Abstract: The subject under research is precedent phenomena of English and Russian linguo cultures as these are demonstrated in the discourse of foreign mass media about the winter Olympics in Sochi. Precedent phenomena of English and Russian linguo cultures in this media discourse play varied functions and connotations. Appealing to precedent phenomena of their own linguo culture, journalists give vivid characteristics of phenomena they describe. These phenomena are well-known for readers and serve as a key to understanding unfamous aspects of the Russian culture. They can also add some humorous or ironic tone. In their turn, precedent phenomena of Russian linguo culture do not play an explicative function in this discourse but have a role of negative connotation intensifiers. In this research Palanchuk carries out a linguo cultural analysis of precedent phenomena in Russian and  English linguo cultures as these are demonstrated in Western media discourse. As a result of the research, Palanchuk describes the following features of the use of precedent phenomena in Russian and English linguo cultures in Western media discourse about Olympics 2014: - precedent phenomena of English linguo culture play an explicative function as well as add humorous or ironic tone; - precedent phenomena of Russian linguo culture serve as intensifiers of negative connotation.