Stormy Black Sea
Sochi is often called the unofficial 'Summer Capital' of Russia, or the Black Sea Pearl. This is the country's biggest and busiest summer sea resort, attracting more than four million visitors annually with its amazing mountainous coastline, endless shingle beaches, warm sunny days, and bustling nightlife. From May to September Sochi's population at least doubles with tourists, including celebrities and the political elite of the country.
Strangely, only three percent of this visitors' crowd are international travellers, and even the frontier location of the city doesn't help to change the situation. Maybe the most famous non-politician foreign visitor of Sochi was Bono, who was invited to spend some time at President Medvedev's residence in 2010. But, in general, the city remains a very domestic destination, somewhat lacking in appropriate international infrastructure and having the same language barrier most regional centres of Russia do.
View of Sochi from the Black Sea
2014 Winter Olympics
Sochi became world-known in 2007, when it won the bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The XXII Winter Olympics took place 7-23 Feb 2014 and were followed two weeks later by the Winter Paralympic Games, 7-18 Mar 2014. The Olympic and Paralympic Games were held in Sochi and the nearby ski resort of Roza Khutor at Krasnaya Polyana. It was the first time Russia had hosted Olympics since the breakup of the USSR in 1991.
Sochi has always been associated in Russia's national mentality with the south, palms and a hot climate, that's why it was quite a bit of a surprise for many that the city won the 2014 Winter Olympic bid. This phenomenon will be probably never be understood by Russians completely: every place in the country has a real winter, but Sochi? The answers are an absence of harsh frost and the very promising Alpine resort of Krasnaya Polyana in the city area. A less pragmatic explanation is the lucky destiny of Sochi. The most famous Russian saying about the city is "If I could read the cards, I would live in Sochi" ("Знал бы прикуп - жил бы в Сочи"). Initially coming from the Preference card game, this saying shows the association of Sochi and its inhabitants with luck, moreover, with an accidental and unpredictable fortune.
Easter — it’s a big religious holiday, because Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The date of celebrating changes every year.
It falls on one of spring Sundays. Seven weeks before Easter — it is the Lent. People must not eat the animal products and meal 7 weeks. .
People prepare for the celebration during the last week, which we name Holy Week. Of course, the customs related with this day are different in every country.
For example, Easter Cakes and Easter eggs are the traditional food in several countries. Women bake Easter Cake on Friday, this day was called Good (or Holy) Friday.
It’s really an important day for many Christians, because Jesus Christ was crucified on this day. Jesus’ sacrifice was made for us. It’s a day when people say the prayers of thanksgiving and sing solemn hymns.
On Saturday women dye the eggs. Red color is traditional color of eggs, but this tradition changed a little bit.
Nowadays we can see on the Easter table the eggs of different colors. In the Saturday evening, Christian people go to church. The Easter mass lasts all night.
The priest consecrates the food in the morning. People go home for breakfast after the ceremony. The first food that they eat is the blessed food.
It is the time, when relatives visits each other
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