2. Case of Sochi Olympics and the role of mega-events in forming states’ identity

The lecture aims to reach the following goals:

• explain the concept of state identity and the role of mega-events in forming and promoting identity politics.
• analyse the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympic Games by applying the identity politics framework, and understanding Russia’s expectations from the games.

To successfully pass the weekly assignment students need to watch the video lecture, read the compulsory material and complete the second self-test.

In the previous lecture we looked at the main implications and results of the Vilnius Summit. In this section, we are going to shift to the next event, which made an impact on the dynamics of EU-Russia relations – the Sochi Olympics. Sochi Games represent a relevant case to talk about both the state of EU-Russia relations and the issue of state-identity through the lens of mega-events. In this respect, state identity could be defined in a number of different ways: as ‘the set of beliefs about the nature and purpose of the state expressed in public articulations of state actions and ideals’. Or in other words, it could be defined as a state’s rights, obligations, and responsibilities on the international arena (Lynch, 1999).

 

The Sochi Olympic Games were labelled the most controversial games in history even before the start of the opening ceremony. The political context before the games and the Maidan revolution, which led to the worsening of EU-Russia relations and condemnation of the games by many European state officials, highly escalated the environment around the Olympics. 

 

Some of the reasons for states to host mega-events is related to the fact that they help states to promote different ideas and images of their state-identity (Black, 2007):

• firstly, by hosting international sporting events, states can show the world that they are guardians of universal norms and, in so doing, can construct attraction by illuminating truths such as fair play that has universal appeal;
• secondly, staging sports mega-events potentially provides emerging powers with opportunities to generate attraction even where they possess unattractive domestic political characteristics by projecting soft power and showcasing their world-class achievements;

• thirdly, it could be argued that in order to experience nationality, one needs exceptional events, celebrations, rituals and ceremonies.  In this respect, mega-events are regarded as one of the main vehicles for constructing and maintaining an idea of national unity;

• finally, sport mega-events provide a chance to signal important changes of direction, reframe dominant narratives about the host, and/or reinforce key messages of change in the host country.

When looking at the highlights from the Sochi Olympic Games opening ceremony, we could argue that some of the strategic aims behind hosting the games were:

 

• creating a new image of Russia

• raising Russia’s international status

• connecting Russia’s people

 

In the video lecture, we further discuss how and why certain elements of Russia’s state identity were portrayed during the opening ceremony and what further implications the games played in Russia’s approach to brand itself to the world audience. 

 

References:

• Lynch, M (1999).  ‘Abandoning Iraq: Jordan’s Alliances and the Politics of State Identity’, Security Studies 8.2-3 (1999): 349.
• Black, D. (2007). The Symbolic Politics of Sport Mega-Events: 2010 in Comparative Perspective. Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies, 34:3, 261-276.

Reading material:

1. Jon Grix, Donna Lee. Soft power, sport mega-events and emerging states: the Lure of politics and attraction. CRP working paper series. September 2013.
2. Dmitry Gorenburg. The Sochi Olympics and Russian National Identity. PONARS Eurasia, policy memo No. 316, April 2014.
3. Stephen Hutchings, Marie Gillespie and others. Staging the Sochi winter Olympics 2014 on Russia Today and BBC World News: from soft power to geopolitical crisis. Journal of Audience & reception studies. Volume 12 Issue 1. May 2015.