Alexei Balashov exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
In the middle of March, the coordinating commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and seven representatives of international federations of Olympic Winter sports visited Sochi for next-to-last time. The chairman of the IOC commission Jean-Claude Killy expressed confidence that the Winter Olympic Games in Russia would be a success.
IOC officials are generous to praise the organization and leaders of the Olympic construction in Sochi. In February, Killy said in Sochi: “It is difficult to believe that promises which were made in Guatemala in 2007 are being fulfilled. There are few countries on the world, which could provide such a program in six years.” However, there was a negative moment. The Executive Director of the Olympic Games Gilbert Felly paid attention to the ski-jump complex “Russian Rides”: “This is the only facility which needs a lot of work still; you should not lose but a minute. However, the general volume of works is fantastic.”
“Russian Rides” pushed people to an active discussion of the key question: will we be ready for the Olympics? During the top international inspection it was found out that a schedule delay was two years. The guilty was found quickly – the former main shareholder of Krasnaya Polyana Public Company.
Speaking about problems of construction, the vice-president of the Russian government Dmitry Kozak who is a supervisor of the Sochi Olympics explained that the company was headed by the chairman of the Board of Directors of Resorts of the North Caucasus Company and the vice-president of the Olympic Committee of Russia Ahmed Bilalov. Being surprised by delaying the construction and its appreciation from 1.2 billion to 8 billion rubles, Vladimir Putin ordered to dismiss Bilalov from all positions and find out reasons for the complex’s rising in price. Now launching of “Russian Rides” is planned for September 2013, instead of initial June 2011.
In early March, the Audit Chamber presented a report on financial preparation to the Olympics-2014. Auditors stated about overrating of construction of Olympic facilities in Sochi. They recommended to the Russian government “to register costs of checked sporting facilities, veracity of which is proved by the state expertise.” The Audit Chamber noted that preparation for the Olympic Games in Sochi last year was held in the context of “frequent requests from many investors to the state for additional financial support.” However, the pace of cost growing of construction of Olympic facilities is equal for both state budget facilities and private investment facilities.
A month later thunder over “Russian Rides” and certain organizational conclusions, the vice-premier Dmitry Kozak stated: “If we estimate the done work, I think we have passed at least 85% of the path. There are facilities which concern us. Now we are mobilizing our resources to finish them in scheduled terms. We are moderately optimistic that we will be on time.”
Perhaps IOC officials praise Sochi for reason. A really grand work was done in the resort city; and international officials will never praise anyone for nothing. As for cost cards of Olympic construction, they are growing from Games to Games. Vladimir Putin said that Russia invested into organization of the Olympics about $3 billion, another $3 billion were invested by private companies.
The program of using Olympic facilities after the Games was adopted a year before the Games. Investors unwillingly give away constructed hotels. It is still unclear what will happen with the project of Krasnaya Polyana which is under control of Sberbank. According to the mass media, it will shift from Magomed Bilalov to Mikhail Gutseriyev.
Nevertheless, there are more important questions today. All unfinished sporting facilities should be finished, all scheduled infrastructural facilities should be launched, the most important of which is the railway from Adler to Krasnaya Polyana.
