Maslenitsa in Russkiy London

After having lived in London for almost three years, I knew for a fact that there were many Russians living in the UK just like me. So many that sometimes it was impossible to go to the cinema in the West End without stumbling upon a bunch of Russians commenting on the film in front of you. It is amazing how Russians have become part of the UK and London's diverse cultural landscape!

It is no wonder, then, that Maslenitsa, the Russian pagan spring festival best known for its pancakes and unbridled fun, has been held in London for the sixth year in a row, with performers ranging from classic Russian folk dance to the Russian contemporary pop music scene. It started out in 2009, first in Potters Fields Park near Tower Bridge and close to City Hall, the London Mayor's office. Speaking of the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who has been mayor since 2008, he has been an ardent supporter of Russian Maslenitsa all these years, each time never failing to deliver a welcoming and energetic speech to all Maslenitsa-goers. Boris Johnson, who claims to have Russian roots in his family history and attempts to speak Russian in his Maslenitsa greetings, seems to be a really big Russia fan catering to London's 'vibrant' Russian community. Thanks to him, apparently, in 2011 Maslenitsa got a more prominent venue by moving to Trafalgar Square, a place where all the big London public events take place. The Mayor of London is of course not the only person making it happen for London's, and the UK's, Russian community.

The Maslenitsa festival is actually organised by Ensemble Productions, a London-based company that specialises in organising and promoting music and dance events in Britain and internationally. By the looks of it, almost all their events are exclusively related to Russia/post-Soviet space and the celebration of its culture, with artists, musicians and dancers representing Russian and the other former republics' cultures. Russian Maslenitsa in London is the brainchild of Olga Balakleets, head of Ensemble Productions (watch here in Russian and here in English). Olga Balakleets graduated from the Royal College of Music in London and is married to Julian Gallant, a musician, a Russian culture lover, and previously head of Pushkin House, London's prime centre for Russian culture, from 2006 to 2012. Julian Gallant, by the way, was one of the presenters at Maslenitsa festival on 2nd March, and I saw him last year too.

Olga Balakleets and Julian Gallant seem to be a perfect case for students of cultural diplomacy - the duo have been engaging in cultural diplomacy on their own initiative. This is cultural diplomacy meeting citizen diplomacy, done by people, not governments. One could fairly say that Balakleets and Gallant have made themselves unofficial cultural ambassadors for Russia thanks to their efforts in bringing Russian culture to the UK. But I still wondered, though, if there was any goodwill support coming from Russia's governmental bodies or other Russian organisations lending a helping hand. 

Well, it looks like Russia's Ministry of Culture has been a major partner since the festival was launched in 2009. Other usual governmental 'suspects' in the field of public diplomacy, such as the Russian Embassy in the UK, Rossotrudnichestvo (Russian Cooperation) and Risskiy Mir (Russian World) Foundation, seem to have been around in the role of 'supporters' mainly. I don't know what exacty the latter means but I would presume 'supporters' are not similar to sponsors or partners in the sense of providing funding or sharing organisational responsibilities. What 'supporters' do, I guess, is lend their name to the event thus adding weight to it. I might be wrong. But at some stage, when one sees an event catching on, one can't help but wonder who needs whom more - the event needs big-name 'supporters' or 'supporters' the big-name event? In any case, it appears the duo Balakleets and Gallant are getting on fine and have done a great job of making Russian Maslenitsa in London a big deal. If Russia's public diplomacy organisations could help them further, then what kind of help would that be? Would they have any resources anyway? And would it be OK with regard to the image of the organisers as 'grassroots cultural ambassadors'? Would the public diplomacy organisations act as 'facilitators'? The majority of the money for the Maslenitsa festival seems to come from private sponsors/businesses, naturally: in 2011 Mikhail Prokhorov's Onexim Group sponsored the Maslenitsa event, and this year it was Rosneft (state company though). Anyone can also support Maslenitsa personally by donating whatever they can (see the main page of the Maslenitsa website). It also occurs to me that since 2014 is the official UK-Russia Year of Culture, the Maslenitsa festival could have received some extra funds from the Russian (through Rosneft?) and/or the British government as part of this year-long cultural programme. Ever since London's Maslenitsa became a week-long festival of celebrations in 2012, I guess it has become even harder to organise the whole thing without additional sponsorship.

