Slideshow: Sochi Prepares for the Winter Olympics

By ⋅ February 8, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
This view from the Olympic Sports Park in Adler shows the Caucasus Mountains in the distance. (Photo: Julia Barton)

This view from the Olympic Sports Park in Adler shows the Caucasus Mountains in the distance. (Photo: Julia Barton)

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Now that the Super Bowl is over, sports fans may be looking forward to March Madness – or to the Olympics in London this summer.

But this week, the spotlight’s on Sochi, the Russian city that will host the next winter Olympics in two years.

Wednesday was the first time athletes were allowed to train on the Olympic downhill skiing course in Sochi.

Reporter Julia Barton says many Russians are hoping the 2014 Winter Games will make Sochi a must-see international destination.


Discussion

4 comments for “Slideshow: Sochi Prepares for the Winter Olympics”

  • Anonymous

    I have to disagree just a little bit with Julia’s report. Sanatorium is not a “very regimented” event. Sanatorium is just a regular vacation, the only main difference is, the lodging (and, sometimes, traveling expenses) are sponsored by your employer (which, back in the Soviet days, was the government). It was actually such a nice benefit for our family to get free trips back in the old days of USSR.

    I came to a Sochi sanatorium several times, with my parents, in the 80s (from Ukraine). Back then, the resort was extremely popular with Germans too. About half the population in our hotel was German. I remember very well, as a 7 yr old, attempting to learn to speak German, to impress a cute boy I met there!

    Still hard to believe that this popular summer destination is hosting Winter Olympics! It will be so exciting to watch it all come together.

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  • Anonymous

    Sochi is the land of Genocide.  Russia committed Genocide againstthe Circassian Nation in the 19th Century- Europe’s first Genocide in
    the modern era. Sochi was the last capital of Circassia, and the final
    battle of the 100 year war (1763-1864)  was waged between Czarist
    Russian troops and the Indigenous Circassian people in Sochi. The
    Russians killed and exiled 1.5 million indigenous Circassians. The
    legacy of this Genocide is that 90% of the Circassian people live outside
    of their native lands in the Northwest Caucasus.  We Circassians consider 
    holding the Olympics on  the bones of our ancestors an outrage!  It is akin 
    to holding  the Olympics in Auschwitz- it’s unthinkable.  
    Russia continues to deny that any Genocide took place.  If it didn’t take
    place,  where are all the Circassians???  The Circassians in exile number
    5 million, but only 700,000 Circassians remain in the Northwest Caucasus.
    We demand justice.  We demand a stop to this Olympic party on our
    Circassian land.  We demand, Russia accept responsibility for the Genocide
    they commited against the Circassian nation.  We demand Russia re-create
    a Circassian Republic on historic Circassian land.  We demand the right of
    return for any and ALL  of the 5 million Circassians in Exile.  
    For more information,  visit  www.nosochi2014.com  or http://www.circassiannation.org
    Read Professor Walt Richmond’s excellent book on this topic:
    “The Northwest Caucasus: Past Present Future”
    Read Kadir Natho’s book:
    “Circassian History”
    Please help us save our Circassian nation! 
    Wupso!