Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Sochi (Russian: Со́чи, IPA: [ˈsot͡ɕɪ]) info 2014 02 11.



Sochi (Russian: Со́чи, IPA: [ˈsot͡ɕɪ]) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Black Sea coast near the border between Georgia/Abkhazia and Russia. The Greater Sochi area, which includes territories and localities subordinated to Sochi proper, has a total area of 3,526 square kilometers (1,361 sq mi)[4] and sprawls for 145 kilometers (90 mi) along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains.[citation needed] The area of the city proper is 176.77 square kilometers (68.25 sq mi).[4] According to the 2010 Census, the city had a permanent population of 343,334,[5] up from 328,809 recorded in the 2002 Census,[11] making it Russia's largest resort city. It is one of the very few places in Russia with a subtropical climate, with warm to hot summers and mild winters.

With the alpine and Nordic events held at the nearby ski resort of Roza Khutor in Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi hosts the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, as well as the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 2014 until at least 2020, subject to the circuit being ready in time.[12][13] It will also be one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.



Contents [hide]
1 Geography
2 History
3 Administrative and municipal status and city divisions
3.1 Tsentralny City District
3.2 Lazarevsky City District
3.3 Khostinsky City District
3.4 Adlersky City District
4 Demographics
4.1 Religion
5 Climate
6 Layout and landmarks
7 Transportation
8 Sports facilities
9 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
9.1 Construction work
10 Other sports events
11 Notable people
12 Twin towns and sister cities
13 See also
14 References
14.1 Notes
14.2 Sources
15 External links


Geography

Greater Sochi is elongated along the Black Sea coast for 145 kilometers (90 mi). Depending on how one chooses to divide Europe and Asia, some sources claim Sochi is in Europe, whereas if one uses the Caucasus Mountains as the divide, Sochi is in Southwest Asia, falling on the southern (Asian) side of the Greater Caucasus.[14][15] In terms of human geography, Sochi falls within Krasnodar Krai, which is geographically located entirely within European Russia [16][17][18] as does, generally, all territory of Russia west of the Ural Mountains and Ural River.[19][20] Sochi is approximately 1,603 kilometers (996 mi) from Moscow.[21]

The city of Sochi borders with Tuapsinsky District in the northwest, with Apsheronsky District and with Maykopsky District of the Republic of Adygea in the north, with Mostovsky District in the northwest, and with Abkhazia in the southeast. From the southwest, it is bounded by the Black Sea.

Map of Black Sea showing location of Sochi

Sochi seen from the Black Sea

The vast majority of the population of Sochi lives in a narrow strip along the coast and is organized in independent microdistricts (formerly settlements). The biggest of these microdistricts, from the northwest to the southeast, are Lazarevskoye, Loo, Dagomys, Sochi proper (Tsentralny City District), Khosta, Matsesta, and Adler. The whole city is located on the slopes of the Western Caucasus which descend to the Black Sea and are cut by the rivers. The biggest rivers in Sochi are the Mzymta, which is in fact the longest Black Sea tributary in Russia, and the Shakhe. Other rivers include the Ashe, the Psezuapse, the Sochi, the Khosta, and the Matsesta. The Psou River makes the border with Abkhazia.

The northeastern part of the city belongs to the Caucasus Zapovednik which is a World Heritage Site spanning vast areas in Krasnodar Krai and Adygea. Almost the whole area of the Greater Sochi, with the exception of the coast and of the area which belong to the Caucasus Zapovednik, are included into Sochi National Park.

Sochi has a humid subtropical climate[22][23] with mild winters (average 11 °C (52 °F) during the day and 4 °C (39 °F) at night) in the period from December to March and warm summers (average 24 °C (75 °F) during the day and 16 °C (61 °F) at night) in the period from May to October.
History
Main article: History of Sochi

Before the whole area was conquered by Cimmerian, Scythian and Sarmatian invaders, the Zygii people lived in Smaller Abkhazia under the Kingdom of Pontus, then the Roman Empire's influence in antiquity. From the 6th to the 11th centuries, the area successively belonged to the kingdom of Lazica and kingdom of Abkhazia who built a dozen churches within the city boundaries. The Christian settlements along the coast were destroyed by the invading Göktürks, Khazars,Mongols and other nomadic empires whose control of the region was slight. The northern wall of an 11th-century Byzantinesque basilica still stands in the Loo Microdistrict.[24]

From the 14th to the 19th centuries, the region was dominated by the Abkhaz, Ubykh and Adyghe tribes, the current location of the city of Sochi known as Ubykhia was part of historical Circassia, and was controlled by the native people of the local mountaineer clans of the north-west Caucasus, nominally under the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire, which was their principal trading partner in the Muslim world. The coastline was ceded to Russia in 1829 as a result of a Caucasian War and Russo-Turkish War, 1828–1829; however, the Circassians did not admit the Russian control over Circassia and kept resisting the newly established Russian outposts along the Circassian coast (Adyghe: Адыгэ хы аушу).[8][25]Provision of weapons and ammunition from abroad to the Circassians caused a diplomatic conflict between the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom that occurred in 1836 over the mission of the Vixen.[26]

The Russians had no detailed knowledge of the area until Baron Feodor Tornau investigated the coastal route from Gelendzhik to Gagra, and across the mountains to Kabarda, in the 1830s.[citation needed] In 1838, the fort of Alexandria, renamed Navaginsky a year later, was founded at the mouth of the Sochi River as part of the Black Sea coastal line, a chain of seventeen fortifications set up to protect the area from recurring Circassian resistance. At the outbreak of the Crimean War, the garrison was evacuated from Navaginsky in order to prevent its capture by the Turks, who effected a landing on Cape Adler soon after.

The last battle of the Caucasian War took place at the Godlikh river on March 18, 1864 O.S., where the ubykhs were defeated by the Dakhovsky regiment of the Russian Army. On March 25, 1864, the Dakhovsky fort was established on the site of the Navaginsky fort. The end of Caucasian War was proclaimed at Kbaade tract (modern Krasnaya Polyana) on June 2 (May 21 O.S.), 1864, by the manifesto of Emperor Alexander II read aloud by Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia.[8]

After the end of Caucasian War (during the period of 1864–1870) almost all Ubykhs and a major part of the Shapsugs, who lived on the territory of modern Sochi, were either killed in the Circassian Genocide or expelled to the Ottoman Empire(see Circassian Genocide). Starting in 1866 the coast was actively colonized by Russians, Armenians, Ukrainians, Belorussians, Greeks, Germans, Georgians and other people from inner Russia.[8][25]

In 1874–1891, the first Russian Orthodox church, St. Michael's Church, was constructed, and the Dakhovsky settlement was renamed Dakhovsky Posad on April 13, 1874 (O.S.). In February 1890, the Sochi Lighthouse was constructed. In 1896, the Dakhovsky Posad was renamed Sochi Posad (after the name of local river) and incorporated into the newly formed Black Sea Governorate. In 1900–1910, Sochi burgeoned into a sea resort. The first resort, "Kavkazskaya Riviera", opened on June 14, 1909 (O.S.). Sochi was granted town status in 1917.[8]



The landing of Nikolay Raevsky's squadron at Subashi, 1839 by Ivan Aivazovsky



Adyghe strike on a Russian Military Fort in 1840 during the Russian-Circassians War



The "Kavkazskaya Riviera" resort in Sochi, ca. 1909

During the Russian Civil War, the littoral area saw sporadic armed clashes involving the Red Army, White movement forces, and the Democratic Republic of Georgia. As a result of the war Sochi has become Russian territory. In 1923, Sochi acquired one of its most distinctive features, a railway which runs from Tuapse to Georgia within a kilometer or two of the coastline. Although this branch of the Northern Caucasus Railway may appear somewhat incongruous in the setting of beaches and sanatoriums, it is still operational and vital to the region's transportation infrastructure.[8]

Sochi was established as a fashionable resort area under Joseph Stalin, who had his favorite dacha built in the city. Stalin's study, complete with a wax statue of the leader, is now open to the public.[27] During Stalin's reign the coast became dotted with imposing Neoclassical buildings, exemplified by the opulent Rodina and Ordzhonikidze sanatoriums. The centerpiece of this early period is Shchusev's Constructivist Institute of Rheumatology (1927–1931). The area was continuously developed until the demise of the Soviet Union.[8]

