The rings of the olympic games which means the colors of the rings. What does the symbol of the Olympic Games - the Olympic rings mean?

The Olympics is already more than just a tournament, it is more than a sports competition, more than a cultural event. The Olympics is a lifetime. Although no, rather, the Olympics is an ideology. Yes, exactly, ideology.

And like any ideology, the Olympics has its own ideologists, such as Pierre de Coubertin, their “bibles”, such as the Olympic Charter, their oaths, hymns, heroes ... The Olympics also have their own symbols, the main of which are the flag and the coat of arms of the Olympics depicted on it - five rings of different colors intertwined with each other.

Symbols

Let's start with the main thing - five rings, a symbol that appears at all the Olympic Games without exception, since 1920.

On the classic Olympic flag, the rings are depicted on a white background, symbolizing world peace. This symbol came to us from ancient Greece, when all wars stopped during the Olympics and peace reigned over civilization. So in our time, the president of the International Olympic Committee, a few months before the games, goes to the headquarters of the United Nations, where he calls on all countries to stop hostilities for the duration of the Olympics. Not everyone, of course, listens to him, but this does not interfere with the symbol. So the white cloth invariably symbolizes peace.

On white, five intertwined rings of different colors are depicted. Each of them symbolizes one of the five parts of the world, whose representatives take part in the Olympics. The blue ring is Europe. Red - America. Yellow - Asia. Black - Africa. Green, of course, Australia. Blue, black and red are in the top row, yellow and green in the bottom row. Intertwined with each other, the rings symbolize the unity of all parts of the world, all continents, all races, peoples and countries in the face of sports.

Story

For the first time, the idea of using five multi-colored rings on a white background was voiced in 1913 by the first president and father of the founder of the modern Olympic Games, the French Baron Pierre de Coubertin. In the same year, the first copy of the Olympic flag was sewn in the Paris atelier Bon Marche.

The flag was first displayed to the public in 1914 in the hall of the Sorbonne during the celebrations on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the modern Olympic movement. This copy is the official model and standard for all its subsequent modifications.

Poster for the 1936 Olympic Games. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

The flag was first planned to be used at the 1916 Olympics. However, those Games were canceled due to the outbreak of the First World War in Europe. Therefore, for the first time, the audience saw a white flag with five interlaced rings in Antwerp, Belgium.

Since then, the flag has become an integral attribute of every Olympics, and the five Olympic rings, the coat of arms of the Olympics, have been used to create logos in different combinations and colors.

Logos

This symbol underwent maximum changes during the 1936 Olympics, held in the capital of Nazi Germany, Berlin. Instead of the already familiar rings arranged in two rows, the world saw a traditional German eagle holding rings in its paws. The rings, of course, were intertwined, but represented, rather, not two rows, but one. Remotely, traditions were respected, due to the fact that the first, third and fifth rings from this series were slightly raised compared to the rest. Both the eagle and the rings were made in black and white.

Emblem of the 1936 Olympics. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Since then, monochrome rings have often been used in the logos of the Olympic Games of different years, but never again their order and arrangement was violated.

The next innovation dates back to 1960, when the Games were held in Rome. The Italian Olympics, recalling the history of the first medals that were hung around the neck of athletes, were generally distinguished by innovations. Five rings were made in gray tones. The way they were depicted was new: for the first time the world saw the Olympic rings, as it is now fashionable to say, in 3D. The artists made them voluminous and placed them under the traditional Roman she-wolf, which, according to the legend, brought up the two brothers who founded the capital of Italy.

Perhaps the Mexicans, who got the right to host the 1968 Olympics, were more creative than the rest. The rings were "embedded" in the inscription Mexico68 and were an integral part of the numbers 68, standing out in them due to the color. The lower rings of the emblem formed the lower circles in the numbers 6 and 8.

Sochi

In Sochi, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympics, five rings symbolizing the five parts of the world are used everywhere: on medals, on the uniforms of athletes and volunteers, in the Olympic flag, on all official buildings ... The Russians even decided to immortalize the five Olympic rings in architecture by placing five giant rings of different colors on one of the busiest interchanges in the region. One of the rings is located next to the road, the other serves as an arch, passing the roadway inside itself and hanging over the passing cars.

Sochi Olympic rings. Photo: RIA Novosti / Mikhail Mokrushin

However, in Sochi these rings are not intertwined. They are scattered around the interchange in random order. All of them are located so that it seems that a small part of them is dug into the ground, thanks to which they hold on, not falling on cars and people passing by.

Is the sanctuary of the ancient Greeks - Olympia. It is located in the west of the Peloponnese peninsula. This place on the banks of the Alpheus River, right at the foot of Kronos, is still the place where the eternal flame burns, from which the fire of the Olympic Games is lit from time to time and the torch relay starts.

