What do the multi-colored rings of the Olympic emblem symbolize. What do the Olympic rings mean? The meaning of each color of the five. What do the rings on the emblem of the Olympics symbolize?

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 for the time of 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 fighting during the Olympics. Not everyone, of course, listens to him, but this does not interfere with the symbol. So the white cloth invariably symbolizes peace.

Five intertwined rings are depicted on white different color. 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 instance is official pattern and the standard for all 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 essential attribute of every Olympics, and the five Olympic rings, the coat of arms of the Olympics, have been used in the creation of logos in different combinations and color schemes.

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. different years, but never again their order and arrangement were 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: the world saw for the first time Olympic rings, as it is fashionable to say now, 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, where the 2014 Winter Olympics will take place, 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.

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. For the first time, the symbol was presented already in 1920 at the games in Antwerp.
If we talk about the flag itself, then 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 the top. The rings are connected together in a chain in the shape of the letter W. Each of the rings intersects with one (in the case of extreme) or two others (in the case of central ones).

It is believed that the five Olympic rings mean the unity of the five parts of the world and the worldwide nature of the event. They should symbolize the revival of the sporting spirit, as well as the acceptance by various countries of 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 corners planets.

There are different versions of the interpretation of the meaning of the Olympic rings by colors. 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.
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 exact evidence that the creator of the symbol meant such a distribution of shades.

Until now, 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 refer to any particular continent. And in fact, there are six primary colors on the flag, since it is worth taking into account White background. All of these colors are combined in such a way that they can represent the national colors of any country in the world. For example, there is red, blue and white here - as in Russian flag; white and red - as in Japanese; blue and yellow - as in Kazakhstani. To test this theory, just imagine the flag of some country you know and make sure 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, as well as what they symbolize, and you can tell this interesting information to your friends while watching the next Olympic Games.

The birthplace of the Olympic Games 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 the sacred Mount 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 green, depicted on a white background. However, not everyone knows the exact meaning of the colors of the 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 all parts of the world, 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 Blue colour, 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 an expert in Chinese philosophy, proposed rings as an emblem - symbols of greatness and energy. The choice of the number of rings was associated with five various energies(wood, water, metal, fire and earth), which 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 types 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.

Why are the Olympic rings different colors? Excursion into the history of symbolism

When Pierre de Coubertin began to revive the Olympic movement, he understood the importance of symbolism in promoting the idea to the world. The very word Olympus has a deep and many-sided meaning. This is beauty, and strength, and universality, and the divinity of an occupation that develops and human body and his spirit. He wove five multi-colored rings and unfolded them, thus symbolizing all 5 inhabited continents, which is why the Olympic rings are of different colors.

The Mystery of Pierre de Coubertin

The symbolism of multi-colored rings is read, it would seem, simply. Blue ring - Europe, yellow - Asia, black - Africa, green - Australia, red - America. So it 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 it looks strange, it cannot be an accident. This means that these colors contain even more deep meaning than the one on the surface. Therefore, they removed the entry about the colors of the rings in the charter, leaving everything else unchanged.

The five multicolored rings are the most famous symbol of the Olympic Games. He is constantly before the eyes of billions of people. And to give it an unambiguous interpretation means to belittle it, turning it into a motto. And, probably, Pierre de Coubertin understood this. Symbols are not readable and not explained. They have a multifaceted meaning, which each person absorbs into himself in addition to consciousness, but interprets it in the way he is capable of.

The ring itself is a capacious symbol - infinity, closed on itself. This means that each continent is closed on itself, but is connected with other continents by some common cause. And the Olympic Games are also a symbol, a symbol of some future common cause of all mankind. This is why the Olympic rings are of different colors and are woven together.

Another symbol of the Olympic Games

The torch, which is lit from the rays of the Sun, and then carried by relay to the venue of the games, is also a multifaceted symbol. It is carried, and it establishes peace on the planet, reminding people of different races of some future task of all mankind, not yet visible. After in recent history this fire of the world broke out, two world wars and many civil wars. 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 races and within races will instantly lose their meaning. After all, the task is something for all mankind, it must be solved, and not destroy each other. We are woven common house- 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 are calling us to something unprecedentedly beautiful, for which it is worth living and being human.

