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SOCHI: THE RUSSIAN CITY WHERE I GREW UP
[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]
4 February 2014 Last updated at 02:52
By Rafael Saakov BBC Russian Fishing on the beach at Sochi Fishing
on the beach in Sochi as a Russian naval boat patrols in the Black Sea
The Sochi I remember was a summer resort where people came to swim and
relax on the beaches. But in winter it was dormant, with locals waiting
for the next peak season so they could rent out their apartments to
earn some money.
The city has gone through many changes during preparations to host
the Olympics.
In addition to the brand new sports venues, it now has a modern
airport, a new railway station and luxurious hotels. Many of the
street signs are now in English.
However, it is a different picture if you drive about 10 miles (16 km)
from the city centre, to the district in which I used to live.
The road, for example, is mainly a single lane.
Locals, who are used to huge traffic jams, hoped the road would be
widened before the Olympics, but this did not happen.
Soviet past
The Greater Sochi area sprawls for 90 miles along the shores of the
Black Sea and it claims to be the longest city in Europe.
Sochi mascots
The Sochi mascots wave to visitors
It is a place of great diversity, comprising multiple ethnic groups.
The Armenian community is the largest among them - almost 20% of the
local population.
For me, as an Armenian, the village of Altmets has the greatest
sentimental value. Its Armenian name, Nor Luys, translates as New
World and is often referred to as a small corner of Armenia in Sochi.
“START QUOTE
EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE BUILT HERE, WE HAVE BUILT ON OUR OWN. WE DID
NOT ASK ANYONE FOR HELP”
End Quote Artavazd Avdzhyan Local museum curator
Nor Luys has its own Holy Narek chapel, its own spring which provides
locals with clean mountain water, and a statue of Mesrop Mashtots,
the creator of the Armenian alphabet.
Most Armenians moved to the Sochi area from Trabzon, in what is now
Turkey, during the 19th Century. Many preserve their Armenian cultural
traditions, writing poems and playing hand-made musical instruments.
"Everything that we have built here, we have built on our own. We did
not ask anyone for help, we did not appeal to the city administration,"
says Artavazd Avdzhyan, the local museum's curator.
"We have nothing to do with the Olympic Games and we have nothing to
do with anyone from outside. We are living our own life. If anyone
does help, we say 'thank you'. At least nobody creates any obstacles
for us."
Historically, Sochi was famous for its mansions and estates which in
Imperial Russia belonged to famous merchants and aristocrats.
In the time of the Soviet Union, they were given to government
officials and party leaders.
Former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had his own summer residence built
personally for him. My school took children on excursions there when
I was a pupil.
Some of the sombre rooms and corridors have been kept as a museum
and remain unchanged.
You can still find the original oak, walnut and chestnut interior and
some of Stalin's personal items, including his bed and a horsehair
sofa. His desk remains too, with a telephone and a marine-themed
writing set made of black marble and crystal, Mao Zedong's personal
gift.
Lasting influence? Sochi at night
Sochi is now known for its night life as much as its beaches
While Sochi was once seen mostly as a city for summer holidays,
now many people come here for skiing or just for clubbing.
You can find many out-of-towners visiting Sochi's bars and clubs,
whose prices are now comparable to those of Moscow.
Five years ago, it was impossible to imagine it, but Sochi is becoming
trendy.
It even has its own local celebrities.
A childhood friend, David, is a champion in making candyfloss, while
simultaneously moon-walking to the music of his idol Michael Jackson.
Thousands of viewers watch David's videos online and each of his
performances in the city attracts an impressive crowd of spectators.
"Now people with a high status are coming to Sochi, and the city and
architecture here are also becoming high-profile," he says.
"It is important to live up to this image. I have always done my best,
because I love my city.
"We must learn to treat people with greater sincerity and understand
that if they come here with money in their pockets, we should guarantee
they will have fun here to make them enjoy their stay," he adds.
One of Sochi's main post-Olympic objectives is to maintain its new
role, without losing its old identity.
As a Sochi citizen, I would hope the Winter Olympics does not bring
about just a short-lived claim to fame.
HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/NEWS/WORLD-EUROPE-26022318
From: A. Papazian
[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]
4 February 2014 Last updated at 02:52
By Rafael Saakov BBC Russian Fishing on the beach at Sochi Fishing
on the beach in Sochi as a Russian naval boat patrols in the Black Sea
The Sochi I remember was a summer resort where people came to swim and
relax on the beaches. But in winter it was dormant, with locals waiting
for the next peak season so they could rent out their apartments to
earn some money.
The city has gone through many changes during preparations to host
the Olympics.
In addition to the brand new sports venues, it now has a modern
airport, a new railway station and luxurious hotels. Many of the
street signs are now in English.
However, it is a different picture if you drive about 10 miles (16 km)
from the city centre, to the district in which I used to live.
The road, for example, is mainly a single lane.
Locals, who are used to huge traffic jams, hoped the road would be
widened before the Olympics, but this did not happen.
Soviet past
The Greater Sochi area sprawls for 90 miles along the shores of the
Black Sea and it claims to be the longest city in Europe.
Sochi mascots
The Sochi mascots wave to visitors
It is a place of great diversity, comprising multiple ethnic groups.
The Armenian community is the largest among them - almost 20% of the
local population.
For me, as an Armenian, the village of Altmets has the greatest
sentimental value. Its Armenian name, Nor Luys, translates as New
World and is often referred to as a small corner of Armenia in Sochi.
“START QUOTE
EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE BUILT HERE, WE HAVE BUILT ON OUR OWN. WE DID
NOT ASK ANYONE FOR HELP”
End Quote Artavazd Avdzhyan Local museum curator
Nor Luys has its own Holy Narek chapel, its own spring which provides
locals with clean mountain water, and a statue of Mesrop Mashtots,
the creator of the Armenian alphabet.
Most Armenians moved to the Sochi area from Trabzon, in what is now
Turkey, during the 19th Century. Many preserve their Armenian cultural
traditions, writing poems and playing hand-made musical instruments.
"Everything that we have built here, we have built on our own. We did
not ask anyone for help, we did not appeal to the city administration,"
says Artavazd Avdzhyan, the local museum's curator.
"We have nothing to do with the Olympic Games and we have nothing to
do with anyone from outside. We are living our own life. If anyone
does help, we say 'thank you'. At least nobody creates any obstacles
for us."
Historically, Sochi was famous for its mansions and estates which in
Imperial Russia belonged to famous merchants and aristocrats.
In the time of the Soviet Union, they were given to government
officials and party leaders.
Former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had his own summer residence built
personally for him. My school took children on excursions there when
I was a pupil.
Some of the sombre rooms and corridors have been kept as a museum
and remain unchanged.
You can still find the original oak, walnut and chestnut interior and
some of Stalin's personal items, including his bed and a horsehair
sofa. His desk remains too, with a telephone and a marine-themed
writing set made of black marble and crystal, Mao Zedong's personal
gift.
Lasting influence? Sochi at night
Sochi is now known for its night life as much as its beaches
While Sochi was once seen mostly as a city for summer holidays,
now many people come here for skiing or just for clubbing.
You can find many out-of-towners visiting Sochi's bars and clubs,
whose prices are now comparable to those of Moscow.
Five years ago, it was impossible to imagine it, but Sochi is becoming
trendy.
It even has its own local celebrities.
A childhood friend, David, is a champion in making candyfloss, while
simultaneously moon-walking to the music of his idol Michael Jackson.
Thousands of viewers watch David's videos online and each of his
performances in the city attracts an impressive crowd of spectators.
"Now people with a high status are coming to Sochi, and the city and
architecture here are also becoming high-profile," he says.
"It is important to live up to this image. I have always done my best,
because I love my city.
"We must learn to treat people with greater sincerity and understand
that if they come here with money in their pockets, we should guarantee
they will have fun here to make them enjoy their stay," he adds.
One of Sochi's main post-Olympic objectives is to maintain its new
role, without losing its old identity.
As a Sochi citizen, I would hope the Winter Olympics does not bring
about just a short-lived claim to fame.
HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/NEWS/WORLD-EUROPE-26022318
From: A. Papazian