Sochi Olympic Park

Sochi Olympic Park is a grandiose complex of structures erected for the XXII Winter Olympic Games, which took place in 2014. For its construction was chosen a picturesque place on the shore of the Black Sea in the Imereti Lowlands, in the Adler district of the sunny city of Sochi – the resort capital of Russia.

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Video: Sochi Olympic Park from a height

Contents

Highlights

The construction of the Olympic Park lasted five years. During this time a truly titanic work was carried out: a huge stadium, numerous palaces-arenas for competitions on ice, Olympic Village, media center, a large-scale transport infrastructure were built. The creative thinking of architects, designers, engineers, and digital technology specialists can be felt in all the buildings.

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Sports complexes in countries that have hosted such significant events as the Olympic Games become symbols of the era, national treasures, places where life continues to boil even after the end of the world’s major sporting events. And Russia is no exception. After the Winter Olympics died down, Sochi Olympic Park has more than once been an arena hosting prestigious international competitions; it has hosted major political and public forums of global significance, festivals, extravaganzas, shows and exhibitions. Entrance here is open to everyone who wants to know what one of the main attractions of modern Russia looks like, as well as to join the world of sports and extraordinary entertainment.

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Scheme of Sochi Olympic Park

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Sports attractions

The territory of Sochi Olympic Park is huge, and the sports palaces are at a decent distance from each other. If you go to inspect them on foot, you simply do not have enough strength and time for tedious transitions, and the impression of the trip will be spoiled. In order to make the excursion through the world of sports was informative and enjoyable, use vehicles that can be rented in the park. You will have to pay from 150 to 500 rubles for this service, depending on what you decide to move around on: rollerblades, bicycles, scooters, electric cars, steam trains or any other cute types of mini-transport.

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Fisht Stadium

Fisht Stadium is the most grandiose structure of Sochi’s Olympic Park, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games were held. According to the original project, the stadium in its shape and design was supposed to be a giant stylized Faberge Easter egg. But this idea was abandoned, and the approved project was based on the shape of the structure, resembling both a shell and a mountain top.

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The stadium has 4 stands: two side stands, covered with translucent polycarbonate, a durable polymer, and two end stands, open, from the upper tiers of which there is a magnificent view of the snow-capped ridges of the Caucasus Mountains. The name of one of the mountain peaks – “Fisht” (translated from Adygean as “white frost”, “saddle-headed”) – gave the name to the sports arena.

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By the opening day of the Olympics, the stands of Fisht accommodated 40 thousand spectators, but after 2014, additional construction work was carried out here, and today, on the eve of the World Cup, which will be held in Sochi in 2018, the vast stands of the stadium are ready to receive 45 thousand fans. In 2017, four matches of the Confederations Cup under the auspices of FIFA – a kind of rehearsal tournament before the World Cup – have already been held here.

Bolshoi Ice Palace

During the Winter Olympics, the Bolshoi Ice Palace was the main hockey stadium. The complex engineering structure is multifunctional, it has two ice arenas (a demonstration arena and a training arena), and can be used not only for sports competitions on ice, but also for competitions in game sports. The demonstration arena can be transformed into a grand concert venue, a boxing ring, a platform for gymnasts, festivals, circus performances, exhibitions and fairs can be held here. The palace includes underground and above-ground parts, it can accommodate about 12 thousand guests. Today, the Bolshoi Ice Palace is also the home ground of the local Sochi ice hockey team.

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Plastic in its shape, the structure is clearly visible from the sea (the coast is only 300 meters away). The perfect ellipse of the dome is organically blended into the surrounding landscape. This huge pearly white roof resembles both a frozen dewdrop and an open seashell. The smoothly curving facades are made of specially manufactured curved glass. During daylight hours, the ice palace shimmers with mirror-silver highlights; later in the day, its beautiful interior can be seen through the transparent facades.