I wouldn't be doing justice to London's Maslenitsa without discussing what actually happens 'on the ground'. So last Sunday I ventured into the field to gather some data and get a feel of the atmospehere. Everyone seemed to be having fun there, each in their own way. People danced, sang and queued for pancakes. Speaking of pancakes, I wasn't pinning too many hopes on those as I knew what they were like from the year before. I had a couple in the end, but I must say those pancakes are not as tasty as the ones I eat in Russia. They didn't feel like Russian pancakes, if you know what I mean. Maybe this is because the London pancakes were not made fresh right in front of you but came from ready-made pancake stuff (don't know whether those ready-made pancakes were made by the sellers in advance or bought in the supermarket). So the end result is heated pancakes that taste pretty chewy, for which you pay £5.50-6.00 depending on the filling - and that is a lot by London standards! The whole experience naturally made me think of the famous (in Russia) Russian pancake chain Teremok with its lovely pancakes for all tastes. I wonder if the Maslenitsa organisers could use Teremok here in London (I know I know there must be lots of legal and business issues involved, but who cares - their pancakes are lovely!). As a matter of fact, Teremok is now making inroads into the American market, so who knows maybe Teremok pancakes in London is not such a crazy idea after all?  

Pancakes and food aside, there was other interesting (and weird) stuff at last Sunday's Maslenitsa. Among the usual Russian souvenirs and trinkets, for example, I discovered this lovely valenki felt boots brand (something like Russian uggs) called Misha valenki (literally 'bear felt boots'). Russian winter footwear tradition has got a new modern marketing spin in the UK and for a fashionista like me this is definitely Russian soft power in the working. Obviously, the bear seems to be the brand's logo (nice use of Russia-related symbols and stereotypes, huh?), and the entire brand presentation is so neat and smart and exquisite I was genuinely impressed! Russian creative folk and entrepreneurs make me happy.

Speaking of less smart ways to use Russian symbols and stereotypes, in the past Maslenitsa apparently featured a live bear walking across Trafalgar Square for everyone's entertainment. I know bears are lovely animals, but I wonder if using Russian stereotypes like this (an actual bear walking on the streets - just like, they say, in Red Square!) actually damages rather than puts a light-hearted and fun spin on Russia's image? Where is the fine line between cheekily playing on stereotypes and actually perpetuating them?

Another really weird thing that caught my eye at the Maslenitsa venue was the stall of a vedic society with books (in Russian) promising to show you the path to self-fulfilment (whatever that means). There was such a strong smell of incense around their stall that when I was passing by I thought for a moment it was an Orthodox stall with candles burning and producing this distinct smell characteristic of Russian churches. This vedic stall seemed so out of place to me - I don't know how they got a stall in the first place. Can you just rent/buy one, regardless of your relevance to the Russian theme (language excluded)? All in all, it was weird to see this at a Russian cultural festival. There was, by the way, another 'mystery' society a bit further selling their literature outside of the venue fences, looking a bit lost. Weird.

One thing that definitely put a happy smile on my face was the stall of this dairy company that produces for the UK exquisite-looking Russian dairy goodies such as kefir, riazhenka, and prostokvasha. I have heard about them before and it seems like they have been expanding ever since. Their goods are mainly available in organic shops and posh department stores, not in your regular supermarket, unfortunately. But I will definitely give them a try - they look so promising! Again way to go, Russian entrepreneurs!  

Something I didn't expect to stumble upon at Maslenitsa at all was the stall advertising immigration lawyers, apparently feeling strong and able to move all willing Russians to the UK (so much for the tightening immigration legislation!).  

What I found particularly wonderful was the presence of the charity Rusfond UK, which helps seriously ill Russian children get access to life-saving medical treatment in the UK. Last year, I have found out, the Maslenitsa organisers teamed up with the Naked Heart Foundation charity for children, which managed to raise some money towards their programmes.   

Note the flags of the CIS countries on stage -
the 'Russian World' (Russkiy Mir) concept is at work, not only Russians but also all Russian-speaking peoples from the former Soviet Union republics are being addressed

Incredible turnout - so many people! 

This lady just kept dancing and spinning,
loving the cameras and showcasing all her Russian and Soviet memorabilia

All in all, Russian Maslenitsa in London is a place where culture reigns. What about politics, you ask me? Well, with the Ukraine situation going on in the background, part of the Russian diaspora (that also includes Russian-speakers from the former Soviet Union) went to the Russian Embassy to protest against war that day. However, another part of that diaspora was planning to show up at the Ukrainian consulate in support of Russia and Crimea. '[Maslenitsa] is beyond politics!' exclaimed the Russian presenter from the stage (which wasn't translated by the English presenter). 

By the way, there was a guy standing at the exit behind the cheering crowd - he was handing out leaflets with information on the crimes and/or wrongdoings of Maslenitsa's sponsors and partners (Rosneft, RIA Novosti, Rossiyskaya Gazeta etc.). Whoever was distributing the leaflets, they even included 'partners' that were not listed on this year's official Maslenitsa booklet. So politics did interfere after all... 