The tradition of holding such sports competitions was revived at the end of the nineteenth century by the French Baron de Coubertin. He was a famous public figure of that era. Since then, the Olympic Games have been held every 4 years. And since 1924, they began to organize winter competitions.

Olympic symbols

Along with the revival of the Olympic tradition, the symbols corresponding to it appeared: a flag, a slogan, an anthem, medals, talismans, an emblem, etc. All of them were created in order to promote this sporting idea throughout the world. By the way, the official emblem of the Olympic Games is five colored rings intertwined in such a way that two rows are formed from them. The upper one consists of three rings, and the lower one, of course, of two.

At the mention of the Olympics, everyone first of all remembers the emblem - woven rings of blue, black, scarlet, yellow and depicted on a white background. However, not everyone knows the exact Olympic rings. There are several versions. Each of them is not devoid of logic and can claim to be considered correct. Below we present to your attention some of them.

According to this version, the colors of the Olympic rings symbolize the continents. That is, this suggests that peoples from all over the world, or rather, from everyone except Antarctica, can become participants in these games. Let's imagine what shades correspond to each of the continents? It turns out? And now let's check if you were able to orient yourself correctly. So what color are the Olympic rings? Europe is America is red, Africa is black, Australia is green and Asia is yellow.
Another version is associated with the name of the famous psychologist K. Jung. He is credited not only with the idea explaining the choice of a particular color, but also with the creation of the symbolism itself. According to this version, Jung, being a connoisseur, offered rings as an emblem - symbols of greatness and energy. The choice of the number of rings was associated with five different energies (wood, water, metal, fire and earth) that are spoken of in Chinese philosophy. In addition, Jung in 1912 proposed the idea of pentathlon, that is, it was believed that each of the participants in the competition should master the following sports: swimming, jumping, fencing, running and shooting. The colors of the Olympic rings, according to this theory, correspond to each of these sports, as well as one of the above five energies. As a result, the following chains were obtained: swimming-water-blue, jumping-tree-green, running-earth-yellow, fencing-fire-red, shooting-metal-black.
The third version is like an addition to the first. It is believed that the colors of the Olympic rings are all those shades that the flags of all countries of the world contain. Again, this means that athletes from all countries of the world without exception can be participants.

Agree that all versions are interesting, but it does not matter which one is correct. The main thing is that these games unite all the peoples of the world. And let their representatives fight only in sports stadiums, and there will always be peace on our planet.

The symbolism of the Olympic Games is known to each of us. For example, everyone knows what the Olympic emblem looks like, the flag or how the anthem sounds. However, far from everyone knows what exactly the rings symbolize, and therefore more on that later.

History of the Olympic emblem

Sports competitions were held between people thousands of years ago. One of the first and most famous are the Olympic Games, which took place in Ancient Greece and Rome. After the disappearance of the represented empires, the competition was suspended. They were renewed already at the end of the 19th century (or rather, in 1896) by Pierre de Coubertin.

The same person designed the Olympic rings in 1913, which are otherwise called the emblem. They are placed in the center of the flag of the Olympic Movement and represent 5 interlaced rings.

What do the rings look like?

They are arranged in 2 consecutive rows. Wherein:

3 of them - blue, yellow and black are located at the top;
2 - green and red - are located in the bottom row.

The rings are connected into a single chain, which is the letter W. At the same time, the outermost of the hoops (blue and red) intersect only with 1 of the other rings. The rings, placed in the center - each with 2 other symbols of the emblem.

All about symbolism

The rings represent the union, the unity of the 5 parts of the world, as well as the worldwide focus of the Olympic Games. At the same time, contrary to one of the most common versions, each of the symbols does not belong to any particular continent or part of the world. More on this below.

So, each of the 6 colors (together with a white background on the cloth) are combined in such a way as to represent the national shades of all the states of the world.

In accordance with the International Olympic Committee - IOC - the fundamental idea of the emblem should be considered the rooting of the idea that the Olympic Movement is an international campaign that unites everyone "under its wing". Each of the states of the world can participate in this international competition. Including the Olympic Charter itself (a set of legal norms) indicates that:

The Olympic rings are relevant because they symbolize the unity of 5 continents;
an additional interpretation of the emblem is a symbol of the gathering of athletes from all countries to participate in the Olympic Games.

A strict code has been developed regarding the use of the represented symbol. It must be followed by all international organizations, athletes and government officials under all circumstances. One of the clearest examples should be considered that even if the Olympic hoops are depicted on a black or dark background, the ring of the presented shade cannot be replaced by an object of a different color. In the modern history of the existence of the Olympic Games, there has not yet been a single case of violation of this rule. In extreme cases, the shade of the emblem is not significantly changed.

