a lifetime of Olympic summers

The first summer Olympics held in my lifetime were the 1980 Moscow Games. My parents, both American, lived in England in the late 1970s and traveled to the then USSR where they picked up souvenirs, not knowing then the United States would boycott the Games. As a child I had this poster of Mishka the Moscow Olympics mascot on my wall and a little Mishka pin to wear.

Mishka, designed in 1977 by the Russian children's book illustrator Victor Chizhikov, was the first ever Olympic mascot. Here's some footage of Mishka in action at the 1980 Olympic ceremonies:



I'm off to watch the opening ceremonies. Well done London!!