(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – February 14, 2014) The Olympic Games seemed a golden opportunity for the Moscow tourism industry, with the majority of tourists bound to pause in the capital on their way to Sochi. But the city has not been deluged with Olympic visitors. Those few who have stopped in Moscow have been quick to […]
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(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Stepan Kravchenko, Ilya Arkhipov and Henry Meyer – February 14, 2014) Even Vladimir Putin’s Russian critics are rallying around the president to revel in the country’s first Winter Olympics, dismissing western complaints about facilities, security and graft. As the competition in Sochi enters week two, Russia is swelling with pride over its first Olympics since Moscow […]
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MOSCOW, February 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russia may have to spend up to $7 billion over the next three years to maintain infrastructure and venues around the Olympic host city of Sochi, Bloomberg news agency reported Thursday. Bloomberg cited unnamed planning officials as saying the government is not yet sure of the final bill for the Olympics partly because plans […]
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[“Russians ‘reveal their soul’ with love of figure skating” – USAToday.com – Kelly Whiteside – February 13, 2014 – usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/sochi/2014/02/12/winter-games-figure-skating-pairs-russians-love-gold-medal/5431649/] USA Today covers figure skating at the Sochi Olympics, including the special significance the sport holds for people of the host country: After a masterpiece of a free skate, love rained down on Russian pair skaters Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim […]
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[“Olympics: Ice Hockey: U.S. vs. Russia far from David and Goliath Tale” – Reuters – Frank Pingue – February 13, 2014 – reuters.com/article/2014/02/12/olympics-icehockey-miracle-era-idUSL2N0LG08420140212] Reuters covers Olympic Men’s Hockey, with a game between the United States and Russia coming up on Saturday. While different than the “Miracle on Ice” of 1980, the game is still “must-see”: This week’s Russia v United […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – February 12, 2014) President Vladimir Putin has relished his role as the host and driving force behind the Sochi Winter Games as media criticism over corruption and flawed facilities was replaced by praise from visitors and athletes. Despite seemingly ominous reports of construction blunders and foreign leaders being unable or […]
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[“Shape Up Sochi” – Wall Street Journal – Betsy McKay – SOCHI – February 11, 2014 – http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2014/02/11/shape-up-sochi/] The Wall Street Journal covers efforts to use the Sochi Olympics to encourage health and fitness among Russians. The Olympics are supposed to inspire people to shape up and go for their inner gold, right? In Russia, that’s a big “if.” A […]
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(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, February 11, 2014) Even before he was chosen to lead the CPSU and hence the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev in December 1984 said he opposed the kind of megaprojects Soviet leaders had used up to then and favored instead more balanced development, a shift in attitude that informed his subsequent decision to block […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – February 11, 2014) Irina Rodnina, the famed figure skater who lit the Olympic flame at the Sochi opening ceremony, has said that a racially insensitive tweet sent from her account and featuring U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle was posted by hackers. The doctored – and, in the eyes of […]
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SOCHI. Feb 11 (Interfax) – Ice hockey is drawing special interest at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, International Olympic Committee’s Director of Communications Mark Adams announced. The presence of National Hockey League players is the brightest chapter in the Games, he said, adding that the Russian team is brilliantly prepared. “Undoubtedly, it is a rare chance for Russians to watch […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova, Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – February 11, 2014) Security concerns over terrorist attacks have declined since the Sochi Winter Olympics kicked off over the weekend, and visitors say they have not been inconvenienced by security measures despite the presence of thousands of law enforcement officers. The issue of security dominated international headlines in […]
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(Kremlin.ru – February 10, 2014) Vladimir Putin met with representatives of the Public Council for the Preparation of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The Council was established on the initiative of Sochi residents to voice their opinions on the issues of greatest importance for the city. The meeting was held at the Sochi Media Centre, which was opened […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Des Brown – February 10, 2014) The Economist’s Feb. 1 issue led with President Putin and the Winter Olympics as its cover story, saying that “the message of the Games is simple: Russia is back.” Western commentators never fail to mention that the Winter Olympics are a showcase for Putin’s modern Russia, while highlighting Sochi’s […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Andy Potts, special to RBTH – February 9, 2014) Andy Potts is a sportswriter and RBTH freelancer who is attending the Sochi Games as part of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Despite teething troubles over the last week, the Sochi Olympics have already shown that Russia is determined to present a new face […]
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(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – eonid Bershidsky – February 10, 2014) Leonid Bershidsky writes on Russia, Europe and technology for Bloomberg View. The Sochi Winter Olympics may have cost seven times as much as the Vancouver ones four years ago, but they are achieving President Vladimir Putin’s goal: Russians, including many of his fiercest opponents, have united in a powerful upsurge […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – John Freedman, Moscow Times theater editor – February 10, 2014) I once wrote most of what I planned to be a book about Russia. I got as far as sending chapters out to publishers. One of the few editors who was kind enough to reject me personally explained why my proposal was not of interest. […]
