The geek with a cynical view

Saturday, February 15, 2014

CTFxC CATS SUCK!

Published on Feb 14, 2014

Free Netflix for the CTFxC http://Netflix.com/CTFxC

also get your badass shirts and stuff at http://CTFxCmerch.com

(↓↓ click show more ↓↓)

Twitter

Charles - http://twitter.com/CharlesTrippy

Alli - http://twitter.com/AlliTrippy

Subscribe To Our Other Channels:

http://youtube.com/CharlesTrippy

http://youtube.com/Alli

http://youtube.com/Trippy

Free month trial for CTFxCers on Netflix:

http://netflix.com/ctfxc

Also, thanks to Gamefly for hooking the CTFxC w/ a trial too:

http://gamefly.com/ctfxc

*Facebook:

http://facebook.com/InternetKilledTV

http://facebook.com/CharlesTrippy

Instagram:

http://instagram.com/CharlesTrippy

http://instagram.com/AlliTrippy

Google+:

http://gplus.to/charlestrippy

Tumblr:

http://charlestrippy.tumblr.com

This video is for entertainment purposes only. We don't condone anyone attempting the activities shown.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Survivors of the Lac-Megantic disaster aim to sue Ottawa for allegedly failing to sanction North America's "most-unsafe" railway operator — a company whose highly explosive cargo wiped out part of their town.

Survivors of the Lac-Megantic disaster aim to sue Ottawa for allegedly failing to sanction North America's "most-unsafe" railway operator — a company whose highly explosive cargo wiped out part of their town.

A runaway train hauling volatile crude oil derailed last summer and exploded in the Quebec community, killing 47 people and razing part of the downtown core.

The July 6 tragedy set off an international debate on rail safety and has led to numerous investigations, regulatory changes and lawsuits, including proposed class-action cases on both sides of the border.

One of those class-action suits now seeks to expand its long list of defendants to include the federal government.

The Attorney General of Canada was named in an amendment filed Wednesday in a Quebec courthouse. The document states it was included because it delegates regulatory powers to the Canadian Transportation Agency and Transport Canada.

The motion alleges Transport Canada failed to adequately sanction the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway — the company at the centre of the disaster — even though the department was aware of the company's repeated violations.

"(Transport Canada) failed to take appropriate measures to ensure safe and secure operations by MMA Canada and it is therefore responsible to the class members as a result of its laxity in this regard," reads the document presented by lead lawyer Daniel Larochelle, whose Lac-Megantic office was destroyed in the disaster.

The amendment also says the Transportation Safety Board found the MMA has been involved in at least 129 accidents in Canada since 2003, an amount the plaintiffs allege make it the "most-unsafe railway operator in North America."

"(Transport Canada) was clearly deficient and grossly negligent in its oversight role as it has failed to establish any effective or sustainable oversight approach in the face of MMA Canada's open non-compliance with its regulations," the motion said.

"As a result, TC failed to provide a minimum level of assurance that MMA Canada was operating safely."

Among the other allegations in the document:

— Transport Canada failed to prevent the MMA from transporting shale liquids despite what it calls its "dubious history" and the "deplorable condition" of some of its tracks.

— Transport Canada ignored red flags by permitting the railway to use a single operator on its trains in some areas.

— Transport Canada was aware the MMA's train drivers had failed, in the past, to apply a sufficient number of brakes on unattended trains.

— The Canadian Transportation Agency failed to ensure the U.S.-based MMA carried adequate insurance coverage for an accident.

A judge has been asked to decide at a hearing next week whether to approve the request to list the federal government among the defendants, a lawyer involved in the case said Thursday.

Meanwhile, the class-action itself is still in its preliminary stages, but could be authorized by a judge as early as June, Montreal attorney Jeff Orenstein said.

He said the legal team decided to target Ottawa in part because of findings in a rail-safety report released last fall by the auditor general. The audit, made public in November, had been completed just days before the Lac-Megantic crash.

That report, which explicitly stated it made no assessment of the disaster, found "significant weaknesses" in Transport Canada's oversight of federally regulated railways.

The audit said the weaknesses include a lack of knowledge of railroads used to transport dangerous goods, too few safety auditors, poorly trained inspectors and an absence of follow-up or sanctions when safety problems are found.

On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Transport Minister Lisa Raitt declined to comment on the allegations, saying it would be inappropriate since the case is before the courts.

Raitt did, however, defend her department Thursday during Question Period as she responded to NDP queries about the class-action suit and the beleaguered railway.

