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Because of the restrictions made on the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the Russian National Anthem<\/strong><\/a> is not allowed to be played. Instead, we hear the sounds of classical music when\u00a0a Russian athlete wins a gold medal. But what exactly is that piece of music?<\/p>\n It\u2019s Tchaikovsky<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s Piano Concerto No. 1. Tchaikovsky, one of Russia\u2019s most famous composers, wrote the work at the end of 1874 \u2013 but it was revised several times following criticism from the work\u2019s initial dedicatee, Nikolai Rubinstein. It was the first of three piano concertos written by Tchaikovsky<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Russia has been officially \u2018banned\u2019 from the 2021 Olympics and Paralympics by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The decision was first announced in 2019, with an initial ban from the following two Olympic Games or any world championship sporting event for the following two years.<\/p>\n As a result, Russian athletes are now competing under the banner of the \u2018Russian Olympic Committee\u2019. Part of the rules on banning a country from the Olympics and Paralympics means the country\u2019s national anthem can no longer be played. As a result, Russia chose a new piece of music to reflect their nation\u2019s athletes in victory.<\/p>\n The country has actually been banned from all international sporting competitions between 2019-22, so you might be hearing Tchaikovsky<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s First Piano Concerto more than you thought. There\u2019ll be no Russian National Anthem<\/strong><\/a> played at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing or the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.<\/p>\n Find out more about the history of the Russian National Anthem here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\nWhy is the Russian National Anthem<\/a> not being played at the Olympics and Paralympics?<\/h3>\n