LOCATED BETWEEN THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS AND THE BLACK SEA, SOCHI IS RUSSIA'S BIGGEST SUMMER RESORT AND A POPULAR WINTER DESTINATION. AND NOW SOCHI IS THE HOST FOR THE 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS

Thursday

Russian Poverty and the Winter Olympics

THE PUTIN GAMES

Russian authorities last week announced the latest costs related to the games, saying total spending would come to about $51 billion, which would make Sochi the most expensive Olympics in history.
With the Winter Olympics a year away, IOC President Jacques Rogge praised Sochi organizers on Wednesday and defended the

$51 billion price tag.

Just a little research will convince you that many people in Russia are very poor.

The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.



Putin came to power in a time of great corruption. 
Some claim Vladimir Putin is the richest man on earth.

Validmir Putin Palace

But Putin wants to fool the world into thinking Russia is a great country. It is a great place to live for a select few.

I wonder what Putin would do if most countries boycotted the 2013 Sochi Olympics.

In a perfect world that is what we should do. He is a dictator in ever sense of the word.

How will the Olympic games help the average Russian??

The venue for the Ski Jumping competition will cost approximately $265 million ! 4-5 times more than projected.
So much money spent on a "sport" that most people will never participate in!!!


What a shame.

All About Sochi

Great site for Discovering all about Sochi at CBC:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/discoversochi/


Wednesday

Sochi Winter Olympics Volunteers


No wonder the Sochi Winter Olympics needs so many volunteers!!!
With at least $50 billion in public and private cash being spent on the Games, Sochi is expected to surpass Beijing 2008 as the most expensive Olympics in history. That figure is five times the original estimate.

An army of 25,000 volunteers, ready and willing to work long hours without pay. With more than 160,000 applications to date, the competition to become a volunteer is rather Olympian.
The Russian word for volunteer -- "dobrovolets". The fashionable word to use now is "voluntyor," 

The world's attention will turn to the likes of Kulagina and this Black Sea resort when it hosts the Olympic Opening Ceremony one year from Thursday.


Mikhail Mordasov / AFP - Getty Images