European Games: bright final of the great festival

The official closing ceremony of the First European Games took place at the Olympic Stadium in Baku yesterday. The competitions gathered more than 6 thousand athletes from 50 countries of the continent. 

According to their results of the competitions of the Games, Russia has become a leader in the medal rating with 79 gold, 40 silver and 45 bronze medals. The Azerbaijani team is in the second place with 21 gold, 15 silver and 20 bronze medals. The United Kingdom is in the third place with 18 gold, 10 silver and 19 bronze medals. The representatives of 42 countries won medals here.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, his wife, First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, and President of the European Olympic Committee Patrick Hickey were welcoming the participants of the closing ceremony of the First European Games.

A choir sang the national anthem of Azerbaijan. Then, instrumentalists came out on stage and performed rousing tunes with the help of Azerbaijani national instruments in the style of rock. Then a nagara ensemble performed: dancers accompanied themselves with national rhythms of drums - nagara.

The dance is gaining expression – the rhythm keeps on rising, the elements of the national dance acquire acrobatic elements. Then new dancers in bright clothes come out on stage. In the stadium they build a national ornament in the style of drop against the layout of the Maiden Tower, the symbol of Old Baku. Thousands of people perform wonderful dance patterns. Then the Maiden Tower transforms into a symbol of New Baku: three buildings in the form of flames – the Flame Tower. 

People are welcoming volunteers: those boys and girls who helped to organize the First European Games, who expressed their love, soul and knowledge in order for everyone to enjoy the games. Indeed, it was a powerful cultural program in the framework of the Games, as worked museums and exhibitions. The House of  Fans project was celebrated separately. Everyone could participate in this project. The onlookers at the stadium applauded the volunteers. 

The National Youth Choir performs national songs. And flagbearers of all the countries come out to the arena. Hanun Chupkov, the Russian swimmer, carried the Russian flag. Athletes enter the stadium along a special corridor, creating an atmosphere of brotherhood and unity. Six thousand athletes and fifty-flagbearers, as this number corresponds to the number of participating countries. The atmosphere is amazing: 600 athletes represent Russia. A riot of colors, flags, faces – it is a true celebration of sport!

The athletes take their places on the stands. Surging streams of fire are in the sky above the stadium, fireworks are booming. The first lady of Azerbaijan, head of the Committee for the European Games in Baku, Mehriban Aliyeva and President of the European Olympic Committees Patrick Hickey come onto the stage. Mehriban Aliyeva congratulates all those who attended the closing ceremony of the First European Games that took place in the Azerbaijani capital, and thanks everyone for their help in organizing the Games.

The First Lady of Azerbaijan thanked everybody who participated in the Games. It was a real festival of sports. “Thank you so much and congratulations! These Games were made for everybody. Thank you, President of the European Olympic Committee for promotion of the Games from plans to reality. Thank you fans who have come to us to support and cheer their athletes. And thank you volunteers, without you the European Games would be impossible to do,” Mehriba Aliyeva said. “Azerbaijan has opened its heart to Europe. We say good bye, but next year Baku will host new championships. We are closing the First European Games – the festival of sports, friendship; we have opened our hearts, and it is time to thank all of you!”

Patrick Hickey greeted Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva. “These were 17 amazing days of sports. I thank Azerbaijan for warmth and incredible hospitability; and I thank wonderful volunteers. Performance of athletes is an example for growing generations. It was fair play, and the Games will continue their movement. We welcomed Olympic ideals to continue moving forwards at the Games. The Games laid foundation for the future European Games, and I thank everybody for the festival of sports,” Patrick Hickey said, declaring the First European Games closed. 

The flag of the European Games is being lowered, and the last pictures of the feast of sport are being shown on the monitors. The performance of masters of breakdancing begins. Three giant backdrops are center stage. Chinks of light run on them. More than five hundred dancers are on the stage. They show the energy of youth. The graphic is changing dramatically, and aerialists replace hip-hop dancers from Azerbaijan and leading schools of the world. They are descending to the ground and the airplane is replaced by juggling and pantomime. Beautiful fireworks are ending the performance. Shots of performances are appearing one by one on the screen displays.

The magical mugham is heard and a carpet with the symbol of the Ateshgah temple is rising to the stage. Inside the carpet, on top of the temples, live flames are lit. The sandy drawing on the glass shows the path of the divine bird, the Simurg. And then over the temple of the fire-worshippers appears a fire Simurg, and there is a fire show on the stage of the Palace of Sports, accompanied by dancing girls.

The hall is waiting. Fifty children symbolizing the fifty countries that participated in the Games come out on stage. They are carrying red lights in their hands. At the center of the stage a voluminous fire globe, woven from a red dome of lights, is also rising. A DJ rises on the stage and a disco is beginning. The space in the center of the stadium is filled with athletes. They start to dance with the performers. The disco is in full swing, the festival continues, and well-known British musicians John Newman and Gareth Emery, and electro-band Clean Bandit, winners of the Grammy, appear at the stage. John Newman is a singer-songwriter, whose debut single Love Me Again topped the UK charts in July 2013, Emery is a producer of electronic dance music, a DJ, his two albums were bestsellers in the United States.

And here it is – luxurious final fireworks, ending with a festive disco and the closing ceremony of the First European Games in the capital of the Land of Fire.