Sochi, Russia

Sochi lies in the Krasnodar Krai region of Russia, and the region embraces terrain from the islands and beaches of the Black Sea up to the tops of the Caucasus Mountains.  About two million people visit Greater Sochi each summer, when the city is home to the annual film festival "Kinotavr", and is considered a getaway for Russia's elite.  Besides the main city area of Sochi, divided into four distinct cities, there are also 79 rural regions. Inside Sochi itself, there are many beautiful places to visit:  The Riviera Park was established by Vasily Alexeyevich Khludov in 1883; the park is popular with both residents and tourists, having a variety of attractions, including groupings of funny statues and a "glade of friendship" where magnolia trees were planted by every Soviet cosmonaut.  Also to be seen is the Tree of Friendship, a lemon tree planted in 1934 by Otto Schmidt; multiple cultivars from foreign countries have been grafted onto this tree as a token of friendship, and the associated museum contains over 20,000 gifts from around the world.  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.  There are innumerable things to see and experience in and around Sochi.
  The outside, snow events for the Olympics will occur on Rosa Khutor, in the Krasnaya Polyana - the Mountain Cluster.  Besides the Rosa Khutor Plateau Olympic Village,where the athletes will stay, there are five other parts of Krasnaya Polyana: the Laura Biathlon and Ski Complex; the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park; the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort; the Sliding Center Sanki; and the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center.
   There are three mascots for the Sochi Olympics - the Amur Leopard; Zaya, the European Hare; and the Polar Bear.  Russia has already issued stamps with the three mascots' imprints; and they have also released a commemorative 100 ruble note, depicting snowboarding.
   After the Winter Olympics and the Paralympics, these venues will be used by the citizens of Russia.  Plans have been made for Formula One racing through Sochi from 2014 through 2020; and the Fisht Olympic Stadium will be used to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup....
  Here's wishing all athletes good luck in Sochi!