Following Russia's loss of the traditionally popular resorts of the Crimean peninsula (transferred away from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954 by Nikita Khrushchev), Sochi emerged as the unofficial summer capital of the country.[28] During Vladimir Putin's term in office, the city witnessed a significant increase in investment, although many Russian holidaymakers still flock to the cheaper resorts of neighbouring Abkhazia (Georgia), Ukraine, or to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.[citation needed] Additionally, Sochi has also served as the location for the signing of many treaties, especially those between the Georgian, separatist Abkhazian, and separatist South Ossetian governing authorities.[citation needed]



Ordzhonikidze resort, built in 1937–1955



Promenade in Sochi, 1973



St. Vladimir Church, built in 2005–2011
Administrative and municipal status and city divisions

Sochi Urban Okrug on the map of Krasnodar Krai

Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with one urban-type settlement and seventy-nine rural localities, incorporated as the City of Sochi—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.[1] As a municipal division, the City of Sochi is incorporated as Sochi Urban Okrug.[2]

Sochi is administratively subdivided into four city districts: Tsentralny City District, Lazarevsky City District, Khostinsky City District, and Adlersky City District. Tsentralny City District, comprising the city of Sochi proper, is by far the smallest out of four in terms of the area, and the other three have comparable areas, with Lazarevsky City District being the biggest. In terms of the population, Tsentralny City District is approximately twice as big as each of the other three city districts.
Tsentralny City District
Further information: Tsentralny City District, Sochi and Category: Tsentralny City District, Sochi

The Sochi Symphony Orchestraconducted by Oleg Soldatov during a concert with the Austrian guitarist Johanna Beisteiner at Organ and Chamber Music Hall in Sochi (13 December 2013).

Tsentralny City District, or Sochi proper, covers an area of 32 square kilometers (12 sq mi) and, as of the 2010 Census, has a population of 137,677.[5] The highlights include:
Michael Archangel Cathedral, a diminutive church built in 1873–1891 to Kaminsky's designs in order to commemorate the victorious conclusion of the Caucasian War.
The red-granite Archangel Column, erected in 2006 in memory of the Russian soldiers fallen in Sochi during the Caucasian War. It is capped by a 7-metre bronze statue of Sochi's patron saint, Michael the Archangel.
Sochi Art Museum occupies a large building with a four-columned portico, completed in 1939. The Neoclassical design is by Ivan Zholtovsky.
Sochi Arboretum, a large botanical garden with tropical trees from many countries, and the Mayors Alleé—a landscape avenue of palm trees planted by mayors from cities around the world.
The Tree of Friendship, a hybrid citrus tree planted in 1934 in the Subtropical Botanic Garden. Since 1940 numerous citrus cultivars from foreign countries have been grafted onto this tree as a token of friendship and peace. The associated Friendship Tree Garden Museum has a collection of 20,000 commemorative presents from around the world.
The Winter Theater (1934–1937) is another rigorously Neoclassical edifice, surrounded by 88 Corinthian columns, with a pediment bearing the statues of Terpsichore, Melpomene and Thalia, all three cast by Vera Mukhina.
Hall of Organ and Chamber Music. Located centrally in the city of Sochi it conducts organ, symphony, chamber-ensemble, choral, vocal music concerts. All year round the Sochi Symphony Orchestra, local actors of the city art groups, famous Russian and international performers, International Contests Winners and Laureates give concerts here.
The Maritime Passenger Terminal (1955) is notable for its distinctive 71-meter-high steepled tower and four statues symbolizing the cardinal points.
The Railway Station (1952) is one of the most remarkable buildings of Sochi.
The Riviera Park was established by Vasily Alexeyevich Khludov in 1883 in the part of the city which later became known as Khludovskaya. The park is popular with tourists and local residents alike. It has a variety of attractions, including an outcrop of funny statues and a "glade of friendship" where magnolia trees were planted by every Soviet cosmonaut, among other notables.
Lazarevsky City District
Further information: Lazarevsky City District and Category:Lazarevsky City District

The Summer Theater

Lazarevsky City District lies to the northwest from the city center; the 2010 Census showed the population of 63,894people.[5] It is the largest city district by area, covering some 1,744 square kilometers (673 sq mi) and comprising severalmicrodistricts:
Lazarevskoye, 59 km (37 mi) from the city center, contains a delphinarium, an old church (1903), and a new church (1999). The settlement was founded as a Russian military outpost in 1839 and was named after Admiral Mikhail Lazarev.
Loo, 18 km (11 mi) from the city center, was once owned by Princes Loov, a noble Abkhazian family claiming patrilineal descent from King Anos, whose royal title was sanctioned by Emperor Heraclius in 623 AD. The district contains the ruins of a medieval church, founded in the 8th century, rebuilt in the 11th century, and converted into a fortress in the Late Middle Ages.
Dagomys, 18 km (11 mi) from the city center, has been noted for its botanical garden, established by order of Nicholas II, as well as tea plantations and factories. A sprawling hotel complex was opened there in 1982. Dagomys adjoins Bocharov Ruchey, a dacha built for Kliment Voroshilov in the 1950s, but later upgraded into a country residence of the President of Russia, where he normally spends his vacations and often confers with leaders of other states.
Golovinka is a historic location at the mouth of the Shakhe River. Formerly marking the border between the Ubykhs and the Shapsugs, the settlement was noted by Italian travelers of the 17th century as Abbasa. On May 3, 1838, it was the site of the Subashi landing of the Russians, who proceeded to construct Fort Golovinsky where many convicted Decembrists used to serve. The fort was intentionally destroyed by Russian forces at the beginning of the Crimean War, so as to avoid its capture by the enemy.
Fort Godlik, of which little remains, had a turbulent history. It was built at the mouth of the Godlik River in the Byzantine period (5th to 8th centuries), was destroyed by the Khazars and revived by the Genoese in the High Middle Ages.
Khostinsky City District
Further information: Khostinsky City District and Category:Khostinsky City District

Sochi Arboretum

Khostinsky City District, sprawling to the southeast from the city center, occupies approximately 374 square kilometers (144 sq mi), with a population of 65,229 as of the 2010 Census.[5] The district is traversed by many rivulets which give their names to the microdistricts of Matsesta ("flame-colored river"), Kudepsta, and Khosta ("the river of boars").
Adlersky City District
Further information: Adlersky City District and Category:Adlersky City District

A trout farm in Adler

Adlersky City District, with an area of 1,352 square kilometers (522 sq mi) and a population of 76,534 people as of the 2010 Census,[5] is the southernmost district of the city, located just north of the border with Abkhazia. Until the establishment of Greater Sochi in 1961, it was administered as a separate town, which had its origin in an ancient Sadz village and a medieval Genoese trading post.

Among the natural wonders of the district is the Akhshtyr Gorge with a 160-meter-long cave that contains traces of human habitation from about 30,000 years ago. The upland part of the district includes a network of remote mountain villages (auls), the Estonian colony at Estosadok, and the ski resort of Krasnaya Polyana which will host the events (Alpine and Nordic) of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Also located here are the largest trout fishery in Russia (founded in 1964) and a breeding nursery for great apes.
Demographics

The city has an ethnic Russian majority (~70%) and a sizable Armenian minority (~20%), especially in the Adlersky City District.[29][30]
YearTotal populationUrbanRussiansArmeniansUkrainiansGeorgians
1887 98 N/A
1891 460 N/A
1897[31] 1,352 N/A 37.9% 6.0% 19.9% 17.1%
1904 8,163 N/A
1916 13,254 N/A
1926 13,000 N/A
1939 72,597 49,813
1959 127,000 81,912
1970 245,300 203,100
1979 292,300 245,600
1989[32] 385,851 339,814
1992 369,900 322,400 68.7% 14.2% 5.9% 1.5%
1994 378,300 N/A
1997 388,200 N/A
2002[11][33] 397,103 332,778 67.5% 20.2% 3.7% 2.3%
2006 395,012 329,481
2007 402,043 331,059
2008 406,800 334,282
2009 410,987 337,947
2010[5] 420,589 347,932 69.92% 20.09% 2.29% 2.03%
Source, unless otherwise marked:[9][34][35][36]

Religion

The Church of the Holy Mandylion

The Byzantine Empire brought Christianity to the Sochi region in the Middle Ages.[37] The region was relatively isolated before 1829.[37] In the North, a few hundred Sunni Muslim Shapsugs, a part of the Adyghe nation, lived around Tkhagapsh, nearLazarevskoye. The Adyghe people (also known as Circassians) converted to Islam from Christianity in the 17th century.[38] In the nineteenth century, Islam spread to the region.[37]

Currently, Sochi is a large predominantly Christian city, though there are thought to be around 20,000 Muslims (5% of inhabitants) living there now (the majority are from Adyghe) plus other Eastern Caucasians, Turks, Tatars, and other smaller Muslim groups.[39]

A mosque was built in 2008 by United Arab Emirates in the central area of Bytkha, in addition to the old mosque being around 40 km (25 miles) north of the city center[39][40] in the Adyghe aul of Tkhagapsh.

