The truth about those hotels, stray dogs and terror threats
SOCHI, Russia — On Thursday, Dmitry Kozak, deputy prime minister of Russia, took his seat on the dais at the front of a large theatre inside the main press centre in Sochi.
The days leading into the opening ceremony had been unkind to Russia’s first attempt at a Winter Olympics: stray dogs being shot or poisoned; persistent concern about terrorist threats; construction debris along main thoroughfares; hotels losing reservations. (Hotel stories had become something akin to trading pins around Sochi, to be swapped enthusiastically when in groups.) Kozak brushed it aside.
“Millions of people will be interested in learning about our country,” he said. “Russia has waited a long time for an Olympic Games and I think it is our right to host this event.”
Postmedia reporter Sean FitzGerald answers the questions raised in the final days leading up to the opening ceremony:
Why have visitors been complaining?
It has to do with the accommodations. Several hotels had clearly opened days — perhaps even hours, in some cases — before visitors started streaming in from the airport. For the most part, it was the details: a missing shower curtain, missing light bulbs, absent towels, disconnected televisions. And there were also more pressing concerns: doorknobs falling off the door, locking guests inside the room; yellowtinged drinking water unsafe for use; and, in one notable case, something that appeared to be dried semen waiting on the sheets when a guest checked in. Construction has continued at a frenzied pace. Empty shells are becoming restaurants and storefronts overnight. The details are still being worked out. And a report in The Wall Street Journal suggests the Russians might be highly interested in details, with Kozak seeming to indicate the government is spying on hotel guests when they shower.
Does that mean Sochi is a terrible Olympic host?
Not at all. As International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told a room full of reporters, it is “a little bit premature at this stage to say it’s a failure.” The venues look finished and ready. The volunteers have been friendly and the athletes have been glowing in praise of how close they are to those venues. Once the sports begin, the athletes will replace the stray dogs and incomplete hotels as the stars of Sochi. (Hopefully, anyway.) Is it safe to be in Sochi? Authorities in the United States reportedly issued a warning bombmaking materials could be smuggled aboard Russia-bound flights in toothpaste tubes. This follows reports last month that Russian authorities were on the lookout for potential suicide bombers in the area, including one who appeared to have made it into Sochi itself. In North America, athletes spoke of leaving their families at home, out of concern for their safety. On the ground, inside the Olympic bubble, it feels safe. Military, police and other security personnel are said to number into the thousands, but it is rare to see anyone carrying a gun. Drones have been spotted overhead, and there has been a hum of helicopters over the Olympic Park. If the security is indeed as heavy as promised, it has been inconspicuous.
Has the Russian government maintained its anti-gay stance?
Yes. Russia passed legislation against vaguely defined gay “propaganda” last year, and it remains on the books. “We are all grown-ups and every adult has their own right to understand their sexual activity,” Kozak said through a translator. “Please, do not touch the kids, that is the only thing. That is prohibited by law in all countries no matter whether you are straight or gay.”
And what about those stray dogs?
They are everywhere, even inside the Olympic Park, near the venues. Anecdotally, their numbers seem to have been decreasing as the opening ceremony approaches. Officials have acknowledged the dogs have been rounded up, but only to be relocated elsewhere, assuming they are healthy. (Only sick dogs are being killed, Adams said.) On Thursday, The New York Times reported a Russian billionaire is financing a shelter in a bid to save some of the dogs. “Everybody here wants a shepherd or a pit bull,” shelter worker Nadezhda Mayboroda told the Times. “Nobody wants just a mixed dog.”
What will become of Sochi when the circus leaves town?
Sochi has long been a resort town of choice during summers in Russia. Now, it has become a resort town with billions of dollars in new infrastructure. (Kozak claimed the government has invested $3 billion into the Games, against reports claiming the actual cost is closer to $51 billion.) “We have already agreed with international sporting organizations that we will hold big world championships in different sports,” Kozak said. “There will be a Russian Disneyland which will be the biggest theme park we have here.” So, there.