Note: This is my 47th special Window on
Eurasia about the meaning and impact of the planned Olympiad on the nations in
the surrounding region. These WOEs,
which will appear each Friday over the coming year, will not aim at being
comprehensive but rather will consist of a series bullet points about such
developments. I would like to invite
anyone with special knowledge or information about this subject to send me
references to the materials involved. My
email address is paul.goble@gmail.com Allow me to express my thanks to all those
who already have. Paul Goble
Is Putin Reprising
His KGB Role at the 1980 Moscow Games? According to Moscow commentator Vladimir
Abarinov, it is said that in 1980 Vladimir Putin, then a senior lieutenant in
the KGB, played a role in providing security for the Moscow Olympiad. And
Abarinov conclude that the Russian president is insisting on many of the
security arrangements for Sochi on the basis of his experience then. If so,
that could lead the organs now to place a disproportionate stress on physical
security rather than on the sharing of information and possibly lead to
provocations against groups with which the Kremlin is at odds. That is because,
the Grani commentator continues, if one feels oneself in a fortress under
siege, one’s “first duty is to find an internal enemy” (grani.ru/opinion/abarinov/m.223213.html).
Putin Will Do Whatever’s Necessary, From Repressions to Concessions, to Make Sochi a
Success, Commentator Says. Tatyana Stanovaya, a senior analyst at the Moscow Center
for Political Technology, says that Vladimir Putin will do whatever he has to
in order to ensure that the Sochi Games are a success, ranging from greater
repression to new concessions to the opposition (politcom.ru/17007.html).
US State
Department Urges Americans Visiting Sochi to Be ‘Vigilant.’ Those who go to
the Sochi games should be vigilant, the US Department of State says, because of
the possibility of terrorist attacks in the region. While there is no evidence
that US citizens are being targeted for attack, the State Department says, Americans
travelling to Sochi should be aware of the risk and also of the presence of
security forces around them. They should also be aware, the warning continued,
that medical care may be of a lower standard than they are accustomed to (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_6258.html and kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236483/).
CDC Warns
American Visitors to Sochi of Health Risks, Medical Shortcomings. The Center for Disease Control has issued a
warning to Americans planning to go to the Sochi Olympiad about the health
risks they may face there and about problems with medical care in the Russian
Federation. Among the advice the CDC
gives is that any American having sex there should wear a condom (vesti-sochi.tv/olimpiada/22269-amerikancam-sovetujut-ostorozhno-perehodit-sochinskie-dorogi-i-ne-chihat-na-urorte-v-ruku).
Almost a Third
of Sochi Tickets Remain Unsold.
In an indication that there may be empty seats at Sochi because of
concerns about security or other issues, 30 percent of the tickets for the
Olympics remain unsold, according to Russin officials. Tickets are available for almost all events
and higher-end tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies remain available
as well. In contrast, the 2012 London
Games sold out early, and at the last winter games in Vancouver, all but
110,000 of 1.5 million were sold. Another indication of weak sales and even weaker
attendance is the increasingly large resale market where those who bought
tickets earlier either because they planned to go or hoped to profit from
resale (en.rsport.ru/olympics/20140116/715554374.html and businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-15/sochi-olympics-ticket-sales-are-on-a-downhill-slope).
Medvedev Says
‘Practically All’ Olympic Objects are Ready and Have Been Tested. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says
that “practically all objects are ready and have passed a serious checking ...
In general and on the whole, everything is working” (ria.ru/sochi2014/20140116/989537809.html).
Despite Moscow’s
Claims, All is Not Ready for Opening of Games.
The Russian government and its spokesmen routinely insist that
everything is ready for the games, but photographs of Sochi facilities posted
online, the hiring of 2000 workers from outside at the last minute, wages for
Olympic sites now 50 percent higher than the city average, and the use of
Soviet-style “forced voluntary” labor underscores that things are not yet
completely ready. What is especially striking is that photographs released by
officials to show completion in fact show just the opposite (blogsochi.ru/content/fotografii-sochi-s-bespilotnika, vk.com/blogsochi_ru?w=wall-5042747_42375, blogsochi.ru/content/olimpiiskie-obekty-postroyat-bezrabotnye-metallurgi-iz-zlatousta, svpressa.ru/society/article/80344/?vkb, privetsochi.ru/blog/komunalka/40332.html,
sochinskie-novosti.com/%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8B-%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0/, blogsochi.ru/content/olimpiiskaya-rabota-tsenitsya-v-sochi-v-poltora-raza-vyshe and http://blogsochi.ru/content/olimpiiskaya-butaforiya-chast-%E2%84%962).