There are around thirty Christian Orthodox churches, the largest being St. Michael's, and two monasteries, plus two Catholic churches, one in the center of Sochi and the other in Lazarevskoye. The Armenian community, which is important in Sochi, gathers in about ten churches.
Climate

Sochi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa),[22] at the lower elevations. Its average annual temperature is 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) during the day and 11 °C (52 °F) at night. In the coldest months—January and February—the average temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) during the day, above 3 °C (37 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is about 9 °C (48 °F). In the warmest months—July and August—the temperature typically ranges from 25 to 29 °C (77 to 84 °F) during the day, about 20 °C (68 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is about 23–24 °C (73–75 °F). Yearly sunshine hours are around 2,200. Generally, the summer season lasts six months, from May to October. Two months—April and November—are transitional; sometimes temperatures reach 20 °C (68 °F), with an average temperature of around 16 °C (61 °F) during the day and 9 °C (48 °F) at night. December, January, February and March are the coldest months, with average temperature (of these four months) 11 °C (52 °F) during the day and 4 °C (39 °F) at night. Average annual precipitation is about 1,700 millimeters (67 in).[9][23][41] Sochi lies at 8b/9a hardiness zone, so the city supports different types of palm trees.[21] Sochi is situated on the same latitude as Nice but strong cold winds from Asia make winters less warm. In fact, temperatures drop below freezing every winter for one or two days. The highest temperature recorded was 39.4 °C (102.9 °F), on July 30, 2000, and the lowest temperature recorded was −13.4 °C (7.9 °F) on January 25, 1892.[42]
[hide]Climate data for Sochi
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F) 21.2
(70.2) 23.8
(74.8) 30.0
(86) 31.6
(88.9) 34.3
(93.7) 35.5
(95.9) 39.4
(102.9) 36.3
(97.3) 36.0
(96.8) 32.1
(89.8) 29.1
(84.4) 23.1
(73.6) 39.4
(102.9)
Average high °C (°F) 10.3
(50.5) 10.4
(50.7) 12.8
(55) 16.3
(61.3) 20.5
(68.9) 24.8
(76.6) 28.0
(82.4) 28.8
(83.8) 25.5
(77.9) 21.0
(69.8) 16.1
(61) 12.3
(54.1) 18.9
(66)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.9
(42.6) 6.0
(42.8) 8.4
(47.1) 11.7
(53.1) 16.0
(60.8) 20.5
(68.9) 23.8
(74.8) 24.4
(75.9) 20.5
(68.9) 16.0
(60.8) 10.7
(51.3) 7.5
(45.5) 14.3
(57.7)
Average low °C (°F) 2.5
(36.5) 2.5
(36.5) 4.7
(40.5) 7.8
(46) 11.8
(53.2) 16.5
(61.7) 19.8
(67.6) 20.5
(68.9) 16.5
(61.7) 12.3
(54.1) 7.0
(44.6) 4.0
(39.2) 10.5
(50.9)
Record low °C (°F) −13.4
(7.9) −12.6
(9.3) −6.9
(19.6) −5.0
(23) 3.0
(37.4) 7.1
(44.8) 12.6
(54.7) 10.4
(50.7) 2.7
(36.9) −3.2
(26.2) −5.4
(22.3) −8.3
(17.1) −13.4
(7.9)
Precipitation mm (inches) 184
(7.24) 135
(5.31) 121
(4.76) 120
(4.72) 110
(4.33) 104
(4.09) 128
(5.04) 121
(4.76) 127
(5) 167
(6.57) 201
(7.91) 185
(7.28) 1,703
(67.05)
Avg. rainy days 19 18 18 18 16 14 11 10 13 15 17 20 189
Avg. snowy days 6 6 3 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 20
% humidity 73 72 72 75 79 79 79 78 76 76 74 72 75
Mean monthly sunshine hours 96.1 107.4 145.7 162.0 220.1 258.0 279.0 282.1 225.0 195.3 120.0 86.8 2,177.5
Source: Pogoda.ru.net,[42] Climatebase.ru,[43] HKO[44] for data of sunshine hours

Mean sea temperature (1977–2006).[45]JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
9.6 °C (49.3 °F) 8.7 °C (47.7 °F) 9.6 °C (49.3 °F) 11.2 °C (52.2 °F) 15.2 °C (59.4 °F) 19.6 °C (67.3 °F) 24.0 °C (75.2 °F) 25.3 °C (77.5 °F) 23.1 °C (73.6 °F) 19.5 °C (67.1 °F) 14.9 °C (58.8 °F) 11.5 °C (52.7 °F) 16.0 °C (60.8 °F)

Layout and landmarks

Sochi is unique among larger Russian cities as having some aspects of a subtropical resort. Apart from the scenic Caucasus Mountains, pebble and sand beaches, the city attracts vacation-goers with its subtropical vegetation, numerous parks, monuments, and extravagant Stalinist architecture. About two million people visit Greater Sochi each summer,[46] when the city is home to the annual film festival "Kinotavr" and a getaway for Russia's elite.



Sochi's quay



Cupid fountain in Arboretum



Hotels



Akhun mountain



Aerial view of Sochi

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 2,957 square kilometers (731,000 acres) Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, lies just north from the city.[47] Sochi also has Europe's most northerly tea plantations.

One of the significant places of Sochi is Friendship Tree that grows in the Friendship Tree Garden.
Transportation

Port of Sochi

Public transport is represented mainly by bus and taxi. Sochi is served by the Adler-Sochi International Airport. A kind of non-mass public transport are also two funicular (the Central military sanatorium and Ordzhonikidze resort) and three cable cars (at arboretum sanatorium "Dawn" and pension "Neva") also has several cableways in Krasnaya Polyana.

The Sochi Port terminal building was built in 1955 by Karo Alabyan and Leonid Karlik in Stalinist architecture. It is topped with a 71-meter steepled tower. Sculptures embodying seasons and cardinal points are set above the tower's three tiers.

Five of the railway stations of Sochi were renovated for the 2014 Winter Olympics. These are Dagomys, Sochi, Matsesta and Khosta railway stations. In Adler city district of Sochi, the original railway station was preserved and new railway stationwas built near it. Another new railway station was built in Estosadok, close to Krasnaya Polyana.

At some point, plans to construct the light metro network to serve the Olympics were considered; however, the Sochi Light Metro plan was abandoned in favor of the reconstruction of the railway.
Sports facilities

Sochi is also known for its sport facilities: a local tennis school spawned the careers of such notable players as Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Kafelnikov spent much of his childhood here, while Sharapova relocated to Florida at the age of seven). In late 2005, the Russian Football Union announced that it was planning to establish a year-round training center for the country's national teams in Sochi. The city's warm climate was cited as one of the main incentives. And it's home to FC Zhemchuzhina who play in the Russian First Division.
2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics

Russki Gorki ski jump arena
Main articles: 2014 Winter Olympics and 2014 Winter Paralympics

The nearby ski resort of Roza Khutor at Krasnaya Polyana is the location of the alpine and Nordic events for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

In June 2006, the International Olympic Committee announced that Sochi had been selected as a finalist city to host the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Paralympics. On July 4, 2007, Sochi was announced as the host city of the 2014 Winter Games, edging out Pyeongchang, South Korea and Salzburg, Austria.[48]

This will be Russia's first time hosting the Winter Olympic Games, and its first time hosting the Paralympic Games. The site of a training centre for aspiring Olympic athletes, in 2008, the city had no world-class level athletic facilities fit for international competition.[49] To get the city ready for the Olympics, the Russian government committed a $12 billion investment package,[50] shared 60%–40% between the government and private sector.[51] According to some estimates, the investments necessary to bring the location up to Olympic standards may exceed that of any previous Olympic games.[49] By January 2014 the construction costs have been reported to exceed the $50 billion mark, making it the most expensive Olympic Games in history.[52]According to a report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, this cost will not boost Russia's national economy, but may attract business to Sochi and the southern Krasnodar region of Russia in the future as a result of improved services. [53]

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi have been surrounded by concern and controversy following a new federal law approved in Russia in June 2013 that bans "homosexual propaganda to minors".[54] Many voices have since then claimed to boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics, including British actor Stephen Fry who published an open letter[55] to David Cameron and to the International Olympic Committee asking for a boycott and relocation of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

There has also been concern regarding possible terrorist attacks primarily by Islamist militants.[56]
Construction work

