An estimated 25,000 volunteers will be involved during next year’s Winter Games, working across a variety of different Games-time operations, ranging from welcoming delegations at the airport to helping to organise the Closing Ceremony.

Approximately 3,000 volunteers will also be deployed around Sochi during the Games to provide a warm welcome to visitors and help them find their way between the Olympic venues. In total, volunteers will account for more than 30% of Games-time staff.

Many of the Sochi 2014 volunteers have already been recruited, with approximately 5,000 gaining experience at the recent World Cup events that have been held at Sochi’s Olympic venues.

The recruitment process is taking place at 26 Volunteer Centres within Russia, while the programme has also helped re-establish the concept of volunteering across the country.

“With the support of the Olympic Movement, a volunteer movement is being revived in Russia, with the Sochi 2014 Games bringing together 25,000 volunteers,” said Sochi 2014 CEO and President Dmitry Chernyshenko.

“When Sochi began the bidding process in 2005, the concept of volunteering simply did not exist in Russia. Now, the volunteer movement is thriving, with a quarter of a million Russians regularly participating in volunteer activity.

“Most importantly, tens of thousands of generous people will have the opportunity to become a part of the Sochi 2014 Games as volunteers. This will be an invaluable experience for them, and one that they will be able to pass on to the future generation of volunteers in Russia.”

The volunteer application process was open to anyone who will be aged between 18 and 80 on 6 January 2014. The Sochi 2014 Winter Games begin on 7 February next year.