Thirty Thousand
Gastarbeiters Still in Sochi, Kozak Acknowledges. Deputy Prime
Minister Dmitry Kozak who is overseeing the Sochi Olympics for Moscow says that
there are still 30,000 gastarbeiters in Sochi despite his earlier pledges to
have all of them out first in November and then December. Most of them are
working on Olympic infrastructure projects that are still not completed (sochinskie-novosti.com/%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BD-%D0%B2-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BE/).
Moscow Puts
Sochi Protest Site Seven Miles from Nearest Olympic Venue. After Russian
President Vladimir Putin promised to allow demonstrations in Sochi if the FSB
and local authorities approved, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak who is
overseeing the Sochi Olympics for Moscow announced that “the protest zone”
would be located in Khost, seven miles or 12 kilometers from Olympic sites. The
site is located on a street named for the 50th Anniversary of the
USSR. Kozak said that “at the park in Khosta, people will be able freely to
express their opinions without violating the rights of other citizens or the
Olympic charter” (washingtonpost.com/world/europe/sochi-protest-zone-set-far-from-olympics-arenas/2014/01/10/188003c4-79ff-11e3-a647-a19deaf575b3_story.html).
Kozak Promises
All Wage Arrears in Sochi Will Be Eliminated by January 14. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak who is
overseeing the Sochi Olympics for Moscow said that he will ensure that all
Sochi workers who are owed wages will be fully paid by January 14. At the same time, the local authorities set
up a hot line for workers to complain about this, although the issue has been a
lively one for more than a year (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236444/ and sochiadm.ru/press-sluzhba/25810/).
Kozak Says Sochi
Air Now Twice as Clean as It Was but Photos Show Otherwise. Deputy Prime
Minister Dmitry Kozak who is overseeing the Sochi Olympics for Moscow said that
the air in Sochi is now twice as clean as it was before Olympic construction
began, but local residents and the photographs they have posted online suggest
otherwise (privetsochi.ru/blog/bred_sochi/40305.html).
Kozak Says
Olympics Cost Seven Billion US Dollars and No Funds Were Misused. Deputy Prime
Minister Dmitry Kozak who is overseeing the Sochi Olympics for Moscow said that
the Sochi Olympics had cost just seven billion US dollars, far less than all
outside experts have said but the figure Vladimir Putin is apparently insisting
on. In addition, he said that no money had been corruptly diverted. Kozak thus
added his support to the head of Russian Railways who wants to sue IOC member
Gian-Franco Kasper for saying the Sochi Games cost far more and did so in part
because of corruption (sochi2014.rsport.ru/sochi2014/20140116/715540385.html and privetsochi.ru/blog/OlympicRu/40573.html).
Foreign Intelligence
Agencies Offering to Help in Sochi Security Seen Threatening Russia. That the
Russian government has not taken the proper steps to ensure security at Sochi
is beyond question, according to one Russian blogger, but that does not mean
that Russians should not question the agendas of the several foreign
intelligence services that will be sending their agents to Sochi. The blogger asks whether they will really
help with security or alternatively promote protests and undermine the Russian
authorities (raznesi.info/blog/post/11336).
Going to Sochi
Games Will Cost a Russian Couple at Least 23,600 Rubles. A Russian couple planning to go to the Sochi
Games will have to count on spending 23,600 rubles (760 US dollars) for train
fare from Moscow, low-end hotel rooms and food, and tickets for the least
popular events, according to one journalist’s calculation. That amount is
roughly equal to an average Russian monthly salary. Those who want to fly, stay
at high-end hotels, and attend the opening or closing ceremonies or the most
popular events can expect to spend far more (svpressa.ru/sport/article/80622/).
Moscow Pulling
Security Personnel from Across Russia for Sochi Games. Moscow is sending troops from as far away as
Siberia and the Russian Far East to provide security at Sochi, at least in
principle leaving some of these regions at greater risk of a terrorist attack (siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/siberia-joins-national-effort-to-make-the-sochi-olympics-safe-and-successful/).
1300 Medical
Workers from Across Russia Will be in Sochi for Games. Possibly at
least partially in response to Western suggestions, including one by the US
Department of State, that medical care in Sochi is likely to be Spartan,
Russian officials have announced that they are sending 1300 medical workers
from Moscow, Tataarstan and the Kuban and that 350 of them have already
received special training (http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236720/).
Tbilisi Again Offers to Help Russia with Sochi Security. Georgian Prime
Minister Irakly Garbiashvili said that his government is ready to provide
assistance to Russia in the struggle against terrorism during the Sochi
Olympiad. If Russia agrees, “we will
only be glad” to do so, he said (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236717/).
Bulgarian
Leaders Will Attend Sochi Opening Ceremony.
