What is the connection between the Olympics emblem and English alphabet? It would seem none. Meanwhile, the arrangement of the rings corresponds English letter W (that is, World, the whole world, planet) - because the Olympic rings symbolize precisely the worldwide, planetary celebration of sports.
Meaning - hidden and obvious
Olympics! How many associations does this word evoke? Sports, peace, friendship, competitions, medals, a podium... But first of all, a flag with the image of five multi-colored rings pops up before your eyes. They are arranged in a certain sequence: the top row is occupied by blue, black, red, and the bottom row is occupied by yellow and green. The rings are intertwined and form a single whole.
Why five rings? Their number coincides with the number of continents on the planet. The Arctic and Antarctica are not represented; they are still being explored by humans.
- red was given to America (apparently in honor of the red-skinned Indians);
- black went to Africa;
- cool Europe is associated with blue;
- sunny Asia took yellow for itself;
- The "green continent", Australia, is indicated in green.
Whether this is what Pierre de Coubertin, the organizer of the revival of the Olympic Games, had in mind when he came up with their symbol, remains a mystery. Why are these colors preferred? Heraldry experts will note that the choice is by no means accidental. Even if it is one color, it is present on the national flag of any country. Just out of curiosity, you can check it out. The Russian flag is no exception. It represents the 3 colors of the Olympic flag: white, blue, red.
From time to time, new versions of the interpretation of Olympic symbols arise. There is an opinion that the philosopher and psychologist from Switzerland Carl Gustav Jung was involved in the creation of the emblem. His idea is based on the mythology of the Chinese people, which tells about the unity of the five elements. In China, each of the natural elements has its own sport:
- swimming - Water;
- running - Earth;
- jumping - Air;
- shooting - Fire;
- fencing – Metal.
And the number five is the pentathlon, the classical pentathlon. At the dawn of the Games, it was believed that an Olympian should be the best in not just one sport, but in several.
Like everything legendary, this amazing emblem attracts with its mystery, and it is possible that the world will learn many more interesting things about it.
We can say with confidence that the five Olympic rings symbolize:
- equal rights for countries and athletes (all rings are the same size);
- friendship of peoples (they are intertwined with each other);
- world sporting event (the same W with which this story began).
Rings older than the flag
The flag is a shrine to participants in the Olympic movement. A white silk cloth with embroidered multi-colored rings unites athletes from all over the world; it is solemnly carried out at the opening ceremony of the Games.
But the rings appeared before the flag. The Olympic Rings symbol was approved by the IOC in 1913, and the emblem debuted in 1914 in Belgium. World War I thundered - and in 1920, an Olympic banner decorated with rings soared over the Antwerp stadium: the VII Summer Olympic Games started. Since then, the flag has flown over sports facilities from the opening day of the next Olympics until its completion. In 1988, the first flag was replaced with a new one, and the “patriarch” is kept in the Swiss Olympic Museum.
The Olympic Rings symbol is protected by law. The Olympic Charter, adopted in 1894 by the International Sports Congress, prohibits:
- Change ring colors.
- Move rings from one row to another.
- Use the symbol as a product in commercial transactions (only with the permission of the IOC).
- The Paralympics do not use the Olympic Rings symbol.
- In 2014, at the Sochi Olympics, a technical glitch occurred during the opening ceremony: one of the giant snowflakes did not open and turn into a ring. TV viewers did not notice this - they broadcast a picture from the rehearsal. At the closing ceremony, the snowflake again “did not open” - this time in the interpretation of the participants of the mass ballet. After pausing for about five seconds, the living “snowflake” (to the laughter of the audience) quickly turned into a ring. Thus, an unfortunate technical error gave Sochi its own version of the symbol - with one unopened ring.
The white flag with intertwined rings is one of the most important symbols of the Olympics. The emblem itself was invented back in 1913 by Pierre de Coubertin. The symbol was first introduced in 1920 at the games in Antwerp.
If we talk about the flag itself, it consists of a white background and an emblem - 5 rings: blue, yellow, black, green and red. All the rings are intertwined and arranged in two rows: two on the bottom, three on top. The rings are connected together along a chain in the shape of the letter W. Each of the rings intersects with one (in the case of the outer ones) or two others (in the case of the central ones).
It is believed that five olympic rings signify the unity of the five parts of the world and the global nature of the event. They should symbolize the revival of the sporting spirit, as well as the acceptance different countries healthy competition.
According to the International Olympic Committee, the main meaning of this emblem is that this movement is an international campaign. In addition, all countries of the world are invited to join it. It also symbolizes the gathering of athletes from different parts of the planet.
