Sea water in Russia’s Black Sea cities has warmed up enough to swim in. In Gelendzhyk area it is already 20 degrees C (68 F), and in Sochi it will reach 20C in the next couple of days. 18 degrees C is a good temperature to start swimming season.

Growing up in Sochi we’d always compete who will start swimming season earliest. My record was somewhere in March, at 11 degrees C :)

Based in Netherlands, European Technology and Investment Research Center (ETIRC) will help convert all Sochi’s busses to use hydrogen fuel. Contract with all the details will be signed by the end of this month, reports Max Media Group. The Dutch specialists will provide the technology to convert diesel and gasoline powered engines to use hydrogen fuel, and will build reservoirs and fuel stations around the city.

Fast sea ships will be operating between Sochi and Anapa, smaller Black Sea resort in Russia. These ships can reach speeds of 70 km/hr (44 mi/hr) and will operate during summer-fall seasons. The will also make stops in other sea-side cities.

Until the breakup of the Soviet Union, this was one of the common ways of transportation in Sochi. Because of the overloaded roads, and common visits of high-level international guests, I wish this was returned as in-town transportation, not just for long distance rides.

• Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov assured that security will be guaranteed in the event of Olympics in Sochi, replying to western newspapers’ comments about “explosive Caucasus region”. He said that 20 000 policemen, plus border guards, and special army units in the mountains will be ensure safety of the event. He also reminded about all the high-level events that are talking in Sochi, such as President’s Putin meetings with leaders of G8 and EurAsEC (EuroAsian Economic Community).
• Virtual non-existence of Olympic objects in Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi), what head of the International Olympic Committee called “a minus”, American architects call “a plus”. Its better to make all projects to comply to all the requirements of the IOC, international sports federation, environmental groups, etc., then to modernize existing to comply to these requirements, which will definitely will be needed to be done for the Olympic Games.
• Roger McCarthy, Co-President of the Vail Resorts’ Mountain Division, and Chief Operating Officer of Breckenridge – one of North America’s best winter resorts, will join Russian “Interros” company as Chief Operating Officer overseeing the development strategy of “Rosa Khutor” resort in Krasnaya Polyana.
• Sailing Cup of Russia took place in Sochi this week.
• High speed trains will begin operating in Russia by 2012, said the president of «Russian Railways» on his trip to Japan. Right now only two routes are planned: Moscow — St. Petersburg, and Moscow — Sochi, in case of the Olympics in Krasnaya Polyana. High speed trains are trains traveling with speeds over 250-300 km/hr.

In addition to the renovations, internet club, and a new bank branch inside, new post office now includes new electronic waiting system. Now, instead waiting in line, customers will select service type they need, and a ticket will be printed out; when their number appears on the display, they can go to the operator. Nineteen operating windows are available, 17 for any type of service and two are specialised. Internet access is designed for six work places and is equipped with the broadband connection.

Ecology council “Sochi-2014” has approved additional ecological initiatives which will become part of Federal Targeted Program for Sochi.

Among approved initiatives are development of complex system for water supply and water drainage, creation of educational and scientific centers that are focused on ecology, development of program to use renewable energy sources, creation of rehabilitation center for wild animals, and development of a system for complex ecological monitoring. It also includes programs for total waste utilization and zero-carbon balance.

Program for waste utilization assumes complete utilization of solid domestic and biological waste in the whole city. For the realization of this program all current waste dumps will be closed and land restored. New plants will be built for ecological waste disposal and recycling.

Zero-carbon balance program will be realized by using energy saving technologies on all objects of the energy infrastructure, each of which will be modernized to be able to use renewable sources of energy. Quotas will be imposed on the amount of greenhouse gases produced.

Complex system of ecological monitoring will be created to monitor environment during construction of Olympic projects. It will include regular inspections of construction sites and satellite monitoring. Special attention will be focused on monitoring Sochi National Park and its surroundings.

Wow, Sochi’s going greener than ever :) Exciting stuff…

«Metropolis-tour» company canceled some of their St. Petersburg sea cruises in favour of Sochi. Now eight of their cruises will start from Sochi and head to the Mediterranean Sea.

