The 2014 Sochi Olympics Opening ceremony kicked off on Friday, Feb. 7 at 11 a.m. EST, but NBC will delay airing the spectacle in the U.S. until 7:30 p.m.

The celebration opened with a dream sequence of a little girl, who imagined all of the letters in the Russian alphabet, each letter recalling her country's heroes and their globally renowned achievements: composer Tchaikovsky; artists Kandinsky, Chagall and Malevich; writers Tolstoy, Pushkin and Chekhov; Mendeleev and his periodic table; the first spaceship Sputnik and Russia's space stations.
Then the girl, rigged with wires, flew into the air and floated dreamlike over floats that depicted Russian landscapes.

The athletes followed.

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The highlight of the parade was a special floor where an image of the earth was magically projected. The stunt included a really smooth touch: An image of the globe from outer space rotated every time a new country was announced, pinpointing the location of that country.

Over 40,000 spectators from all over the world watched the opening extravaganza, and the introduction of the athletes in the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, signaling the start of the full sporting program of the Winter Olympics.

For the next two weeks, some 3,000 athletes will compete in 98 events, more people and contests than ever at the Winter Games. NBC will provide television coverage of the Winter Olympics games, other cable television networks include CNBC, MSNBC, USA, and the NBC Sports Network, will also carry Winter Olympic events from Sochi starting early Saturday morning. You can view the complete TV listing HERE.

Meanwhile, NBCOlympics.com will provide LIVE STREAM on all 15 sports on the Sochi program, as well as featuring extensive video highlights, recaps and best-of montages. Moblie users can also watch the games via the NBC Sports Live Extra mobile app (iPhone/iPad | Android).

Check out the Full Sochi competition schedule Here.