deaflympics champion in shooting, all passed the torch. Konstantin Shumkov, a multiple-time participant in the Paralympic Games in shooting, accepted the torch at the Baikal Arena sports complex.

Dmitry Shiryaev, a civil aviation pilot who made an emergency landing of an airliner at the Barcelona airport, also took up the torch. He acted completely professionally and successfully brought a plane with 220 passengers on board out of a state of out-of-control descent. For this he was awarded the Medal of the Flight Safety Foundation International.

One of the stages of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay took place at the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant of the Irkut Corporation, which manufactures Su-30MK military aircraft, Be-200 amphibious aircraft and other individual components for Airbus A320 passenger aircraft. Six torchbearers ran with the flame from the final assembly shop to the runway. Test pilot Sergey Mikhailyuk successfully completed the Olympic procession through the aircraft factory: he ran his distance together with a fighter that was taking off, which soared into the sky to the ovations of torchbearers and factory workers.

The Relay route passed along the Church of St. Xenia of Petersburg, the Moscow Gates, the monument to Emperor Alexander III and the "Irkutsk Quarter", or the 130th quarter, which is the historic part of the city recreated in the style of 18th century architecture. During the tour of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay through the city the flame keepers visited the children's hospital. Torchbearer Denis Matsuev, a world-renowned virtuoso pianist, gave the children gifts with the marks of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Finally, on the Kirov Square Denis Matsuev, Russian pianist as well as honoured and people's artist of Russia, lit the Olympic Flame Cauldron, which was presented to the city as a gift by 2014 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partner OSAO "Ingosstrakh."

In the next two days the Olympic Torch Relay will travel to Krasnoyarsk Region.

For more information on the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay, visit Sochi2014.com, or call +7 495 984 2014.

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