# Moscow Olympics (1980)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1980-moscow-olympics
Categories: main-event

The Summer Olympics were held in Moscow from 19 July to 3 August 1980, but the United States and dozens of other countries boycotted them over Afghanistan. Sakharov had been exiled to Gorky in January; singer Vladimir Vysotsky died during the Games. The USSR led a counter-boycott in 1984. The Games symbolised the end of détente.

## Why it matters
The Games symbolised the end of détente.

Ruler at the time: [Leonid Brezhnev](https://history-russia.com/rulers/leonid-brezhnev)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — 1980 Summer Olympics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Summer_Olympics)
- [Wikipedia — Vladimir Vysotsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Vysotsky)
- [Wikipedia — Era of Stagnation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Era_of_Stagnation)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Moscow Olympics](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Moscow+Olympics)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)