There are different versions of interpreting the meaning of the Olympic rings by color. Previously it was assumed that each color corresponds to a certain part of the world. So blue was intended for Europe, yellow for Asia, black for Africa, green for Australia, and red for America. At the same time, the two American continents are presented as one whole.
Information about this definition of colors was posted in the official directory. But in 1951 it was removed due to the fact that there was no clear evidence that the creator of the symbol intended such a distribution of shades.
To this day, this version remains quite popular and can mislead many. It is generally accepted that the meaning of each color of the Olympic rings does not relate to any specific continent. And in fact, there are six main colors on the flag, since it is worth taking into account White background. All these colors are combined in such a way that they can represent the national colors of any country around the world. For example, there is red, blue and white - as in Russian flag; white and red - as in Japanese; blue and yellow - as in Kazakhstan. To test this theory, simply imagine the flag of some country you know and see that its primary colors, or some of them, will be present in the Olympic emblem.
Now you know the meaning of the colors of the Olympic rings and what they symbolize, you can tell this interesting information to your friends while watching the next Olympic Games.
One of the largest world events that unites the population of the entire globe in its movement is the Olympic Games.
History of games
The idea of games, which were competitions in dexterity and skill, was borrowed from the ancient Hellenes, for whom such pagan festivals were traditional. In ancient Greece, during the first 13 games, the only type of competition was running. During next years the games developed and became more complex - a distance of 384 meters and a “dolichodrome” (endurance run) were added. Starting from the 18th Olympiad, except various types racing, the competitions included pentathlon, fist fighting and chariot racing. By the end of the 4th century AD, when the Greeks adopted the Christian faith, Rome considered it unacceptable to hold games glorifying the pagan gods of Hellas. Emperor Theodosius I declared the Olympic Games illegal in 394 AD. banned them.
Beginning of the modern Olympic movement
The Olympics to which we are accustomed (with the participation of all world states) was restored by the French athlete Baron Pierre de Coubertin at the end of the 19th century. Coubertin's persistence led to the creation of the Olympic Committee in 1894, and in 1896 the first revived Olympic Games were held in Greece (the birthplace of Olympic competitions). In the modern movement, the Olympic Games are divided by type of competition into summer and winter. They alternate with each other and are held every two years. All Olympics are held under the slogan “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (translated from Latin as “Faster, Higher, Stronger”), and the main principle of the games is “The main thing is not victory, but participation.”
Olympic symbols
The main symbols of the Olympic Games are the Olympic flame and the Olympic rings. The Olympic torch - the eternal flame, kept in Athens and illuminating the world for 16 pre-start days, passes from continent to continent until it is delivered to the site of the next competition. The Olympic rings symbolize the unity of all continents, all peoples in peaceful sporting competitions. The emblem was invented and introduced by Coubertin in August 1912. The five rings represent parts of the world: the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania. Antarctica and the Arctic are not included in the symbolism.
Unshakable tradition
In 1914, at the World Congress, the Olympic rings were recognized as the official emblem of the games. Coubertin, in an interview with the Revue Olympique newspaper, said: “The five intertwining multi-colored rings represent the five parts of color, reviving the spirit of Olympism.” Already in 1920, at the VII Summer Olympics in Belgium (Antwerp), a flag with the symbols of the competition was raised for the first time: the Olympic rings flaunted on a white cloth. Their colors symbolize the continents of the participants in the games: Blue colour- this is Europe, yellow is Asia, green stands for Australia, red unites both Americas and, finally, black is the color of Africa.
There are strict rules for the use of Olympic symbols, which cannot be deviated from under any circumstances. Saved color palette. However, by agreement with the IOC, Olympic rings of the same color may be used. No Olympics can be held without using the image of the rings. This is a categorical requirement.
The Olympic Charter, a document highlighting the basic principles and objectives of the International Olympic Committee, recognizes the significance of this emblem and states that the Olympic rings identify the union of the continents of the Earth, and their meaning is to strengthen the idea of the Olympic movement as a campaign uniting athletes from countries around the world.
When Pierre de Coubertin began to revive the Olympic movement, he understood the importance of symbolism in promoting the idea into the world. The word Olympus itself has a deep and multifaceted meaning. This is beauty, and strength, and universality, and divinity of an activity that develops and human body, and his spirit. He wove five different colored rings and unrolled them, thereby symbolizing all 5 inhabited continents, which is why the Olympic rings are different colors.