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Iceberg Ice Palace

One of the architectural wonders of the Olympic Park is the magnificent Iceberg Ice Palace for 12,000 spectators. It was built for figure skating competitions and spectacular short track speed skating (a type of speed skating). The Iceberg has an internal area of about 68,000 square meters.

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After the Olympics, the building was planned to be dismantled and moved to another region of the country, and in its place to build a cycle track. But then the plans changed, and the Iceberg Palace remained in Sochi.

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Now Russian figure skating championships and hockey tournaments are held here. Youth hockey teams play here the prestigious “Black Sea Cup”. And also in “Aisberg” they hold magnificent ice shows with the participation of figure skating stars. The most popular are “Carmen”, “The Bremen Musicians”, “Romeo and Juliet”; tickets cost from 1500 rubles.

Ice arena “Shayba”

The Puck Ice Arena is located near the Bolshoi Ice Palace and is the second largest and most important sports facility after it. The puck-shaped building can accommodate 7,000 spectators. Its facade, painted with precipitous, rapid blue, blue, white lines, gives the covered arena a similarity to a snow whirlwind. In the evening it is spectacularly illuminated by 700 lights with special illumination programs, and at this time the ice arena becomes like a starry sky, which is cut through by many comets.

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During the Winter Olympics, ice hockey players competed here, and later, during the Paralympic Games, sledge hockey competitions were held here. In 2013, this ice arena received the status of the All-Russian Children’s Sports and Recreation Center, and now future champions train and compete here.

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Ice rink “Ledinka”

Next to “Shayba” is the ice rink “Ljedinka”, which has become a center of mass skating. It welcomes all fans of this sport on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the evening – from 20:00 to 23:00. Entrance ticket costs 400 rubles, skate rental – 200 rubles (you will need to leave 1000 rubles or an ID document as a deposit).

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Curling center “Ice Cube”

The Ice Cube Curling Center is a laconic architectural structure decorated in gray and white tones. During the Winter Olympics, it served as a venue for curling competitions, an ancient Scottish team game played on ice. The building has four floors and can accommodate 3,000 spectators.

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Today everyone can get a curling lesson here, many companies hold corporate parties here, which include competitions in this sport between colleagues. The “Ice Cube” also hosts concerts and filming of TV programs, including Comedy Club.

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«Адлер-Арена»

The indoor skating center “Adler Arena”, impressive for its original design solution, is located in the central part of the Olympic Park. The oval stadium is 400 meters long, and its facade, decorated with tinted stained-glass windows, is in the same shape. During the Olympics, more than 170 skaters from all over the world competed here.

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At the end of the Olympic Games, the Adler Arena was repurposed by dismantling the refrigeration equipment. Today, on the basis of this sports facility operates a tennis academy, federal and international tennis competitions are held. Gymnasts also train and compete here.

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In 2016, “Adler Arena” opened a trampoline center, which has become very popular among Sochi residents and guests of the city. There are several zones: for professionals, amateurs, children, as well as a separate “trampoline and fitness” zone.

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The center is open from 9:00 to 22:00 daily.

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Sochi Autodrom

This world-class race track is another pride of the Sochi Olympic Park. The track was officially opened in 2014, and since then it has hosted many international competitions, including stages of the prestigious Formula 1 championship.

You can head here with a guided tour for 500 rubles, as well as purchase tickets to the Free Visit Zone or to the grandstands, from which you can watch different sections of the track. Ask about ticket prices at the ticket office, they fluctuate, as periodically the price includes attendance at additional entertainment events.

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In 2017, the Kaleidoscope ice gallery opened in the premises of the Main Grandstand of the Autodrom. Here guests can expect 20 tons of Siberian ice delivered from the surface of Lake Boyarskoe (Tomsk region). Here you will see original sculptures made of ice, can be photographed in special prepared places, wearing an “ice” cape or dressed up in cute winter clothes – stylized valenki, ushanka hats, capes-cloaks.

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The gallery is open daily and without weekends from 10:00 to 22:00.

