Opening ceremony of the 2nd CIS Games
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko declared the 2nd CIS Games open during the solemn ceremony at Minsk Arena on 5 August.
The official part began with a ceremony to raise the flags of Belarus and the CIS. The Belarusian flag was raised to the national anthem by eminent athletes - two-time Olympic rowing champion Ekaterina Karsten, Olympic trampoline champion Ivan Litvinovich and Olympic canoe champion Aleksandr Maseikov. Three more well-known Belarusian athletes – Olympic champions in athletics Yanina Karolchyk-Pravalinskaya and Yulia Nestsiarenka and Olympic handball champion Andrey Barbashinsky – took part in a ceremony to raise the flag of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Aleksandr Lukashenko delivered a speech and wished the participants, organizers and spectators of the Games good luck, victories, a bright spectacle and a huge sea of positive emotions.
Together with thousands of spectators who packed the Minsk Arena stands, the Belarusian leader watched the spectacular performance that featured more than 1,000 performers, including the Belarusian leading singers, singing and dancing professional and amateur bands.
The lighting of the Flame of the 2nd CIS Games was a draw of the opening ceremony. This tradition dates back to the ancient Greeks' sports competitions, and usually the torch is carried by a famous person to the cauldron. This time the organizers decided to make an exception and entrusted the solemn mission to a young gymnast, a prize-winner of the national rhythmic gymnastics competitions Aleksandra Zubovich, who was accompanied by three-time bronze medalist of the world rhythmic gymnastics championships Anastasiia Salos and head coach of the Belarusian national sambo team, many-time champion of world and European sambo championships Yuri Rybak.