Hm, politicise culture or 'culturise' politics? Here are some thoughts from Mikhail Shvydkoy, Russia's special representative for international cultural cooperation. 

Maybe this is a post for next time?

Sochi Olympics: what to make of them?

Well, it's already been a week of Olympic falls and rises, ups and downs, cheer and disappointment. But as much as we sports fans are concerned about the sports, those of us who are also political scientists and IR researchers concern ourselves with a bunch of other things on top of that - politics, international relations, nation-branding, image, and soft power - the lot.

There has expectedly been an avalanche of related literature and comments on the Sochi Olympics, prior to the Games and ongoing now as we are in the thick of it. And I'm sure there will be much more afterwards. So I thought it would be a good idea to go through some of that writing and commentary on Sochi 2014 now and do a little bit of analysis. Perhaps, this exercise would be useful in getting across my view of these Olympics as well.

As I said, there was enough commentary in time for the coming Sochi Olympics days before the Opening Ceremony. Analysts, commentators and journalists expectedly engaged in discussion on the international and domestic context surrounding the Olympics. Above all these discussions, however, towers the main question, which is the reason Sochi was picked host city 7 years ago: How will the Olympics impact on Russia's international standing and reputation? And when it comes to Russia's international image in particular, everything is in the spotlight and being scrutinised to determine what is good and what ultimately proves bad for Russia as a result of the whole Olympic enterprise. This is not to mention that the Olympics tend to be politicised and thelmselves are a subject of contestation.

Once prior judgements are made about the international context, the domestic situation and Russia's Olympic preparations, more gets thrown into the mix as we reach the Opening Ceremony and the Olympics commence. The picture gets more complex as the Olympics progress: views get amended, hopes dashed or confirmed, expectations met or thwarted. Why am I saying all this? - Because our judgement and perception of the Olympics is bound to be different as we look at them from different perspectives, at different times, and in different circumstances.

There has been a lot of debate on whose side you are when it comes to Sochi 2014. Are you critical of it because it seems like there has been a lot of corruption and money-stealing involved, or are you happy that Russia is hosting the Olympics? From this follows that if you are a Putin critic, you are expected to disapprove of the whole Olympic thing. If you do like the fact that the Olympics are being held in Sochi, however, then you are sure to be a Putin supporter. - Well, I think it doesn't work like that really. For better or worse, humans are complicated creatures, and their attitudes are better understood if we consider different perspectives from which to look at the Olympics.

From the point of view of a Russian athlete the Sochi Olympics are a great thing - you get to compete on home soil, you get greater psychological comfort from the fact that you will be supported by many home fans, you feel proud that the most important event in an athlete's professional life takes place in your country. - I know it: my former schoolmate with whom I used to be great friends and who is competing in these Olympics feels like that, and it's OK. And any athlete, for that matter, wouldn't normally bother about the domestic or international context around Russia if the Olympic facilities are state of the art, the athletes' needs are met, and security fulfils its duty. Interviews with figure-skater Irina Slutskaya and tennis player Maria Sharapova (at 0:21) prove that point. All that athletes care about is sport.

There is also another level at which to consider the Olympics - an individual emotional level. The Olympics are a festival for many and a celebration of sport for sport-lovers. It's a big occasion that brings people together not only from the many cities of one country, but also from the many cities of many countries. Emotions are even more hightened during the Opening Ceremony, which is a feast for the eyes. So if this festival of good humour, friendship and togetherness goes well security- and hospitality-wise, criticisms of the Olympics are likely to recede into the background, if only for the short time that the Olympics take place as emotions are known to subside quickly.

When we speak of the Opening Ceremony it should also be remembered that the Opening Ceremony is a big show involving hundreds of stage managers, assistants, artists and actors, as well as massive planning and vision. In other words, it's no mean feat. The Sochi Olympics are therefore inevitably to be judged from an artistic and aesthetic perspective. How well the Opening Ceremony is staged, how professionally sound and artistically coherent it is, whether the message it conveys is unobtrusive and light and if it establishes a coherence between its content and expression. - On this account Russia, too, could or could not rank high in perceptions.  

