The brightest moments of the 1980 Olympics closing ceremony
August 3, 1980, was both the saddest and the happiest day at the same time. To the sound of the Olympic anthem, the White Olympic flag was lowered at the ‘Lenin’ Central Stadium, followed by the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
Spectators watched with bated breath as ‘Mishka’, the mascot of the Moscow Olympics, appeared on the big screen and a tear rolled down from one of his eyes.
Then, after a colorful procession of athletes, a giant, inflated ‘Mishka’ appeared inside the stadium with a large bundle of balloons and, under the song ‘Goodbye, Moscow’, began to slowly rise into the sky.
And, with that, the first Olympic Games in Eastern Europe were over.