Symbols don't die

Pierre de Coubertin took the idea of the Olympic Games from the depths of the so-called pagan culture and revived it. And it is so organically woven into our lives that this, too, cannot be an accident. So, 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 remains the same, but the essence of the soul has changed.

The Russian artist and esoteric Nicholas Roerich advised Coubertin to take the ring for his idea. It is a fact. Maybe he helped pick the colors? After all, the meaning of the Olympic rings in colors has a very specific meaning. blue ring- divine thought; black - physicality; red - passion; yellow - sensuality; green - patient balance. The interweaving of these rings symbolizes some ideal human personality. True, in esotericism there are two more colored rings, i.e. an ideal person must have seven qualities. But esoteric roots Olympic symbols look through.

White flag background

But why are the Olympic rings of different colors on a white panel? White color- it is a symbol of all things and purity. And any color on white is dominant, so in symbolism and heraldry there is silver gray instead of white. It is very risky to use a white background in symbolism and heraldry, 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 another proof that an artist who subtly feels and understands colors took part in its creation.

Conclusion

The question of why the Olympic rings are of different colors will never be resolved. That's what the symbol is for, so as not to have a definite answer. And each interpreter will be right in his own way, and wrong in another way. The symbol is perceived by the soul, and not understood by the mind.

What do the colors of the Olympic rings mean?

Irenejedi

There are several versions explaining the meaning of the colors of the Olympic rings.

First version the most common. She says that the creator of the Olympic rings, Pierre de Coubertin, with the help of multi-colored rings, characterized each of the five parts of the color.

The blue ring represents Europe, black ring- Africa, red - America, yellow - Asia, and green ring- Australia.

That is, the symbol in the form of five interlaced rings denotes the unification / union of the five world continents.

By second version, the creator of the main Olympic symbol is the famous Swiss psychologist and philosopher Carl Gustav Jung. He decided to express the idea of Chinese mythology about the five elements of nature (water, earth, fire, wood and metal) in the form of rings, a symbol of power and greatness. And in 1912, Jung proposed the idea of pentathlon, the essence of which is that an Olympic athlete must master five sports - show jumping, fencing, shooting, running and swimming. Thus, the black ring symbolizes metal and shooting, the red ring - swordsmanship and fire, the yellow one - earth and running, the green one - tree and jumping.

By third version, which complements the first, the colors of the rings are all shades that contain the state flags of all countries of the world. Those. An athlete from any country in the world can participate in the Olympic Games.

Galvana

This symbol was invented by Pierre de Coubertin in 1913. There is no reliable information about what meaning he put into these colors, but it is generally accepted that the national colors of all countries are reflected in this symbol of the Olympic Games. Every country's flag has at least one of the five ring colors. Five continents - five colors - five rings. Blue - Europe, black - Africa, yellow - Asia, green - Australia, red - America. This symbol indicates that athletes from all over the world can take part in the games. The Olympic Games were aimed at maintaining the principles of equality, strengthening peace and improving relationships, and these principles were laid down in ancient Greece.

Frida

The symbol of any Olympic Games is a sign - five intertwined colored rings.

This symbol was chosen for a reason, it carries the meaning and purpose of any Olympics - the establishment of friendly relations between peoples, countries and continents around the globe.

Each ring has its own meaning and represents a specific continent (continent).

Ring yellow color is a symbol of Asia.

The green ring is the symbol of Australia.

The red ring is the symbol of America.

The blue ring is the symbol of Europe.

The black ring is the symbol of Africa.

Ildash

The Olympic rings as a symbol of the five continents (which were invented by Pierre de Coubertin) of the world have their own colors, which symbolize, according to the same definition of Pierre de Coubertin, the continents and their colors.

Blue color it Europe.

Yellow color expresses Asia.

Black color expresses Africa.

Green color expresses Australia.

Red color South And North America.

This is how the world associates the colors of the continents and, accordingly, the colors of the Olympic rings.

Right here

I don’t even remember where I learned this and when, but the Olympic rings, and as we know and see them, 5 pieces, mean five separate continents of the planet Earth.