Ski resort of Roza Khutor at Krasnaya Polyana

The state-controlled RAO UES announced in July 2007 that it might spend 30 billion roubles (about US$1.2 billion) on upgrading the electrical power system in the Sochi area by 2014.[57] The power generating companies Inter RAO UES andRusHydro would have to build or modernize four thermal power plants and four hydroelectric plants—and the federal grid company FGC UES has to replace the Central-Shepsi electricity transmission line, which reportedly often fails in bad weather. The new power line would run partly on power towers and partly across the bottom of the Black Sea. By 2011, the power supply of the resort area would increase by 1129 MW—of which 300 MW would be used for Olympic sports facilities “The cost of the work is estimated at 83.6 billion rubles (about US $3.26 billion), of which 50 billion rubles (about US$2 billion dollars) will go to investments in the electricity grid,” power company announced. They did not say how much of the bill the state would foot. In February 2007, when UES had planned to spend 48.8 billion rubles (about US$1.9 billion) on the Sochi area, the share the state had been ready to pay 38 billion roubles (about US$1.48 billion) of that.
Other sports events

The Silk Way Rally which is part of Dakkar series took place in Sochi in 2010 for the last stage between the capital of the Republic of Adygea Maykop to the city of Sochi through Pseshwap.[58]

President Vladimir Putin has reportedly reached a deal with Bernie Ecclestone for the city to host the Formula One Russian Grand Prix from 2014.[59]

The Fisht Olympic Stadium will also be used to host 2018 FIFA World Cup football matches.
Notable people
Main category: People from Sochi
Yuri Nikolaevich Denisyuk, physicist
Andre Geim, physicist, graphene researcher and 2010 Nobel Prize winner[60]
Yevgeny Kafelnikov, tennis player
Daria Kondakova, rhythmic gymnast
Grigory Leps, singer, songwriter, musician
Slava Metreveli, Soviet association football player
Vladimir Nemshilov, Olympic swimmer
Boris Nemtsov, politician
Mordechai Spiegler, Russian-Israeli association football player and manager
Vladimir Tkachenko, basketball player
Elena Vesnina, tennis player
Alexey Voyevoda, bobsledder and professional armwrestler
Kharis Yunichev, the first Soviet male swimmer to win an Olympic medal[61]
Twin towns and sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Russia

Sochi is twinned with:

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom (since 1959)[62]
Menton, PACA, France (since 1966)[63]
Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (since 1977)[64]
Espoo, Finland (since 1989)[65]
Long Beach, California, United States (since 1990)[66]
Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine (since 2005)
Trabzon, Turkey (since 1991)[67]
Čačak, Serbia
Pärnu, Estonia (since 1994)[67]
Weihai, Shandong, China (since 1996)[67]
Sidon, Lebanon (since 2005)
Las Piñas, Metro Manila, Philippines (since 2005)
Volos, Greece (since 2007)[68]
Salé, Morocco (since 2010)
Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (since 2011)
Netanya, Israel (since 2012)

See also
Federation Island
Sochi Police



Russia portal


References
Notes

^ Jump up to:a b c d Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units of Krasnodar Krai
^ Jump up to:a b c Law #679-KZ
^ Jump up to:a b Official website of Sochi
^ Jump up to:a b c Городское Собрание Сочи. Решение №89 от 14 июля 2009 г. «Об утверждении генерального плана городского округа города Сочи». Вступил в силу со дня опубликования. (City Assembly of Sochi. Decision #89 of July 14, 2009 On the Adoption of the General Plan of the Urban Okrug of the City of Sochi. Effective as of the publication date.).
^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1" [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1].Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года (2010 All-Russia Population Census) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
Jump up^ The value of density was calculated automatically by dividing the 2010 Census population by the area specified in the infobox. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox does not necessarily correspond to the area of the entity proper or is reported for the same year as the population.
Jump up^ Правительство Российской Федерации. Постановление №725 от 31 августа 2011 г. «О составе территорий, образующих каждую часовую зону, и порядке исчисления времени в часовых зонах, а также о признании утратившими силу отдельных Постановлений Правительства Российской Федерации». Вступил в силу по истечении 7 дней после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Российская Газета", №197, 6 сентября 2011 г.(Government of the Russian Federation. Resolution #725 of August 31, 2011 On the Composition of the Territories Included into Each Time Zone and on the Procedures of Timekeeping in the Time Zones, as Well as on Abrogation of Several Resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation. Effective as of after 7 days following the day of the official publication.).
^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Exposition of the Historical Museum of Sochi, partly reflected in Russian in История Сочи (History of Sochi) at the official site of the city
^ Jump up to:a b c d Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Entry on Sochi (Russian)
Jump up^ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Russian)
^ Jump up to:a b "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек" [Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000].Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. May 21, 2004. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
Jump up^ Sochi hosts 2014 Winter Olympics BBC Sport, July 4, 2007
Jump up^ PM Putin confirms Russian GP for 2014 GPUpdate, October 15, 2010
Jump up^ National Geographic Atlas. National Geographic Society. 2011. p. 59.
Jump up^ Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. 1997. pp. 37, 80.
Jump up^ Department of Investments and Project Support of Krasnodar region: Main page. Investkuban.ru. Retrieved on July 26, 2012.
Jump up^ Krasnodar region location on the map of Europe. Investkuban.ru. Retrieved on July 26, 2012.
Jump up^ Krasnodar Region. Eng.spb-venchur.ru. Retrieved on July 26, 2012.
Jump up^ European Russia – Map of Russia, European Russia Map, Russia Countries. Worldatlas.com. Retrieved on July 26, 2012.
Jump up^ Russia Europe. Wwp.greenwichmeantime.com (May 16, 2011). Retrieved on July 26, 2012.
^ Jump up to:a b Travel Destinations Sochi Russia by Michael Totten | Traveler's Guide 360. Travelersguide360.com (11 February 2013). Retrieved on January 3, 2014.
^ Jump up to:a b "World Map of Köppen−Geiger Climate Classification".
^ Jump up to:a b Drozdov, V. A.; Glezer, O. B.; Nefedova, T. G.; Shabdurasulov, I. V. (1992). "Ecological and geographical characteristics of the coastal zone of the Black Sea". GeoJournal 27 (2): 169.doi:10.1007/BF00717701. edit
Jump up^ "Византийский храм в Лоо" (in Russian). Архитектура Сочи. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
^ Jump up to:a b Sochi – from ancient sites to 2014 Olympics, information from the Historical Museum of Sochi
Jump up^ Peter Hopkirk The great game: On Secret Service in High Asia, Chapter 12 “The Greatest Fortress in the World”, pp. 158–159, Oxford University Press, 2001 ISBN 0-19-280232-1
Jump up^ Stalin's ghost haunts Black Sea hotel at Mail & Guardian Online, Retrieved February 7, 2014
Jump up^ Голубева, Елена. "Олимпийская столица - и для спортсменов, и для бизнесменов" (in Russian). Komsomolskaya Pravda. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
Jump up^ Cordula Gdaniec, ed., Cultural Diversity in Russian Cities: The Urban Landscape in the Post-Soviet Era (Berghahn Books, 2010), 117.
Jump up^ Kimitaka Matsuzato, "Transnational minorities challenging the interstate system: Mingrelians, Armenians, and Muslims in and around Abkhazia," Nationalities Papers 39 (September 2011), 820.
Jump up^ 1897 Census. demoscope.ru (in Russian)
Jump up^ Demoscope Weekly (1989). "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров." [All Union Population Census of 1989. Present population of union and autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and okrugs, krais, oblasts, districts, urban settlements, and villages serving as district administrative centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года (All-Union Population Census of 1989) (in Russian). Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
Jump up^ Федеральная Служба Государственной Статистики. Краснодарский краевой комитет государственной статистики «Национальный состав и владение языками, гражданство. Итоги Всероссийской переписи населения 2002 года по Краснодарскому краю. Том 4», г. Краснодар, 2005
Jump up^ Population of Russian Federation by cities, towns, and districts as of January 1, 2007: Rosstat, Moscow, 2007
Jump up^ Половинкина Т. В. Сочинское Причерноморье – Нальчик (2006) pp. 216–218, ISBN 588195775X
Jump up^ 4. Население (R_04.doc) in Российский статистический ежегодник 2011, www.gks.ru, ISBN 978-5-89476-319-4
^ Jump up to:a b c Karina Ivashko (2010-07-05). "Sochi - from ancient sites to 2014 Olympics". Retrieved 2014-02-08.
Jump up^ "Rekhaniya". Jewish Virtual Library.
^ Jump up to:a b Sochi: a city with no mosque, OpenDemocracy, October 22, 2010
Jump up^ В ауле Тхагапш произошло знаменательное для верующих мусульман событие. (in Russian). Shapsugiya.ru (September 9, 2010). Retrieved on July 26, 2012.
Jump up^ Rybak, Elena A.; Rybak, Oleg O. and Zasedatelev, Yuri V. (1994)."Complex geographical analysis of the Greater Sochi region on the Black Sea coast". GeoJournal 34 (4): 507–513.
^ Jump up to:a b "Weather and Climate – The Climate of Sochi" (in Russian). Weather and Climate (Погода и климат). Retrieved May 23, 2013.
Jump up^ Сводные данные С 2000 г. climatebase.ru
Jump up^ "Climatological Information for Soci, Russia". Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
Jump up^ Sochi Water temperature 1977–2006 (in Russian), Retrieved August 9, 2012.
Jump up^ "Сочи, Пхенчхан и Зальцбург — претенденты на Олимпиаду-2014" (in Russian). ITAR-TASS. July 4, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-07-05. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
Jump up^ Western Caucasus at Unesco Heritage Site. Retrieved July 7, 2007
Jump up^ International Olympic Committee (July 4, 2007). "Sochi Elected as Host City of XXII Olympic Winter Games". Retrieved July 4, 2007.
^ Jump up to:a b A Major Tuneup for a Sports Machine NYTimes.com, July 29, 2008
Jump up^ Sochi, Russia wins, awarded 2014 Winter Olympics. sportsline.com (July 4, 2007). Retrieved on July 26, 2012.
Jump up^ Iht.com: Sochi Olympic bid organizers says venue projects conform to environmental norms, federal law, Retrieved on July 7, 2007
Jump up^ "Sochi 2014: Do the numbers add up?". CNN.com. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
Jump up^ "The Economic Impact Of The Winter Olympics: Not Great For Russia But Sochi Stands To Gain". ibtimes.com. International Business Times. 8 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
Jump up^ BBC News – Q&A: Gay rights in Russia. Bbc.co.uk (August 13, 2013). Retrieved on January 3, 2014.
Jump up^ Fry, Stephen (August 7, 2013) An Open Letter to David Cameron and the IOC. stephenfry.com
Jump up^ Winter, Jana. "US, Russian forces hunt jihadist widow feared inside Olympic zone". FoxNews.com. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
Jump up^ Power Supply to Be Stepped Up to Sochi by 2014. Kommersant. July 6, 2007
Jump up^ Silk Way Rally. silkwayrally.com.
Jump up^ English, Steven (October 14, 2010). "Russia set to announce race from 2014". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). Retrieved October 14, 2010.
Jump up^ Andre Geim – Biographical, Nobel Prize winners (Physics, 2010)
Jump up^ Сильнейшие спортсмены СССР наши коллеги по движению «Мастерс»: Т-Я. swimmingmasters.ru
Jump up^ Twin town of Sochi (Russia). cheltenham.gov.uk
Jump up^ Website of the President of France[dead link]. Elysee.fr. Retrieved on 26 July 2012.
Jump up^ Gemellaggi. Official website of Rimini
Jump up^ "Tiesitkö, että" (in Finnish) in Ee-mail, January 2007, p. 6. espoo.fi
Jump up^ Online Directory: Russian Federation, Eurasia. sister-cities.org
^ Jump up to:a b c Official website of Sochi (international). The page spotlights similarities of the twin towns to Sochi in that all of them are "summer resorts".
Jump up^ "Греческий Волос и российский Сочи стали городами-побратимами". Interfax. 26 May 2005. Archived from the originalon 30 September 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
Sources
Управление по взаимодействию с органами местного самоуправления Администрации Краснодарского края. Справочная информация №34.01-707/13-03 от 23 мая 2013 г. «Реестр административно-территориальных единиц Краснодарского края». (Department of Cooperation with the Organs of the Local Self-Government of the Administration of Krasnodar Krai. Reference Information #34.01-707/13-03 of May 23, 2013 Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units of Krasnodar Krai. ).
Законодательное Собрание Краснодарского края. Закон №679-КЗ от 1 апреля 2004 г. «Об установлении границ муниципального образования город-курорт Сочи и наделении его статусом городского округа», в ред. Закона №1756-КЗ от 3 июня 2009 г «О внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Краснодарского края об установлении границ муниципальных образований». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Кубанские новости", №64–65, 17 апреля 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of Krasnodar Krai. Law #679-KZ of April 1, 2004 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of the Resort City of Sochi and on Granting It Urban Okrug Status, as amended by the Law #1756-KZ of June 3, 2009 On Amending Various Legislative Acts of Krasnodar Krai on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
Historical Dictionary of Sochi, ISBN 9781876586232 [Currently the only major work on the city in English.]
Journal of a residence in Circassia during the years 1837, 1838, and 1839 – Bell, James Stanislaus
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sochi.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Sochi.

