819 new infrastructural facilities are being constructed within the preparation to the Olympic Games 2014. The mayor of the city Anatoly Pakhomov told about it, noting 2012 will be a crucial moment in the Olympic construction.
Speaking about whether the population of Sochi is ready to be hospitable, kind and smiling to welcome guests, Pakhomov said: “I can’t imagine that the atmosphere of the city would change so much. People are changing. Today they are proud to be Sochi residents, they are proud of their country. I remember 2009, when 32% of the population was against the Olympic Games, as it caused disadvantages. And what is the current attitude? They are proud of the country and the city and that they are lucky to represent Russia in 2014. We have destroyed an awful market in Psou. To tell the truth, it should have been destroyed long ago, but people would have lost their jobs. Yes, they were of low quality and service was of low quality, but they lost it. As mayor I promise that all residents of Sochi will get jobs. And we are building another market, while reconstructing the market in Adler.
The idea of the Olympic Games is the idea of peace and humanism. And these ideas are alive. The Prince of Jordan is holding the camp “Generation for Peace” in Sochi for the second year in a row. In 2011 Georgian students participated in it. It is symbolic that at the closing ceremony a girl from Sochi sang a beautiful song about the city, while a Georgian boy played guitar. Students from Georgia and Sochi stood close to each other. They are our neighbors, even though today our relations are rather tense. I’m sure that the conflict between us will be settled due to the preparations for the Olympic Games. I told them: dear Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis and others, Sochi had been the main resort of the USSR for all of us, and it is still the main city for us. And the Olympic Games in Sochi are not only for Russian citizens, but they are yours as well. The Olympiad enables us to feel this. And it is great.”
Answering the question on when the international airport of Sochi will accept direct flights from Europe, Asia and US, the mayor said: “Today we have direct flights from Istanbul, and that is a window on Europe. We have a regular flight from Vienna. Of course, we have direct flights from post-Soviet republics: Armenia and Uzbekistan. Today 25% of our airport’s shares have been sold to a Singapore company, other shares have been sold to Sberbank, and I’m sure that the Singapore company will attract such flights. Of course there are some problems. But we hope that this year will be the turning point.”
Oleg Yasyug, deputy mayor of Sochi, told about a new product offered to tourists: “This year we are expecting some 4.5 million tourists. We think that 450,000 of them will come in winter, to the ski resorts and to the city itself.”
