Obverse. Photo © Bank of Russia
  • 25 Rubles 2012, Y# 1368a, Russia, Federation, Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Olympic Mascots
  • 25 Rubles 2012, Y# 1368a, Russia, Federation, Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Olympic Mascots
Description

The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Sochi 2014, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 7 to February 23, 2014 in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Both the Olympics and 2014 Winter Paralympics were the first Olympics in Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The artists: E. V. Kramskaya (obverse), A. A. Brynza (reverse).
The sculptor: A. A. Dolgopolova (obverse), computer simulation (reverse).

Obverse

In the centre the relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation, above the semicircular inscription along the rim THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION framed on both sides by ornamental elements of doubled rhombuses, in the lower part of the disc, at the edge the horizontal inscription 25 RUBLES and the date 2012 under it, over it to the right the mint trade mark.

The two main elements of Russian state symbols (the two-headed eagle and the mounted figure slaying the dragon) predate Peter the Great. Today, however, the official description does not refer to the rider on the central shield as representing Saint George, mainly in order to maintain the secular character of the modern Russian state. The imperial crowns on each head stand for the unity and sovereignty of Russia, both as a whole and in its constituent republics and regions. The orb and scepter grasped in the eagle's talons are traditional heraldic symbols of sovereign power and authority. They have been retained in the modern Russian arms despite the fact that the Russian Federation is not a monarchy.

РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ
25 РУБЛЕЙ
СПМД
2012 г.

Reverse

Three mascots (leopard, hare and polar bear) and the 2014 Sochi Olympic Emblem below. The mascots and emblem are made by colored tampoprint technique.

The emblem for the winter games features the web address “sochi2014.ru”, with “Sochi” placed on top of “2014”, typographically mirroring each other. The Olympic rings sit beside the web address.

The mascots for the Olympic Games were selected after a contest that was first held across the whole of Russia, then internationally. Some 24,048 drawings were received in total. Ten proposals were chosen by a jury of experts for the second phase of the contest. Professional designers then worked on them to reveal their final shape. The final decision was taken in a vote by the Russian public as part of a TV programme entitled “Talismaniya Sochi 2014 - The Final” on 26 February 2011.

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five "big cats" in the genus Panthera. It is a member of the family Felidae with a wide range in regions of sub-Saharan Africa, West Asia, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia to Siberia.

Hares are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares are classified into the same family as rabbits and are of similar size, form, and diet as rabbits. They are generally herbivorous, long-eared, and fast runners, and typically live solitarily or in pairs. Hare species are native to Africa, Eurasia, North America, and the Japanese archipelago.

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a carnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is a large bear. A boar (adult male) weighs around 350–700 kg (772–1,543 lb), while a sow (adult female) is about half that size. Although it is the sister species of the brown bear, it has evolved to occupy a narrower ecological niche, with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting seals, which make up most of its diet. Although most polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time on the sea ice. Their scientific name means "maritime bear", and derives from this fact. Because of their dependence on the sea ice, polar bears are classified as marine mammals.

sochi.ru
2014

Edge

180 corrugations

Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Cupronickel
Weight 10 g
Diameter 27 mm
Thickness 2.3 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Saint Petersburg Mint (SPMD)

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