The mystery of Pierre de Coubertin
The symbolism of multi-colored rings is seemingly simple to read. The blue ring is Europe, the yellow ring is Asia, the black ring is Africa, the green ring is Australia, the red ring is America. This is what was written in the charter of the Olympic Movement until 1951. But the founder of the Olympic movement himself did not say a word about what the colors of the Olympic rings mean. Although this seems strange, it cannot be an accident. This means that these colors contain an even deeper meaning than what lies on the surface. That’s why they removed the entry about the colors of the rings in the charter, leaving everything else unchanged.
The five multi-colored rings are the most famous symbol of the Olympic Games. It is constantly before the eyes of billions of people. And to give it an unambiguous interpretation means to belittle it by turning it into a motto. And, probably, Pierre de Coubertin understood this. The symbols are not readable or explained. They have a multifaceted meaning, which each person absorbs in addition to consciousness, and interprets as best he can.
The ring itself is a capacious symbol - infinity, closed on itself. This means that each continent is closed in on itself, but is somehow intertwined with other continents. And the Olympic Games are also a symbol, a symbol of some future common cause of all humanity. This is why the Olympic rings are different colors and intertwined with each other.
Another symbol of the Olympic Games
The torch, which is lit from the rays of the Sun and then carried by a relay to the venue of the games, is also a multifaceted symbol. He is carried, and he establishes peace on the planet, reminding people of different races of some, not yet visible, future task of all humanity. After in modern history This fire of peace broke out, and two world wars and many civil wars have burned out until our time. He did not establish peace. But this idea lives on. It remains to clarify the task that the Olympic torch tells people about, and peace will be established on the planet, because wars between and within races will instantly lose their meaning. After all, the task is for all of humanity, it needs to be solved, and not destroy each other. We are intertwined by a common home - planet Earth. And it is already becoming so small, because humanity is growing out of it... The different colors of the rings of the Olympic flag and the torch call us to something unprecedentedly beautiful, for which it is worth living and being human.
Symbols don't die
Pierre de Coubertin retrieved the idea of the Olympic Games from the depths of so-called pagan culture and revived it. And it has become so organically woven into our lives that this too cannot be an accident. This means that the time has come for this idea.
It is interesting that Coubertin called himself an ancient Frank who fell in love with the beautiful paganism of ancient culture. He said that he ceased to be a barbarian when he saw the gods on Olympus, because inexpressible beauty pierced all his feelings. The mind remained the same, but the essence of the soul changed.
The Russian artist and esotericist Nicholas Roerich advised Coubertin to take the ring for his idea. It is a fact. Maybe he helped choose the colors? After all, the meaning of the Olympic rings by color has a very specific meaning. Blue ring - divine thought; black – physicality; red – passion; yellow – sensuality; green – patient poise. The interweaving of these rings symbolizes a certain ideal human personality. True, in esotericism there are two more colored rings, i.e. an ideal person must have seven qualities. But the esoteric roots of Olympic symbolism are visible.
White flag background
But why are the Olympic rings of different colors on a white cloth? White color- This is a symbol of all things and purity. And any color on white is dominant, which is why in symbolism and heraldry there is a silver-gray color instead of white. Using a white background in symbolism and heraldry is very risky, because it seems to recede and protrude the symbol placed on it. 
Thus, diversity is lost, and the symbol turns into a primitive motto. This did not happen with the flag of the Olympic movement, which is further proof that an artist who subtly feels and understands colors took part in its creation.
Conclusion
The question of why the Olympic rings are different colors will never find a solution. That's why it's a symbol, so as not to have an unambiguous answer. And each interpreter will be right in his own way, and wrong in another. The symbol is perceived by the soul, and not understood by the mind.
Olympic flag
Olympic flag Main article: Olympic symbols
Olympic flag- a white silk cloth with five intertwined rings of blue, black, red (top row), yellow and green (bottom row) embroidered on it.
Basic information
The flag was designed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1913 and presented at the VII Summer Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920. The rings symbolize the five parts of the world. However, contrary to popular belief, each of the rings does not belong to any specific continent. The six colors (together with the white background of the canvas) are combined in such a way that they represent the national colors of all countries of the world without exception.
Original text(English) The Olympic flag … has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red. This design is symbolic: it represents the five inhabited continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colors are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time. (1931, Textes choisis, vol. II, p.470, 1931)Variations
Every time before the Games, the IOC discusses, together with the council of the country in which the Olympic Games will be held, what every detail of the symbolism, including the rings, will look like. The color scheme remains the same, but all rings can be the same color. Sometimes the arrangement of rings partially changes, but not their number. It happens that they use the classic, strict initial version.
