Newham Town Hall in East Ham turned Russian during a visit by the country’s Olympians.
They were joined by around 200 youth club members during the event, organised by the Znaniye Russian School in Stratford.
Russian athletes talked about the dedication and discipline needed to reach the top, and what it meant to compete internationally.
A group of young Russians, flown over to promote the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, sang and danced for the guests.
A Znaniye spokesman said: “They were matched for vigour and prowess by young Russian-trained gymnasts from the London Sport Academy.
“There was also excellent Russian singing from the adult Russian Souvenir Ensemble and the youth Sunshine Choir, both from the Globus Educational and Cultural Centre in Stratford.”
The activities were supported by Newham Council’s Let Get The Party Started programme. Cllr Lakmini Shah hosted the guests on behalf of the council. They included East Ham MP Stephen Timms.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here