Tonight, around 5 PM, due to the severe weather conditions many regions of the Black Sea coast from Tuapse to Adler (basically the area of “Big Sochi”) were left without power. Gusty wind at 25 meters/sec, wet snow, and sudden drops of temperature cut the electrical lines in the mountainous regions of near Sochi. By the midnight power to many parts of the city was restored, however some regions remain unpowered. All repair works are complicated by continuing bad weather conditions, but they still expected to be completed by tomorrow.

Unfortunately this kind of power outages sometimes happen in Sochi, because some powerlines go over the mountains, so during winter they can snatch under the weight of snow. And snow makes it harder to get to the places of damage for repair. Major power outages in previous years would sometimes affect heating too, in which case people try to stay warm by lighting their gas-stoves. However some buildings don’t have gas lines, and people, who live in these buildings and normally rely only on electricity, find themselves in a tough situation. But of course neighbours in Russia don’t let neighbours suffer in difficult times like this, people invite others they know from the neighbourhood to their apartments to stay warm and/or prepare food to take home.

Russian Railways is reconstructing connection branch in Moscow, this will decrease travel time from Petersburg to Sochi by several hours. The speed up will most likely affect train number 35/36 (#35 – from Petersburg to Adler, #36 back) and will begin with summer train scheduler, which becomes effective in the end of May.

Members of Russian National Anti-terrorist Committee will inspect southern resorts in April for safety against terrorist attacks. This planned inspection is part of government’s efforts to keep tourists safe.

After German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, President of Armenia Robert Kocharian met today with Vladimir Putin in Sochi. They discussed Russian investments in Armenian economy and new ways of economic cooperation, in areas such as nuclear energy, exploration of uranium fields in Armenia, oil refining, modernization of industrial enterprises in Armenia, construction of new railways.

Ski lifts operated by “Alpika Service” in Krasnaya Polyana resort restarted their operations, though many cafés, restaurants, and rental shops on the resort were still closed. Meanwhile this interruption had cost a lot to everyone – tourists, travel agencies, businesses in Krasnaya Polyana, and Russia’s Olympic bid. The latter even irritated President Putin, who’s currently working in Sochi. It was definitely bad time, but on the other hand it was probably the best time for “Alpika” to bring the issue out to the public. Weather it will help them or ruin it for them is still a question.