The spirit of curators of the project «Sochi-2014» is worthy the Guinness Books of Records. They are sure: despite a lot of obstacles, all sport and infrastructural objects will be put into operation in record terms. Record expenses for building don't confuse officials at all.
About problems with optimism.
President Dmitry Medvedev often visits Sochi Olympic building sites, involuntarily competing with prime-minister Vladimir Putin, who is considered a «godfather» of XXII winter Games. On August, 3rd the head of the state arrived to Esto-Sadok village to examine the construction of mounting skiing resort «Rosa Khutor», where in three and half a year competitions in 11 kinds of sports will take place. As the owner, the general director of a resort Sergey Bachin handed over the first ski-pass to the high-ranking visitor — the permanent ticket for the «Rosa Khutor» ropeway and told that it would work in a test mode already on December, 15th, 2010, and in February, 2011 here would be held the championship of Russia and the Europe Cup on mountain skiing. Dmitry Medvedev was pleased by the gift, and also by seen and heard. This very day he has decided to make a complete picture of building of mountain Olympic objects. President of «Olympstroy» Taymuraz Bolloev reported that building is carried out according to the schedule and even ahead of it. In mountain cluster there are planned 52 objects, five of them are for competitions: bobsleigh and luge track, a complex of springboards, the biathlon complex, stadium for snowboard and freestyle, mountain-skiing stadium. The staff deficit for realization of ambitious Olympic plans is still observed. According to the head of department of work and employment of the population of Krasnodar region Igor Melkikh, now Sochi needs 10 thousand experts, 3,5 thousand of them — for the Olympic objects. The department develops the special program «Electronic employer», which allows every interested person to learn about vacancies in capital of the Games-2014.
Another sore question — the move of citizens from the regions of the Olympic building, this requires 12 billion roubles. The vice-governor of Krasnodar region Alexander Saurin specified that the resettlement will concern about 1 thousand people. The plots total area of 240 hectares are subject to withdrawal. Favourable decisions are made on 150 hectares, 25 hectares are at the agreement stage. 102 houses in Nekrasovskoye village are already constructed and put into operation for migrants. 256 houses in «Tavrichesky» district, 70 multystoreyed houses with 500 flats in «Vesyoloye — Psou» district, 47 two-storeyed cottage houses in «Urozhainy» village are being constructed.
To rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse once again.
«2014 is not the main indicator for us. We plan schedules of building of the Olympic objects so, that they were synchronized with terms of carrying out of test competitions», — declared Taymuraz Bolloev. As the example, worthy of the IOC admiration, he made long-suffering bobsleigh and luge track: according to the proj ect it should have been constructed for 36 months, but actual declared building terms — 22 months.
The nearest three seasons in Sochi «will be very hot»: 5 thousand sportsmen and 250 thousand spectators are expected. «Guarantee of the Games success are rehearsals, rehearsals and rehearsals. And trainings. For this reason we have made the program of test competitions rich as much as possible: 74 events against 66 in Vancouver», — the president of Organizing committee «Sochi-2014» Dmitiry Chernyshenko has bragged.
Does not money bring happiness?
Meanwhile the Olympic estimate is corrected again. At the end of July Dmitry Kozak informed that the price of building of sports and infrastructural objects is 185 billion roubles. Earlier there were 206 billion and 195 billion roubles. «There is a minimization of expenses. Thus the parity of investments of private investors and the state changes», — the vice-premier explained. And his press-service had to explain the sum of 950 billion roubles, which, according to some sources, actually will be reguired for making the Olympic fairy tale true story. The official version tells: this shocking figure is the total cost of preparation of all Sochi objects to the Olympic Games by programs of three levels — federal, regional and municipal.
Thus, the state was, is and, seemingly, remains, the main investor of the Olympic Games. Though, judging by statements of the higher Russian officials, it does not absolutely suit them. Project curators repeat as a spell a phrase about interest of the foreign companies in participation, meaning financial investments first of all. In practice, those invest in Sochi in other form, as a rule. Anyhow, XXII winter Games has already become the most expensive in the history of the Olympic movement. For comparison: total expenses on carrying out of the Olympic Games in Turin, Salt Lake City, and Vancouver made from$1,5 to$3 billion.
Rules and exceptions for participants and partners of the Games-2014
The Federation Council has approved the bill directed on optimization of process of preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic games in Sochi. The document:
— the concept of IOC marketing partners is introduced. They are Russian and foreign organizations which are official sponsors, suppliers, the IOC licensees within the framework of the Olympic Games, and also the broadcasting companies;
— there are corrected items of the base law about the Olympic Games organization, concerning features of town-planning activity on the territory of its carrying out. During the period till July, 1ft, 2014 i there will be special architectural-planned territory organization areas in Sochi;
— there are introduced requirements to proprietors, land users, land owners and tenants of the plots, which are situated in special zones;
The document contains changes in the Tax code of the Russian Federation. Foreign organizers of the Olympic Games branches and representations of the foreign organizations IOC marketing partners in Russia are not VAT tax bearers in operations concerning the organization and carrying out of the Games.