Although
many world leaders are staying away from Sochi for scheduling or political
reasons, the president and prime minister of Bulgaria, the only country that
asked to join the USSR twice and was refused, have announced that they will
attend the opening ceremony in Sochi (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236714/).
Adler Railroad
Station Evacuated a Second Time.
Although officials have refused to say what happened, the railway
station at Adler has been evacuated twice in the last week, once on January 11
and a second time on January 12, as photographs of people standing outside the
station appear to confirm (blogsochi.ru/content/v-sochi-evakuirovali-lyudei-s-zhd-vokzala-adler and privetsochi.ru/blog/bred_sochi/40564.html).
Kirov Residents
Say Torch Running Past ‘Carrying with It Our Schools, Hospital and Pensions.’ When the Olympic torch passed through Kirov,
the police harassed local opposition figures, but some of those standing along
the route carried signs saying that the Sochi torch represented the one
trillion rubles Moscow has taken out of the pockets of Russians and thus,
“running past us are the schools, hospitals and pensions” Russians won’t get (svoboda.org/content/article/25227956.html).
Olympic Torch
Leads to ‘Theater of the Absurd” in Saratov.
Although Saratov residents were not unhappy that officials cleaned up
the city in advance of the passing of the Olympic torch, they were upset by the
pressure those same officials put on children and adults to show up alongside
the site and the fact that the trash that had disappeared returned after the
torch had passed (echo.msk.ru/blog/mikhail_shapovalov/1236064-echo/, video.sarbc.ru/video/3905.html and mcall.com/opinion/mc-russia-olympics-web-20140114,0,6873307.story).
Penza Officials
Pull Out All the Stops and an Adult Star to Boost Audience for Torch. Not only did officials in Penza cover a
broken down building along the route with canvas showing a newer and better
“Potemkin” building, but they very publically invited a woman who has appeared
in Russian men’s magazines to the event in the hopes of attracting more people to
the route. But th effort largely failed and residents complained about what the
officials were doing (https://vk.com/blogsochi_ru?z=photo-5042747_319571214%2Fwall-5042747_42359,
tvrain.ru/articles/fakelonosnye_derevni_kak_prjachut_rossiju_dlja_estafety_olimpijskogo_ognja-360320/ and leftpenza.ru/news/penzency_protestovali_protiv_olimpiady/2014-01-10-1169).
Olympic Torch
Route Shortened for Security in North Caucasus. Because of security concerns, Olympic
officials have announced that they have reduced the length of the route the
Olympic torch will travel and the number of bearers who will carry it in
Daghestan and North Osetia (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236679/ and kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236739/).
Vandals Destroy
Byzantine Church Ruins near Sochi.
As yet unidentified fortune hunters have destroyed much of the ruins of
a ninth century Byzantine church near Sochi (http://9tv.ru/news/item/45079).
Sochi is ‘Not a
Concentration Camp Of Course, But ...’ The influx of security officers from
across Russia is now so large that residents in Sochi are saying that their
city isn’t a concentration camp but it is on the way to becoming one. That
reflection is especially bitter now, they say, because some of the siloviki
coming in are behaving badly, including appearing in public drunk and
disorderly (privetsochi.ru/blog/sochi2014/40584.html).
Sochi Countdown
Clock Unexpectedly Stops Three Weeks Before Opening Ceremony. There has not been any official explanation,
but the Olympiad countdown clock in the center of Sochi has stopped working 22
days before the competition is scheduled to open (sochinskie-novosti.com/2014/01/16/).
‘Sochi 2014’
Playwright Says Russians told Her ‘There are No Gays in Russia.’ Tess Berry-Hart,
who wrote “Sochi 2014” about the travails of LGBTs in Russia, says that
Russians friends told her as she prepared that there were no gay people in
Russia or they were confined to St. Petersburg. Ultimately, however, mutual
friends opened the way for the conversations that became the basis for her
London play (howlround.com/sochi-2014-the-making-of).
Moscow has Time to Acknowledge Its ‘Bloody History’ in
the Caucasus, Canadian Historian Says. Carolyn Harris, a historian at the University
of Toronto, says that despite the attention the international community has
given to problems in Sochi, “President Vladimir Putin’s decision to downplay Sochi’s
bloody history within the context of the Olympics has received less attention.”
But “with the Opening Ceremonies a few weeks away, there is still time for the
Olympics to serve as an opportunity for Russia to acknowledge its violent
history in the region” (ottawacitizen.com/life/Sochi+bloody+history/9387206/story.html).