Each ring is of a different color and is a symbol of one of the five continents where people live and inhabited countries are located, and all together means universal unification and peace. There are such different colors as:

yellow, blue, black, green, red;

and they match in the same order:

Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, America.

Klimushkin

Yes, everything is simple here - for each inhabited continent (now there are five of them) taking part in the Olympics, a color has been assigned:

America - red;

Europe - blue;

Asia - yellow;

Australia - green;

Africa - black.

When they populate Antarctica, there will probably be a sixth white ring.

Now, I wonder if Martians will take part in the Olympics, then what color will the ring be added to? Mars, after all, is also called the "Red Planet", and the color red is busy.

Ladybug

Five multi-colored rings are familiar to us from the Olympics. The color of each ring is chosen for a reason, the colors represent a specific continent. And all the rings connected to each other - the union, the world.

ring blue color this is Europe

Africa is represented by a black ring,

America is red

yellow - Asia,

and the green ring symbolizes Australia.

Clearly like this

Kareljatopin

It's a shame, of course, that no one represents Antarctica, so there would be 6 rings on the Olympic flag and one of them would be white. And so there are only 5 rings - blue, yellow, black, green and red. The blue ring symbolizes Europe, the yellow ring symbolizes Asia, the black ring symbolizes Africa, and the red ring symbolizes North and South America.

rainbow-spring

The part of the world called Europe is blue, some say it's blue.

Part of the world Asia, as you know, Asians have yellow skin, they got the yellow color of the ring on the flag.

The continent of Australia is green.

America - she was given a red ring.

Africa, where the skin color of the population is dark, is black.

Agafya

The red Olympic ring symbolizes the continent of America, the indigenous people of its red-skinned Indians. Black symbolizes Africa with its blacks. Yellow represents the continent of Asia. Green refers to Australia, the "Green Continent". But why is Europe given the color blue?

In my opinion, everyone should know this, because the symbol of the five Olympic rings carries a deep meaning - equality of opportunity for everyone, for all races and continents, therefore all five continents of the Earth are represented on it. And each has its own color, as written above.

Strymbrym

The five Olympic rings symbolize the five continents where the Olympic Games are held. And according to the colors, such a correspondence is accepted -

blue - Europe;
black - Africa;
red - America;
yellow - Asia;
green - Australia.

Olympic rings have five colors: blue, yellow, black, green and red.

They represent five parts of the world: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and America.

These parts of the world are interconnected in rings.

According to one version, the psychologist Carl Jung, who is also considered in some circles to be its creator, is associated with the appearance of the Olympic symbols. Jung was well versed in Chinese philosophy, he knew that the ring in ancient cultures is a symbol of greatness and vital energy. 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.

shooting discipline and unique properties metal depicts 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.

The meaning of the colors of the Olympic rings

Serega kuptsevich

The meaning of the Olympic rings

The five intertwined rings that appear on the flag of the Olympics are known as the Olympic rings. These rings are colored blue, yellow, black, green and red, and intertwined with each other, in principle, are the symbol of the Olympic Games. The Olympic rings were designed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1912. The five rings represent the five parts of the world: America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The Americas are treated as a single continent, while Antarctica and the Arctic were not taken into account. Despite the lack of a specific color to a specific continent or region, various theories about the meaning of the colors of the Olympic rings tend to associate them with various quotes. For example, at least one of the five colors among the Olympic rings is present on the flag of each of the participating countries. The five Olympic rings were adopted in 1914 and made their Olympic debut in Belgium in 1920.

When this emblem was introduced in August 1912, de Coubertin stated the following in the Revue Olympique:
The emblem was chosen for illustration and represents the World Congress of 1914 ...: five rings of different colors are intertwined - blue, yellow, black, green, red and placed on a white field of a sheet of paper. These five rings represent the five parts of the world that are now reviving the spirit of Olympism and are ready to accept healthy competition.