In the words of de Coubertin himself: “5 rings of different shades are intertwined with each other - blue, yellow, black, green, red. They are placed on a solid white field, reminiscent of the background of a sheet of paper. These 5 symbols represent each of the parts of the world. It is they who are currently cultivating the desire for Olympism and are ready to accept healthy competition and wage a fair fight, conquering new heights.”

Interpretation of Carl Jung

Carl Jung, the most famous scientist of the 20th century, who lived at the same time as de Coubertin, proposed to perceive 5 rings as specific energies - earth, water, fire, wood and metal. It is they who unite in the symbol known today. In addition, in 1912, Jung proposed his own perception of the competition, which is also often called the pentathlon. According to him, an athlete who is an Olympian should have been distinguished by versatility. In this regard, he must own any of the 5 fundamental sports. We are talking about swimming, fencing, jumping, running and shooting.

Within this:

swimming corresponds to a blue tint;
fencing - red;
jumping - green;
run - yellow;
shooting - black.

The presented interpretation of the emblem, however, focuses rather than on the international scale of the Olympic competitions. She focused her attention on the abilities and results of a certain person who deserves to be called the winner of the Olympic Games.

Religious interpretations of the emblem

Deciphering the symbolism of the rings from a Christian point of view is widely popular. It sounds like this:

black color symbolizes the sin that separates man from God. In this regard, even at the Olympics there are scandals and intrigues;
red is the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross so that all sins could be forgiven people;
blue is the Holy Spirit who dwells in everyone after baptism. It will provide an opportunity to achieve high results not only in sports, but in life in general;
green symbolizes spiritual growth in the process of knowing the Lord;
yellow is similar to a gold-plated Olympic medal and is a symbol of the victory of peace and pacifism.

The most common inaccuracies in understanding the emblem

Until 1951, official sources claimed that the shades of the rings corresponded to different parts of the world. So, Europe - blue, Asia - yellow, Africa - black, Australia - green, and America - red. However, already at the end of the 50s, this certificate was deleted, since there was no evidence that de Coubertin assumed such a distribution of shades.

In addition, another common misconception is that, as many believe, in the first years before the start of the competition, the rings were interchanged with each other. Their location has remained unchanged since the creation of the emblem.

Thus, the presented symbolism of intertwined rings is a symbol of peace and the unity of people in the name of a certain idea. It implies fair competition, partnership and striving forward to achieve new results.

With the advent of the Olympic symbols, some associate the psychologist Carl Jung, who is also considered in some circles to be its creator. Jung was well versed in Chinese philosophy, he knew that the ring in ancient cultures is a symbol of greatness and vitality. So he introduced the idea of five intertwined rings - a reflection of the five energies that are mentioned in Chinese philosophy: water, wood, fire, earth and metal.

Together with the symbols in 1912, the scientist introduced his image of the Olympic competitions - the modern pentathlon. Any Olympian had to master each of his five events.

The first discipline - swimming - in the form of a blue ring also depicts the element of water and indicates the rhythm that holds the breath, allows you to move forward on the surface of the water, to leadership.

The green ring - jumping - is an image of a tree and a symbol of the rider's energy. He must have the ability to control not only his own energy, but also the energy of the horse.

The next discipline is fencing, and it is represented by the fire element in the form of a red ring. This discipline symbolizes flair. The success of a swordsman depends on the ability to feel the enemy and guess his movements.

The yellow ring represents the earth element and represents the discipline of cross-country running. It indicates perseverance and perseverance. The cross-country runner jumps over the elements, knowing when to slow down and when to speed up.

The discipline of shooting and the unique properties of the metal are depicted by a black ring. This requires precision and clarity. The success of the shot depends not only on physical tension, but also on the ability of cold thinking, with which the shooter concentrates on the target and hits the target.

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what do the five rings symbolize

Olympic symbolism is what distinguishes games of this magnitude from other world competitions. It originated along with the whole movement and represents a whole complex of various attributes. Some of them are basic and unchanged, others change depending on where this or that Olympics takes place.

The Olympic is represented by several attributes at once - an emblem, a flag, a motto, a principle, an oath, fire, medals, an opening ceremony and a talisman. Each of them carries its own functional load and meets all the requirements of world-class sports competitions.

The emblem of the Games has been approved since 1913 and is unchanged. She is familiar to everyone - five colored rings, among themselves. It has been operating since then, it was developed taking into account the ancient Greek Olympiad. The five circles mean the five continents that participate in sports competitions. In addition, in any country there must be at least one color that is represented on the Olympic rings. Therefore, the Olympic movement performs the function of a unifying factor.