Finally, there is inevitably a political perspective to the Sochi Olympics, their domestic and international context. Domestically, it means people debate the logic behind the Olympics and the way the Olympic preparations were managed. There are, for instance, allegations of corruption and graft, of displacement of Sochi residents and the killing of stray dogs. There is also a greater domestic debate around Putin's efforts to construct a stronger and more cohesive identity for Russia and as a result to legitimise Russia's current political rule which many find unattractive. On the other hand, some would argue the Olympics can boost Russia's economy and tourism and bring in much-needed investment, which is good (perhaps, I should have put an economic perspective in a separate category, but I will leave it for now). If this happens, then Russia's image gets an upgrade as a result and would further contribute to the economy and the legitimation of Russia's ruling class. Internationally, all the above debates are being watched and shared and reflected in political concerns over Russia globally. The prime question here is, how will the Olympics impact on Russia's image abroad and what place will Russia manage to secure on the international stage as a result of the Olympics, in the short and, most importantly, long term? Do the Russians deserve to host the Olympics in the first place?

The latter - political - perspective, I think, is ultimately all-encompassing, whether you like it or not. Of all the levels of perception that I've mentioned - an athlete's perspective, individual emotional, aesthetic and economic - any can end up being politicised and overshadowed by a political one. Even as the Olympics take place now politics is ongoing behind the scenes and is ever-present. Putin meets with heads of state and the Olympics are used as an opportunity and background against which important talks happen and international politics is forged. Just the other day he visited US and Canadian Houses, welcoming the athletes and checking if they were happy with the Olympics.    

So, we have all those different levels of perception that, in my view, help understand why there's such a variety of opinion of the Sochi Olympics and such heated debates about them at home and abroad. I would love to further discuss the Olympics by looking at the Opening Ceremony (which I personally found fascinating) but I will reserve that for my next Olympic post. 

Russian nation-branding as it is

Last summer the Russian federal tourism agency Rosturizm came up with a logo for Russia's tourist and promotional activities under the federal target programme 'Development of internal and inbound tourism in the Russian Federation 2011-2018'. The logo reads 'My Russia' ("Моя Россия" in Russian) in which 'Russia' is written in upright bold and 'My' is in italics. Besides, the two words represent the colours of the Russian flag: My Russia against a white background.

The logo is meant to convey a certain (by all means positive) message and create an attractive image of Russia as a diverse country with lots to offer for everyone who comes to visit it. Because hey, everyone's got their own 'Russia', don't they? So 'My' is supposed to say 'Your', basically. In other words, the logo is a way to attract more tourists into the country and boost Russia's tourism industry and reputation. 

The need to have one single logo for Russian tourism programmes was long overdue. It was a shame for a country like Russia not to have one in times when nation-branding and international tourism have become an essential part of contemporary international relations, like today's global multinational corporations or the international human rights movement. Many countries have long been aware of the power of nation-branding and have since made good use of promoting themselves in a consistent and professional manner. 

So much for the good intentions and a noble attempt at nation-branding, but not all in the Russian branding and visual communications community agreed that this is the way to effectively promote one's own country abroad. I have already talked about Russian officials' weird love of possessives when it comes to national slogans and mottos ('Hot.Cool.Yours.' as the Sochi 2014 motto and 'This is My Games' earlier in the Sochi promotion campaign), so now obviously they have also decided not to look too far with the 'My Russia' thing. Whereas some say 'My Russia' is universal and thus can be filled with many different meanings to reflect Russia's diversity, others argue that the logo's minimalism and simplicity are merely the result of not knowing what exactly to fill Russia's 'brand' with. Russia is very poor on mechanisms that would help devise a viable, flexible and manageable brand to meet the country's reputation needs. All talk of a positive image and brand is too abstract and general. Ultimately, the core of the problem with the brand 'Russia' is the apparent lack of a solid national idea/identity - Russia does not know what it is and where it is going, hence no clear idea of what it needs to advertise in its brand. The country has been more often looking back into the past, ignoring the present and having a dim idea of its future. To the outside world Russia is most often associated with Soviet times, which is unhealthy (for Russia) because it needs to invoke a vision of itself as a modern and forward-looking nation. More generally, this national ideology predicament has often been cited as the primary cause of Russia's failures at soft power.
To the linguistic pedant that I am it is also not very clear why the designers of the logo translated the accompanying slogan (there is one!) "Открой свою Россию" as 'Reveal your own Russia". My translator gut feeling tells me it would be more accurate to say 'Discover your Russia'.

Overall, this example of nation-branding with the Russia logo raises, however, the more practical question of accountability. While the government officials at Rosturizm can say all they want about how they really like the winner of the logo competition (there was a tender), experts have long lamented the widespread incompetence and lack of transparency when it comes to deciding who takes care of the country's branding and image matters. What Russian officials see as 'the most accessible, interesting, dynamic and most promising' PR logo experts call 'a great waste of public money'. The expert community is seldom consulted and the entire decision-making process in Russia on all things PR & branding seems fundamentally flawed. The bid to design the tourism logo was secured by an obscure design bureau called 'Artishok' who offered their services at the lowest price of all. Russia's Business FM Radio's experts said they did not know anything about the company, although, they added, the price well explains the final product. 

