General Information

Founded around 160 years ago, Sochi city is one of the biggest Russian cities at the Black Sea. The city population is about 300,000 people, but each year it hosts more than 3 million holidaymakers. The city spreads out 145 km along the Black Sea coast and therefore is among the most stretched cities in the world.

Sochi is called the summer capital of Russia. It consists of the resort settlements of Adler, Hosta, Matsesta, Dagomys, and Lazorevskoye. Mineral springs, attractive coastal and mountain scenery, long beaches, and the warm climate have made Sochi large and popular resort. The city is located on the same latitude as Toronto, Nice, and the Gobi Dessert, north of the border with Georgia.

City telephone code is 8622.

Time: Moscow time + 3.

History

Sochi has a very long history. The area was inhabited about 400,000 years ago. The local Akhshtyrskaya Cave is the northernmost point southeast of Europe in which Cro-Magnon men, the first ancestor of Europeans, lived. Even the name of the city comes from antiquity. Procopius of Caesurae of the Byzantine Empire made note that the natives of the empire’s Black Sea coast were called Sachi in Latin.

Sochi was established in 1896 on the site of the former Navaginskoye fort and began developing as a resort town in 1902 .

The territory of Sochi became a part of Russia at the end of the Caucasian War. Officially founded in 1898, Sochi was set-aside as a resort area. It’s fate was decided when salubrious hydrogen springs were discovered throughout the area. Since then it has been developed as a health resort that is now the best in Russia. The first hotel called Kavkaz Riviera was opened in Sochi in 1909. As the area became popular before the revolution, many wealthy people from St. Petersburg and Moscow came down and built splendid summerhouses.

In the 1940s and 50s sanatoriums, spas, and resorts rose by the hundreds. Most sanatoriums were built to treat bronchial, lung and nervous disorders. Now there are over 250 stretched along the shores and hidden in the mountains. In the Soviet times, Sochi was the most popular resort in Russia.

The end of communism not only brought an increase in prices. In addition, Russians got the opportunity to travel overseas, so some have gone off to see the rest of the world. The crowds have thinned. However it is still popular and many people come to Sochi beaches and sanatoriums in summer.

Climate and Nature

Sochi is a region of many contrasts, which is especially true in respect to landscape and climate. Sochi is located between the sea and lies on the early Caucasian Mountain range.

The climate in Sochi is semi-tropical. The average temperature in winter is 8-10 C and it rarely rises above 30 C in summer. There are about 200 days of sunshine a year. Similar to Northern California, it is possible to swim in the sea from April through October, and ski on slopes from October into May.

Palm, banana, and citrus trees, and an ever-blooming parade of flowers can be found in the region. More than 80% of the territory is part of a national park or the Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve.

The City Today

The best Soviet architects constructed Sochi architectural ensemble in the 1930s and the 1950s, but the major attraction of Sochi is the natural beauty of the region. Today Sochi is called the Russian Riviera. It’s black sand and pebble beaches stretch over 20 miles along the Black Sea coast.
A must-see is the city’s beach. A short stroll from the beach, over the Sochi River, is the Park Riviera. Located in Sochi’s most popular park are art galleries, cafes, games, and amusement rides. Russian astronauts and celebrities have planted magnolia trees there.

To see a whole diversity of different plants, Dendrary Botanical Garden should be visited. Not far from Dendrary is the Friendship Park with its Trees of Friendship and museum.

Not far from Sochi — about an hour into the mountains — is Krasnaya Polyana. It is where the ski slopes are located. On the way to Krasnaya Polyana there is the largest trout farm in Russia.

Throughout the area strange structures from a little known dolman culture are scattered. An ancient local legend says that these ‘Dolman houses’ were built by giants for the dwarfs who rode hares. However, the current theory is that they are sacral cult constructions with sun orientations. They were built at the same period as the Egyptian pyramids, and it is thought, using the same techniques.

Places To Visit

There is a wide range of activities available in Sochi. For those with a sense of adventure there is cave exploring, white river rafting, canoeing, parasailing, jet skiing, snow skiing, banana boats, sailing, cruises, horseback riding, hiking, and much more. Others can visit casinos, discos, theater, museums, art galleries, arboretums, tea plantations and concerts.

Many of Russia’s big-name theater groups, singers and performers tour through Sochi in the summer months. The Winter Theater is an old theater where many classical performances can be seen. Also not far is the Summer Theater. It is an open air, Greek-style Theater that has various performances during the summer months.

Not far from the Winter Theater is the Sochi City Museum. The story of Sochi is shown there along with a sampling of the local fauna and wildlife.

The Ostrovsky Museum is also a place to visit. It is a museum of one of the famous Russian poets. Out front of the museum is the home where Ostrovsky lived and worked.

Sochi’s Art museum provides an ever-changing show of local, national, and international artists. This is also one of the places with antiques and local artists’ works for sale.

Hotels

Sochi has dozens of hotels, tourist centres and campsites and more than 50 sanatoriums. Some of the hotels are listed below.
Zhemchuzhina Hotel. The hotel is located in the city center in a picturesque place. Address: Chernomorskaya St r., 3 Sochi
Radisson SAS Lazurnaya Hotel. The hotel is located on the beach in the city center. Address: Morskoy pereulok, 2, Sochi.
Radisson SAS Lazurnaya Peak Hotel. Te hotel meets all international standards. Address: Zaschitnikov Kavkaza Str. 77, Sochi.
Radisson SAS Lazurnaya Hotel Sochi. The hotel meets all international standards and has recreational activities and private beaches. Address: Kurortny Prospect, 103, Sochi.
Olympiyskaya Hotel. Address: Leningradskaya str. 7, Sochi.
Intourist Hotel. Address: Kurortny Prospect, 91, Sochi.

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Evgeniya Stroganova