The Olympic flame arrived in Moscow on Sunday (October 6), carried in a lantern aboard an Aeroflot plane specially-decorated in the colours and logos of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. A Russian honour guard, consisting of all of the branches of the Russian armed services greeted the flame that travelled from Greece, on its eventual way to the Games in February. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, who emerged from the plane carrying the flame in a lantern with six-time Olympic champion speed skater Lydia Skoblikova and Sochi 2014 Olympics Organising Committee President Dmitry Chernyshenko in tow, said Russia's Olympics planning had unified the country. "Today is a symbolic day for all of us which quite possibly may turn out to become a historic date. After 30 years, Russia is again meeting the Olympic flame which was lit in the homeland of the Olympic Games, in the ancient Olympia," Kozak said. Chernyshenko said Russian citizens everywhere would be touched by the impressive relay. "Russia, for the first time in its history, receives one of the most important, well-known symbols in the world - the Olympic flame, and we are proud that our Russian torch relay will be unique: 123 days, 65,000 kilometres. The flame will be carried by 14,000 torch bearers. We will do everything to make sure that the relay is carried out at the very highest level. We will make it so that the flame sparks a fire in the hearts of millions of citizens. Wait for it, and soon the relay will be in your city," he said. After the brief airport ceremony, the flame headed to Red Square where President Vladimir Putin will use it to light the Olympic relay torch. According to the organising committee, Olympic flame will not only travel by torch bearers, but also by car, train, plane, on a Russian troika, reindeer and dog sleds, bicycle and snow cat, as well as sleighs, carts and snowmobiles, a combine harvester, carriage, and camel.

• published: 07 Oct 2013
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