Sochi
Sochi (Russian: Сочи, IPA: [ˈsotɕɪ] ⓘ, from Ubykh: Шъуача – seaside) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents,[12] and up to 600,000 residents in the urban area. The city covers an area of 176.77 square kilometers (68.25 sq mi),[5] while the Greater Sochi Area covers over 3,502 square kilometers (1,352 sq mi).[5] Sochi stretches across 145 kilometers (90 mi), and is the longest city in Europe,[13] the fifth-largest city in the Southern Federal District, the second-largest city in Krasnodar Krai, and the sixth-largest city on the Black Sea.
This article is about the city in Russia. For other uses, see Sochi (disambiguation).
Sochi
Сочи
176.77 km2 (68.25 sq mi)
65 m (213 ft)
343,334
424,281 (+23.6%)
52nd in 2010
1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi)
City of Sochi[1]
Sochi Urban Okrug[8]
Sochi Urban Okrug[8]
+7 862
03726000001
Sochi hosted the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014. It hosted the alpine and Nordic Olympic events at the nearby ski resort of Rosa Khutor in Krasnaya Polyana. It also hosted the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix from 2014 until 2021.[14][15][16] It was also one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Etymology[edit]
The general consensus (also recognized by the city's own website[17]) is that the name "Sochi" (Russian: Сочи) is the Russified form of the Circassian "Ş̂açə" (Adyghe: Шъачэ) which in turn is of Ubykh-Circassian origin, coming from the Ubykh name "Ş̂uaça" (Ubykh: Шъуача).[18][19][17] It is a compound made up from the two Ubykh words "шъуа" (sea) and "ча" (side) and roughly translates to "Seaside/coast".[19] There are other claims and theories, according to Georgian sources, the word comes from the Georgian word for "fir", "soch'i" (Georgian: სოჭი).[20]
Plan of Fort Alexandria at the mouth of Sochi, which initiated the city of Sochi
The "Kavkazskaya Riviera" resort in Sochi, ca. 1909
Map of Sochi in 1913 (Russian edition)
Sochi's quay
Hotels
Aerial view of Sochi
Sanatorium Metallurg
Sanatorium Ordzhonikidze
Primorskaya Hotel
Bogatyr hotel
Rodina Grand Hotel pool
Sochipark in the evening
Sports[edit]
Sports facilities[edit]
A local tennis school spawned the careers of such players as Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Kafelnikov spent much of his childhood here, while Sharapova relocated to Florida at the age of seven). In late 2005, the Russian Football Union announced that it was planning to establish a year-round training center for the country's national teams in Sochi. The city's warm climate was cited as one of the main incentives. Sochi is also the home for the football team PFC Sochi which plays in the Russian Premier League and for the ice hockey team HC Sochi which plays in the Kontinental Hockey League.
