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Sochi a ghost town after Winter Olympics, Russian blogger says

Local residents walk down a street separated by a security perimeter in front of the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi, Russia, before the start of the Winter Olympic Games.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
By David Wharton
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Just weeks after the conclusion of the Sochi Winter Olympics and Paralympics, a Russian blogger claims that the Olympic Park and its surrounding hotels have become a ghost town.

Alexander Valov posted photographs of the area on Blog Sochi under the headline “Dead City.”

The photos show what Valov said are daily scenes of empty streets and deserted residential complexes, along with untended trash and weeds growing in adjacent fields.

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He asserted that much of the Olympic-related construction in the area remains unfinished.

Russia spent a reported $51 billion-plus to build sports venues, hotels, roads and railways for the Sochi Games. President Vladimir Putin has said he wants to transform the Black Sea summer resort into a year-round tourist destination.

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David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.

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