Sochi Officials
Beginning ‘Mass Killing’ of Homeless Animals. Despite expression of outrage by
animal rights groups in Russia and abroad and unkept promises by Russian
officials that they would build a pound to house animals rather than kill them,
these officials have launched what defenders of the animals say is “the mass
cleansing” of Sochi from homeless animals. These activists are appealing for
support so that they can get the dogs and cats off the street and prevent their
euthanization (privetsochi.ru/blog/helpanimals/40496.html).
Russian Courts
Reject LGBT Group’s Request for Permission to Demonstrate in Sochi. A Krasnoyarsk kray court has left in
place a Sochi court’s decision not to permit a demonstration by LGBT groups in
Sochi on January 26, an indication of the problems such groups are likely to
have despite Vladimir Putin’s recent promise that groups can organize
demonstrations if they get FSB permission (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236669/).
Sochi Mayor Plagiarized
Dissertation. Like
some other Russian officials, Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov has been exposed as
having lifted large segments of his dissertation from the work of others. His
violation of academic integrity, initially raised by Blogsochi.ru has now been
taken up by Korruptsiya.net, “Novaya gazeta” and Kompromat.ru (blogsochi.ru/content/mer-sochi-anatolii-pakhomov-%E2%80%93-plagiator).
Pakhomov Blamed
for Deforestation of Sochi. Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhmov by his actions and
inactions is responsible for the cutting down of “hundreds of thousands of
trees” in the resort city and its surrounding territory. For the construction of a single power
facility in Kudepsta alone, he authorized the cutting down of more than 2,000
trees (blogsochi.ru/content/mer-lesorub).
For Poorer Sochi
Residents, Authorities Redecorate a 1950s Barracks. As they watch expensive new buildings going
up arount them, some Sochi residents are expressing outrage that local
officials are simply lightly redecorating half-century-old barracks as the
housing for less well-off people. They describe one of these buildings as
tuberculosis breeding grounds (privetsochi.ru/blog/sitiproblem/40522.html).
Russia
Experiencing ‘Represssion of Olympic Proportions,’ Freedom House Warns. The western human rights organization Freedom
House has released a report detailing the ways in which “on the eve of Sochi,”
residents of the Russian Federation are suffering “repression of Olympic
proportions” (freedomhouse.org/russia-eve-sochi#.UtZ0GrRcUUN).
27 Nobel Prize
Winners Call on Putin to Repeal Anti-Gay Law.
Twenty-seven winners of Nobel Prizes in an open letter published in
London’s “Independent” call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to repeal the
“repressive homophobic legislation” which has sparked denunciations and
controversy around the world. Their letter has already drawn fire from Russian
commentators who say that the Western scholars are both interfering in Russia’s
domestic affairs and promoting immorality (independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/27-nobel-laureates-join-sir-ian-mckellen-to-protest-over-russias-gay-propaganda-ban-9057275.html
and ruskline.ru/news_rl/2014/01/14/oni_prizyvayut_ves_mir_k_sodomu_i_gomorre_te_k_vymiraniyu/).
West Said Using
Gays as Frontline Troops for New Cold War Against Russia. Russian
commentator Valery Panov says that Western governments are using LGBT activists
as frontline troops in their reopened cold war against Russia (stoletie.ru/tekuschiiy_moment/holodnaja_gej-vojna_110.htm).
Despite Local Opposition, Putin Orders 2019 Universiade
to Take Place in Krasnoyarsk. Residents and some officials in Krasnoyarsk
have opposed Moscow’s plans to have their city host the Universiade in 2019
because their city is already suffering from a deficit and many infrastructure
problems. But despite that, President Vladimir Putin has signed an order that
the competition will take place there (sobkorr.ru/news/52D5368749126.html).
NBC
Co-Host Says She Feels ‘Good Enough’ about Sochi Security. Meredith Vieira,who will co-host NBC’s
coverage of the Games, told “The Hollywood Reporter” that "I’d be
lying if I said I wasn’t [concerned about security]. But "I really believe
the Russian government is going to do everything it can to avoid that
situation. This is Putin’s baby and they don’t want anything
to go wrong. But that doesn’t mean things won’t happen elsewhere in the country
because I think those terrorists are given an opportunity and they will take
it." She concluded, “I’m basically assured that it will be fine. But it
may not be. I know that. But I feel good enough about it that I’m going to be
there for sure” (hollywoodreporter.com/news/sochi-meredith-vieira-security-concerns-670594).
Islamists
Could Attack Sochi with Drones of Their Own. Richard Lourie, who has written extensively
about Russia, says that “Russia's Islamist insurgents may attack the Sochi Winter
Olympics with drones. These will not be like the drones used by the
Americans, armed with Hellfire missiles. Rather they will be jerry-rigged
unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, of the sort easily available online
for a few thousand dollars. Such remote-controlled UAVs are probably
unstoppable at low altitudes and will not need much armament
to cause mayhem.” He speculates that the most likely occasion will be the
closing ceremony. That is because February 23rd “marks the 70th
anniversary of the deportation of Chechens, Ingush and others
from their homelands in the North Caucasus. That choice was either
an act of colossal ignorance or colossal arrogance,” he says (themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/vengeance-in-sochi/492569.html).
