Putins Olympics: The Sochi Games and the Evolution of Twenty-First Century Russia

President Vladimir Putins Olympic venture put the workings of contemporary Russia on vivid display. The Sochi Olympics were designed to symbolize Russias return to great power status, but subsequent aggression against Ukraine, large-scale corruption, and the doping scandal have become the true legacies of the games. Putins style of governance through mega-projects has had deleterious consequences for the countrys development. Placing the Sochi games into the larger context of Olympic history, this book examines the political, security, business, ethnic, societal, and international consequences of Putins political system.