Bosco Sport is again designing the Russian Olympic Team’s uniforms. Its new designs, in which the team will be outfitted in Beijing, were shown at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The new uniforms differ sharply from those the teams wore in Turin (which were also designed by Bosco Sport) and are strongly reminiscent of the Khrushchev era. The contract for the uniforms was worth $18.5 million.

Bosco Sport, which is headed by Mikhail Kusnirovich, won the right to outfit the Russian teams at the next two Olympics

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(Beijing 2008 and Vancouver 2010) by a decision of the executive committee of the Russian Olympic Committee in April of last year. Bosco Sport competed with Miroff Sport, which is a joint venture of the Ukrainian Nemiroff distillery and the Pierre Cardin fashion house, for the contract. President of the Russian Olympic Committee Leonid Tyagachev said that Bosco Sport was chosen because Miroff Sport had no experience with sports uniforms.

At the same time, Tyagachev said that the uniforms Bosco Sport provided at Turin were uncomfortable, and the Russian teams were fined for excessive advertising incorporated into the uniforms because Bosco Sport used two small logos on each uniform instead of the allowable one larger logo. Kusnirovich claimed that the International Olympic Committee marketing commission failed to notify the company of a change in the rules. Olympic rules also require that every country have a different uniform for every Olympics. Bosco Sport chose a design by Direct Design company from among seven competitors. Direct Design also designed the Russian Cheburashka mascot at the Turin Olympics.

Kusnirovich said that the new uniforms were meant to recall the traditional Russian Fire Bird legend, which is echoed in Chinese legends of a Phoenix. “Its’ very important how the Chinese receive our uniform,” he said. “If the Chinese lose in some competitions, they will cheer for the Russians.”

Olga Yudkis, advertising director for Bosco di Ciliegi, said that the retro fashioning of the uniforms was not by chance either. “The times of the Khrushchev thaw were years of great hopes. Our grandfathers and grandmothers represented the Soviet lifestyle to the whole world with pride,” she noted.

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