Krasnaya Polyana ( rus, Кра́сная Поля́на, p=ˈkrasnəjə pɐˈlʲanə; ab, Гәбаадәы, ''Gwbaadwy''; ady, Ӏаткъуадж, ''‘atquaj'') is an urban locality (an

urban-type settlement Urban-type settlementrussian: посёлок городско́го ти́па, translit=posyolok gorodskogo tipa, abbreviated: russian: п.г.т., translit=p.g.t.; ua, селище міського типу, translit=selyshche mis'koho typu, ab ...

) in Krasnopolyansky Settlement Okrug, which is under the administrative jurisdiction of

Adlersky City District Adlersky City District (russian: А́длерский райо́н) is the southernmost of four city districts of the city of Sochi in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, lying along the Black Sea coast near the southern Russian border with Georgia. The city ...

of the

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) 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, up to 600,000 residents in ...

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of t ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. Population: Located in the

Western Caucasus The Western Caucasus is a western region of the Caucasus in Southern Russia, extending from the Black Sea to Mount Elbrus. World Heritage Site The Western Caucasus includes a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the extreme western e ...

, it is home to the new

Rosa Khutor The Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort ( rus, Ро́за Ху́тор, r=Roza Khutor, p=ˈrozə ˈxutər) is an alpine ski resort in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located at the Aibga Ridge of the Western Caucasus along the Roza Khutor plateau near Krasnaya ...

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...

, with a base

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...

of along the

Mzymta River Mzymta (, , lit. 'the place (-ҭа) of the river Мӡым", , ''Mezmytha'') is a river in Western Caucasus, Russia, flowing through Mostovsky District and the city of Sochi (Adlersky City District) of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Mzymta is the larges ...

, from its influx into the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

in Adlersky City District of Sochi. The lift-served summit climbs to , giving a vertical drop of over a mile at . The resort hosted the Alpine and Nordic events of the

2014 Winter Olympics , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...

, having previously hosted

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

alpine events from February

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, two years earlier.

Etymology

The name "Krasnaya Polyana" (lit. ''Red Glade'') was given by the Greek settlers in 1878 because of the thick overgrowth of

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

, the leaves of which had a reddish-brown color in fall."Знай свой край. Словарь географических названий Краснодарского края." Составитель: И. П. Лотышев. Краснодарское книжное издательство, 1974. Walter Richmond, a historian of the

Circassian genocide The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun, was the Russian Empire's systematic mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and expulsion of 80–97% of the Circassian population, around 800,000–1,500,000 people, during and after the Russo-Circassian War ( ...

, notes that Krasnaya Polyana was named after the last stand by the Abkhaz Akhchipsou tribe, of whom many died there in 1864.

History

Although the vicinity is rich in prehistoric

dolmen A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...

s and contains ruins of about twenty medieval forts, the settlement first appears in recorded history in 1835, when a Russian spy, Baron Fyodor Tornau, visited the

Sadz The Sadz or Asadzwa, also Jigets, are a subethnic group of the Abkhazians. They are sometimes purported to have originated from the Sanigoi tribe mentioned by the Classic authors. In the 6th century, they formed a tribal principality, which later ...

Abkhazian village of ''Artquaj'' in the guise of a Circassian mountaineer. Having spent several days in the village, he recorded his observations in a journal. By the 1860s, the village was known as Kbaade and became populated with the

Akhchipsou The Ahchipsou were a Sadz ( Abkhaz-Abazin)Ubykhs
tribe, that lived on

branch of the

. In 1864, the area was the scene, significant in Circassian history, of the last battles of the

Russian–Circassian War The Russo-Circassian War ( ady, Урыс-адыгэ зауэ, translit=Wurıs-adığə zawə; ; 1763–1864; also known as the Russian Invasion of Circassia) was the invasion of Circassia by Russia, starting in July 17, 1763 ( O.S) with the Ru ...

. The area was conquered by four main Russian armies and the end of the prolonged

Caucasian War The Caucasian War (russian: Кавказская война; ''Kavkazskaya vojna'') or Caucasus War was a 19th century military conflict between the Russian Empire and various peoples of the North Caucasus who resisted subjugation during the R ...

declared (on June 2, 1864). The area became a part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

and those residents who did not swear allegiance to the Empire were removed to the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. The abandoned ''

aul An aul (; ce, oil; russian: аул) is a type of fortified village or town found throughout the Caucasus mountains and Central Asia. The word itself is of Turkic origin and simply means ''village'' in many Turkic languages. Auyl ( kk, Ауы� ...