Environmental
Organizations Appeal to IOC about Russian Repression of Ecologists. Greenpeace Russia, World Wildlife – Russia,
and the UN Environmental Program – have appealed to IOC President Thomas Bach
to require Moscow to end the repression of Russian ecologists like Yevgeny
Vitishko. If the IOC does not do so, the environmental organizations said they
would appeal to other international organizations (ewnc.org/node/13432 http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236610/).
Circassian
Leaders Denounce Terrorism. The leaders of major Circassian organizations in
the North Caucasus and abroad have issued a statement denouncing terrorism and
any other criminal actions some may take for political goals. They said that
they remain committed to promoting the Circassian cause but would do so only
within the law and the principles of democracy (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236624/ and kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236613/).
Cossacks Double
Their Sochi Contingent. Russian
officials had planned to use 410 Cossacksa as guards during the Sochi Games,
but they have now announced plans to double that representation to 820, an
increase that suggests Moscow is pulling out all the stops to ensure physical
security in the Olympic venue (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236596/).
Sochi has Cost
Every Russian Two Months Salary, Blogger Says. President Vladimir Putin has spent on the
Sochi Olympiad an amount equal to 70,000 rubles, more than two months salary,
of every Russian man, woman and child, and one that could have been spent to
buy military equipment or improve the lives of the people, according to a
Russian blogger. And much of this money
has been corruptly diverted, he says, pointing to the bankruptcy of 25
companies, some of which may have been only shell corporations, over the last
12 months (blogsochi.ru/content/kto-vam-navral-pro-beshenuyu-stoimost-olimpiady).
Russian Weather
Forecasters Have Been Preparing for Sochi for Four Years. Roman Vilfand, the director of Russia’s
Hydrometeorological Center, says he and his colleagues have been preparing for
four years to make the best forecasts possible for the Sochi Games. He says
that there will be enough snow but notes that many competitors prefer
artificial snow instead (vestikavkaza.ru/articles/Sinoptiki-obedinilis-pered-Olimpiadoy.html).
Petersburg
Police Serving in Sochi Say They’re in Prison-Like Conditions. Some members of the St. Petersburg police
who have been transferred to Sochi in advance of the Olympics say that they
are being treated as if they were in prison, with bad living conditions and
extreme restrictions on their activities (nr2.ru/northwest/478826.html).
Sweden’s
Sports Minister to Skip Sochi Opening Ceremony. Lena Adelsohn Lijeroth, Sweden’s minister
of sports, says she will go to Sochi to support her country’s athletes but
will not take part in the opening ceremonies which she had had been
politicized by Russian President Vladimir Putin (http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/01/13/swedish-minister-snubs-sochi-olympics-opening-ceremony-calls-it-putin/).
Human Rights Watch Fears Conditions in Russia Could
Deteriorate After Sochi. Tanya Lokshina,
HRW's Russia program director and senior researcher, said in releasing an HRW
guide to the Olympiad that "What happens if -- God forbid -- everyone
forgets about Russia after the Olympics and all the eyes that are now focused
on Russia as the host country of the Olympic Games will be turned the other
way? We are seriously worried that, should such a situation occur, the
offensive against civil society, freedom of opinion, and independent
activists will be strongly advanced. The screws might be tightened
exceptionally severely. The only way to prevent that from happening is to
continue to keep our attention on Russia once the Olympic Games are
over" (rferl.org/content/sochi-olympics-rights-hrw-report/25228434.html).
Many in Moscow Worried by Growing Criticism of Sochi. Nikolay
Petrov, a poessor at the Moscow Higher School of Economics, says that the
many in Moscow’s expert community are concerned about “the growing wave of
criticism abroad of Vladimir Putin’s Olympic policy and the dissatisfaction
of Russians with the torch show and the enormous expenditures for the
competition itself.” This development suggests that the Kremlin
leader has made a miscalculation in how he has organized the games and that
this may have political consequences for him in the coming months, including
a possible challenge to his power (voboda.org/content/article/25228578.html).
FSB is Preparing to Block Protests More than to Prevent
Terrorism, Soldatov Says. Andrey Soldatov, Russia’s leading
independent expert on that country’s security agencies, says that the
security program that the FSB has put in place in Sochi appears to be more
about preventing protests rather than terrorist actions. He also says that the games are providing
“an excellent opportunity” for Russian counter-intelligence officers to
gather “personal data on so many important people” (cbc.ca/news/world/russia-s-olympic-security-to-set-new-surveillance-standard-at-sochi-1.2492247).
