The other Russia of Sochi ” “

Everything is ready. The Sochi 2014 Olympics are about to begin. There are 82 participating countries with about 6 thousand athletes and members of sports teams, in addition to 1,650 Paralympic athletes, 25 thousand volunteers, 13 thousand accredited journalists and 30 thousand agents for a security device unparalleled in the history of this sport event, for the threat of terrorist attacks in a region very close to the troubled Chechnya and the explosive Caucasus, with their melting pot of peoples and ethnic groups who want to break free from Moscow. Bated breath before the majestic 7-year accomplishment of redesigning a beautiful area of Russia in terms of nature, but which is by no means ready to hold such an event. Sky-rocketing costs (51 billion euro, according to estimates) and damage to the environment are the charges that weigh on Putin, who wanted this area to be the venue of the games and who has completely changed the landscape of the city overlooking the Black Sea and its 400 thousand inhabitants, making it possible to hold ski races on Krasnaya Polyana, the mountain 75 kilometers from the seaside resort of Sochi, where magnificent structures will house the indoor races. A stadium was built specifically for the opening and closing ceremonies. Moreover, the exploitation of workers, corruption, terrorism-risk are further claims held against President Vladimir Putin in recent months. Some national political delegations will have a very low profile: Merkel, Cameron, Hollande won’t be present at the inauguration ceremony because at international level Russia has yet to solve a set of hanging questions: human rights violations, anti-democratic methods to silence dissidents, the ambiguous positions in the affair of Ukraine … The fact is that from February 7 to 23 eyes will be focused on this corner of the world. Who will win the Olympics which up to now have told a story completely different from sport? Sarah Numico interviewed Anatoly Krasikov, professor at the European Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. In your opinion, what is the message that Russia wants to give to the world, in this circumstance?”We should make a distinction between the political leadership and Russian society. The Kremlin, and a certain part of society, feel nostalgic for the great power it once was. While most people are striving to face severe problems of every day life”. Some described the high strings between Russia and Europe as a “cold war”. Do you think there is a real interest in the economic and political partnership with Russia on the part of Europe? How are relations between Moscow and the EU bound to develop? “For the time being it’s a quarrel which may escalate into serious tension, should civil war break out in Ukraine followed by a military intervention by Russia. There is no doubt that the prospects of relations between Russia and the European Union, both political and economic, will be determined by the general climate in the east of the continent”. Many heads of state and government will not be present at the opening of the Olympic Games to protest against human rights violations that – they claim – take place in Russia. Do you think that this “boycott” is productive? “The Games will be held all the same”. Europe’s and Russia’s economic interests reach a clash when it comes to Ukraine. What could be the “Ukrainian future” of this Country? “I would put political interests at the first place. I understand democratic Europeans’ dream to see an East European country attached to the universal values of human rights. But promising the Ukrainians a speedy entry into the EU, in fact has mislead them. The Union has not yet ‘digested’ Greece and some other countries on the threshold of economic collapse. Not to mention Turkey, which has been knocking on Europe’s door for many years. I don’t think that Mrs. Merkel and other leaders of old, small Europe will take another poor devil into their ‘family’. I say this with all the sympathy for a people of ancient Christian culture! If, nevertheless, Ukraine became European, the Russian Orthodox Church would shortly thereafter lose more than half of her flock”. What do the Russian people think of the 51 billion dollars invested in Sochi, while the country still has to come to grips with serious difficulties and delays, or of the contamination of environmental resources in the region of Sochi? “The people are thinking of the huge corruption of Russia’s ruling class …”. To what extent could the Olympic Games be a true moment of reflection, a truce, a time for peaceful dialogue at international level?”I seriously doubt it will happen”.