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It was Saturday, July 19, 1980. Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Leonid Brezhnev rose to the microphone and announced the XXII summer Olympic games Moscow open. Played the national anthem of the Soviet Union. Spaniel Phil, who lived in the family of our country housewife and located on the floor under the TV, startled, slowly howled and didn’t stop until it sounded solemn music. The long-awaited festival of sport began…In a sense, Yes. For the period of competitions in the cities hosting (Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk and Tallinn) has clearly improved the supply — though not to each according to his needs, but richer than the already very scarce Soviet economy. And from the point of view of international prestige, receiving in 1974 the right to host the Olympic games, of course, was an achievement of the Soviet state. However, the decision was made in the era of détente, and by the time the realization of his life in the discharge changed to a sharp aggravation. In December 1979 the Soviet “limited contingent” went to Afghanistan, began the final phase of the Cold war.Almost immediately in the West calls to boycott the Games in Moscow, in the end they did not participate athletes from 65 countries, although some appeared under the Olympic flag. A continuation of the refusal of the Soviet bloc from the Olympic games-84 in Los Angeles. Perhaps never sports were not under such direct influence of international politics. Fortunately for the Olympic movement, in the mid-1980s, the thaw began, and the idea of sabotage of major sporting events was deemed vicious.Description diplomatic, intelligence, propaganda, cultural, political, and economic efforts, on the one hand, to reduce the number of participants, on the other — to prevent it worthy of the detective genre, and along with reading books on the practice of international relations. For forty years, the world has changed beyond recognition, but more remarkable is that the stories themselves have changed much less in the General situation.The phrase “cold war” again in the active go — with regard to the relations of the West with Russia, but now China. Afghanistan since then, never leaving the news agenda, and now another surge. Now, as then, tensions between Washington and European capitals: the USA demand to punish Moscow, Western Europe is trying to cut corners to cut their losses. Sanctions — a favorite activity, then and now, discusses the introduction of American measures against European companies involved in the pipeline project to supply Russian gas to Europe. At that time the Urengoy—Pomary—Uzhgorod, now “Nord stream-2”. And you can still remember that in the midst of a severe crisis between Washington and Tehran Embassy staff in the United States, seized by Islamic revolutionaries in November 1979, remained a hostage. This episode defines the relationship of the US to Iran to this day.From the paroxysm of the cold war, political hostility and clinch — discharge, the cessation of confrontation, establishing of communication, the fall of barriers, attempts to build a non-confrontational world order. And then to the failure of these attempts, the escalation of conflicts, the collapse of mutual understanding and again, cold war — different in structure and set of participants, but the same spirit.There is an important distinction. In 1980, at all, what would now be called, the toxicity of the atmosphere of the confrontation was ideological basis. The ideological struggle has determined a set of values and perceptions on both sides, the implementation of which involves the creation of different types of societies. What it has degenerated to that point in the decrepit Soviet Union — a separate question, but the basis has not been canceled. As the faith of the visitors from developing countries in the justice of the Soviet model, and the growing numbers of skeptics within the Soviet system — that “out there” in the West, all arranged just right. “Achievement” of the past forty years — the feeling that “right” anywhere, and instead of the competition’s big ideas — a cascade of intrigues and demonstration of excessive capitalist greed, which is Packed in beautiful slogans. Probably more honest. But much nastier.Fedor Lukyanov — chief editor of the magazine “Russia in global policy” Chairman of the Council on foreign and defense policy