Sochi Fan Passport Requires Much Personal Information. The Sochi
Olympiad organizers have now put up a website about the fan passport they
have introduced in the name of security. It requires far more detailed
information than visa applications (https://pass.sochi2014.com/sochi/?locale=ru#tab_info).
‘Almost All’ Illegal Buildings in Sochi Have Been
Legalized or Torn Down. Russian officials say that “almost all” of
the many buildings erected in Sochi without permission or in violation of
city rules have been legalized or torn down. In place of many of those torn
down is new Olympics-related construction (maks-portal.ru/ekonomika-sochi/v-sochi-snesli-pochti-vse-nezakonnye-postroiki).
Russian Actor Who Said Gays Should be Put in Ovens
Calls for Ban on Homosexuality. Ivan Okhlobystin, a Rusian actor who
earlier called for gays to be put in ovens has now called on President
Vladimir Putin to restore the Soviet-era ban on homosexuality. His comments
have infuriated many but received support from others (pinknews.co.uk/2014/01/08/russian-actor-who-called-for-gays-to-be-put-in-ovens-urges-putin-to-ban-homosexuality/).
Heritage
Report Says US Should Help Moscow with Sochi Security. A report on security and counter-terrorism at
Sochi prepared by Heritage researchers Cassandra Lucaccioni and Ariel Cohen
says that the United States should provide “the Russian leadership and Olympic
council to put in place comprehensive counterterrorism measures to protect
the city of Sochi, the athletes, and the spectators while allowing an
exciting and competitive global event to take place” (www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/01/sochi-security-and-counterterrorism-at-the-2014-winter-olympics).
Putin’s Sochi Spending May Scare Off
Future Olympic Bids. One of the
consequences of the enormous price of the Sochi Games, Simon Jenkiins of “The
Guardian” says, is that many countries which might have been interested in
hosting the games in the future will decide against doing so. “In Rio, the
poor (and not so poor) are already rioting against the extravagance,” he
says. “In Sochi, Putin's gamble with international terrorism is already
proving lethal. As so far planned, Qatar will have footballers dying of heat
and stadiums left decaying in the desert like Ozymandias's ruins. It will one
day go horribly wrong. Perhaps then a brave ruler will have the guts to walk
away from this nonsense” (theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/10/sochi-winter-olympics-gods-of-sport).
‘A Caucasian
Olympics without Caucasians.’
Russia’s decision to place the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic on the
other side of its national security perimeter and the orders officials
reportedly have issued to residents of Daghestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia not
to travel to Krasnodar kray without special permission until after the Sochi
Games may mean that they will prove to be “a Caucasian Olympics without
Caucasians” (timur-kuashev.livejournal.com/171856.html and kavpolit.com/olimpiada-na-kavkaze-bez-kavkazcev/).
High Winds
Knock over Sochi City New Year’s Tree.
High winds have knocked down the Sochi city new year’s tree, and
residents note that no one has yet tried to put it back up (blogsochi.ru/content/upala-elka-i-davai-valyatsya).
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Sochi Games Have
Poisoned Abkhazia’s Relations with Russia.
According to a “Newsweek” account, Abkhazians are outraged that they
have been prevented from competing as a separate country at Sochi or from
earning money by working on Olympic construction or even from attending the
competitions. As one Abkhazian told the
American news weeksly, “you have to be careful with Russians. If you put your
finger in their mouth, they’ll bite off your arm right up to the shoulder” (mag.newsweek.com/2014/01/10/abkhazia-russia-olympics-sochi.html).
Circassians
Begin Commemoration of 150th Anniversary of 1864 Genocide. Circassians in Adygeya have held the first
memorial events to mark the 150th anniversary of the genocide
carried out against their ancestors by Russian forces. They say that they will
hold such events throughout the year and announced that whatever happens in
Sochi – and most Circassians oppose the games because they take place on the
site where many of their nation were killed -- the Circassians “will not forget
about the tragedy of their own people for a minute” (maykopkhase.blogspot.ru/2014/01/blog-post.html).
Security Gaps on
Rail Lines Confirmed. Experts have confirmed a report by Kuban
television last week that there are serious security gaps on the rail lines
leading into Sochi, gaps that could allow a terrorist to enter the city with
little risk of being stopped or even challenged (kavpolit.com/kak-by-chego-iz-sochi-ne-vyvezli/).