Official website of Sochi
Secrieru, Stanislav: "The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi: Implications for the Caucasus" in the Caucasus Analytical Digest No.19
Weather Report for Sochi, Russia
Sochi at funiq.eu
Sochi Weather Forecast and Current data

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Administrative divisions of Krasnodar Krai


Sunday, February 9, 2014

Why Ottawa ignored the military's PTSD epidemic.... Even military planners had no idea of the scope of mental problems facing vets. But they should have


military planners had no idea of the scope of mental problems facing vets. But they should have!








t is an oddity of wars that those in charge often miss the obvious, which helps explain Canada's astonishing failure to grasp the full mental toll of our long involvement in Afghanistan.

The reality that both official Ottawa and our military planners have been slow to confront is that the psychological after-effects of war don't decrease after a mission ends. To the contrary they can increase year by year, and last lifetimes.

"I don't think we had any idea of the scale and scope of what the impact would be," retired general Rick Hillier recently told CBC radio in a discussion about the recent spate of military suicides and psychological trauma. "I truly do not."

This is a tellingly blunt assessment of leadership failure from the officer who both commanded troops in Afghanistan and later was the chief of defence staff when Canada took on one of the toughest roles in the whole war — controlling the Taliban heartland in Kandahar.

Hillier has now called for a public inquiry to sort out just why we're failing vets with mental health problems, a call that follows a wave of anger that has been building among veterans and their supporters.
Veterans fighting service cuts feel disrespected by minister
A soldier's story: Job stress in a changing military

Beyond the always shocking effect of military suicides there's a growing public perception that the Stephen Harper government hasn't cared enough during a period of budget cutting and restraint about the well-being and morale of former soldiers, many of whom suffer from the debilitating effects of trauma, including PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

As Hillier noted, perception can quickly become reality, which would be an ominous turnaround for Conservatives who always claimed a pro-military aura.

"This is beyond the medical issue," Hillier said. "I think that many of our young men and women have lost confidence in our country to support them."
More than Afghanistan

From my own conversations with many veterans I'd say the cynicism goes well beyond the young, and far beyond Afghanistan.

Some of the angriest voices against the Veterans Affairs bureaucracy come from veterans of the Korea War, now in their 80s, and from middle-aged former peacekeepers who saw too much inhuman conflict while abroad.

There's a strong sense among those who have seen war up close that the rest of us "just don't get" what it does to soldiers, and that the politicians who send troops into combat get it least of all.

Whether that's true or not, an inquiry might uncover why there has been such an unaccountable delay in dealing with the psychological effects of recent conflicts.

It's all the more surprising given that the mental wounds of war have been studied since the First World War, and intensely examined since Vietnam.

We knew a decade ago that a great many of our soldiers were going to experience combat in Afghanistan, and over time close to 40,000 served there.

Yet somehow we didn't anticipate that many thousands would come back suffering mental health disorders?

Even today we've no clear picture of how many, whether still serving or veterans, have psychological wounds from severe depression or full-scale PTSD.

The only government estimate — of almost 15 per cent of those who served — is based on studies prior to 2009, which would be prior to several of the hardest years of our counter-insurgency operations.
Where is the help?

Most ominous still is the finding nearly buried in the same study that notes that the incidence of mental injuries can double with passing years — meaning that fully 30 per cent of those involved in combat operations may need significant psychological and other support over many years.


At the same time, while the number of those needing help has grown, bureaucratic turf wars and budgetary feuds seem to have delayed the hiring of needed psychiatrists and mental health professionals.Add to that the fact that we have only belatedly acknowledged that many of the 120,000 soldiers who served as UN peacekeepers in atrocity-ridden conflict zones have trauma rates as high as Afghan vets.