The creation of the 'My Russia' logo and the accompanying promotional goods inevitably leads one to have a look at what actually has been done in the field in other image-conscious countries over the past few years. Take the Netherlands, for example, and the regional marketing campaign for the capital city of Amsterdam called I amsterdam. A dedicated website tells the story of a campaign that started back in 2002/2004. The new single city branding strategy for Amsterdam was meant to give a much-needed image boost to a city that had been suffering considerable reputation losses in the preceding years. Amsterdam had dropped in global city rankings and had been losing the competition for visitors and businesses to other European cities and metropolitan regions.
Now the I amsterdam campaign has been running for a decade and has proven a brilliant feat of city branding. The brand has its own website packed with useful information for tourists and business people. It boasts a long list of partners and has a dedicated I amsterdam City Card loaded with lots of visitor benefits. The motto I amsterdam is designed to indicate the uniqueness of the city as 'an excellent choice for business, education, living and visiting', a centre of excellence for creativity, innovation and commerce. I amsterdam also makes direct reference to the people of the city ('I amsterdam') that are celebrated as its 'lifeblood' and are proud to have Amsterdam as their home. The motto is thus engaging, inclusive and therefore friendly. One excellent feature of the whole branding campaign, in my opinion, is that I amsterdam has gone 'real' and hands-on. The actual phrase 'I amsterdam' can be found in the city's streets as big towering letters, which never fail to attract photo-hungry visitors. The letters have become a symbol of the city, 'a physical icon' that has moved 'into the city's collective imagination'. All in all, the brand 'Amsterdam' shows how much thorough consideration, planning and effort has been put into its marketing: I amsterdam is friendly, accessible, creative, and even tactile!
Even more massive has been Britain's GREAT campaign (This is GREAT Britain - You're invited) seizing tourism and economic opportunities presented by 2012's Queen's Diamond Jubilee and Olympic and Paralympic Games. Although the focus of this marketing campaign was year 2012, it is meant for longer - from 2011 to 2015 - in order to capitalise on the legacy of the Games and bring about long-term tourism, trade and investment benefits. The UK's tourism industry is one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors of the economy. Called 'one of the most ambitious and far-reaching marketing campaigns ever developed by the UK Government', the GREAT branding strategy has been the joint effort of several governmental departments and agencies: Foreign and Commonwealth Office; UK Trade & Investment; Business, Innovation and Skills; Culture, Media and Sport; the British Council; and national tourism agency VisitBritain.
What makes this campaign really great (pun intended) are its truly global character and purpose. The organisers have managed to recruit lots of partners, businesses and celebrities to their cause. Launch events promoting international tourism to Britain have been held with pomp and splendour featuring Union Jack-branded trains on the New York subway, branded double-deckers and Minis in Europe, and Spice Girls doppelgängers elsewhere. GREAT adverts, a global 'sales assault', have been placed in the world's 'biggest and most lucrative tourism markets' in 9 countries, taking 'the fight for the tourist pound right to [Britain's] competitors' doorsteps'. An interesting offshoot of the campaign is the British brand Mulberry's own contribution to the cause called Brilliant Britain. This 'guide to a truly great nation' is meant to celebrate 'unique characteristics that make Britain great', its many 'charms and eccentricities'. The GREAT campaign also has a facebook page.
As an aside, Britain's latest nation-branding feat could remind one of the 1990s Cool Britannia movement, but it was rather bottom-up than top-down in terms of origin and purpose. It is also funny and somewhat ironic that after all this hard work and amazing effort to promote the country Britain's government are now considering launching a negative marketing campaign to discourage immigration from some countries. So much for the national brand's flexibility!
It would be interesting as well to have a look at countries that are somewhat 'closer' to Russia and therefore more comparable, such as the BRICS. India, for instance, proved quite successful with its Incredible !ndia campaign that took place in the 2000s.
Going back to Russia, its latest attempt at nation-branding ('My Russia') obviously pales in comparison with the examples outlined above. I could hardly find any evidence of close cooperation in public diplomacy between the various Russian ministries and agencies that could potentialy mount a joint full-blown long-term national marketing campaign to promote the country's reputation. There is however a slight hint at some partnership activity going on between the Cultural Ministry's Rosturizm (the national tourism agency) and the Foreign Ministry's Rossotrudnichestvo (the public diplomacy agency). To Russia's credit though, it seems to have finally woken up to the power of social networks when it comes to nation-branding. Russia's official facebook page meant to show 'the real Russia' has been in existence since September 2011 but it still has a long way to go.
The 'disjointedness' of Russia's public diplomacy and nation-branding efforts has recently been confirmed again as the Russian government has hired Goldman Sachs to improve its investment image abroad. This time the body in charge of nation-branding affairs (with a special focus on financial and business image) is the Ministry for Economic Development. One remembers that Russia has not been at all averse to making use of American-based organisations in raising its attractiveness stakes.