Low Public Trust
in Russian Media and Officials Allows Rumors to Spread. Many Russians
particularly in the North Caucasus do not trust what the largely
state-controlled media and officials tell them, something that is reflected
both in suggestions that Russian officials themselves may be behind recent
terrorist outrages, an unwillingness to believe the confessions of those
arrested for the Volgograd attacks, and the rapid spread of panicky rumors,
independent journalists say (kavpolit.com/panikery-raskachivayut-kavkaz/).
Competitors and
Fans at Risk of Ammonia Poisoning at Sochi Bobsled Track. According to Ecological Watch on the North
Caucasus, shoddy construction means that in the event of even a small accident
on the Sochi bobsled track, many competitors and fans could be at risk of
ammonia poisoning. The EWNC said that
contractors could have eliminated such a risk with proper planning but that
they had not done so and that the health of many could now be endangered (ewnc.org/node/13413).
Belgian Senate
Rejects Call for Sochi Boycott.
The Belgian senate approved a resolution rejecting a boycott of the
Sochi Games that representatives of the country’s Green Party had called for (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236423/).
Sochi Schoolboy
Says Pakhomov Should Go to Antarctica and Herd Penguins. Asked what he would like to tell Sochi Mayor
Anatoly Pakhomov, a schoolboy in the Olympic city said that he would like to
tell him to move to Antarctica and herd penguins, a measure of just how
unpopular Pakhomov now is (privetsochi.ru/blog/school_sochi/40325.html).
Metal Thefts on
the Rise in Sochi. Thieves are stealing copper and other metals
from construction sites in order to make money, a crime very common in the
Russian Federation in the 1990s but relatively rare now. Apparently, many construction sites are not
well-guarded and thieves have found it easy to make off with large amounts of
the valuable metals (privetsochi.ru/blog/warning/40285.html).
Novosibirsk
Residents Make a Sochi Out of Snow – Including Icy Palm Trees. In honor of
the Winter Olympiad in the subtropics, residents of the capital of Siberia have
build a model of Sochi out of snow, including palm trees! (vesti-sochi.tv/olimpiada/22209-v-stolice-sibiri-pojavilsja-ledovyj-olimpijskij-gorodok-s-palmami).
Circassians
Lumped with ‘Many Others’ in Cultural Plans for Sochi. According to a report posted on the
Circassian Voices webpage, there will be Circassian performers taking part in
the cultural programs in Sochi, but unlike Rusians, Cossacks, and Udmurts,
there is as yet no specific reference to them in Olympic planning documents
that have been made public. Instead, it is assumed they are being lumped
together with “many others.” “It is not clear
whether this omission is intentional or not. It is perhaps that we are not
looking in the right place, or missed something. Be that as it may, it seems
that although a substantive Circassian cultural component is scheduled during
the games, at the meta-level,” the report concludes, “the Circassians are being
ignored” (circasvoices.blogspot.com/2014/01/report-on-circassian-component-of_3.html).
Sochi Games have
‘Nothing to Do’ with Patriotism, Prestige or Health, Russian Blogger Says. Despite the
Kremlin’s claims to the contrary, the holding of an Olympic games in Sochi has
“nothing to do” with patriotism, prestige or promoting public health, a blogger
says.Consequently, there is no justification for the enormous sums of money
being spent on them (zakon.mirtesen.ru/blog/43249974000/zachem-nam-olimpiada?utm_campaign=transit&utm_source=main&utm_medium=page_0&pad=1).
Russian Economy
Likely to Suffer Post-Olympic Recession. Western and Russian experts say that
following the Sochi Games and the infusion of money into the economy that that
competition has represented, the Russian economy as a whole is likely to
suffer, although perhaps not as much as those of other Olympic hosts in the
past (svpressa.ru/society/article/80341/).
Moscow Seen
Preparing Anti-Georgian ‘Provocation’ at Sochi.Paata Davitaya,
the leader of Georgia’s European Democrats, says that Moscow is currently
preparing “a serious provocation against Georgia” to take place at the time of
the Sochi Games and likely involving the Abkhazians (abkhazeti.info/abkhazia/2014/1389376547.php).
Sochi Cartoons
Increasingly Sharp.
Russian cartoonists have had a field day with Sochi, but in recent days, their
drawings have become ever more significant as a form of public commentary. One
cartoon showed a man selling snacks and Sochi license plates to people trying
to drive into the city (blogsochi.ru/content/churchkhela-pakhlava-sochinskie-nomera). Another
showed rabbits being asked to vote for a fox as the only choice for their
leader (blogsochi.ru/content/o-vyborakh-v-sochi). A third
showed Putin using “smoke” from the Olympic torch to try to hide repression (twitter.com/FaraPussyRiot/status/421651057807093760/photo/1). A fourth
showed an Olympic torchbearer being blocked from entering Sochi by siloviki (twitter.com/ninaivanovna/status/421868916265058304/photo/1). And a fifth showed the four horse of the
apocalypse riding into Sochi, one of whom looked like a security officer and
another like Moscow Patriarch Kirill (privetsochi.ru/blog/Flood/40371.html).