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MOSCOW. Feb 8 (Interfax) – Konstantin Ernst, author of the script for Friday’s opening ceremony for the Sochi Winter Olympics, said the main idea of the show that was part of the ceremony was to retell Russian history in a modern language. “The language of a stadium means three-dimensional and vivid images and quite direct metaphors. On that basis, we […]
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(Business New Europe – Moscow blog – bne.eu – Ben Aris – February 7, 2014) The Sochi Winter Olympics kick off today February 7, but they have already turned from being a trial of human endeavour into a celebration of the hatemongering that pervades the coverage of Russia. Radio Liberty has published a useful page on its website that simply […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – c – Svetlana Sinepostolovich, for RBTH – February 4, 2014) Here is a to-do list for travelers who don’t want to miss any of Sochi’s highlights 1. Take the obligatory tourist photo While in Sochi you must get a picture of yourself against the backdrop of the subtropical palms along Platanovaya Alley (Sycamore Alley). Tourists […]
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(Interfax – February 6, 2014) Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak has described preparations for the XXII Winter Olympic Games and the event itself as the largest investment project for the country. “Since the victory in Guatemala of the Russian Federation’s bid to host the XXII Olympic Games in Sochi, many people have asked one and the same questions: whether […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – February 6, 2014) As the Olympic Torch arrived in Sochi on Wednesday and President Vladimir Putin personally presided over the raising of the Russian flag in the Olympic Village, the Internet was abuzz with tales of construction blunders and the popular Twitter hashtag “#Sochiproblems.” No secret has been made about the significance […]
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(Interfax – Moscow, February 5, 2014) The Russian president’s press secretary Dmitriy Peskov has said everything is ready for the Olympic Games and made an appeal not to exaggerate problems in Sochi. “I’m not in favour of making problems that accompany any event of this scale, any Olympic Games, look like they can affect the entire process,” Peskov said, speaking […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – February 6, 2014) More than half of Americans think that a terrorist attack is likely at the Sochi Winter Olympics, set to open Friday, despite assurances by the White House that the Games will be safe, a recent poll indicates. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they thought a terrorism act at the […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – February 6, 2014) The opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics on Friday will take Russia’s biggest cultural gems and serve them up with contemporary dance music and spectacular lighting. At least, that is what can be expected if the final rehearsal is anything to go by. The organizers have asked that the […]
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(cc – February 4, 2014) Vladimir Putin visited the Persian Leopard Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre at the Sochi National Park. Vladimir Putin toured the Centre together with IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games Gilbert Felli and IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Jean-Claude Killy. The Centre was set up in 2009 within the framework of the programme to restore the Persian […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – February 5, 2014) Gazprom is spending money on useless pipelines that makes the $51 billion spent on the Sochi Olympics look modest, an opposition party investigation said. The state-owned gas giant is lavishing billions of dollars on transportation infrastructure, including the South Stream pipeline to Europe, that will never be used even […]
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MOSCOW, February 5 (RIA Novosti) – Fifty-three percent of Russians think their country did “the right thing” by bidding to hold the Sochi Olympics, which kick off on Friday, according to a new poll released Wednesday. Twenty-six percent of respondents in the poll by the independent Levada Center said Russia should not have bid to host the Winter Games, and […]
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MOSCOW, February 4 (RIA Novosti) – A new study on the scientific basis of the home advantage in sports suggests that the Russian medal count at the Sochi Games opening Friday might be boosted by psychological effects. “Game location has a powerful influence on performance outcomes in sport,” British scientists Mark S. Allen and Marc V. Jones wrote. The study, […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Christopher Brennan – February 5, 2014) President Vladimir Putin concluded the 126th session of the International Olympic Committee in Sochi on Tuesday evening just as he delivered Russia’s appeal to committee voters in Guatemala in 2007 before they chose a city for the Winter Games: in English. “Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen! I declare the […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – SOCHI – February 4, 2014) As thousands of foreign journalists begin to flock into Sochi, questions regarding their accommodation remained unanswered, the president of Russia’s National Olympic Committee said. While touring the new Sochi Media Center, designed to accommodate journalists who are not accredited for the Games, Alexander Zhukov said Monday that there were still […]
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MOSCOW. Feb 4 (Interfax) – No shortages of snow are likely in Sochi, said Roman Vilfand, chief of the weather monitoring service, Hydrometcentre. “The snow is thick and firm enough. No problems are likely to arise with the snow, at least through the first 20 days of February,” Vilfand said. Vilfand’s deputy in charge of hydrometeorological support for the Games, […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Christopher Brennan – February 4, 2014) President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Winter Olympic city of Sochi on Tuesday to play host to visitors three days before the opening ceremony. After arriving in Sochi, Putin visited Sochi National Park and an animal breeding and rehabilitation center that was built using budget funds set aside for […]
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(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – February 4, 2013 – Ilya Arkhipov and Stepan Kravchenko) The Sochi Olympics, designed to trumpet the strength of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, also shines a light on its weaknesses. As skiers, hockey players and figure skaters arrive this week at the games that cost about $50 billion, the North Caucasus region remains unruly more than 14 years […]
