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.

Protests in Ukraine

Protests have gone on in Kiev for the last month, hoping to reverse the government's decision to move away from the EU.

I don't know if you've heard, but there have been massive protests in Ukraine's capital city, Kiev. After moving toward friendlier relations with the European Union, Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, announced in late November that Ukraine would not sign the agreement with the EU. Protests began almost immediately.

From Wikipedia

Called Euromaidan, protesters have taken up residence in Independence Square, calling for the resignation of the President and generally decrying the corruption of the government. Riot police made an attempt on November 30 to remove the protesters, but the resulting violence only strengthened national and international support for the protestors.

Protesters in Independence Square, by Nwssa Gnatoush via Wikipedia

The protestors have blockaded Independence Square and two rallies have gathered over 200,000 protesters. The protests have been going strong for over a month now and have garnered support from many of the countries of the EU, the US, and numerous organizations in Ukraine, including some state run museums.

Have you heard about these protests? What do you think should happen next?

For some more information, check out:
Q&A: Stand-off in Ukraine over EU Agreement from BBC News
"Our History Museums will Include the Events of These Days" from The Uncataloged Museum

Share Spotlight: Accessibility to Inclusion: The Next Step

This week's Share Spotlight comes from Museum Matters, the official blog of my Intro to Museums class:

Accessibility to Inclusion: The Next Step

This week's topic in my Intro to Museum Studies class was inclusion: how do we make sure everyone can enjoy our museum? 

It's an important question.

Inclusion can mean a lot of different things because it can refer to a number of different groups. If you want to include an ethnic group, you'll do different things than if you want to include a group of people who are sight-impaired.

But whatever you do, it's important that it's sustainable. A special exhibit smacks of tokenism. While it may draw visitors in once, is it really likely to keep them coming back?

Do you have any suggestions? What programs or infrastructure do different groups need to feel comfortable in a museum? What have other fields done to promote inclusion?