But before a positive Russian image abroad ever becomes a reality, we Russians might as well contemplate using snow as our next big nation-branding idea.

Olympics-inspired

With the end of this year's Olympics it seems only logical to once again look back on how it all began, and assess London's, and UK's, good job on the task. After all, the world will be 'watching' Sochi, and thus Russia, in less than two years' time at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics with even greater scrutiny, and lessons to be learnt are in order. No matter how frustrated Russia can be at the West's regular fault-finding, this time it will surely have to go out of its way to impress all and everyone, if only for a couple of Olympic weeks.

If it weren't for the West, it would still be a good idea to impress our Chinese counterparts anyway, wouldn't it, with whom we share the BRICS? Incidentally, the past decade has seen almost all BRICS countries undertake the hard - and noble - task of hosting at least one big sporting event: China and its Beijing Olympiad in 2008, South Africa's World Cup in 2010, in 2016 the Summer Games will come to Brazil - the first country to ever hold the Olympics in South America (not to mention that the country is also going to play host to the 2014 World Cup). South Africa has even fraternally agreed to advise Brazil on this occasion. In 2007 this hosting honour was granted to Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and in 2010 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Do I smell a trend here?

The scale of the impression that every country aspires to make at such events is illustrated well enough by the amounts of money that nations have been shown ready and willing to pour over the last few decades into Olympics preparation and infrastructure. The rising costs are much in evidence as quite often the Games go over the intended budget and ultimately prove non-cost-effective. As a result, they are becoming incredibly expensive to afford.  

But Russia has shown unfailing determination to host the next Winter Olympiad. The Russian bid in 2007 for the 2014 Winter Olympics ultimately proved a big deal with elements of assertive diplomacy whereby President Putin unabashedly unleashed all his charms on all important IOC people in town. If anything, the bid - and the win - was every bit about getting the world, at least formally, to give Russia a chance and accept it as a worthy power with positive image potential. To the extent that money is a means to an end, it was of secondary importance to Russia. To the extent that image matters and an impression is to be made in due course on an Olympics-craving, peace-loving and smiling world, money is ultimately a primary consideration. While none of us may know for certain how much will be poured into the Sochi Games that already have beaten all previous Winter Olympics in costs, one would reasonably expect that the Opening Ceremony, the crowning glory of all Olympics, would eat up a fair chunk of the budget. After all, the Opening Ceremony is supposed to set the ball rolling in the direction of a brighter national reputation. 

Now, that got me thinking: if the grandness of an opening ceremony is in any direct proportion to the money spent on its preparation and on hosting the Olympics overall, then Russia should be doing alright. But for some reason this self-reassuring belief just won't suffice. As the Olympics are first and foremost about selling yourself to the world, Russia should really have something up its sleeve to amaze the world at the Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2014. And, as it happens, nothing provides us with a better case study and a fresh example for emulation than the recent London 2012 Games. Before I even started wondering, in the wake of the London Opening Ceremony in July, what story lines and characters could possibly fill up Russia's Sochi Opening Ceremony, Russia's Dozhd' TV channel had done it for me. The London Ceremony, with all its reminiscences and references to the 'glorious history', today's multinational society, welfare state and British culture, offers good food for thought in preparation for Sochi 2014 as we Russians are thinking about how we will do it 'our way' in two years' time.    

There are three main themes that stood out for me in the London Ceremony: 1) humour, 2) history, and 3) culture. One speaker on the Dozhd' programme kept pointing out how masterful the British are at having a good laugh about their history and themselves - doing it in that elegant, light, truly British way, using fine, sophisticated humour verging on self-irony, which only flatters the nation and does not damage the overall perception of its history and its people. Another thing was the British history part that depicted a 'glorious past' - selectively, of course. But the Industrial Revolution was truly one of the greatest things Britain has given the world, an achievement of global significance - no matter what followed afterwards in the next few centuries. Lastly, culture in its broadest sense was one big theme that ran through the whole of the Ceremony, from the NHS and classic children's literature, pop music, comedy and culture to multicultural families where the mum is white and the dad is black, through to social networking and political correctness to a sense of an absolutely inclusive society. In other words, the Ceremony was full of British characteristics.