The government is only now scrambling to hire an extra 54 specialists that the Defence Department called for almost 11 years ago.

According to a recent Canadian Press report, the government was reminded by the Canadian Forces ombudsman two years ago that the overall goal of 447 mental health specialists was far from met. Still, by last month the shortfall persisted.

The delay in so critical an area seems due not to a shortage of funds, for the government set aside $11 million, but rather a reluctance to hire during a period when deficit-fighting ruled the bureaucratic mindset.

For several years now, DND has, to please the government, spent several billion dollars less than it has been granted by Parliament. The whole bureaucracy has underspent $10 billion over the past three years to help meet deficit reduction targets.

It's a vicious cycle as those who go to war feel extra mental stress when they sense their sacrifice is unappreciated, and their cause diminished by post-war indifference.

And it doesn't help when Canadians talk a bold game about "supporting the troops" but don't deliver.

Only three months ago, the military ombudsman reported that many military families were still housed in dilapidated, too-small mould-infested base housing and were feeling huge stress because of worries about constant family moves and its effects on their children.

"Unlike their American counterparts" the report notes, our service families even find getting family medical care a challenge. "Military families go through protracted periods of bouncing from one waiting list to the next, rarely making it to the top."

The picture is not all negative, and even critics agree some programs for veterans and current soldiers have improved.

But that doesn't alter the fact that the kind of all-out, well-focused programs to support those who've paid a high psychological price already seems missing.

And even today Ottawa seems confused, almost dazed, as the criticism

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Canada's prison watchdog says he can't do his job properly if the Correctional Service of Canada won't respond to his reports.



Canada's prison watchdog says he can't do his job properly if the Correctional Service of Canada won't respond to his reports.

Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers said since last spring the CSC has not said whether it supports or rejects any of the recommendations included in three of his most recent reports.

"It's very hard for me to be accountable to Parliament for my mandate when the Correctional Service of Canada does not respond," Sapers told CBC News.

On June 28, 2013, as has been tradition, Sapers sent an advance copy of his annual report to CSC and the minister of public safety so the service's responses could be included with his report when it was tabled in Parliament.

"We were informed that the Correctional Service of Canada would not be giving its responses to our recommendations to us in time for tabling. We were told that a separate response would be forthcoming," Sapers said.

In his report, Sapers detailed concerns about conditions of confinement, access to health care and programs, as well as issues specific to mentally ill inmates, aboriginal offenders and federally sentenced women and other issues.

The document was tabled in Parliament in November. Sapers said CSC has yet to respond.

Sapers said he's also waiting for CSC to comment on his study on the treatment and management of chronic self-injury among female inmates, which was released last September.

This month, the Office of the Correctional Investigator will release a report on how CSC reviews inmate deaths.

An advance copy was sent to CSC last year with a request to respond by Jan. 10, 2014. So far, Sapers said, he hasn't heard a peep.

"I can't do my job properly unless I get a response," he said. "Now, the response could be that the recommendation is not accepted. The response could be that we've made a mistake, and so be it. But no response is inappropriate."
Response in 'due course'

Last month Sapers took his concerns to Steve Blaney, the minister of public safety. Sapers said Blaney agreed it is important to have timely responses from CSC.

When contacted by CBC News, Blaney's spokesperson referred all questions to the correctional service. The CSC didn't answer most of them and a spokesperson refused CBC's request for an interview. "CSC gives full consideration to all recommendations from the OCI. CSC's official response will be released in due course and will be posted on CSC's website."

Kelly Hannah-Moffat, director of the centre for criminology and sociolegal studies at the University of Toronto, said the pattern of non-response from CSC raises red flags.

"It certainly weakens our capacity to ensure that we have a correctional system that is in compliance with the rule of law."

Hannah-Moffat said it reflects a lack of transparency and accountability as well as "a growing tendency for them to look inwards for solutions as opposed to drawing on expertise and best practices of professionals outside of their organization."

NDP public safety critic Randall Garrison said the way he sees it, safe and effective rehabilitation of offenders doesn't top the government's to-do list.

"The Conservatives seem determined to make cutting budgets their number 1 priority and putting more people in jail at the same time."

Friday, January 31, 2014

MP Julian Fantino PC COM OOnt MP controversys



Julian Fantino PC COM OOnt MP (Italian: Giuliano Fantino; born August 13, 1942)[1] is a retired police official and the elected Member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of Vaughan following a November 29, 2010 by-election.[2] On January 4, 2011, Fantino was named Minister of State for Seniors, on May 18, 2011 he was as Associate Minister of National Defence and on July 4, 2012 he was named Minister for International Cooperation. Fantino is currently serving as the Minister of Veterans Affairs.[3]

Prior to entering politics, Fantino was the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police from 2006 to 2010,[4][5][6] Toronto's Chief of Police from 2000 to 2005, and Ontario's Commissioner of Emergency Management from 2005 until 2006, and also served as chief of police of London, Ontario from 1991 to 1998, and of York Region from 1998 until 2000. Prior to his London appointment, he had been a Toronto police officer since 1969. He has been recently involved in controversy about policy for official languages in Canada.

In June 2013 as the federal omnibus bill became law, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) created in 1968, was formally merged into a new Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). Minister Julian Fantino's 26 June 2013 message to DFATD staff Wednesday to "vigorously promote and defend Canadian interests and values abroad."[7] Poverty-alleviation mandate will be integrated with the "government’s foreign policy and trade objectives."[7]



Contents [hide]
1 Family
2 Early Toronto career
2.1 Wiretap controversy
2.2 Departure
3 London Police Service chief (1991-1998)
4 York Regional Police chief (1998–2000)
5 Toronto Police Service chief (2000–2005)
5.1 Policing controversies
5.2 Corruption scandals
6 Contract expiry
7 Commissioner of Emergency Management (2005–2006)
8 Ontario Provincial Police commissioner (2006-2010)
8.1 Shawn Brant controversy
8.2 Internal discipline hearing controversy
8.3 Private prosecution charge for influencing or attempting to influence an elected official
8.4 $90,000,000 Corruption Lawsuit
9 Political aspirations
9.1 Federal politics
10 Electoral record
11 Awards
12 References
13 External links
14 Table of offices held


Family

Fantino was born in Italy and emigrated to Canada with his family when he was 11 years old.
Early Toronto career

Before joining the Metro Toronto Police, Fantino was a security guard at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in suburban Toronto. He volunteered as an Auxiliary Police Officer for the Metro Toronto Police from 1964 to 1969 and then joined the force as a Police Constable. He was a member of the Drug Squad and was promoted to Detective Constable. He subsequently served with Criminal Intelligence and then the Homicide Squad before being promoted to Divisional Commander and then Acting Staff Superintendent of Detectives.
Wiretap controversy

According to an internal police report leaked in 2007, Fantino, as superintendent of detectives in 1991, had ordered a wiretap of lawyer Peter Maloney a police critic and friend of Susan Eng, chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, the body overseeing the Toronto Police service. Conversations between Maloney and Eng were illegally recorded despite a court order that only the first minute of Maloney's conversations were to be monitored so as to determine whether the individual who he was talking to was on the list of those being investigated.[8][9]
Departure[edit]

After 23 years of service with the Metro Toronto Police, Fantino left to accept an appointment as Police Chief of London, Ontario in 1991.
London Police Service chief (1991-1998) In London, he presided over the highly publicized and controversial "Project Guardian", in which over two dozen gay men were arrested for involvement in a purported child pornography ring.[10] While several men were eventually convicted of crimes not related to the stated purpose of the investigation, such as drug possession and prostitution, no child pornography ring was ever found.

Journalist Gerald Hannon later published a piece in The Globe and Mail accusing Fantino of mounting an anti-gay witch hunt.[11] In response, Fantino filed a complaint with the Ontario Press Council, which ultimately ruled that the Globe should have more clearly labelled Hannon's article as an opinion piece.