Russian companies — to the Olympic Games
OAO «Gazprom» has Started building of mountain Olympic village for 1,1 thousand places. Its infrastructure will include hotel complex for 278 places, hotels for 564 places and cottage settlement for 260 places. The village is constructed close to the tracks: sportsmen can get from the place of residence to the Start-finish zones on foot or on skis. OAO «Russian Railways» has drawn about 70% of annual volume of inveStments into building of the Olympic objects. Totally, this year the monopoly plans to allocate 71,8 billion roubles for actions connected with preparation and carrying out of the Games. Vnesheconombank share in financing of Adler Thermal Power Plant building will make 19,5 billion roubles at its total coSt 28 billion roubles, informed the chairman of Vnesheconombank Vladimir Dmitriev. Capacity of the plant — 360 MW. It is planned to put it into operation till the end of 2012. In 2010-2013 OAO «Kubanenergo» plans to inveSt more than 16 billion roubles in building of objects for the Sochi Games, and the total sum of its Olympic investment program exceeds 19 billion roubles.
NPO «Mostovik» finishes pour of ceiling of the last floor of the Big ice arena located on a mark of 27 meters from zero level. Taking into account underground part, the construction height reached almoSt 37 meters. «LUKOIL» company will begin Starting-up and adjustment works on reconstructed Krasnodar thermal power Station in December this year, next year it will be Started in a regular mode. The total amount of investments into Station reconstruction will make 15-16 billion roubles.
«Delay is harmful, haste — too»
Dmitry Kozak, the vice-premier of the government of Russia:
— Only at government level more than three thousand control terms on the Olympic obj ects are traced simultaneously. And taking into account all executives, all customers, — hundreds thousands. It requires team work like nowhere else. Terms can't be put off. To be late is harmful, but sometimes working ahead of schedule is harmful too, it disorganizes. We managed to form a pool of investors for which favorable conditions are created. We got $1 billion of sponsor's means. These means were allocated by sponsors on a voluntary basis without any administrative influence. They will allow to minimize expenses of the federal budget. All money is totally controlled. At the present stage it is necessary to solve two problems: the first — preparation of the personnel for service of the objects, the second — Olympic heritage actions.
«The expenditure of means is rigorously controlled»
Taymuraz Bolloev, the president of«Olympstroy»:
— For some reason we speak not about building of qualitative objects, but about who steals budgetary funds and how many. It is time to change the theme! Control over the expenditure of money is multistage, rigorous. Exceptions are, of course, possible, but we quickly react at the slightest suspicion. The Olympic Games budget was revised, but not increased. On the contrary, thanks to the attraction of private investors we manage to minimize expenses.
We don't have fears concerning building terms of at least one of the Olympic objects. It is possible to build much faster in Sochi, than in Vancouver: the climate allows to work even in winter. A year ago the international observers pointed out that not enough attention is paid to ecological problems. Together with Ministry for Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources we have developed «green» standards. Today the building of any object does not begin without ecological examination.
«Olympic Games will bring considerable benefit»
Alexander Zhukov, the president of the Russian Olympic committee:
— Olympic Games in Sochi can give the increase of gross domestic product for more than 1%. Important international sports competitions, in particular the Olympic Games, always make huge positive impact on development of all kinds of infrastructure in the country which spends them. Besides, considerable benefit can bring competitions — from sale of tickets, the rights on TV-translation and sponsor's contracts. I think that now our main problem is to unite efforts of the government, ROC, federations, public organizations and to develop unique training programs for Russian athletes in all kinds of sports to the Sochi Olympic Games. I think, they will be ready and approved this autumn, at least till the end of the year. There is not so much time before the Games-2014.
«The higher is competition — the more qualitative is work»
Vladimir Yakovlev, the president of the Russian Union of builders:
— First, I am sure: nobody tries to protect the main Russian building from inflow of labor from the South and the North Caucasus. The scale of works is huge. And it is not bad that you should fight to get the contract for building: the higher is competition, the more qualitatively work will be done. Secondly, in SFD and NCFD are planned a lot of projects, capable to provide builders big orders, and not only in Sochi. Adygea in 2010-2012 is going to allocate 1,4 billion roubles for infrastructure development, including building of highways, electric mains, gas pipelines, objects of water supply. In Stavropol region it is stared the building of eight regional parks — industrial, technological and recreational. The North Ossetia presented 11 investment projects at the conference on development of the North Caucasus …
