Russia - Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Sent by Julia, a postcrosser from Tomsk, Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are being organized by the Sochi Organizing Committee (SOOC). The 2014 Winter Olympics will become the second Olympics hosted by Russia. Previously, Russia hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. These are the first Olympics (and first Winter Olympics altogether) for the Russian Federation however, as the 1980 Summer Olympics were in the former Soviet Union.

Following Olympic tradition, Sochi mayor Anatoliy Pakhomov received the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

The city was elected on 4 July 2007, during the 119th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Guatemala City, Guatemala. This will be the first time that the Russian Federation will host the Winter Olympics; the Soviet Union hosted the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow.

Russia - Krasnodar

Images of Krasnodar.

Sent by Anastasia, a postcrosser from Kuban region, Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : Krasnodar (Russian: Краснода́р) is a city in Southern Russia on the Kuban River, located around 148 kilometers (92 mi) north-east of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai (also known as Kuban).

The city was founded on January 12, 1794 (Gregorian calendar) as Yekaterinodar (Екатеринода́р). The original name meant "Catherine's Gift" simultaneously in recognition of Catherine the Great's grant of land in the Kuban region to the Black Sea Cossacks (later the Kuban Cossacks) and in recognition of Saint Catherine, the Martyr, who is considered to be the patron of the city. After the October Revolution, Yekaterinodar was renamed Krasnodar (December 1920). There are two potential meanings for the new name of the city: Krasno- (Красно-), meaning either 'beautiful' (an older root) or 'red' (especially relevant considering the political atmosphere of the time); and -dar (-дар), meaning 'gift'. Thus, the city's name means either beautiful gift or red gift (i.e. 'gift of the reds')..