Drawing analogies with the topics in the Ceremony, the speakers on Dozhd' suggested having Lenin wave from the Mausoleum (or the armoured car) to Putin passing by on the Firebird accompanied by Ilya of Murom, or having the DneproGES and the Belomorkanal shoot from under the ground on which GULAG workers toil away. Jokes aside, there are many things that have long been considered as purely 'Russian brands' that the country could capitalise on: from fairy tales with Dragon Gorynych and the Hut on Chicken Legs, to notorious history figures like Rasputin and the entire Tsar epoch, through to more household stuff such as the Samovar, Matreshka, Lapti, Valenki and the Faberge Eggs. Not to mention Shalyapin, Tchaikovsky, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, the Russian Ballet, and the Double-Headed Eagle of course. I really liked the idea of 12,000 little swans from 'The Swan Lake' dancing all together  on the floor of the Olympic stadium (...when suddenly a massive Bulava missile creeps up from under the ground to take the place of these little swans, one commentator suggested). But seriously, 12,000 little swans dancing synchronised would look great. So would groups of people from Russia's many ethnic regions dressed in their native attire, dancing their native dances or singing in choirs. Imagine Caucasian folk dancing the lezginka in large numbers, so exciting! Despite the all too well-known ethnic issues in Soviet times and, moreover, the tensions in today's Russia, people's friendship has always been there, a recurring theme in the day-to-day life of many people. So, 'People's Friendship' could be a good theme for the Sochi Opening Ceremony in 2014, and Russia could successfully capitalise on that one.      

The one major problem with emulating London on this score is obviously trying not to slide into rude, cynical or plain stupid and fake when playing on the country's many stereotypes and its 'glorious past'. A good thing about London, as one commentator emphasised, was that the Brits can laugh at themselves and at the same time be genuinely proud of themselves in a way that they do not make idiots of themselves. Britain also came out as 'a nation secure in its own post-empire identity'. Which might be a big issue for us Russians. Russia needs to approach itself and what it represents in the minds of many people, foreign and native, in a subtle, light-hearted, easy-going way - in other words, it needs to do it the smart way. It needs to amaze audiences with its authentic unadulterated 'Russianness'. There may be a healthy dose of self-deprecation and laughter, national pride and jubilation - but these should be packed in a wisely crafted script, passionate and exciting, that would make everyone want to be part of this sportsfest, would make everyone feel happy. The other problem with comparing Brits and Russians is that from beginning to end Britain showed a progression from a normal rural country through a growing industrial society to a prosperous modern nation that positively looks into the future and sees itself at the forefront of history-making. In this hour-and-a-half story good eventually triumphs over evil and all live happily ever after. As one commentator said, it was 'a portrait of a country aware of its shortcomings but surprisingly confident about its future.' Russia has inherited from its past more than it needs to feel that way. This is not the end, not a definitive happy ending of a beautiful (hi)story as today's Russia is still in a state of 'transition', in a state of 'confusion'. But it does not mean that it is not looking into the future. And it does not mean Russia cannot introduce itself properly, present its contemporary face and show its best sides when the moment calls for it. It had better do it because we all know you can never make a second first impression.

Details of the Sochi Opening Ceremony, which will take place on 7th February 2014, are of course being kept secret. Prime Minister Medvedev hinted at certain things during his London visit, where he gave an interview to The Times newspaper and also talked to Russian journalists covering the Olympics. Medvedev's overall impression was positive, he really liked the Opening Ceremony, especially the great British music that everyone in the world knows of, and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. But, he said, the Sochi Opening Ceremony would have to be shorter in time as it is Winter Olympics, and the focus would rather be on visual effects than on music as the Russian contemporary music scene is almost unknown outside of Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. The overarching theme could be Russia's vastness and its beauty. Medvedev also emphasised that he came  in for the London Olympics with the officials responsible for the Sochi Games (head of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov and Dmitri Kozak who is in charge of the Sochi preparations) 'to talk to our [British] counterparts' and learn from London's Olympic experience. Aforementioned Dmitri Kozak was more measured about the London opening spectacular and suggested that the Sochi ceremony be shorter and 'more dynamic'. Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko pointed out the cultivation of patriotism during the London Games that Russia would do well to take on board at Sochi. Rehearsals at the Sochi Olympic Stadium are scheduled to begin in August 2013. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies are administered by a special Agency for the Preparation of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sochi Olympic Games set up in spring 2012. 

