Sochi

[Haykakan]

I figured i would start this thread about the winter olympics here so we can discuss the upcoming games which are being covered by the western media with outright hate (disgusting) but not to worry for the Azeris are always there to make even the worst offenders look good. Of the four athletes representing the great historic power of Azerbaijan none are azeris and have hardly spent any time in that wonderous super duper power-thats some national pride right there.

[TomServo]

Re: Sochi

There's definitely mudslinging from Western journalists but I wish they'd concentrate their attacks more on the whitewashing of the city's Abkhaz and Circassian history rather than construction problems and lousy service from hotels and restaurants.

I would also like to learn about what Sochi's actual residents (rather than foreigners or outsiders) think about its status as host city.

[Haykakan]

Re: Sochi

Sochi has a sizable Armenian population.

SOCHI: THE RUSSIAN CITY WHERE I GREW UP

[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]

4 February 2014 Last updated at 02:52

By Rafael Saakov BBC Russian Fishing on the beach at Sochi Fishing
on the beach in Sochi as a Russian naval boat patrols in the Black Sea

The Sochi I remember was a summer resort where people came to swim and
relax on the beaches. But in winter it was dormant, with locals waiting
for the next peak season so they could rent out their apartments to
earn some money.

The city has gone through many changes during preparations to host
the Olympics.

In addition to the brand new sports venues, it now has a modern
airport, a new railway station and luxurious hotels. Many of the
street signs are now in English.

However, it is a different picture if you drive about 10 miles (16 km)
from the city centre, to the district in which I used to live.

The road, for example, is mainly a single lane.

Locals, who are used to huge traffic jams, hoped the road would be
widened before the Olympics, but this did not happen.

Soviet past

The Greater Sochi area sprawls for 90 miles along the shores of the
Black Sea and it claims to be the longest city in Europe.

Sochi mascots

The Sochi mascots wave to visitors

It is a place of great diversity, comprising multiple ethnic groups.

The Armenian community is the largest among them - almost 20% of the
local population.

For me, as an Armenian, the village of Altmets has the greatest
sentimental value. Its Armenian name, Nor Luys, translates as New
World and is often referred to as a small corner of Armenia in Sochi.

“START QUOTE

EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE BUILT HERE, WE HAVE BUILT ON OUR OWN. WE DID
NOT ASK ANYONE FOR HELP”

End Quote Artavazd Avdzhyan Local museum curator

Nor Luys has its own Holy Narek chapel, its own spring which provides
locals with clean mountain water, and a statue of Mesrop Mashtots,
the creator of the Armenian alphabet.

Most Armenians moved to the Sochi area from Trabzon, in what is now
Turkey, during the 19th Century. Many preserve their Armenian cultural
traditions, writing poems and playing hand-made musical instruments.

"Everything that we have built here, we have built on our own. We did
not ask anyone for help, we did not appeal to the city administration,"
says Artavazd Avdzhyan, the local museum's curator.

"We have nothing to do with the Olympic Games and we have nothing to
do with anyone from outside. We are living our own life. If anyone
does help, we say 'thank you'. At least nobody creates any obstacles
for us."

Historically, Sochi was famous for its mansions and estates which in
Imperial Russia belonged to famous merchants and aristocrats.

In the time of the Soviet Union, they were given to government
officials and party leaders.

Former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had his own summer residence built
personally for him. My school took children on excursions there when
I was a pupil.

Some of the sombre rooms and corridors have been kept as a museum
and remain unchanged.

You can still find the original oak, walnut and chestnut interior and
some of Stalin's personal items, including his bed and a horsehair
sofa. His desk remains too, with a telephone and a marine-themed
writing set made of black marble and crystal, Mao Zedong's personal
gift.

Lasting influence? Sochi at night

Sochi is now known for its night life as much as its beaches

While Sochi was once seen mostly as a city for summer holidays,
now many people come here for skiing or just for clubbing.

You can find many out-of-towners visiting Sochi's bars and clubs,
whose prices are now comparable to those of Moscow.

