NUR-SULTAN – The Olympic Museum in Lausanne has included the costumes worn by the Kazakh national flag bearers during the Beijing 2022 opening ceremony in the cultural heritage collection of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the official ceremony of the May 18 in Lausanne, reported the national agency of Kazakhstan. Olympic Committee.

Speed ​​skater Yekaterina Aidova at the Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony. Photo credit: olympic.kz

The outfit worn by speed skater Yekaterina Aidova and short track athlete Abzal Azhgaliyev turned heads at the opening ceremony and was recognized as one of the best costumes. Several foreign media, including The Guardian, The Insider and Japanese Уomiuri, have published articles about the suits.

Koshkar muyiz (ram’s horns) ornaments represent harmony with the surrounding world. Photo credit: olympic.kz

“When Abzal and I arrived at the opening ceremony of the games, we immediately caught the eye. The outfits captivated everyone and it was exciting,” Aidova said during the ceremony. particular pride and support when your culture and traditions are presented with such dignity. Today, I am delighted again, because this fascinating outfit will continue to transmit our Kazakh traditions and history to people around the world”.

Kazakh designer Violetta Ivanova created the costumes, saying she was looking for “maximum meaning” in them.

“We want to see the people of Kazakhstan flourish, that’s why we put the sun, which is the most powerful source of vital energy, and the golden color, which is carried by the winners at the base of the ornament,” she added. .

The costumes sum up many aspects of Kazakh culture. The koshkar muyiz (ram’s horns) decor is associated with floral ornamentation, which represents harmony with the surrounding world, the desire to live, fertility and abundance.

The central element of the male costume is the kalkan, a shield symbolizing courage and strength. Black symbolizes depth and wisdom, and it also refers to the kara shanyrak, the wooden crown of the Kazakh yurt that has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years.

Kazakh National Olympic Team. Photo credit: olympic.kz

Patricia Raymond, senior collections manager at the Olympic Museum, said the outfits immediately caught the attention of the IOC’s heritage team.

“The outfit will enrich the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage’s costume collection, which includes outfits made by renowned brands and designers, such as Lacoste, Armani, Stella McCartney and D2Squared, among others. It will be kept with great care and presented in exhibitions in Lausanne and elsewhere in the world,” she said.

The Olympic Museum receives more than 500,000 visitors a year at its headquarters in Lausanne. Today, the museum exhibits thousands of valuable artifacts from the history of the games.

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