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Singing Fountains

When the sun goes down, Sochi’s Olympic Park becomes like a fairy-tale kingdom. The spectacularly illuminated Olympic arenas, which during the day impress with their urban appearance, seem to change into a different outfit and turn into palaces shining with lights. At this time in the Olympic Park begins a grand performance – a show of singing fountains.

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The light and music fountain “Bowl of the Olympic Flame”, or, as it is also called, “Waters of the Olympic Plaza”, is located on the main esplanade of the park in front of the torch stele, where the Olympic flame was lit in 2014. The fountain is familiar to all sports fans, thanks to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics that were broadcast to the whole world.

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This is an incredibly technological structure filled with a variety of equipment: powerful pumps, computers, kilometers of cables and pipelines. But all the “stuffing” is hidden underground, and tourists can see a sculptural composition resembling a long-necked snow-white bird embracing the oval of the lake with its wings. The total height of the structure is about 50 meters, and the diameter of the water surface of the bowl-lake is 75 meters.

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The 264 individually colored jets of the fountain are individually colored with powerful lights and soared to a height of 30 to 70 m by hyper cannons and miniguns. Like a giant equalizer, the singing fountains respond to changing musical accompaniment by weaving endless patterns of water. The harmony of the dance of water and music is especially impressive when classical music, iconic melodies of the Soviet era, and Russian folklore are played. During this unique performance you will be as if mesmerized to watch how the splashes of the fountain are transformed into a multitude of fireworks – this stunning effect is created with the help of photodiodes. It seems as if a starry sky is reflected in the fountain. Mystery and mystery of the spectacle is enhanced by artificial fog, which envelops the surface of the lake with fountains.

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If you wish to watch the show from a close distance, arrive early (an hour or two in advance) and bring napkins or paper towels to periodically wipe off water droplets. It’s also convenient to watch the show nearby on the grassy lawns. Keep in mind that it will take about half an hour to get on foot from the main entrance to the fountain.

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In winter, the singing fountain show can be visited from 18:00 to 19:00, in summer – from 20:30 to 21:30, in spring and fall – from 19:00 to 20:00. Sometimes the time of the show changes – it depends on the weather and the length of the daylight hours. You should also know that periodically the fountain is closed for preventive maintenance, so it is better to check the schedule of the show on the website of the Sochi Olympic Park.

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Video: Singing fountains in Sochi

Practical information

The Olympic Park’s opening hours are 8:00-22:30. Admission is free.

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While walking around the Olympic Park, check out the Baikal Restaurant, which is also considered a local attraction. It is located close to the Ice Cube curling center. Its menu features Asian and Italian cuisine, here deliciously prepared cold meat and fish dishes, seafood, pizza, pasta, exclusive desserts. Prices for salads and cold appetizers – from 400 rubles, for hot dishes – from 500 rubles, for desserts – from 350 rubles. You can accommodate yourself indoors with a luxurious interior or on the terrace (you can smoke here).

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On the territory of the park there are many pancake houses, dumplings, snack bars and other small establishments where you can treat yourself to pies and other fast food.

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How to get there

For those who head to the Sochi Olympic Park by car, there is a convenient exit from the highway A-147. For cars of auto tourists there is an extensive parking lot.

Not far from the Olympic Park is a railway station with the same name. It is the terminus where the high-speed electric train “Lastochka”, starting from Sochi, stops. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes. Every day several flights depart.

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From the railway station of Sochi to the stop “Olympic Park” regularly runs bus number 124, from the railway station of Adler – bus number 100. The buses run every 15-20 minutes. At the stop “Olympic Park” it is necessary to get off and those who are going to the already legendary amusement park “Sochi Park”, the territory of which is adjacent to the Olympic Park. Dozens of attractions await tourists here, many of them unique for Russia. To “Sochi Park” from the railway station you will be taken by a free minibus, which leaves from here at short intervals.

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