Official 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics torch, constructed of aluminum and various polymers, measuring 37.5" in length and 5.75" at its widest point, developed by a team of designers led by Vladimir Pirozhkov and Andrei Vodyanik. The torch was modeled after the feather of a Firebird or phoenix, which symbolizes good luck or fortune in Russian folklore, and was immortalized in Igor Stravinsky's eponymous ballet. The torch's silver color represents winter ice, and the red, the traditional color of Russian sport, denotes the fires kindling in the mountains around the resort. The upper portion, which bears some smoke damage, features the Sochi Games logo.
The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, on September 13, 2013, and made its way onto Russian soil on October 7, traveling through all eighty-three regions of the Russian Federation during its five-month and 65,000 km relay. Additionally, other specially designed Sochi torches reached the North Pole, the summit of Mount Elbrus, submerged thirteen meters into Lake Baikal, and another even entered outer space, with cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Rayazansky passing the torch outside the International Space Station. Inspired by the feather that bestows good luck in its purest form upon its bearer, this is a wonderful and uniquely designed torch.
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