The recent bombings in Volgograd and a car bomb in Pyatigorsk (3 dead) have captured the attention of the international community, not only because of the horrific nature of the attacks but because they have taken place in cities outside the Caucasus republics that are normally the scene of such attacks, and due to the […]
The state-owned oil giant, Gazprom, will host its holiday party at an Olympic facility, paid for by Gazprom. Other state-owned corporations have not pay for holiday parties. This was originally published in the state-owned RIA Novosti, which is soon to become “Russia Today,” or Russia Segodnya. — Ed. The gas monopoly will time its Christmas corporate […]
This editorial ran in Vedomosti, a Russian business news agency started by the Dow Jones, the Financial Times, and the owners of the Moscow Times. — Ed. The upcoming Olympics in Sochi creates new opportunities for the struggle for political influence and financial flows in the North Caucasus. In addition to the usual news about […]
In a blow to President Vladimir Putin, German President Joachim Gauck’s has declined an invitation to attend the Sochi Olympic games. President Gauck’s gesture is also a boost for opposition leaders who believe the attendance by foreign dignitaries at the games would legitimize Putin and give tacit acceptance to his mounting campaign against Russia’s democracy […]
One of the many scandals related to the construction of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the environmental impact of the project has been flagged by many experts. But it’s not just the environment that is in danger. Heavy rains and high risks of landslides have already washed away construction sites, and there are fears […]
The following is a translation a report written by opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and Solidarity activist Leonid Martynyuk, detailing allegations of rampant corruption in the preparations for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics The original excerpted report was published on July 7, 2013. A significant update, with many new findings and some eyeopening headlines, has been published […]
The Russian government may be moving to ban a coloring book in advance of the Sochi Olympics. We believe that the book in question talks about how same-sex couples are discriminated against in Russia, and are even beaten. It is interesting that the pro-Kremlin Izvestia makes no specific mention of the book in question, however, […]
A foreign journalist was briefly detained by the Federal Security Services (FSB) in Sochi yesterday, her audio recorder was temporarily confiscated, and her passport information was scanned by authorities. This is hardly the first time that press freedom in Sochi has been challenged, raising concerns that journalists will continue to be the target of Russia […]
The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics cost approximately $1.8 billion to put on, and generated over $2.5 billion in gross domestic product. The installation and removal of the signs and symbols at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olmypics will cost up to $1.4 million. The Sochi Olmypics may be the most corrupt sporting events ever held, as […]
The Russian website “Sochi 24” is focusing a lot on weather reports these days, especially since the Winter Olympics, which start in a few short months, are taking place in an area that has been having weather similar to the sub-tropics. Though this forecast is for Moscow, Sochi is actually 1,600 kilometers south of the […]
