NEWSWATCH: “Bar Russia from the Rio Olympics” – Washington Post

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

At the Winter Olympics in Sochi … no Russian athletes tested positive for doping, and to much celebration they took home 33 medals, more than any other nation. … behind the scenes, a system was in place that concealed the use of performance-enhancing drugs by … Russian athletes. … doping and coverups have been carried out by Russia across a range […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s reported doping is a subversion of the Olympic ideal” – Washington Post

… The latest evidence is a detailed report in the New York Times that Russian officials clandestinely carried out a doping program at the Sochi Games by giving athletes performance-enhancing drugs and then tampering with their urine samples to cover it up. The … account comes from the director of the Russian anti-doping agency at the time, who played a […]

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NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Most Important Bank Needs a Bailout. VEB faces task of paying off about $20 billion in foreign-currency debt.” – Wall Street Journal

Cash, Calculator, Pen

When the Russian government needed to build up infrastructure in … Sochi ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, it turned to Russia’s most important lender: Vnesheconombank, the country’s state-owned development bank. … eventually holding the equivalent of at least $2.9 billion in overdue loans. … the bill is coming due. VEB for years kept its books in balance by […]

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So much for the afterglow: Why Sochi’s economic boost failed to materialize

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexei Lossan, RBTH – February 7, 2015) The Winter Olympic Games in Sochi were supposed to give an impetus to the development of the Russian economy, with the Central Bank anticipating that Russia’s GDP would grow by 1.8 percent in 2014, partly as a result of the Olympics. However, observers say that sanctions […]

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Moscow Times: Crimea and Sochi Might Just Have Made Russians a ‘Happy’ People

Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 5, 2015) Russians were much happier by the end of 2014 than a year earlier, according to a recent survey by WIN/Gallup International, which showed the country’s “happiness index” more than doubling over the past year. The index – which is obtained by subtracting the percentage of respondents who said they were unhappy with […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: Counting the cost: How much did Russia spend and earn in Sochi?

File Photo of Man Placing Stack of Large Bills into Inside Pocket of Suitcoat

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Maria Karnaukh, special to RBTH – May 2, 2014) The 2014 Winter Olympics have already gone down in history as the most expensive Olympics ever, but now they promise to set another record in terms of profits generated by the organizers. The funds from sponsors alone will bring the Sochi Organizing Committee $1.3 […]

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Sochi Visitors Cherish Olympic Memories

Sochi 2014

(Moscow Times – moscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI, February 28, 2014)  For perhaps the first time since the Olympic Park project was conceived and the first stones were laid in 2007, the hub of sports facilities and venues on the Black Sea coast in Sochi looked deserted. What was once occupied by phalanxes of excavators, road rollers and trucks […]

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TRANSCRIPT: [Putin] Interview to Channel One, Rossiya-1, NTV and RBC TV channels

Sochi 2014

(Kremlin.ru – February 25, 2014) Following the Sochi Olympics, Vladimir Putin answered questions from Channel One, Rossiya-1, NTV, and RBC TV journalists. IRADA ZEYNALOVA (CHANNEL ONE): Mr President, I would like to begin by congratulating you. The successful Olympic Games are being praised by everyone who was there: IOC members, athletes, guests and fans. Nearly everything went smoothly, without a […]

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Putin says Sochi criticism motivated by global politics

(RIA Novosti – February 25, 2014) Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has said in a television interview that he thinks criticism of the recently concluded Sochi Winter Games was motivated by rivalry in international politics. Many in Russia have bristled at perceived excess criticism of some aspects of preparations for the Olympics, from sometimes incomplete accommodation to the reportedly exorbitant cost […]

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Interfax: Major sporting events boost Russians’ sense of dignity, nation’s openness to world – Putin

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

SOCHI. Feb 24 (Interfax) – Events such as the Sochi Olympics demonstrate to the whole world that Russia is no stranger to hospitality and success, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “Events such as this are certainly of a nationwide nature, uniting people around absolutely positivity, boosting our sense of dignity while at the same time showing our country’s openness to […]

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Johnson’s Russia List with links :: 2014-#38 :: Sunday, 23 February 2014

St. Basil's file photo

Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#38 :: 23 February 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php Sochi Olympics 1. AFP: Putin’s Games sparkle despite shadows of doubt. 2. […]

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Petition against Adelina Sotnikova mean-spirited

Sochi 2014

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Natalia Antonova – February 21, 2014) Following the Sochi women’s figure skating finals, I am having a “Leave Britney Alone” moment. “Leave Britney Alone,” of course, was a popular meme that resulted when a fan upset about criticism of Britney Spears took to YouTube to support the singer and voice his hysterical frustration with her […]

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Critics Fear Post-Sochi Crackdown

Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Natalya Krainova – February 21, 2014) With three days to go until the Winter Olympics in Sochi draw to a close, fears are growing among many Russians that the apparent tolerance of President Vladimir Putin toward critics of his government in the run-up to the games will dissipate after the last foreign participant leaves. The […]

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Sharon Tennison Russia Report, February 2014

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

Subject: RUSSIA REPORT FEBRUARY 2014 Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2014 From: Sharon Tennison <sharon@ccisf.org> Friends, despite the fact that Ukraine is burning as I finish this report, I want to complete my thoughts about the Sochi Olympics before giving opinions on the Ukrainian issues. The Sochi Olympics have been a high point in this new year for me. And I […]

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NEWSLINK: Japan-Russia Ties: An Opportunity for the U.S.

Japan Map

[“Japan-Russia Ties: An Opportunity for the U.S.” – Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jeffrey Mankoff – February 18, 2014 – themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/japan-russia-ties-an-opportunity-for-the-us/494786.html] A Moscow Times commentary by Jeffrey Mankoff, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggests that Russian relations with the United States and the European Union are at an impasse, but that Russian Relations with Japan have been […]

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NEWSLINK: Olympic Official: We Realized Hotel Problems ‘Too Late’; First Public Explanation for Rocky Launch of 2014 Games; ‘Red Alert’ Sounded

[“Sochi Olympics Official: We Realized Hotel Problems ‘Too Late’; First Public Explanation for Rocky Launch of 2014 Games; ‘Red Alert’ Sounded” – Wall Street Journal – Matthew Futterman, Gregory L. White  -February 17, 2014 – online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304899704579388882111244174] The Wall Street Journal covers the various glitches and delays in the preparations for the Sochi Olympics: The International Olympic Committee’s chief coordinator for […]

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NEWSLINK: The culture of corruption: Russians pay, but they don’t like it

Cropped File Photo of Two Men in Business Suits Shaking Hands and Passing Cash

[“The culture of corruption: Russians pay, but they don’t like it” – Washington Post – Timothy Frye – February 17, 2014 – http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/02/17/the-culture-of-corruption-russians-pay-but-they-dont-like-it-2/] The Washington Post features Timothy Frye, Columbia University political scientist and Director of the Harriman Institute for Russia, Eurasian and East European Studies, writing on Russia’s culture of corruption: A central theme of the Sochi Olympics has […]

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NEWSLINK: Russia Struggles Past Norway to Make Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals

Sochi 2014

[“Russia Struggles Past Norway to Make Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals” – R-Sport – February 18, 2014 – http://en.ria.ru/sochi2014/20140218/187658612/Russia-Struggles-Past-Norway-to-Make-Olympic-Hockey.html] R-Sport covers Russia’s Olympic men’s hockey team as it advances to the final eight: Alexander Radulov scored two goals and an assist to help Russia to a 4-0 win over outsider Norway in the first round of the Olympic men’s hockey playoffs. In […]

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Russia Mends Georgian Ties as Sochi Heals Beijing Wounds

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Helena Bedwell – Februay 17, 2014) On the first day of the Beijing Olympics six years ago, war broke out between Georgia and Russia. The Sochi Winter games finds the neighbors on much friendlier terms. Georgia’s government is seeking to use the $45 billion Winter Olympics to revive ties, with Premier Irakli Garibashvili saying four days […]

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For Visitors and Residents, Olympics One Big Party

Sochi 2014

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – February 18, 2014) Every night of the Olympics, celebratory fireworks light up the dark sky above Sochi, a vivid reminder that what is purely a sporting event for television audiences watching from home is a non-stop festival for visitors on the ground. Since there are no sporting events in the […]

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Putin Watches Russian Hockey Defeat

Sochi 2014

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – February 17, 2014) Political overtones reared their head at the Sochi Winter Olympics on Saturday night as Russia and the U.S. played each other in a tense hockey game. After the Cold War hockey rivals found themselves tied 2-2 at the end of overtime, the U.S. team won after eight […]

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Sochi Notebook: Russian vs. Western Styles of Talking

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – SOCHI – February 17, 2014) Russians tend to become reticent when approached by reporters at the Winter Olympics. In contrast, North Americans and many Europeans show no qualms at all. They go up to reporters on their own initiative and are not wary about giving their last names. They also volunteer details […]

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NEWSLINK: Sochi Olympics – Tolstoy’s words ring true as Putin goes for Sochi gold

[“Olympics – Tolstoy’s words ring true as Putin goes for Sochi gold” – Reuters – Timothy Heritage – February 14, 2014 – http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/us-olympics-halfway-idUSBREA1D0VN20140214] Reuters covers the Sochi Olympics, commenting that at least some concerns voiced prior to the Olympics seemingly have been mitigated: For all the talk of war from Islamist militants before the Sochi Games started, the Russian organizers […]

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Moscow Ready for Olympic Tourists. And Still Waiting

Aerial View of Moscow From Beyond Stadium, file photo

(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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Russians Uniting Around Sochi Offer Putin Return on Games

(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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NEWSLINK: Russians ‘reveal their soul’ with love of figure skating

Sochi 2014

[“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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NEWSLINK: Olympics: Ice Hockey: U.S. vs. Russia far from David and Goliath Tale

Sochi 2014

[“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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Putin Revels in Sochi Spotlight as Olympic Criticism Wanes

Sochi 2014

(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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NEWSLINK: Shape Up Sochi

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

[“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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Sochi Marks the Return of Soviet-Style Megaprojects

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(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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Interfax: Russian president’s spokesman says proud of Sochi Olympic infrastructure

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(Interfax – Moscow, February 10, 2014) The scandals and nerve-wrecking events surrounding the Olympics have faded into the background, replaced with pride for the facilities constructed, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitriy Peskov has said. “This is an utterly extraordinary event. I am looking at what is happening and a sense of pride overtakes me. And all the nerve-wrecking things, all the […]

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Interfax: Ice hockey draws special interest at Sochi Olympics – IOC

Sochi 2014

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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Sochi Security Gets High Marks

Sochi 2014

(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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RIA Novosti: Russian State TV Journalist Plagiarizes Nationalist Website

Kremlin and Saint Basil's

MOSCOW, February 10 (RIA Novosti) – A reporter for Russia’s leading television channel admitted lifting huge chunks of a nationalist report about the Sochi Olympics’ opening ceremony for use in her own report, which aired over the weekend. Irada Zeinalova said she quoted a report by Kremlin-bashing web resource Sputnik & Pogrom without attribution for a broadcast on Channel One. […]

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TRANSCRIPT: [Putin] Meeting with the Public Council for the Preparation of the 2014 Winter Olympics

Sochi 2014

(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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Separatist Games for U.K. and Russia

(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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Service with a smile: Sochi brings a breath of fresh air

Sochi 2014

(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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Putin Wins Patriotic Gold in Sochi

Sochi 2014

(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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Shared Fame and Shame at the Sochi Olympics

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(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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Interfax: Show during Sochi Olympics opening ceremony designed as story about Russia – author

Sochi 2014

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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Sochi Winter Olympics kick off as the Games of Hate

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(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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Top 20 must-see attractions to make your Sochi experience complete

Sochi 2014

(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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Deputy prime minister calls Sochi Olympics Russia’s biggest investment project

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(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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Sochi Ready for Some, Not for Others

Sochi 2014

(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: Putin’s spokesman downplays Sochi problems

File Photo of Sochi Olympics Banner Near Highway in Warm Weather with Vehicle and Cyclicsts Nearby

(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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57% of Americans Think Sochi Terror Attack Is Likely, Poll Says

Sochi 2014

(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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What to Expect at Sochi’s Opening Ceremony

Sochi 2014

(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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TRANSCRIPT: [Putin] Visit to Persian Leopard Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre

Sochi 2014

(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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Gazprom Overspending Dwarfs Sochi Costs, Expose Says

File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

(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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RIA Novosti: Half of Russians Approve of Hosting Olympics in Russia

Sochi 2014

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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