OREANDA-NEWS. March 3, 2011. The nation-wide marathon of choosing mascots for XXII Winter Olympic Games and XI Winter Paralympic Games of 2014 in Sochi, which started on September 1, 2010, is over. During 3 months, anyone could send one or even several ideas for mascots to the contest. The contest of Sochi Games mascots united millions of people: for instance, the insurance company Ingosstrakh OIJSC engaged 323 company offices on the Russian territory to inform about mascot contest and spread about 30 000 application forms.

On February 26, it was announced live on the First Channel that after the national voting, Leopard, Hare and Polar Bear were selected as mascots for XXII Winter Olympic Games, and Ray and Snowflake – as mascots for XI Winter Paralympic Games of 2014 in Sochi.

The mascots were insured for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games. The insurer was Ingosstrakh OIJSC - the partner of XXII Winter Olympic Games and XI Winter Paralympic Games of 2014 in Sochi. The object of insurance is the result of the intellectual activity – the image of mascots of XXII Winter Olympic Games and XI Winter Paralympic Games of 2014 in Sochi. The policy envisages insurance of risks connected with termination of the insured’s exclusive right to the object of insurance, and incurring legal expenses by the insured in connection with setting demand of the relief against him related to the object of insurance.