A grand celebration commemorating the 45th anniversary of the 1980 Moscow Olympics is scheduled for July 19. This significant event, known as the “Olympic Moscow” festival, will result in extensive road closures, particularly impacting the Garden Ring and its surrounding areas. Due to these traffic restrictions, access to several key locations, including the Atrium shopping center, Kursky railway station, Paveletskaya Plaza shopping mall, and Smolensky Passage shopping center (from the Smolenskaya Square side), will be limited or unavailable.
This marks the first time such an anniversary is being celebrated in the capital on this grand scale. Plans include launching a giant Olympic bear balloon into the sky and hosting a concert at Zubovskaya Square. Prior to these main attractions, a festive procession and various sports activities will be open to all participants. The celebration is set to begin at 11 AM and conclude at 4:30 PM.
Throughout the day, the Garden Ring and several other central Moscow streets will be completely closed to traffic. Ksenia Dolgova, a chief specialist with the CDD Situational Center’s duty shift, provided further details on the planned road closures:
Chief specialist, CDD Situational Center`s duty shift
“In connection with the `Olympic Moscow` festival, traffic will be temporarily halted on several central streets on July 19. Movement will be restricted on sections of Zubovskaya, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya, and Barrikadnaya streets, as well as along the entire Garden Ring. Additionally, parking will be temporarily unavailable on parts of Zubovskaya and Bolshaya Pirogovskaya streets from the night of July 17 until the event`s conclusion. Furthermore, one lane for traffic will be closed on sections of Zubovskaya, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya, and Barrikadnaya streets on July 18 from 00:01 to 23:59, and again on July 20 from 00:01 to 06:00.”
The 1980 Olympics not only profoundly reshaped Moscow`s urban landscape and infrastructure but also significantly influenced the cultural fabric of the USSR. The Olympic mascot, Misha the bear, remains widely regarded as one of the most memorable symbols in the history of the Summer Games. This historical event has recently seen a resurgence in public interest. Last year, a TV series titled “Games” was released, focusing on the organization and execution of the Olympics, accompanied by a new collection of sports apparel reminiscent of Soviet-era uniforms.
To further engage the public, Moscow has also introduced special themed excursions. Diana Chabanova, a journalist and Moscow tour guide, shed light on the widespread appeal of these tours:
Journalist and Moscow tour guide
“At our tourist agency, we began celebrating the 45th anniversary of the 1980 Olympics last year by launching a bus tour called `Olympic Moscow Tour`. It has proven incredibly popular. We use a retro bus to tour Olympic sites, play period music, organize traditional yard games, and even launch a small Olympic Misha balloon. We also give out original Olympic Misha badges, many of which are still available for purchase. The Olympics evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, which is a major draw. People often wave at our old LiAZ bus as it passes. I also know of another agency offering a tour of the Olympic Village, which is similarly in high demand. I believe this nostalgic charm truly appeals to people of all ages. We initially expected it to attract mainly those over 45 who had some connection to the Soviet era, even if only in childhood. However, we`ve found that the retro theme fascinates younger generations too. We see couples aged 20-25 attending, keen on all things retro, especially with the 1970s music playing, reflecting the era when the Olympics were being prepared. Older generations, those 50 or 60 and above, bring their grandchildren, and everyone finds it engaging. Plus, the theme of sports itself is timeless and brings generations together in a very heartwarming way.”
In addition to these festivities, a significant running festival is also scheduled to take place in Moscow on the evening of July 19.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth