Pole vault over the Caucasus

Baku greets the Caspian Sea and standing under -28 meters above sea level, surrounded by ancient volcanoes, this is the capital of the land of fire, or that is its slogan as a national mark.

Azebaijan capital returns to be protagonist this year to host what is expected as a sports star event in Europe: The European Games in its very first edition.

The city has changed, it has been remodeled and has evolved. Baku has 13 transportation projects and upgrading subway is expected to be open for the Games. The renovated Heydar Aliyev Airport of Baku also plans to open route with 50 cities of over 22 countries, making reference destination for transition of the Transcaucasian area, all thanks to the shot in the arm that was in its past moment the candidacy of  Baku 2020 for summer Olympics, a real project of synergies and renovation of the city.

It is not just a matter of Azerbaijan has attracted a lot of foreign investment last decade or even the Olympic spirit has begun in his previous bid large projects to change the skyline of this city, but is also behind a real declaration of intent on turning Baku into a more European capital, although it is the easternmost country of political Europe. We remember that Azerbaijan is geographically divided between the two continents, like Turkey.

The European Olympic Committees bring together 50 countries with a major sporting power and whose official headquarters was in Rome since 1968. These committees had a role until now symbolic and it is expected to achieve with Baku 2015 the same than other groups of continental Olympic committees, right on the world region than has most advanced in integration.

His staging of course is a major international call to other neighboring countries of the old continent to visit Baku and to encourage their sports federations in the categories, in addition to that, they are more minority and that without a exhibition, such as the Olympic promotions, they would not have the media coverage and public funding such as these.

The June 12, 2015 everything has to be ready and prepared including new facilities such as the National Stadium in Baku , National Gymnastics Arena or the Aquatic Center and other facilities.

The application of the corporate image is provided by the agency SomeOne a British study that already had its Olympic debut in London last year and applied the official logo of Baku 2015 (Adem Yunosov’s design) inspired by the millennial Azerbaijani culture and it includes:

• Flames because Azerbaijan uses this element as a national mark.
• Water considering that Baku city would not be understood as a port capital of the Caspian Sea.
• The mythical Simurgh is a benevolent flying mythological creature that represents the union between heaven and earth.
• The carpet of Azerbaijan that is part of the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010.
• And finally the Pomegranate symbolizing fertility and abundance because 2015 Baku 2015’s ambition is “to attract people from all over Europe in a celebration of sport and create a legacy for future generations.”

And of course, it is expected that two mascots have been created,  Nar, which is just an Azerbaijani Pomegranate and Jeyran the Gazelle, which are a must for the youth in the First Edition of the European Games.

The logo application evokes not only the basic colors of the Olympics but the vitality of the pomegranate tree. This product is essential for international trade of Azerbaijan and graphically a great success for neighboring countries to relate the culture of the Caucasian country with the Olympic dynamism and modernity of its forms.

From all this a tremendous energy is released for the Azerbaijani neighbours who make with their capital a  benchmark in Europe, even from the other side of the Caucasus , and they feel very close.