The first concert of the great composer Tchaikovsky was intended to accompany the victories of Russian athletes at the Games in Tokyo and Beijing. Now you can only dream about this.
Due to severe sanctions from the International Olympic Committee, Russian athletes were deprived of the opportunity to listen to their native anthem and see the national flag at major competitions.
However, the Russians were not left completely without a melody, which caused discontent in the West.
“Katyusha” aroused suspicion
At the end of 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) approved the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency, leaving our athletes without a flag and an anthem at official award ceremonies. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) insisted that the legendary “Katyusha” be played on the podium instead of the anthem, but the IOC felt that the song was too strongly associated with Russia. It was strange, because in “Katyusha” the name of the country is not mentioned even once. Perhaps Thomas Bach and his friends were confused by “apples and pears.”
But, according to the IOC, there were no problems with excessive patriotism in the First Piano Concerto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. It was this music that became the unofficial sports anthem of the country and accompanied the protocol events with the participation of Russians at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and Beijing.
— The difficult process of all approvals with the IOC has been completed. From today, our Olympic team has all the elements of its identity. The ROC flag with the colors of our tricolor, official equipment, easily recognizable both to our compatriots and to fans of any other country even without any inscriptions, and now the musical accompaniment, the melody to which Russian Olympians will be honored in Tokyo and Beijing, — ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov solemnly declared.
Stanislav Pozdnyakov / Photo: © Denis Bushkovsky / Match TV
American’s disgusting reaction
Such news caused a lot of outrage in the West. They were sure that Russian athletes, in principle, should not be at international competitions, and there was no question that their successes would be accompanied by the beautiful melody of the great Russian composer. The IOC also received its share of criticism. Perhaps the most disgusting statement was made by the American journalist Philip Hersh, who doubted Tchaikovsky’s orientation.
Despite all the criticism, the International Olympic Committee still kept its word on approving the new unofficial Russian anthem for sports competitions. The brilliant victories of our guys at the Games in Tokyo and Beijing were accompanied by brilliant music, and everyone in the world knew exactly which country Maria Lasitskene, Alexander Bolshunov, Kamila Valieva and others represented.
Now Russians are once again being offered to go to the Games without a flag and an anthem, and this time they can definitely forget about Tchaikovsky’s music on the pedestal. It is already obvious that the conditions under which the Russians performed in Tokyo and Beijing will seem heavenly compared to what can await them in Paris.
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2023-12-21 19:57:43