'' was replaced with the new settlement of Krasnaya Polyana in 1869. On June 19, 1899, Krasnaya Polyana was visited by an official commission under Nikolay Abaza, with a view to transforming it into Tsarskaya Polyana, Nicholas II's hunting ground in the

. A royal hunting lodge was erected in 1901, followed by the

chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-suppo ...

s of Counts

Sheremetev The House of Sheremetev (russian: Шереме́тевы) was one of the wealthiest and most influential noble families in Russia descending from Feodor Koshka who was of Old Prussian origin. History The family held many high commanding ran ...

and

Bobrinsky The Counts Bobrinsky or Bobrinskoy (''Бобринские'') are a Russian nobility, Russian noble family descending from Count Aleksey Grigorievich Bobrinsky (1762–1813), who was Catherine the Great's natural son by Count Grigory Orlov. Th ...

, among other nobles and high-placed dignitaries. Although it was never visited by the Tsar, the village was renamed Romanovsk (), after the ruling imperial dynasty. Following the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...

of 1917, the retreat reverted to its former name and status and gradually dwindled into obscurity. The proximity to Sochi, the "summer capital" of Russia, eventually revived its fortunes in the last quarter of the 20th century, when it achieved a modicum of popularity across the former

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, despite limited hotel capabilities and installations, and difficulty of access through narrow mountain passes.

Climate

Location and facilities

Krasnaya Polyana is sited against the scenic backdrop of the

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains, : pronounced * hy, Կովկասյան լեռներ, : pronounced * az, Qafqaz dağları, pronounced * rus, Кавка́зские го́ры, Kavkázskiye góry, kɐfˈkasːkʲɪje ˈɡorɨ * tr, Kafkas Dağla ...

, which exceed in

, at a distance of from the center of Sochi by road and from the Adler-Sochi International Airport. The settlement has been plagued by transport problems: in order to improve this for the

, a railway line was built, connecting the area with the airport, Sochi Olympic Village, and central Sochi.

Structures

*An electricity pylon looking like a snow leopar

Economy

The economic activity in the village is based on serving tourists and visitors in winter and summer. Krasnaya Polyana is a skiing and snowboarding center.

2014 Olympics venues

Sanki Sliding Center The Sliding Center Sanki (Санки) (a.k.a. the Sanki Sliding Center) is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Rzhanaya Polyana, Russia, 60 km (37 mi) northeast of Sochi. Located in the Western Caucasus. The venue hosted t ...

, luge, bobsled, and skeleton (moved to

Rzhanaya Polyana Rzhanaya Polyana (russian: Ржаная Поляна) is a natural area in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located not far from Krasnaya Polyana. Home of the Sliding Center Sanki, it hosted bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton events for the 2014 Winter Ol ...

in May 2009) *

Laura Cross-Country ski and Biathlon Center The Laura Biathlon & Ski Complex (russian: Лыжно-биатлонный комплекс «Лаура») is a skiing venue located on the crests and slopes of Psekhako Ridge in Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. F ...

, biathlon, cross-country skiing, and Nordic combined *

Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort The Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort ( rus, Ро́за Ху́тор, r=Roza Khutor, p=ˈrozə ˈxutər) is an alpine ski resort in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located at the Aibga Ridge of the Western Caucasus along the Roza Khutor plateau near Krasnaya ...

, alpine skiing *

Rosa Khutor Extreme Park The Rosa Khutor Extreme Park (''Russian'': Роза Хутор) under license from The Extreme Sports Company and part of the Extreme Hotel, Sochi development, is a skiing venue located west of the Rosa Khutor plateau in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. ...

, freestyle skiing, snowboarding *

RusSki Gorki Jumping Center The RusSki Gorki Jumping Center is a ski jumping venue located in the Esto-Sadok village on the northern slope of Aibga Ridge in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. History It hosted the ski jumping and the ski jumping part of the Nordic combined event a ...

, ski jumping and Nordic combined Guidebook "Sochi Olympic Games" by Federal Agency for tourism

References

History of Krasnaya Polyana
on the Alpika Service website

in the ''

Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti The ''Vedomosti'' (Russian: Ведомости) is Russia's oldest newspaper. It was established by Peter the Great's ukase dated 16 December 1702. The first issue appeared on 2 January 1703. Petrine Vedomosti Following along the lines of t ...

'' File:Vladimir Putin 23 February 2008-14.jpg , Cable car File:GorkiGorod960m.jpg , Gorki Gorod and Gornaya Karusel File:LauraPsekhako.jpg , Ski-biathlon complex Laura on the

Psekhako Ridge Psekhako Ridge (russian: Хребет Псехако) is a mountain range in the vicinity of the village of Krasnaya Polyana, in the Adlersky City District of Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. From the northwest and west it is bordered by the River L ...

File:SlidingCenterSanki.jpg , Sledge-bobsleigh track File:Krasnaya Polyana summer.JPG , Summer at Krasnaya Polyana

External links

Krasnaya Polyana

Красная Поляна

Krasnaya Polyana photos

Krasnaya Polyana tourist information
{{Authority control Urban-type settlements in Krasnodar Krai Adlersky City District Venues of the 2014 Winter Olympics Ski areas and resorts in Russia