Five years ago, it was impossible to imagine it, but Sochi is becoming
trendy.

It even has its own local celebrities.

A childhood friend, David, is a champion in making candyfloss, while
simultaneously moon-walking to the music of his idol Michael Jackson.

Thousands of viewers watch David's videos online and each of his
performances in the city attracts an impressive crowd of spectators.

"Now people with a high status are coming to Sochi, and the city and
architecture here are also becoming high-profile," he says.

"It is important to live up to this image. I have always done my best,
because I love my city.

"We must learn to treat people with greater sincerity and understand
that if they come here with money in their pockets, we should guarantee
they will have fun here to make them enjoy their stay," he adds.

One of Sochi's main post-Olympic objectives is to maintain its new
role, without losing its old identity.

As a Sochi citizen, I would hope the Winter Olympics does not bring
about just a short-lived claim to fame.

HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/NEWS/WORLD-EUROPE-26022318

[Haykakan]

Re: Sochi

We have 4 athletes in these olympics with two having qualified and two with wildcards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia_at_the_2014_Winter_Olympics

[Mher]

Re: Sochi

I think the amount spent on the games is beyond ridiculous. Managing to outspend any previous Olympics and going more than four times your announced budget is too much. Doing things like this, something that our neighbors to the east specialize in, just opens the door for ridicule. The most ridiculous part is not the money wasted or the problems that arise despite the spending; It's the way your perceived by the outside world when you try to spend your way into status and dignity, like someone desperately trying to hide their insecurities, like some hillbilly who just won the lottery. Again Azerbaijan comes to mind in oh so many ways. It reminds me of some feudal time with the masses starving while the nobility spend everything to one each other up on some obscure measure. This money could have spend so much better. On infrastructure rather than these white elephants. Having said that, some mentions of the Circassian issue would have been good to hear. But as usual American media is too busy smelling up Britneys and Biebers ass to pay attention to actual issues.

[Mher]

Re: Sochi

Having said all that, moving beyond politics, it would be great to see Russia win gold in Hockey. It would mean a lot to the people, it would be a symbolic nod to Russia revitalization, and if it happens, I don't think a single person inside of Russia will care how much was spent and how much wasted.

[TomServo]

Re: Sochi

That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, Haykakan! Given their size and history, it is strange how neglected the Armenian communities of Abkhazia and especially Sochi are. I guess both places are kinda seen as backwaters, though perhaps the latter less so after the Olympics? And speaking of our neighbors to the east, didn't they prevent the community from erecting a General Andranik statue in Sochi a few years ago? Of course Mr. "Rise of Russia," speaking on behalf of the Armenian community of Sochi, considers expressing disagreement or disappointment with the Russian authorities' decision to be tantamount to anti-Russia (and by extension, anti-Armenia) propaganda.

[Haykakan]

Re: Sochi

Well keep in mind that unlike some other countries-Azerbaidjan and Russia are full of cash thus they can indeed afford extravagant spending to glorify themselves. Tom you should note parts of that post which show that this person is grateful to be where he is and that "nobody creates any obstacles for us." Also how many times do you see the USA mentioning the Indians whom they pretty much wiped out? Remember these Armenians came to Russia to escape the true murderer-the turk and have found not only safe refuge but also prosperity. It is easy to get lost in media hype and overlook the things that really matter.

[TomServo]

Re: Sochi

Russian-Armenian political scientist (and Putinist) Andranik Migranyan denying the genocide of the Circassians on Al-Jazeera's The Stream.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvzZvyiqYhM

Starts at about 6:30.

Around the 30 minute mark, he invokes the Armenian Genocide to deny the Circassian one and I had to stop watching.

[Haykakan]

Re: Sochi

Kind of off topic there Tom. I watched the pairs figurescating event with the Canadian couple doing a great job only to be outdone by an amazing performance by the Russian pair which scored the highest for that event in history. These were two outstanding performances to behold.