The purpose of the Olympic rings, according to the International Olympic Committee, is to reinforce the idea that the Olympic Movement is an international campaign and all countries of the world are invited to join it. Even the Olympic Charter recognizes the significance of the Olympic rings stating that they represent the union of the five continents as well as the gathering of athletes from all over the world for the Olympics. There is a strict code regarding the use of this symbol that must be followed under all circumstances. For example, even if the Olympic rings are shown on a black background, the black ring must not be replaced by a ring of a different color.

What is the color arrangement of the Olympic rings?

Ludmila 1986

These are the colors of the Olympic emblem and they are arranged like this - blue (cyan), black, red (first row) and yellow and green (second row).

The colors of the rings represent the continents, each continent has its own color.

This symbolism was invented in 1913 by the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. Now they try not to decipher the colors, as they indicate the color of the race of the natives of the continents (except Australia).

Ildash

I offer a photo of the Olympic rings just below for clarity;

The colors of the rings have their own sequential arrangement, designation and mean the continents.

Blue means Europe.
Yellow means Asia.
Black color means Africa.
Green means Australia
Red means America.

Symbol Olympic Games

The Olympic rings rightfully occupied one of the most worthy places among 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 a certain 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 specific 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.

The Olympic rings are one of the most recognizable symbols of our time. Five rings of different colors, made on a white background, when intertwined, they are combined into one and represent the most famous sport's event in the world. This emblem contains a deep meaning, which reveals the very essence of the very concept of sport, as such. The symbol of the five rings was based on the idea of healthy competition, fair treatment of athletes, equality of each participating state, popularization of the Olympic movement. This emblem " Olympic rings"The audience first saw in 1914 at the Olympic Games, which at that time were held on Belgian soil.

However, you are most likely interested in who came up with the logo " five olympic rings "? And what does she really represent? There are two versions that try to shed light on this mystery.

First version. This version was recognized even in the Olympic Charter. The fact is that in the origin of the symbol, the Olympic rings took direct involvement Pierre de Coubertin French citizen. It was his developments that served as the prototype of the emblem, which was later depicted on the Olympic flag. This happened two years before the Belgian Olympic Games - in 1912.

These rings passing through one another form two rows. The bottom row consists of rings of green and yellow flowers, and the top of red, black and blue.

The five rings represent the five parts of the world, each with a specific color. Green color personifies the flowering and lush vegetation of the continent of Australia, yellow is given to Asia, since people there have yellow skin, and the earth in many areas is covered with sand, the red color went to America, because the natives there have skin with a reddish tint, black was given to Africa, because savages with ebony skin live there, blue means Europe, because people there consider themselves higher others.

You need to understand that the two American continents were united into one continent, and no one began to take into account the Arctic and Antarctica, due to the lack of people there.

The emblem of five rings woven into one whole represents the connection of five continents for the sake of sports competitions on a planetary scale, readiness for fair but serious competition, a common sports spirit

Read more: The meaning of the Pacific symbol

Second version. This version is not so popular, but it is still too early to dismiss it. Some researchers claim that the symbol of the five rings for the Olympic Games was invented by himself " great and terrible"Psychologist Carl Jung. He was well versed in Chinese philosophy, in which the sign of the ring meant greatness, vitality and some mystical energy. The ancient Chinese believed that our universe is controlled by several energies: metal, fire, earth, wood and water. Carl Jung imbued with the spirit of ancient mystical Chinese philosophy, he decided to express these five energies on paper, while uniting them. So he drew the symbol that we now know as the emblem of the Olympic Games. Moreover, a psychologist in 1912 explained how he himself understands these sport competitions. Today they are called - pentathlon. He was convinced that an Olympic athlete needs to be versatile and master each of the five types of competition - shooting, jumping, swimming, running and fencing.

At the same time, shooting corresponded to black, jumping - green, swimming - blue, running - yellow, fencing - red. Such an interpretation of the symbol focused on the achievements and abilities of a certain athlete worthy of being considered an Olympic champion, and not on the planetary scale of sports

Read more: The meaning of the Dove of Peace symbol

The use of the emblem of the Olympic rings is subject to strict regulation. It is forbidden to move the rings from row to row, change colors. Permanent control over compliance with the regulations is carried out by the International Olympic Committee.

Symbols of the Olympic Games video