The Olympics aren't just about Sochi, and Sochi isn't just about the Olympics, the Russians will tell you. It's all part of a broader push to revitalize a region torn apart by an Islamic insurgency, which itself comes on the heels of two disastrous wars.
A couple of years ago, the Russian government decided that the North Caucasus would be the perfect place to develop ski resorts in the region as an answer to its high unemployment and other economic woes. Never mind the violence, they said, the beautiful mountains (and they are very, very beautiful) would attract tourists from all over the world, and would even compete with Swiss slopes.
Well, a couple weeks ago, at the Sochi 2013 investment forum, the local authorities presented a model of one such resort, called Lago-Naki. It looked like a very nice resort, equipped with wide slopes and modern cottages. (It's especially nice when you don't realize that there is no transport between Sochi and Lago-Naki, but that, even though the two spots aren't very far apart, it takes eight hours to drive there, like this.)
But then they noticed the details.
Like the couple having sex on the hood of a car.
And sex in the pool.