"With respect to the difficulties with MMA and its non-compliance with the rules, this is exactly why last year we brought in the ability to administer fines," Raitt said.

"Before then, it simply did not exist."

Transport Canada has introduced new safety rules for the railway industry since the Lac-Megantic disaster, including an emergency measure stating at least two crew members must work trains transporting dangerous goods.

The tanker train that smashed into Lac-Megantic had a single operator when it was parked uphill from town the night of the derailment.

New federal directives also include a regulation that says locomotives attached to one or more tank cars loaded with dangerous materials can no longer be left unattended on a main track.

Last month, amid concerns over the fragility of older-model rail tankers, Raitt promised the government will formalize the standard for new tank-car construction adopted by the industry in October 2011.

The class-action lawyers say rules were in place before the derailment, but allege the government was too lax when it came to sanctioning its own regulations.

Orenstein, however, acknowledged how difficult it would be to win a lawsuit against the government.

"It starts off with the premise saying, 'the King can do no wrong,' meaning that the government is immune from liability and it's only if they fall under something specific that they could be liable," he said.

"The concept of laxity would be something specific."

The class-action was first registered in July and targets numerous defendants, including the MMA, its chairman Ed Burkhardt, train driver Tom Harding and companies allegedly responsible for the crude oil aboard the train.

The amendment filed Wednesday was introduced the same week Ottawa agreed to lift the ceiling on how much cash it will pay toward the decontamination and reconstruction in Lac-Megantic, where millions of litres of crude spewed from the train into the soil and nearby water bodies.

The work is expected to cost more than $400 million.

Under the agreement, the federal government would split the costs with Quebec.

It's too early to determine the derailment's overall price tag, which could soar as law firms in Canada and the United States try to take a piece of potentially lucrative lawsuits.

Orenstein's class-action, which does not mention a financial sum, seeks damages for loved ones of the dead, for those who were injured and for property and business losses.

He said he has a ballpark idea of how much the group would seek, but he declined to disclose a specific amount until a later date.

"Are we talking about many millions?" Orenstein said. "Absolutely."

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/LacMegantic+victims+Ottawa+allegedly+failing+stop+railway/9504166/story.html#ixzz2tKVPV8Db

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Belgium to allow child euthanasia Children would be able to decide whether they should 'bid farewell to life' under new law

Belgian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to extend the country's euthanasia law to children under 18.

The law empowers children with terminal ailments who are in great pain to ask to be put to death by their doctor if their parents agree and a psychiatrist or psychologist certifies they are conscious of what their choice signifies.
'A child is to be nurtured and protected, all the way to the end, whatever happens. You don't kill it'- Laurent Louis, independent House member

It has wide public support, but was opposed by some pediatricians and the country's Roman Catholic clergy. As House of Representative members cast their ballots and an electronic tally board lit up with enough green lights to indicate the measure would carry, a lone protester in the chamber shouted "assassins!"

Hans Bonte, a Socialist, said no member of the House hopes the law will ever be made use of. But he said all Belgians, including minors, deserved the right to "bid farewell to life in humane circumstances" without having to fear they were breaking the law.
Child euthanasia law passes in Belgium Senate

The 86-44 vote in the House, with 12 abstentions, followed approval by the Senate last December.

Laurent Louis, an independent House member who opposed the legislation, said the majority of his colleagues were violating the natural order.
'You don't kill it'

"A child is to be nurtured and protected, all the way to the end, whatever happens," Louis said. "You don't kill it.

Another House member, Catherine Fonck, said the legislation was riddled with flaws and didn't address the possibility that one parent may favour euthanasia while the other is opposed.

Daniel Bacquelaine, leader of Belgium's centrist Reform Movement, says that a law extending euthanasia to children under 18 imposes no obligations, and that no child, family or doctor would be forced to apply it. (Virginia Mayo/Associated Press)

All 13 proposed amendments seeking changes in the bill were defeated.

Daniel Bacquelaine, a physician and leader of the centrist Reform Movement, said it is wrong to think life and death questions should be reserved for adults. He stressed that the law imposed no obligations, and that no child, family or doctor would be forced to apply it.

The law will go into effect when signed by King Philippe. The Belgian monarch is not expected to oppose the measure, said Jean-Jacques De Gucht, a co-sponsor.

Belgium's euthanasia law, passed in 2002, previously applied only to legal adults. The neighboring Netherlands allows euthanasia for children as young as 12, providing their families agree.

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: