Winter Olympics Part III: Politics in Sochi

Politics has always played a part in the Olympics, and Sochi is certainly no exception. 

Ever since Sochi was announced as the host of the 2014 Winter Olympics in 2007, tensions have been running high. This is the first Olympics to be hosted in the Russian Federation since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Every eye has been on Russia and not everyone is liking what they see.

Here's a rundown of the major issues surrounding the 2014 games.

The Circassian Genocide
As I wrote in my last post, the area around Sochi was conquered by Russia in the mid 19th century, an event that ended in the deaths or expulsion of most of the native Circassians.Circassians around the world still remember the genocide and have called for the games to be moved or cancelled unless a formal apology is issued.

Circassians commemorate the banishment of the Circassians from Russia in Taksim, İstanbul
(Wikimedia Commons)

Putin's Anti-LBGT Stance
Check out any of the news sources and this issue will come up, fast. In July, Putin, Russia's President, signed a law that forbids any pro-gay "propaganda" anywhere accessible to minors. Humans Rights Activists have turned the Sochi Olympics into a platform to protest this law and numerous athletes and officials have expressed and are expected to express their disgust with the Russian law.

In front of the Russian Embassy in Helsinki, Finland. In 7 September 2013 a group of activists painted the pedestrian crossing stripes with rainbow colors to protest the Russian anti-LGBT sentimentality and legislation, notably the bans on "homosexual propaganda".(Wikimedia Commons)

Tensions with Georgia
This concerns events that happened during the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Even as the Opening Ceremonies were happening, Russia invaded Georgia. (It was much more complicated than I'm making it out to be, check out this NY Times article for more information) The conflict was short and brutal. Sochi is less than 25 miles from the region of Georgia that was invaded in 2008 and the Olympic security zone has been extended to include parts of Georgia, which has tensions riding high once again.

Terrorist Activities
Two suicide bombings in the region north of Sochi and two threats directed at the Olympics have everyone on high alert. The Caucus Mountains are home to known terrorist groups, including Chechen separatists and Islamist extremists (which may spring from the same sources), and others who feel the Games defiles the land of the native Circassians (see above). The Olympics are a world stage and are always at risk for violent demonstrations, but the Sochi Games seem more at risk than most. Putin has reacted by creating a strong security ring around Sochi (see the note above about the tensions with Georgia) and everyone involved is hoping for an uneventful Games.

On a lighter note, the Opening Ceremonies are tonight. If you live in the US, you can catch them on NBC at 7:30p Eastern. Sorry, NBC refuses to live-stream them.

Winter Olympics Part II: Sochi, Russia

Part II in my three(ish) part series on the Winter Olympics, today is all about the host city for the 2014 Olympic Games: Sochi, Russia.

Sochi, Russia lies on the west coast of the Black Sea, just a few miles west of the Caucus Mountains, one of the traditional divides between Europe and Asia (the others being the Ural Mountains and Dardanelles straights, if you were curious).

Location of Sochi, Russia on the Black Sea. (Wikipedia)

Due to its position on the Black Sea, Sochi enjoys a subtropical climate (roughly the same as the Southeastern United States), and is one of the few places in Russia you can see Palm trees.

Sochi from the Black Sea (Wikipedia Commons)

Beginning in the 14th century, the area, known then as Ubykhia, was controlled by the native people of the nearby Caucus Mountains, the Circassians, and was generally known as Circassia. During this time, the area was supposedly a part of the Ottoma Empire and the Circassians were predominantly a part of Sunni Islam.

In the mid 19th century, Russia, under the Tsars Alexander I, Nicholas I and Alexander II, began a push to expand its territory into Central Asia. The Ottoman Empire was expelled from the Eastern Caucuses  in 1955, but the Circassians continued fighting in the Western Caucuses until 1964, when Russia took complete control of the region.

Dombay, Caucasus, Russia (by acidka on Flickr)

After the Russian victory, the Muslim Circassians fled to Sochi and were expelled from Russia, generally into other parts of the Ottoman Empire. Numerous Circassians died during the flight and the expulsion and many Circassians today consider this an instance of genocide.

The city of Ubykhia was renamed Sochi in 1896 after a local river. In the first decade of the 20th century, Sochi began to grow into a resort town that would host numerous government officials and wealthy Russians through the harsh Russian winter. The town was favored by Stalin and a key tourist attraction is his Summer Residence, complete with a wax figure of Stalin himself. 

Sochi continued to be developed through the first part of the 20th century, but  didn't regain its status as the Summer Capital of Russia until after the fall of the Soviet Union and the loss of the Crimea to Ukraine.

Today, Sochi is home to more than 300,000 people and around 2 million people visit every year. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Russia,  home to more than 100 ethnic groups.

For more on the People of Sochi today, take a look at this National Geographic article: Sochi, Russia
And the USA Today feature: Where in the World is Sochi?