Fantino says that he is "not anti-gay or homophobic" and was simply arresting lawbreakers engaging in "a sick, perverted crime".[10]
York Regional Police chief (1998–2000)

Fantino returned to the Greater Toronto Area as Chief of York Regional Police in 1998. His tenure was brief and he returned to the Toronto Police Service two years later. He was succeeded as chief by Robert Middaugh.
Toronto Police Service chief (2000–2005)
Policing controversies

An incident in September 2000 involving five male police officers entering a woman's bath house sparked public outrage and drew attention to TPS's poor standing in the gay community.[12] In 2004, Fantino made an attempt to repair relations, primarily by appearing on the cover of fab in a photo which featured him posing in his police uniform with five other models dressed as the Village People standing behind him.[13]

Fantino appeared to have little patience for protesters: he wanted them to ask police for permission before holding demonstrations. In one report, he commented "a problem is now arising where portions of the public believe that Dundas Square is a public space." [14] In his new position with the OPP, Fantino took an aggressive posture with a native protest blocking a major highway: he stated he "would not/could not tolerate the 401 being closed all day." However the commander on site decided against a raid as "[he was] not about to put people at risk for a piece of pavement."[15]

In 2003, Fantino criticized the effectiveness of the Canadian gun registry.[16]

Also in 2003, Fantino publicly named and identified several people as being under investigation for child pornography. Despite the lack of evidence, and the crown subsequently dropping the charges, at least one of the innocent men publicly identified committed suicide, naming Fantino's intentional destruction of his reputation as the reason for his suicide in the suicide note. [17][18][19]
Corruption scandals

Fantino came under increasing scrutiny due to three corruption scandals which broke out during his tenure and his handling of those incidents. Fantino was accused of having tried to deal with these cases out of public view and attempting to shield them from investigation by outside police services.

In one case, drug squad officers are alleged to have beaten and robbed suspected drug dealers. In another, plainclothes officers were charged with accepting bribes to help bars dodge liquor inspections. In the third, a group of officers who advocated on behalf of a drug-addicted car thief faced internal charges.

Two of these cases involve the sons of former police chief William McCormack, and came to light not as a result of investigations by Toronto police, but due to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigation into gangster activity which inadvertently uncovered evidence of wrongdoing by Toronto police officers. Mike McCormack was later cleared of all wrongdoing due to a lack of evidence.[20]

In December 2009, Fantino was accused during a related court case of having "unplugged" a special task force investigating corruption charges against the Toronto Police Service's narcotics squad ignoring the task force's suspicions that another of the force's drug squads was corrupt. Lawyer Julian Falconer argued in court that "When Chief Fantino declared there were only a few bad apples, he did not deliver the straight goods," and shut down the investigation before it expanded as part of a damage control campaign.[21]

In March 2005, the CBC announced that they had obtained documents via the Access to Information Act showing that between 1998 and 2005 Toronto had spent $30,633,303.63 settling lawsuits against police. Norm Gardner said the settlement costs, which amount to about $5 million a year over six years, were expected, given the number of confrontations police face, suggesting that "people think they are going to get paid off."
Contract expiry

Fantino's contract as police chief expired on February 28, 2005. On June 24, 2004, the police services board announced that it would not be reappointing Fantino due to a 2-2 tie. This was controversial since chair Norm Gardner had been suspended from the five-man board due to a conflict of interest ruling, but as he refused to vacate his seat the three required votes for renewal were far more difficult to obtain. Conservative politicians on Toronto City Council responded with a "Save Fantino" campaign, and the board was deadlocked on the issue of beginning the search for Fantino's replacement.

Many Fantino supporters claimed that Miller was openly hostile to Fantino. Miller had ignored calls to pressure the police board after it voted against Fantino's renewal, yet Miller subsequently contacted the board looking for a role in hiring the next police chief, although the latter request was not granted.

Former deputy police chief Mike Boyd took over as interim chief of police on March 1, 2005. On April 6, another former deputy chief, Bill Blair, was named Fantino's permanent successor.
Commissioner of Emergency Management (2005–2006)

On February 8, 2005, Fantino was appointed Ontario's commissioner of emergency management by Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty. This move was criticized by the opposition parties in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, both for the lack of transparency in the hiring process and for the perception that the appointment was primarily motivated by the desire to avoid having Fantino run as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the 2007 provincial election against Finance Minister Greg Sorbara. However, Sorbara had also blamed Miller for failing to renew Fantino's contract, so this appointment could have also been seen as the Ontario Liberals' show of support for Fantino.
Ontario Provincial Police commissioner (2006-2010)

Fantino was appointed Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police replacing the departed Gwen M. Boniface on October 12, 2006 by the provincial Liberal government; initially for a two-year term. His appointment was criticized by First Nations groups. In March 2008 his contract was extended until October 2009.[22] In June 2009 his contract was further extended until July 2010 so that he could oversee the province's security contingent at the 2010 G8 Summit in Huntsville, Ontario.[23]

He received much public attention over highly publicized child pornography busts, with 21 men arrested in February 2008 and 31 men (some as young as 14) arrested in February 2009.[24] None of the cases has come to trial to date. During his term, Fantino has changed the look of the OPP by ordering that the livery for police cruisers be changed to a 1960s era black and white pattern.

Commissioner Fantino's salary, for 2009, was $251,989.44.[25]
Shawn Brant controversy

Fantino was criticized by lawyer Peter Rosenthal during the trial of aboriginal activist Shawn Brant. Fantino was criticized for ordering wiretaps of Brant's phone without proper authority and for making provocative comments to Brant during negotiations to end a blockade of the rail line west of Kingston.[26] NDP MPP Peter Kormos called for Fantino's resignation accusing him of using "pugnacious and bellicose" rhetoric and for engaging in "Rambo-style policing."[27] In the face of defence motions for the police to disclose more evidence about their conduct the Crown agreed to drop the most serious charges against Brant in exchange for a plea bargain resulting in a light sentence.[28] Fantino was also criticized for his role in the Caledonia land dispute after he was accused of sending e-mails to local politicians accusing them of encouraging anti-police rallies by non-Natives.[29]
Internal discipline hearing controversy

In late 2008 and early 2009, Fantino was embroiled in a controversy surrounding his role in an internal discipline case at the OPP in which Fantino was accused of being petty and vindictive in his actions against the officers.[30] Fantino ordered a hearing into the matter but attempted to remove the adjudicator he had appointed on the grounds that the judge was biased against the commissioner due to critical comments he made during testimony by Fantino. Divisional Court rejected Fantino's request.[31] The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the lower court decision saying an informed person viewing the matter realistically and practically would not conclude there was any apprehension of bias on the part of the adjudicator. The OPP dropped the disciplinary case against the two officers on December 15, 2009, the same day Fantino was due to be cross examined[32] by defence lawyer Julian Falconer.[33] The entire process cost more than $500,000 in public money.[34]
Private prosecution charge for influencing or attempting to influence an elected official

Fantino was summoned in early January 2010 to face a charge of influencing or attempting to influence an elected official in April 2007 in Haldimand County, Ontario. The summons came after a December 31 Ontario Superior Court order demanding a formal charge be laid in relation to allegations against Mr. Fantino brought forward by a private complainant, Gary McHale, who alleged that Fantino was illegally influencing or attempting to influence municipal officials in regards to the Caledonia land dispute.[35] The charge against Fantino was stayed in February 2010 as the Crown said there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.[36]
$90,000,000 Corruption Lawsuit

On February 4, 2011, Gerald Guy Brummell of Trenton, Ontario filed a $90,000,000 lawsuit against 36 OPP officers, including Julian Fantino in the Superior Court of Justice in Cobourg Ontario (File 11/11) alleging a conspiracy and coverup relative to the inappropriate use of the Judicial system as a tool of revenge against he and his family for complaining about a death threat by one of their officers.[37]
Political aspirations

Following the resignation of John Tory as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Fantino's name was floated as a possible candidate in the ensuing leadership election.[38] He ended speculation that he was interested in the job with a letter to the Globe and Mail.[39]

There were rumours that he may run for Mayor of Vaughan, Ontario in the October 25, 2010 municipal election following his retirement from the OPP.[23][40] An April 2010 Toronto Star-Angus Reid poll indicates that Fantino would have the support of 43% of voters leading incumbent MayorLinda Jackson who has 22% support.[41] In an interview with CFRB on July 9, 2010, Fantino announced that he would not be running for mayor of Vaughan.[42]
Federal politics

On October 12, 2010 Fantino announced he would seek the nomination for the federal Conservative Party of Canada in the riding of Vaughan.[43] It had been reported Prime Minister Stephen Harper had personally spoken to Fantino in early October about running as a Conservative and that the former police commissioner was "leaning" toward running.[44] A federal by-election was necessary after the resignation of Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua.[45] Fantino was acclaimed as Conservative Party's candidate on October 14[6] and the by-election was called for November 29, 2010.

