Sochi blogger explores the dark side of the Olympics

Alexander Valov recently got some off-the-record, free advice from a cop: get out of Sochi. Before the Olympic Games begin.

It was the closest Valov had come to anything resembling courtesy from a policeman.

Even so, leaving, for him, is unthinkable.Valov has invested seven of his 29 years in the coming games. He moved here to witness the citys transformation, and then join in cheering Russias athletes when the games finally opened.He isnt about to walk away now not even if he risks arrest.

Hes come close a few times before.Police recently showed up at his door yet again, this time with what he says were trumped-up accusations about running his business. With the help of his lawyer, he managed to avoid getting hauled to prison. Hes sure his cell phone is tapped.

Valov is certain whats really behind the harassment is his popular blog, blogsochi.ru. Far from being solely a record of his personal commentary, it is also an open forum that allows locals to vent. Thats rare in Sochi rare in most of Russia. No wonder some 30,000 to 40,000 people read it every day. Thats up to 10per cent of the people who live here.

By his own research, Valov figures more than half of the citys residents are cool to the Winter Olympics being held in their backyard if not downright angry.

Back in 2007, when Russias president told the world Sochi would host the next Olympics, everyone got very excited, Valov said over tea. But over the years, peoples opinions shifted. Theyve seen a lot of problems. Theyve been disappointed.

Ask him why, and he rattles off a slew of complaints from the evictionsto the environmental damageto corruptionand power cuts.

But its what hashappened to one stretch of beach that has Valovmost perturbed.

Only one sanctioned protest

It was, once, apparently the jewel of Sochis slice of the Black Sea shore.Imeretinskybeach was a wide swath of land hugging the sea revered by locals and visitors alike. But as part of Sochis facelift, the beach has been transformed into a boardwalk, a stretch of concrete that snakes up to the foot of the Olympic park a symbol of a Sochi irretrievably altered.

Sochi is a resortcity, says Valov, visibly upset. People come here to lie on the beach and get tanned. They dont want to be chilling on concrete boardwalk.

Valovs blog has been a welcome outlet in a place where protest is all but impossible. Under pressure from the International Olympic Committee, Sochi organizers found a park in the town of Khosta, 12 kilometres away, to designate as an official protest zone. Would-be protesters, though, need the approval of three different government departments before they can put one on: the police, the mayors officeand the impenetrable Federal Security Service.

Only one group has managed to do that so far alocal chapter of the Communist Party.

'Thanks to the Olympics, I am homeless now'

Andrey Martynov tries a different approach.

His home was seized and then demolished to make way for the Olympic Park. He was still in the process of finalizing the purchase, but hadnt received all the relevant documents. He got no compensation despite the fact that hes about $200,000 out of pocket.

You cant argue with what Olympics brought to the city. But how they treat simple people, the locals, its just awful.-AndreyMartynov, home demolished before Olympics

Hes now crammed his familys whole life into a single room at a low-end resort. His son lives with friends. He invites journalists to hear his story, perched on the bed that dominates the room he calls home.

Perhaps that way, he says, his story will not be forgotten.

My life was destroyed, he says. Thanks to the Olympics, I am homeless now.

His wife,Natalya, tried to protest in her own way: a hunger strike. That didnt work, either. Martynov gets misty-eyed as he reminisces about his days as a semi-professional hockey player. He says he understands the importance of the Olympics.

You cant argue with what the Olympics brought to the city, he says. But how they treat simple people, the locals, its just awful.

Valov has told many such stories on his blog. He has covered evictions, even strikes by unpaid workers, when other media ignored them.

But he insistshes not a journalist. Hes neither anti-government, nor pro-opposition, he says. Hes just a blogger who likes to point out wrongs. He wants people to have a place to speak up. Some 2,500 people are registered users of his website.

Despite his disappointments, Valov still plans to attend the Games, to watch hockey and figure skating. He applied early, and to his surprise, got a fan pass.

Ask him for whom the Olympics are put on, and he gives a wry smile: For the people who can earn most from it.