Meanwhile, ahead of the Sochi Games in 2014 Russia, quite naturally, has started to actively engage in sports and public diplomacy - and this was evident at this year's London Games. The Russian Embassy in London acted as the main conduit for information on Russian activities in the capital during the Olympic fortnight. The Russian presence materialised in the form of Russia Park - the Russian hospitality house stationed in the beautiful Kensington Gardens and charged with the task of welcoming the world to the Russian sporting and cultural scene, and of giving a glimpse into what to expect at the coming Winter Games in Sochi. I believe the exercise in public diplomacy under the slogan 'Where Russia Greets the World' went down well. There was everything to satisfy any world-curious mind: fake snow and ice shows in the spirit of a true 'Russian winter' with famous Russian athletes to perform and engage, various cultural events, and authentic Russian cuisine. The organisers seem to have made every effort to keep to the highest standards of cultural PR. The many cultural events and performances were conducted as part of the ongoing Sochi Cultural Olympiad in the run-up to the 2014 Games that aims to 'present Russia's unique cultural heritage to the world'. The shows included rock and pop bands, ethnic folk ensembles, a Cossack choir and a jazz orchestra, theatre and childrens' performances. The organisers also talked tourism and investment while in London, presenting their vision of the future of the Sochi region and the surroundings as a dynamic must-see destination for holidaymakers and travellers alike. At some point the guests even got to dance the lezginka! Overall, it looks like the Russian hospitality house proved a good enough investment in the country's international image and a fine example of nation branding as the organisers recognised and optimised the importance of cultural person-to-person interactions. It is worth noting that some national hospitality houses, such as the US's, were not open to the public at all and only provided access to athletes and diplomats.  

Apart from the Russian Sochi pavilion at London 2012, one can get an idea of what the actual Games in 2014 are planned to be like on the dedicated website. The website looks friendly and welcoming to me. What is of particular interest are the pages that highlight sustainable development and the 'green' character of the forthcoming Games, special care for people with disabilities, and volunteering - all three not featuring particularly high in Russians' everyday lives. For dessert, you have the 'Interesting Facts' section, which did a good job of bringing out the child in me and genuinely tickled my curiosity. Getting down to serious stuff, the Sochi Games, the website goes, will be highly innovative and technologically advanced. All elements of the strategic vision for the Games are brought together in a so-called 'Russian Diamond'. The organisers have obviously embarked on the hard task of making the Games a success, aiming to showcase a modern, innovative, progressive Russia that would integrate into the global community and leave a lasting (positive) impression on the international audience. More specifically, Brand Sochi 2014 is designed to introduce a multifaceted image of Russia: a country rich in history and culture and embarking on a successful future, a country open to opportunities and the passion to make dreams a reality, and a country committed to equality and celebrating diversity. In terms of Russia's cultural and national values, an interesting objective which echoes Ambassador Yakovenko's advice cited above for the Sochi Olympics is proclaimed on the website: 'development of patriotism and the feeling of national pride'. 

Last but not least, it transpired lately that the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee had finally come up with a motto for the Games. To cut a long story short, it's "Жаркие. Зимние. Твои." I guess the creative team really wanted to make it simple and stupid but instead it just came out as simply stupid. Not to mention that the English version is plain confusing: 'Hot. Cool. Yours.' (meaning 'Hot. Winter (Games). Yours.' if literally translated from Russian). Are they cold (cool) or are they hot? The official source provides an elaborate explanation saying that the motto follows up from the brand's earlier slogan presented in 2009, which is 'This Is My Games'. It's all well and good that the Games are meant to reach out to the ordinary citizens and are 'mine' and everyone's to enjoy in everyone's own kind of way, but both of these sequences of words come across as too static for the energising spirit of the Olympic Games and thus lack dynamism. I don't see, either, how the slogan 'is intended to reflect the national character of Russia and the values of the Sochi 2014 brand, as well as Sochi 2014's progressive and innovative approach to the organisation and staging of the Games'. If the diversity of Russia's national character, which head of the Organising Committee Dmitri Chernyshenko emphasised, boils down to being either hot or cool, or both at the same time - then yes, they are right, and I have no further questions for these guys. But something just doesn't add up. Previous slogans, such as Turin 2006 ('Passion Lives Here'), Beijing 2008 ('One World, One Dream'), Vancouver 2010 ('With Glowing Hearts'), London 2012 at last ('Inspire A Generation'), invited you into the future and had the intensity, passion and inspiration that are missing in the Sochi 2014 slogan. What are Russia's mission and message in this entire enterprise anyway? 

Just for fun, creative Internet folk instantly came up with hundreds of spoofs and memes for the Olympic motto the day the official slogan was revealed. The Sochi 2014 organisers have definitely caused a stir. 

I will leave you with this lovely unofficial Sochi 2014 mascot.