During the campaign, he was dogged by a group called "Conservatives Against Fantino" led by Gary McHale and Mark Vandermaas, two activists critical of Fantino's role in the Caledonia controversy.[46] The group, which is picketing Fantino's campaign office and events, registered as a third party with Elections Canada under the name "Against Fantino" (after their use of the term "Conservatives" had been disallowed by the agency) in order to be permitted to spend money on printing and distributing 60,000 anti-Fantino pamphlets.[47][48]

Fantino was elected to the Canadian House of Commons on November 29, 2010 narrowly defeating Liberal candidate Tony Genco.[2] The Globe and Mail noted that Fantino had "beat the Liberals out of one of their safest seats in Ontario, one they had held for 22 years."[49]

On January 4, 2011, Fantino was named as Minister of State for Seniors. In Prime Minister Harper's cabinet shuffle following the 2011 federal election Fantino was promoted to Associate Minister of National Defence.

Following the departure of Bev Oda, Harper named Fantino the new Minister for International Cooperation on July 4, 2012, replacing him at National Defence with Bernard Valcourt.[50]

On July 15, 2013, Fantino was shuffled to the position of Minister of Veterans' Affairs.
Electoral record
By-election on November 29, 2010: Vaughan

called due to the resignation of Maurizio Bevilacqua on September 2, 2010
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Julian Fantino 19,290 49.10 +14.77
Liberal Tony Genco 18,326 46.65 -2.53
New Democratic Kevin Bordian 661 1.68 -7.96
Green Claudia Rodriguez-Larrain 481 1.22 -5.64
Libertarian Paolo Fabrizio 251 0.64 –
Independent Leslie Bory 111 0.28 –
Progressive Canadian Dorian Baxter 110 0.28 –
United Brian Jedan 55 0.14 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 39,285 100.00 $114,412
Total rejected ballots 231 0.58 -0.16
Turnout 39,516 32.50 -19.42
Conservative gain

[hide]Canadian federal election, 2011
PartyCandidateVotes%±ppExpenditures
Conservative Julian Fantino 38,533 56.32 +7.22
Liberal Mario Ferri 20,435 29.87 -16.78
New Democratic Mark Pratt 7,940 11.60 +9.92
Green Claudia Rodriguez-Larrain 1,515 2.21 +0.99
Total valid votes 68,423 100.00
Total rejected ballots 480 0.70 +0.12
Turnout 68,903 55.98 +23.48
Conservative hold Swing

Awards
Appointed Commander of the Order of the Police Forces by the Government of Canada (2003)
Appointed a Member of the Order of Ontario by the Government of Ontario (2004)
Awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit to the Republic of Italy (2002)
20-Year Police Exemplary Service Medal (1989)
30-Year Police Exemplary Service Bar (1999)
40-Year Police Exemplary Service Bar (2009)
Order of St. John (2001)
Recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal
Recipient of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Civil Rights Award in Law
Order of Ontario (2003)
Top Choice Award for Leadership (2005), voted by Italian-Canadians in Toronto, Ontario
April 14, 2005 he was presented the Key to the City of Toronto by Mayor David Miller.
Received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Canada[51] in 2009.
References

Jump up^ "SPECIAL REPORT: 'Hell on earth for me'". The London Free Press. November 10, 2007. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
^ Jump up to:a b "Fantino wins Vaughan for Tories; Liberals take Manitoba by-election", Globe and Mail, November 30, 2010
Jump up^ "Julian Fantino replaces Bev Oda as international co-operation minister". The Toronto Star. July 5, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
Jump up^ Article on reaction to Fantino's appointment[dead link]
Jump up^ Kennedy, Brendan. "Fantino confirms he’ll seek Tory nomination", Toronto Star, October 12, 2010
^ Jump up to:a b Ferguson, Rob (October 15, 2010). "Harper helps Fantino kick off his campaign". The Star (Toronto).
^ Jump up to:a b Mackrael, Kim (27 June 2013). "Ottawa’s elimination of CIDA brand signals end of a foreign-aid era". Ottawa, Ontario: Globe and Mail.
Jump up^ "Toronto Police Farce: Part 1", eye weekly, November 18, 2010
Jump up^ "Toronto police illegally bugged ex-chair: tapes", CBC News, November 19, 2010
^ Jump up to:a b Dubro, James (December 6, 2007). "Julian Fantino hawks new book". Xtra!.
Jump up^ Gerald Hannon, "The Kiddie Porn Ring that Wasn't", The Globe and Mail, March 11, 1995.
Jump up^ LGBTOUT Events & Info[dead link]
Jump up^ [1][dead link]
Jump up^ "Chief's Chilling Legacy". NOW Magazine. July 22, 2004. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
Jump up^ "Police were poised to crack down on native protest, documents show". CBC News. March 26, 2008.[dead link]
Jump up^ Garry Breitkreuz[dead link]
Jump up^ http://injusticebusters.org/04/LeCraw_James.shtml
Jump up^ http://voiceofcanada.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/cbc-documentary-fantinos-stmts-vs-innocent-man-blamed-in-2004-suicide-2/#more-5159
Jump up^ CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2006/03/14/landslide-porn060314.html |url= missing title (help).
Jump up^ The Star (Toronto) http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1141339814357&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home|url= missing title (help). Retrieved March 27, 2010.[dead link]
Jump up^ "Police 'unplugged' corruption probe, lawyer says -Claims against drug squad were ignored, court told, as damage control bid was under way on other unit", Toronto Star, December 11, 2009
Jump up^ "OPP Commissioner Fantino gets contract extension". CBC News. March 11, 2008.[dead link]
^ Jump up to:a b "Julian Fantino re-appointed as Ontario's top cop", Toronto Star, June 9, 2009
Jump up^ Toronto Star, February 6, 2009.
Jump up^ "Public Sector Salary Disclosure 2010 (Disclosure for 2009) : Ministries". Ontario Ministry of Finance. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
Jump up^ "NDP calls for Fantino 'to resign or be fired' over Brant wiretaps". CBC News. July 21, 2008.[dead link]
Jump up^ Benzie, Robert; Loriggio, Paola (July 20, 2008). "Investigate Fantino, lawyer urges". The Star (Toronto). Retrieved March 27, 2010.
Jump up^ "Mohawk protester Brant gets light penalty for blockades". CBC News. September 29, 2008.[dead link]
Jump up^ "Fantino should resign over Caledonia email: NDP". CTV News. April 18, 2007. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
Jump up^ [2][dead link]
Jump up^ "Fantino loses bid to have adjudicator tossed from discipline case". CBC News. March 10, 2009.[dead link]
Jump up^ "OPP disciplinary charges in case involving Fantino dropped", Canadian Press, December 16, 2009
Jump up^ "OPP withdraws charges against senior officers - Move shuts down questioning on allegations of Fantino vendetta", Globe and Mail, December 16, 2009
Jump up^ "Complainant praises OPP officers after case dropped", CBC News, December 16, 2009
Jump up^ [3][dead link]
Jump up^ "Charges against top cop Fantino dropped", Toronto Star, February 3, 2010
Jump up^ [4], "The Trentonian", February 7, 2011
Jump up^ Clark, Campbell (March 20, 2009). "PC family ties complicate Ontario leadership race". The Globe and Mail (Toronto).
Jump up^ The Globe and Mail (Toronto) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090321.COLETTS21-12/TPStory/Opinion/letters |url=missing title (help).[dead link]
Jump up^ Gombu, Phinjo (March 24, 2009). "Is OPP's Fantino to run for Vaughan mayor?". The Star (Toronto). Retrieved March 27, 2010.
Jump up^ "OPP boss mum on running in Vaughan: Fantino’s silence fuels speculation he’ll enter race in July", Toronto Star, April 16, 2010
Jump up^ "Fantino not running for mayor of Vaughan", Toronto Sun, July 9, 2010
Jump up^ "Fantino takes aim at federal seat ", Globe and Mail, October 12, 2010
Jump up^ Taber, Jane (October 4, 2010). "PM pressing Julian Fantino to run, source says". Toronto: The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
Jump up^ "Questions raised about Vaughan MP’s mayoral intentions", Toronto Star, August 23, 2010
Jump up^ "‘Conservatives Against Fantino’ targets ex-police chief’s by-election run", National Post, November 15, 2010
Jump up^ "Urban Scrawl: No easy win for Fantino", National Post, November 18, 2010
Jump up^ "Toronto-area byelection pivotal battle for major parties", Vancouver Sun, November 19, 2010
Jump up^ Taber, Jane (December 3, 2010). "Fantino lashes out at ‘desperate’ Liberals". The Globe and Mail (Toronto).
Jump up^ Canadian Press (July 4, 2012). "Julian Fantino to replace Bev Oda as international co-operation minister". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
Jump up^ Connor, Kevin."Walking proud in Little Italy"
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Julian Fantino.

Julian Fantino official site
Profile at Parliament of Canada
Julian Fantino – Parliament of Canada biography
Speeches, votes and activity at OpenParliament.ca