The flag is just as important. It represents the image of the Olympic rings on a white cloth. His role is quite simple - the white color of the world. And in combination with the emblem, it turns into a symbol of peace during the Games. It was first used as an attribute of the competition in 1920 in Belgium. According to the rules of the Olympics, the flag must participate in both the opening and closing ceremonies. After the end of the Games, it must be handed over to the representative of the city where the next competitions will be held in 4 years.

The motto of the Olympic Games is the Latin slogan: "Citius, Altius, Fortius!". Translated into Russian, this means "Faster, Higher, Stronger!". The role of the motto in the Olympics is to constantly remind everyone present why everyone is here.

The principle "The main thing is not winning, but participating" is an Olympic statement that appeared in 1896. The symbolism of the principle is that the athletes should not feel defeated if they lose. Its goal is to ensure that the competitions do not fall into depression, but, on the contrary, find strength in themselves and prepare even better for the next Games.

The traditional oath used is 1920. These are words about the need to respect your rivals, to observe sports ethics. The oath is given not only by athletes, but also by judges and members of the evaluation commissions.

Of course, one cannot ignore such a symbol of the Olympics as. The ritual comes from ancient Greece. The fire is lit directly in Olympia, then it is transferred to a special torch, which, traveling through the whole world, arrives in the capital of the Olympic Games. We need fire as a symbol to emphasize that sports competitions are an attempt to improve ourselves, it is an honest struggle for victory, and it is also peace and friendship.

Medals are not only an award, but also a certain symbol of the Games. They serve as a tribute to strong athletes and at the same time emphasize that all people are brothers, because. representatives of various nationalities meet on the podium.

The opening ceremony is a mandatory attribute of the Olympic Games. Firstly, it sets the mood for all two weeks ahead. Secondly, it is a demonstration of the power of the host country. Thirdly, it is the opening ceremony that is the unifying force. This is due to the fact that a parade of athletes is obligatory for her, in which future rivals walk side by side, shoulder to shoulder.

The talisman can be called a changeable symbol of the Olympics. After all, a new attribute is being developed for each competition. It must be approved by the IOC commission, chosen from several proposed options. The one they end up with is patented and becomes the symbol of the Olympic Movement in a given year. The talisman must meet several requirements - reflect the spirit of the host country of the Olympics, bring good luck to athletes and create a festive atmosphere. As a rule, the mascot is presented in the form of an animal that is popular for the country where the competition is held. In some cases, it can be made in the form of a fantastic creature.

Symbol of the olympic games

The Olympic rings rightfully took one of the most worthy places among the Olympic symbols. Five multi-colored rings, most often on a white background, are intertwined and form a single whole, symbolizing a world-class sporting event. Five rings emblem

Hides the deepest meaning, which lies in the very concept of sport as such. It contains the idea of universal popularization of the Olympic movement, equality of rights for each participating country, fair treatment of the athlete, and healthy competition. For the first time, the symbol of the Olympic rings debuted at the 1914 Olympic Games, held in Belgium.

But, who was the inventor of this symbol? What does it really mean? There are two main opinions about this.

According to one version, recognized even by the Olympic Charter, origin of the Olympic rings symbol It is customary to associate with the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. It was on his initiative and development that 5 multi-colored rings were depicted on the Olympic flag. It happened in 1912. Intertwined with each other, they formed two rows. The top row consists of blue, black and red rings, the bottom row of yellow and green. number five symbolizes five parts of the world, each of which corresponds to a specific color. Blue is Europe, black is Africa, red is America, yellow is Asia, and the green continent is Australia. The two American continents were considered as one continent, Antarctica and the Arctic were not taken into account. The interweaving of five rings into one whole means the unification of five continents in the name of world-class competitions, a common sports spirit, equality of countries and readiness for tough but fair competition.

Second version appearance of the Olympic rings, is not so well known, but at the same time cannot be prematurely withdrawn from the accounts. According to some reports, the symbol of the five Olympic rings was invented by the psychologist Carl Jung. He was well versed in the field of Chinese philosophy, in which the sign of the ring meant some kind of energy, vitality and greatness. According to the beliefs of the Chinese, our world is controlled by the energies of earth, water, fire, wood and metal. Jung personally proposed to designate five rings these energies and unite them in the symbol that we know today. In addition, in 1912, the scientist proposed his understanding of the Olympic competitions. Now we call them pentathlon. In his opinion, an Olympic athlete had to be versatile and master each of the five main sports - swimming, fencing, jumping, running and shooting. At the same time, swimming corresponded to blue, fencing - red, jumping - green, running - yellow, shooting - black. Such an interpretation of the emblem focused not on the global scale of sports competitions, but on the abilities and achievements of a particular person worthy of being called an Olympic champion.

Use of the symbol of the Olympic rings subject to strict regulation. You cannot change colors and move rings from one row to another. The IOC controls compliance with the regulations.