Sochi's giant Games - a visit to "ground zero"

By Florian Luetticke Feb 14, 2012, 3:01 GMT

Sotchi - The cemetary at least can stay, the gravestones withstanding the dust hidden away behind a blue barrier.

The graves between the stadium and the figure skating arena are the last relic of a distant past on a huge construction site where the Olympic Park of Sotchi is being erected.

Former inhabitants of the area have been forced to relocate, their houses have been torn down.

Only the dead are holding up the creators of a giant Winter Games project of contrasts between the Black Sea and the northern Caucasian mountains.

Those who want to see how Russian Olympics will look like in two years time start their journey on the coast.

The outer walls of five ice arenas have been erected and gaint cranes form the skyline where the Olympic stadium is being built. Trees, greenery and a birds' reserve are to follow.

The former summer spa has turned all its clocks back for the sporting image campaign. Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov calls it 'ground zero' - the 'hour zero.'

This somewhat apocalyptic feeling prevails during a night-time drive to the second Olympic centre, the mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana.

Olympic visitors will reach the snow events in half an hour with a high-speed train. But for now workers are welding as floodlights cut through the darkness and fog - 50,000 in all are working on the construction site Olympic Games.

The hosts are friendly and clear at the same time as they dismiss scepticism on whether the promised marvels will be ready for the opening ceremony on February 7, 2014.

'When Putin promises a train then there will be a train. Regardless of what it costs,' says a high-ranking member of the ministry on the bumpy ride with a minibus shuttle.

The construction budget of 24 billion euros (31.7 billion dollars) earns the summer residence city of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin the title of most expensive Winter Games.

But money is no problem, and the signposts next to the muddy road say why.

'Gazprom 2014' is written in white on blue. Gazprom is building the Laura ski area for cross-country skiing and biathlon. Metal industry businessman Vladimir Putanin is investing heavily in his resort Rosa Khutor where the alpine skiing medals will be decided.-

Rarely before has an Olympic project had as much support from the private sector of the economy.

It takes two gondola rides and a chairlift to get to the meeting with the oligarch Putanin at the downhill course.

A high security area it is, where grim-faced policemen are placed at every concrete pillar along the road that winds itself up the mountain.

Three checkpoints have been set up like border crossings, and signs at the metal detector warn of forbidden items ranging from a pocket knife to radioactive material. Grey security walls make it impossible to leave the path.

Any feared attack from nearby tense Abkhazia appears impossible in this prohibited area with its 5,000 watchdogs. A feeling of constriction is the price you pay, no one goes jogging here without a passport.

Potanin is lying rather than sitting in his chair in the media tent, ski boots stretched out.

He shows a weary smile when confronted with questions on widespread corruption mentioned by the Russian audit office.

His issue is a different one: spectacular footage from the first skiing World Cup, and even more the Olympics, are to make Russians yearn for a skiing holiday in his hotels.

All there is for now are the foundation walls, but Potanin prefers to look ahead at what is to be a bright future.

'To be honest, it is not realistic to have a good atmosphere soon, given all the construction and the security. But it will come right after the Games,' he says.

Russia does not only want to show off its economic strength with the Olympics, the biggest sports stage of the planet is also to create a cosmopolitan image.

Mayor Pakhomov tells his translator on several occasions at the reception for journalists at the first gondola stop that people from 100 nations live in his city. A Cossack choir from the Kuban region is performing and another group of performers is said to include locals with Georgian roots.

Bernhard Russia is well aware of the language barrier and more, having felt his way into the Russian soul in his 20 visits as the designer of the downhill skiing course.

'In this special case you must translate the language and the philosophy ... They (the Russians) are very, very melancholic people, I felt that right at the beginning. But then there is a big change and you quickly have really good friends,' Russi says.

Travelling back down again in the gondola, the houses painted in pastel shades of brown, orange and yellow, the hotels and the clocktower, they all appear like from a movie set.

And it remains unclear after the first visit how real the Russian winter dream is, how high the price will be for nature and the people.

This is a questions raised not only by those mourners in Sochi, who can only visit their dead relatives with a special security pass.

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