Russian Government Fights Illegal Building In Sochi Ahead Of 2014 Olympics

The Russian government "imposed a ban on all new building in Sochi to fight the illegal construction of apartments and hotels" in the city preparing to hold the 2014 Winter Olympics, according to the MOSCOW TIMES. Governor Alexander Tkachyov said that "the ban was necessary because more than 800 buildings had gone up illegally in recent years." Courts have been asked to rule on whether they should be torn down. Tkachyov said during a televised meeting with security officials Wednesday that illegal construction has long "infected" resort cities along the Black Sea coast, but "the scale of this disease in Sochi is simply astonishing." Almost all of the Olympic venues and hotels in Sochi "are being built from scratch, and demand for housing is high" (MOSCOW TIMES, 4/18).