or1980v2pt1

on) were acquired or made for the
ceremonies. Many of them embodied
original engineering and artistic ideas.
In particular, a "live pathway" to the
Bowl of the Olympic Flame was used
instead of the stairs. It consisted of
170 structural elements which were
assembled in about 15 seconds by
athletes sitting in the stands.
Later the attributes of the ceremonies
that were symbolic in nature
were donated to Moscow museums.
The sports uniforms, properties,
and structural elements were
turned over to trade union sports
societies.
Arrangements for the quick transportation
of the participants in the
ceremonies and also of the properties,
structural elements and other objects
had to be planned painstakingly and
in detail. Routes, charts and timetables
were worked out.
An all-city rehearsal of the transport
facilities that would serve the
Opening Ceremony and Closing
Ceremony was held on July 5.
282
Transport arrangements to deliver
the participants of the ceremonies to
Lenin Stadium for the parade were
also rehearsed. This enabled the organisers
to spot bottlenecks and to
determine ways of making the most
efficient use of the motor transport
facilities. For instance, they revised
the timetables for the delivery of participants
from their quarters, determined
where and when they would get
into the vehicles, and clarified the
parking places at Lenin Stadium and
the adjacent areas. As a result, it took
only an hour and a half to carry all the
delegations from the Olympic Village
to Lenin Stadium and for them to line
up and be ready to come out into the
field.
Eight hundred buses were used to
carry the participants in the two ceremonies
to Lenin Stadium.
The dress rehearsal in Lenin
Stadium on July 17, 1980, confirmed
the preparedness of all the participants
in the artistic and sports programmes
and of the supporting services.