- In 1936, at the XI Summer Olympic Games, the Olympic rings were depicted on the emblem, under the eagle. The most interesting thing is that the arrangement was shifted: the rings were fastened, but not so that the lower ring was in the center of the fastening of the upper two, but so that the rings were located almost in a row, where the first, third and fifth were slightly raised.
- In 1948, the emblem of the XIV Summer Olympic Games featured rings in the foreground. The emblem was black white and the Olympic rings too.
- The emblem of the 1952 Summer Olympics featured them in all white with a blue background on top.
- On the emblem of the XVI Summer Olympic Games, Swedish artists depicted the Olympic rings in the foreground on a green background, but all the rings are white.
- In 1960, three-dimensional, silver-colored, monochromatic rings appeared in the emblem.
- In 1964, in Tokyo, Japanese designers painted the rings gold.
- The 1968 Summer Olympics had an emblem with the Olympic rings in color, and with some design. All rings are fastened according to the standard and were located on the year numbers “68” (1968), so the lower (yellow and green) rings fell into the lower round parts of the “68” symbols.
- On the 1976 Olympic emblem, all the rings are red and semicircles stretch upward from the top three, so that the result is 3 vertical ovals, with circles at the bottom. This symbol was also depicted on the medals of the Games.
- On the emblem of the games of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow, the rings were dark red and the last 2 were partially covered by the Olympic Bear.
- At the next Games, in 1984, the emblem featured the rings at the bottom in their standard color scheme.
- In 1988, the emblem also featured colored rings at the bottom, with the rings being cast onto the medals.
- In 1992, the mascot, emblem and medals featured the Olympic rings.
- On both sides of the 1996 Summer Olympics medals and the emblem, rings were painted in gold.
- In Sydney in 2000, the rings were depicted at the very bottom of the emblem, and they were engraved large on the reverse side of the medals.
- The emblem of the 2004 Summer Olympics featured rings in the same color scheme. They were also depicted on both sides of the medals.
- The Olympic rings were placed under the main part of the emblem of the 2008 Summer Olympics, but with the development of the computer industry, there were a huge number of variations of the emblem. In 2008, for the Beijing Games, three-dimensional rings were drawn using computer graphics, inside which were photographs of Chinese culture and attractions. The emblem of the Beijing bid also depicts the Olympic rings, but in a very strange shape, a chain of semicircles connected by a circle. There were also rings on both sides of each medal.
- On the emblem of the XXX Olympic Games in Great Britain, the Olympic rings were installed in the upper right part of the logo, inside the “O” (or “N”) symbol.
- The symbols of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi use the snowflake motif.
- Several countries nominated emblems for the 2016 Summer Olympics, among which the city of Baku replaced the rings with people, that is, a person of a certain color symbolized their continent. But the colors do not correspond to the standard; the drawn men are depicted in the following colors: (from left to right) white, yellow, black, brown and red.
Usage
In 2008, in Beijing, images of rings could be seen almost everywhere. Stickers with the Olympic color rings were even placed on toilet tanks. During the Games, some Chinese boys had a symbol of 5 rings shaved.[ source not specified 2900 days] But the Chinese Liu Ming looked more critical, who, in addition to 200 tattoos, had room on his forehead for a new one - the Olympic rings, drawn long before the opening of the Games.[ source not specified 2900 days] On the closing day, fireworks in the form of this symbol were specially planned.[ source not specified 2900 days]
Rings are often depicted on stamps, medals and coins. The most unusual places to place the Olympic rings were a metal lamppost in Podolsk and a cast-iron sewer manhole in Beijing.[ source not specified 2900 days]
What do the colors of the Olympic rings mean?
Kissulya
Continents symbolize:
blue - Europe
black - Africa
red - America
yellow - Asia
green - Australia
Well, on the flag of any state there is at least one of these colors, i.e. a kind of unification of athletes from all countries.
The symbol of the Olympic movement consists of 5 intertwined rings on a white background: blue, yellow, black, green and red. According to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the rings symbolize the five continents whose countries participate in the Olympic movement.
The emblem was invented by de Coubertin in 1913 and presented at the VII Summer Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920.
What do the Olympic rings mean?
and what about their color?
Irina Kovalenko
Continents.
COLORS OF THE OLYMPIC RINGS
Blue Europe
Black Africa
Red America
Yellow Asia
Green Australia
Ksenia***
The five rings symbolize the five continents - and their mutual interweaving means the friendship of all peoples. The Olympic rings have a specific color - and a sequence - in which they follow each other. At the top is a blue ring - then a black one - and a red ring. Below is a yellow - and green ring - .
Natalia Suprunenko
The symbol of the Olympic Games is five interconnected rings, symbolizing the unification of five continents in the Olympic movement, i.e. Olympic rings. The color of the rings in the top row is blue for Europe, black for Africa, red for America, in the bottom row - yellow for Asia, green for Australia.
Andrey Ponomarev
Continents.
The official logo (emblem) of the Olympic Games consists of five interlocking circles or rings. This symbol was designed by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, in 1913, inspired by similar symbols on ancient Greek objects. There is no evidence that Coubertin connected the number of rings with the number of continents, but it is believed that five rings are a symbol of the five continents (Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and America). Every country's flag has at least one color from those featured on the Olympic rings.
COLORS OF THE OLYMPIC RINGS
Blue Europe
Black Africa
Red America
Yellow Asia
Green Australia
Yulia Leontyeva
They mean the union and unity of the five continents of the planet
Continents.
The official logo (emblem) of the Olympic Games consists of five interlocking circles or rings. This symbol was designed by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, in 1913, inspired by similar symbols on ancient Greek objects. There is no evidence that Coubertin connected the number of rings with the number of continents, but it is believed that five rings are a symbol of the five continents (Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and America). Every country's flag has at least one color from those featured on the Olympic rings.
COLORS OF THE OLYMPIC RINGS
Blue Europe
Black Africa
Red America
Yellow Asia
Green Australia
Misha Petrov
five continents blue - Europe yellow - Asia green - Australia red - America
or the Black Ring is the sin that separated man from God. That’s why even at the Olympics there are scandals. The red ring is the blood shed by Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. Blue ring- The Holy Spirit, who will dwell in us after baptism, will help us achieve amazing results. The green ring represents our spiritual growth in the knowledge of the Lord. Well, yellow looks like an Olympic gold medal. Every Christian also has one reward that he strives to receive - Heavenly golden Jerusalem. The city where Jesus awaits us
The Olympic Games are the greatest sporting competitions in the entire world. Winning an award gives the right to be called the best athlete on the entire planet. This international sports competition has its own attributes: rings, fire, anthem.
The Olympic Games are watched by millions of people around the world. However, few people know what the competition symbols mean.
In 1912, the “father” of new games, Pierre de Coubertin, the Olympic rings were invented. However, the symbol was introduced only in 1920 in Belgium. According to the plan, they were going to demonstrate the new flag in 1916, but the First World War interfered with the holding of an international competition.
Everyone unanimously accepted the five rings as the new Olympic symbol. In subsequent years, they began to be used in the process of creating emblems associated with international competitions.
Each of the five rings symbolized everything continents planets. For this purpose the following colors were chosen:
- The color red represents the two American continents. Thus, the North is characterized by the crimson slopes of the canyons, and the South by hot-tempered Latin Americans;
- Black symbolizes Africa. It can be assumed that this is due to the skin color of the people living in this territory;
- Blue is Europe. The author of the rings associated this color with calmness, wisdom, and harmony. It is worth noting that he loved this color and all its shades;
- Yellow symbolizes Asia. Since for Eastern people this color is associated with strength, wealth and power;
- Green color- Australia. The "father" founder of the games associated the mainland only with this color, even though he had never been there.
Five rings became a symbol unification of the whole world for the sake of international competition, equality of every continent, sportsmanship and fair competition.
Other theories explaining the color scheme of the rings
As apartheid policies began to unravel, the International Olympic Committee decided to urgently change the meaning of black, which colors one of the five rings. Therefore, we remembered second version color scheme invented by psychologist Carl Jung.
Thus, there is information that he had knowledge of Chinese philosophy, in which the ring symbolizes closed energy, vitality. Where each of the five rings means one of the elements of the planet:
- red - fiery power;
- black metal;
- blue - water power;
- yellow - the power of the earth;
- green - the power of the forest.
Jung did not stop there and associated all the rings with five main types sports that every athlete should master. He associated each sport with this color:
- swimming and diving mean blue;
- weightlifting and shot put - black;
- fencing and boxing - red;
- athletics (running any distance) - yellow;
- high jump and long jump - green.
This meaning of the colors of the Olympic rings gives an idea of a real Olympian, for whom nothing is impossible. In this interpretation Special attention was not given to the international competition, but every athlete regardless of nationality.
According to the latest theory, there is at least one Olympic color in the range of national flags.
The International Olympic Committee monitors the use of symbols. You cannot move or change the colors of the Olympic rings.
Main symbols of the Olympic Games
It should be noted that in addition to the flag and rings, the Olympics are famous for other attributes:
Now we can say with confidence that the Olympic Games unite all people. And every worthy athlete, regardless of nationality, age, skin color, can participate and win a competition of this scale.
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