Sochi

The city of Sochi, Russia, a famous resort town previously known for visits of Russian Presidents and holding of Summits will be the host for the 2014 Winter Olympics and XI Winter Paralympics. Preparations for Winter Olympics XXII in February 2014 and the Paralympics in March 2014 are already underway. The 2014 games represents Russia's first time ever hosting the Winter events.

Sochi, Russia's most popular resort town is located in Krasnodar Krai, near the Russian border with Georgia. Krasnodar is Russia's third largest region. The name of the town is based on the Latin word, Sachi and dates back to the Byzantine Empire. The resort town became popular with the discovery of sulphur hydrogen springs in the area.http://www.sochi-international.ru/pages.php?id=1&pid=25&lang=eng

The town of Sochi, Russia, was introduced in a video made up of computer-animation mixed with live action footage of athletes. The promotional video combined science-fiction imagery with traditional Winter Olympics themes, and ended with the words "Welcome to Sochi" spelled out in ice.

As the Olympic preparations continue, Russians discuss further the reasoning behind their failure to reach the Gold Medals in skating in the 2010 Olympics. The major discussions centers around funding and economic issues during the early years of training for the current athletes. As funding issues continue to be discussed, more attention is given to whether Russia will be able to continue and pull off the Olympics. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2009/business_of_sport/8613999.stm

Sochi 2014 Zorbs, giant spheres maneuvered by people inside are to be a key part of the Vancouver closing ceremonies. The ceremonies will be appearing in both Vancouver at the stadium as well as Sochi so the two cities can enjoy the celebration together. Sochi's 2014 Tagline - Gateway to the Future will be presented in the closing ceremony as the youth join with the sporting legends of the Olympics.http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/Second+wave+Canadian+stars+perform+closing+ceremony+spoilers/2625140/story.html

The Mayor of Sochi, Anatoly Pakhomov will be present at the Vancouver closing ceremonies to accept the Olympic Flag from International Olympic Committee President (IOC) Jacques Rogge. During the ceremony attendees and those watching on television will be able to view an eight-minute video on Sochi.http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/Second+wave+Canadian+stars+perform+closing+ceremony+spoilers/2625140/story.html

The city of Sochi, Russia was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the host of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The announcement occurred on July 4, 2007 at the 119th Session of the IOC. Since this time Sochi officials have begun preparation to host the event. As the Vancouver Olympics close, Sochi awaits the transfer of the Olympic flag.http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Games/All-Future-Olympic-Games/Winter/Sochi-2014/

The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport event for disabled athletes. The events involve athletes with mobility disabilities, amputees, visual disabilities and cerebral palsy. These games follow the Olympic Games and will be hosted in Socho in 2014 in March following the February Olympics. The Paralympics are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). http://www.disabled-world.com/sports/paralympics/

• 1838- Railroad added along mountain region results in city of Sochi being built and accessible to the rest of Russia

• became part of Russia at the end of the Caucasian War

• 1987- City received honorary title of the " Envoy of Peace" by the United Nations Organizations http://www.sochi-global.com/sights/friendship-tree

• 1992 - Bush and Yeltsin Meeting planned for Sochi changed due to bad weather

• 2006 - Armenian Aircraft crash in Black Sea kills 113 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4970172.stm

• 2008 - Bush and Putin meet in Sochi for final meeting of the administration http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2008/0404/p01s08-woeu.html

Interested in how Sochi is preparing for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics? Stop by their YouTube channel and see how the construction is going. View videos including athlete interviews, Sochi 2014 Ambassador updates, and more. Subscribe to the channel to receive email notice when new videos are uploaded.

A famous Sochi tourist attraction, the Friendship Park is an area were trees are planted and additional grafts to existing trees are made by visiting famous people and world leaders from over 167 countries. The first graft was made by Arctic explorer O.Y. Shmidt in 1940.

The original tree was a grafted lemon tree by Fyodor Mikhailovich Zorin. His grafting was in attempt to obtain a frost resistant citrus tree. He used grafts of the Japanese tangerine tree, an Italian lemon, the American Grapefruit, Spanish orange, and Chinese kumquat for the variety. Shmidt found it odd that the tree bore different varieties of citrus fruits prompting him to make his graft contribution. The grafting is now seen as an act of the desire for friendship and peace. In 1975 the Soyuz and Apollo space crews planted two trees http://www.sochi-global.com/sights/friendship-tree

An adjacent museum was built in 1981 to display letters and souvenirs from around the world. The Museum houses and International Grafting School to teach visitors how to graft.http://www.hotels-russia.info/sochi.htm