Seeing Russian Olympic competitors off to Vancouver

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© RIA Novosti . Сергей Пятаков

A solemn ceremony to see the Russian national team off for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver took place Thursday at downtown Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral, where Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia held a prayer service dedicated to the event.

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© RIA Novosti . Sergey Pyatakov

The ceremony started with a message from President Dmitry Medvedev read out by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov. Patriarch Kirill urged competitors to show willpower and purpose to achieve success.

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© RIA Novosti . Sergey Pyatakov

“Concentrate and do what the nation expects you to even if it's hard,” Patriarch Kirill said.

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© RIA Novosti . Sergey Pyatakov

The patriarch said the prayer service was not only for the Orthodox. “Each person should feel involved,” he said.

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© RIA Novosti . Sergey Pyatakov

After the prayer service, the patriarch presented each athlete with an icon of the Savior “Not made by hands”.

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© RIA Novosti . Sergey Pyatakov

After the prayer service, the patriarch presented each athlete with an icon of the Savior “Not made by hands”.

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© RIA Novosti . Sergey Pyatakov

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Archpriest Nikolai will accompany the Russian team to Vancouver. Patriarch Kirill said the “Olympic village” will have a special place of worship where athletes and trainers can pray, with an icon of St. George the Victory-Bearer.

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© RIA Novosti . Sergey Pyatakov

Four-time Olympic cross-country skiing champion Nikolai Zimyatov gave Russia’s Olympic banner to the captains of national teams present at the ceremony. In the photo: trainer Alexander Svinin, figure skaters Yana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitsky in the Christ the Savior Cathedral.

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© RIA Novosti . Mikhail Fomitchev

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Members of Russia’s national Olympic team at the ceremony to see them off to Vancouver.