Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre medals to commemorate the 22nd Winter Olympics and 11th Winter Paralympics, which took place in Sochi in 2014.
The theatre’s ballet company provided one of the highlights of the Sochi 2014 Olympic cultural programme. On 22 February, as part of the Stars of World Ballet concert programme, the Galaxy Cultural Centre in Sochi hosted a performance of the Grand Pas from Ludwig Minkus’s ballet Paquita, featuring guest star Sergei Polunin.
The Siberian ballet company made its appearance as part of a series of final events in the Sochi 2014 cultural programme, with sponsorship from Russian business club RDK. The Sochi event showcased the major theatre of Siberia and the Russian Far East alongside the leading theatres in the country, and illustrated the potential of Novosibirsk and the region on the world cultural stage.
On 1 July 2015, the Novosibirsk Regional Minister of Culture, Vasily Kuzin, presented a delegation from the theatre with commemorative medals and certificates ‘For significant contribution to the preparations and events of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games and 11th Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi 2014’.