Duma Preparing
New Anti-Terrorist Laws. In the wake of the Volgograd terrorist attacks and
in defense of Sochi, the Russian parliament is considering a package of new
laws that will increase penalties for terrorist actions, expand government
control over the Internet, and block anonymous funds transfer (sova-center.ru/misuse/news/lawmaking/2014/01/d28799/ and kavpolit.com/informacionnoe-pole-dolzhno-byt-nedostupnym-dlya-terroristov/).
Russian Energy
Minister Promises Sochi Electric Grid Will Be Ready by January 25. Pressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin
and at a time when more than 20,000 Sochi residents are suffering power outages
on a daily basis, some planned and many as the result of construction
accidents, Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said that his ministry will finish
“all work” on the grid by January 20 and have it cleared for public access by
January 25 (http://blogsochi.ru/content/vstrecha-vputina-s-ministrom-energetiki-anovakom and latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-2014-sochi-olympics-power-boost-20140110,0,7523849.story#axzz2q5KajCcP).
Fraudulent Poll
on Sochi Pulled Off the Internet. A poll that gave those who responded
few choices but to say they were awaiting the Sochi Games with enthusiasm
unless they put other was pulled after bloggers noted that, like many other
North Caucasus enumeration, the numbers listed totaled more than 100 percent.
One blogger noted that this finding makes Sochi only slightly less popular than
the ruling United Russia Party which received 146 percent in one election (echo.msk.ru/blog/echomsk/1235866-echo/, privetsochi.ru/blog/Flood/40306.html and privetsochi.ru/blog/Flood/40317.html).I\
Italian Olympic
Committee Member Criticizes US for Including Gay Athletes on Its
Delegation. Mario Pescante,
a member of the Italian Olympic Committee, said that it was “absurd” that the
US was sending “four lesbians to Russia just to demonstrate that in their
country gay rights [have been established].” Pescante said he is not against
gays but only against the politicization of the Olympiad (abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/senior-ioc-member-criticizes-us-choices-sochi-21546112).
Moscow to
Monitor Sochi from Space if Need Be.
Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov said the Russian
government would monitor Sochi from space if need be. Other officials noted
that responsibility for controlling the airspace over Sochi would be divided
among four different agencies, including the FSB and the Interior Ministry (ria.ru/incidents/20140110/988605097.html#ixzz2qC0p4fqu and
Sewage Leaks and
Trash Remain Problems. Despite official promises and some efforts, Sochi
residents continue to find new sewage leaks in public places and trash heaps
where they are not supposed to be (blogsochi.ru/content/kanalizatsiya-u-moremolla,kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236518/, privetsochi.ru/blog/eco-sochi/40507.html, privetsochi.ru/blog/eco-sochi/40489.html and http://blogsochi.ru/content/eshche-odin-olimpiiskii-vorovskoi-karer-sochi).
Sochi Residents
Continue to Struggle with Water and Power Outages, TV Cutoffs, Enhanced
Security, and Rising Prices. Sochi residents are increasingly angry
that their power, water and heat is anything but reliable, that their television
service has been cut off for several days, that the enhanced security measures
Moscow has imposed are making their lives more complicated, and that they face
rising prices, including what looks like price gouging by utilities seeking to
recover their own rising costs or to make a profit (privetsochi.ru/blog/Wailing_wall/40352.html,
kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/236619/, privetsochi.ru/blog/komunalka/40491.html, privetsochi.ru/blog/Wailing_wall/40296.html#cut, blogsochi.ru/content/spetsrezhim-%C2%ABolimpiiskii%C2%BB-chto-zapretili-v-sochi, privetsochi.ru/blog/bred_sochi/40564.html and privetsochi.ru/blog/elsochi/40561.html).
Two Million
People Have Viewed Film on Sochi Moscow Didn’t Want Shown. Because of the Internet, two million people
have viewed a film that the Kremlin tried to block nine months ago. Many have also viewed other films and film
clips critical of the Sochi games (privetsochi.ru/blog/Flood/40471.html, blogsochi.ru/content/olimpiada-vne-igry and http://svobodu-narodam.livejournal.com/682704.html).
Sochi Still has
Still Not Created a Barrier-Free Environment.
Russian Paralymic organizers have made serious strides in creating a
barrier-free environment in Sochi given the place from which they started, but
there are still many places where people with physical handicaps will find it
difficult or impossible to gain access (sochinskie-novosti.com/%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F-%D1%81%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B0/).
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