Over 70 companies from Russia presented their services during «Hospitality and recreation industry» exhibition which is taking place in Sochi. Also, the Third Open Sochi Culinary Championship will be part of the exhibition, and will have prizes for “Young chef” (for students of culinary schools), “Perfect chef” (for professional chefs), and “Art-class” (for cooks and pastry-cooks).

International contest of A.S.Makarenko (Makarenko was great Russian teacher and writer) for educational institutions, which each year takes place in a different city, is starting in Sochi on April 1st, and will bring together student teams from 40 Russian regions. During the event, Russia’s biggest publishers will present new educational literature. Guest list includes famous Russian academicians, doctors, and professors. Also, official from Italian embassy in Russia, Emiliano Mettini, will talk about education experiences in Italy.

«Dolmens are a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones (megaliths) supporting a large flat horizontal capstone (table). Dolmens were usually covered with earth or smaller stones to form a barrow, though in many cases that covering has weathered away, leaving only the stone ‘skeleton’ of the burial mound intact.»
– Wikipedia

The monuments date between the end of the 4th millennium and the beginning of the 2nd millennium B.C. — that’s older that Pyramids of Egypt! Read the rest of this entry »

Rosprirodnadzor — Russian federal service in supervision of natural resource use — will conduct examination of Sochi’s Federal Targeted Program which was designed to turn Sochi into true year-round resort by year 2014. The commission of experts will include scientists and representatives from independent ecological organizations.

Association members meet regularly with people who share a strong interest in learning about Russian Federation, our Sister City Sochi, and in promoting better ties between the two great cities and nations on a social, cultural and business level.

Members gain access to the Association’s established links to Sochi and elsewhere, thus accelerating their prospects in Russian Federation and Long Beach on a social, cultural, educational and business level.

Everyone is invited to participate in a variety of business, cultural, educational and social programs, all of which contribute towards fulfilling individual and Associate goals. Members also have opportunities to meet with delegations of Russian officials who visit Long Beach and other California locations.

Members receive discounted fares on occasional, Association-sponsored group trips and trade visits to Sochi and other Russian Federation locations.

JOIN TOADY!

I haven’t had a chance to write more Sochi news as im working to implement a new feature for my other website. But here a quick run down on what interesting had been happening in Sochi:

• Abkhazia asks for direct postal services from Russia. Because Russia officially recognizes Abkhazia as part or Georgia, all mail from Russia to Abkhazia goes through Georgia. Even from Sochi, which borders Abkhazia. Georgia, in turn, uses it as a pressure point on Abkhazia, which is virtually independent from Georgia since 1993. This results in people of Abkhazia asking others to send correspondence to Sochi’s post offices, and then they to commute to Sochi to pick it up.
• Sochi officials will lobby to get some of the Olympic projects construction contracts to local companies.
• Residents of Long Beach (CA), USA – Sochi’s twin city since 1990 – support Sochi 2014 bid.
• «Development of telecommunications in Russia» all-russian forum is scheduled to take place in Sochi in April.
• «Banks of Russia – 21st century» international forum is scheduled to take place in Sochi in September.
• Archeologists find ancient writings on Sochi’s dolmens

Rescue efforts restarted monday morning, but were later stopped due to the high risk of new avalanche in the area. The search is going on for three people apparently sighted by witnesses. But nobody was reported missing yet, all hotels in the area are being checked to see if anyone’s missing.

A group of at least four people was caught under avalanche today in Krasnaya Polyana. Rescue group could reach the place of the accident 30 minutes later and recovered ten years old child from under the snow, but doctors couldn’t save his life and he died another half hour later. The search for the remaining three persons continued until night, and will resume tomorrow morning. Additional groups of rescue workers from Adygea republic (10 people) and Krasnodar Krai (46 people) are coming to join Sochi rescuers (37 rescue workers from Krasnaya Polyana and a group of rescue workers from Sochi).

The accident occurred in the top area of ski-lifts operated by «Alpika Service» resort on Salymovsky Tsyrk mountain at 15:10 local time.

I hope they can save those people.

I guess this also means we’ll probably hear soon new accusations from the opponents of the Sochi’s Olympic bid and new government’s assurances to provide safety.