The Mayors and vice-mayors of the Mountain, Coastal and Endurance Villages - athletes Yelena Isinbayeva, Svetlana Zhurova, Aleksey Nemov and Maksim Chudov - and Sochi 2014 President and chief executive Dmitry Chernyshenko, welcomed the first athletes and guests to the facilities, while a concert by Russian group Siberiahills took place to mark the official opening.

The three Villages have been designed to look completely different but will all be decorated with iconic souvenirs and objects, while the streets are named after famous Russian and Soviet Union Olympic and Paralympic champions.

They also have 24-hour transport connections to competition venues and give residents access to a canteen, clinic, fitness centre, multi-religion centre, library, bank, cafes, a club and shops.

The 72-hectare Usadba Coastal Village, which sits on the shores of the Black Sea in Imeretinskaya Valley, will be home to about 2,000 ice hockey, curling, figure skating, speed skating and short track speed skating athletes during the Olympics.

World pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva was joined by IOC Executive Director Games Gilbert Felli (right) and Sochi 2014 President and chief executive Dmitry Chernyshenkoin a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the coastal Olympic Village ©Getty Images

This facility demonstrates the path "from the renaissance of Russia to the palace era and to the present day", highlighting Russia's achievements in music, ballet, literature, art, science and space through the use of modern technology, according to Sochi 2014 officials.

The Mountain Village is the largest of the three and will house almost 3,000 athletes and delegates in the sports of skiing, bobsleigh, freestyle skiing, luge, Nordic combined, skeleton, ski jumping and snowboarding.

This facility features the "International Zone", where athletes can meet representatives from the media, dignitaries and visitors, and has two Rosa Khutor cable car stations located within walking distance.

It has been designed to reflect Russian hospitality and traditions, such as crafts, national amusements, food and legends.

Athletes in the Olympic Village will enjoy excellent comfort, claim Sochi 2014 ©Sochi 2014

Meanwhile, the Sloboda Endurance Village will provide accommodation for 1,100 cross country skiing and biathlon athletes and delegates as it is located within 800 metres of the cross country ski and biathlon centre.

This Village is designed to feature famous Russian fairytale characters, such as Baba Yaga, Firebird, Ilya Muromets, Sadko, Ivan the Fool and the Gray Wolf.

Each of the Villages has an Olympic Mascot as its host, with the polar bear for the Coastal Village, the leopard for the Mountain Village and the hare for the Endurance Village.

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