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MOSCOW, February 3 (RIA Novosti) – Holding this month’s Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi and developing resorts in the neighboring North Caucasus region risk increasing tensions in the already unstable area, a research group has warned in a report. The International Crisis Group presented a new study Monday titled “Too Far, Too Fast: Sochi, Tourism and Conflict […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – James Ellingworth, special to RBTH – January 30, 2014) Tired of reading about men’s hockey and security threats? Here are a few issues you might have missed. The build-up’s been going on for seven years, and with the Sochi Olympics now just days away, newspapers around the world are bursting with previews and […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – February 3, 2014) Amid unprecedented security measures by the authorities to secure Sochi for the Winter Olympics, observers have expressed concerns that other cities in Russia have been left unprotected, with law enforcement personnel and technical equipment needed to prevent terrorist attacks having been concentrated in the Olympic capital. Some Russian regions, […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – January 31, 2014) With a week to go before the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Games, one would expect the Olympic Park to be filled with the bustle and buzz of arriving athletes, journalists and spectators. What might be less predictable is the noise and tumult created by excavators, […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – January 29, 2014) Alexander Yakovenko, Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, ponders how the Olympics will affect international diplomacy and tackles some of the misunderstandings surrounding the Games. In little more than a week, the Winter Olympic Games start in Sochi, but the prospects after this landmark event are visible now. I am […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – January 28, 2014) It has been raining in Sochi for two weeks. The rain isn’t expected to disrupt the Winter Olympics, which open Feb. 7 on the snow-covered mountains looming over this subtropical Black Sea resort. But the rain is the subject of urban legend. Both good and bad weather […]
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(Interfax – January 28, 2014) The security of daily life in Sochi ahead of the Winter Olympics is ensured in line with the global standards, Russian Minister of Civil Defense, Emergencies and Natural Disasters Vladimir Puchkov said. “The Olympics is a global event that determines our country’s prestige. Ensuring the security of the Olympics is the most important task for […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Gevorg Mirzayan, special to RBTH – January 28, 2014) Russian opponents failed to organize a boycott of the Sochi Olympics. Refusal of a number of world leaders to visit the opening ceremony will not lead to its collapse. Gevorg Mirzayan is a correspondent for Expert magazine and a research fellow at the U.S. […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Dominic Basulto, special to RBTH – January 28, 2014) Sochi is ready for its Olympic debut. When the world tunes in to watch the 2014 Winter Games, it will see futuristic, state-of-the-art stadiums nestled next to the Black Sea, breathtaking views from world-class ski resorts in the snow-capped Caucasus mountains, and a sprawling […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Ilya Trisvyatsky, special to RBTH – January 25, 2014) Vic Wild is an American-born snowboarder who now holds Russian citizenship and will compete for Russia in the Sochi Olympics. Born in Washington State, he decided to change his citizenship after falling in love with a Russian sportswoman. There will be several naturalized athletes […]
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MOSCOW. Jan 24 (Interfax) – Sixty heads of state and government have confirmed their plans to take part in the opening ceremony of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said. “A very large number of leaders have given their consent. We have counted about 60 heads of state and government,” Ushakov told journalists on Friday. […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – January 23, 2014) As the U.S. expressed concern over the safety of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and offered to send its own warships to assist in case of a terrorist threat, observers said that cooperation between U.S. and Russian security agencies on the matter is not much more than […]
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MOSCOW, January 21 (RIA Novosti) American military assets have been offered to bolster security for the upcoming Sochi Olympic Games scheduled to open in less than three weeks, the Pentagon said Monday. “Air and naval assets, to include two Navy ships in the Black Sea, will be available if requested,” press secretary Rear Admiral John F. Kirby said in […]
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(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Robert Coalson – January 21, 2014) Security forces in the Black Sea Russian city of Sochi are looking for a woman from the North Caucasus whom they believe might be planning a terrorist attack during next month’s winter Olympic games. Officials are distributing photos of 22-year-old Ruzanna Ibragimova, reportedly the widow of an alleged North Caucasus […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – January 17, 2014) Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said Thursday that there had been no misuse of funds allocated for the upcoming 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, with only 99 billion rubles from the overall price tag of 214 billion rubles taken out of the state budget. News reports had earlier put […]
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WASHINGTON, January 13 (By Carl Schreck for RIA Novosti) The United States is a serious contender to top the medals table at the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month after a record-setting performance in Vancouver four years ago, but its prospects on Olympic snow and ice weren’t always so promising. Following a dismal performance at the 1988 Winter Games […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI, January 14, 2014) Standing on Sochi’s Kurortny Prospekt, the city’s main avenue, Sochi’s status as the Nice of Russia is immediately clear; it is not only the site of the upcoming Winter Olympics, but also a place for national celebrities to see and be seen. It is perhaps due to this […]
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