Tuesday Talk - Sochi to Test Fireworks "Cannons"

(ATR) Sochi 2014 is ready to test cannons of fireworks as it marks one year to the Games Feb. 7.

CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko reveals more secrets planned for the big day in this Tuesday Talk with Around the Rings Editor Ed Hula.

Around the Rings: Tell us about the relationship you have with deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak, the government’s point-person for Sochi 2014?

Dmitry Chernyshenko: He’s a real Olympic boss in Russia and he’s dedicated to the Prime Minister.

Very soon the new information about the new Presidential Statement will be known, when the special State Committee will be established. And this committee will be led by Dmitry Kozak. This will be the special body dedicated to the management of the Games, including all stakeholders involved.

It will be something similar to the platinum level of the management in the Games in London, with the cabinet office, so he will be taking a similar position in the State.

I am his deputy and I am responsible for the preparations and all mandatory power and responsibility with this Olympic model, managing of the preparation during our test events.

ATR: How were the test events you held in December?

We already brought six test events this year, and we collected accolades from the coaches during the five test events in December.

It’s also very important for me that the federation leaders, who not very often say some compliments to the organizers, said we were very good.

President Vladimir Putin was one of the spectators for the final for the figure skating in our recently completed Iceberg Skating Palace, who personally came to visit us. Not only to competition, but to witness himself and have a chat with the federation bosses, the coaches. He listened to the first-hand impressions of the venue, of the level of the organizing of the event and the quality of the team and so on. He was happy to listen to pleasant things.

Very important – when Putin came, he took the train from the main rail station in downtown Sochi to the mountains and then down to the Olympic Park by train through all the tunnels and all the bridges. It was very exciting because this is the most important part of the transportation for the Games.

You’ve been so many times to Sochi, and you can agree it's amazing that you can take the train and go to so many parts without traffic jams, depending on the traffic, so you are guaranteed some time because of the train.

ATR: What’s ahead for February on one year to go? A critical month for testing the organization, testing preparation for 2014?

DC: Correct. We expect 20 international events like world cups and world championships, and it’s like Olympic Games but spread over one and a half months in February and part in March. This will be great for us.

This is a very important Games exercise for us. We are switching into the real Games mode. For several events we have not been in full swing, because of the number of people. During the Games time, we will be having about 70,000 Games makers, including volunteers, contractors and now we are just one thousand something.

The IOC and observers will come to witness how we are efficient in handling some complicated events. These test events are a record for the number of disciplines. We are having more than 3,300 athletes, about 5,000 employees and about 6,000 volunteers and around 1,200 broadcasters and a lot of media.

It’s really serious pressure to the city and we can see that some of the projects are still ongoing. It’s a big construction site and we have to test all of our 55 functions and we have to build a proper relationship with more than 50 different federal, regional or state stakeholders including some investors and suppliers.

But my main goal is to have the teamwork of all the systems of the government and all these huge disciplines, to build this relationship and the system of the escalation of issues and reporting them during Games-time.

ATR: What will happen when it’s one year to go Feb. 7? Will you have a big event in Sochi?

DC: Yes, correct. Traditionally the one year to go celebration coincides with the visit from the National Olympic Committees and the President of the International Olympic Committee inviting those participating in the Games.

This moment will coincide with the launch of our ticketing program, and we will start that as well.

We will also launch the Olympic countdown clock that we build and install in Sochi as well as all eight capitals of Russian districts. So that will be a momentous event and a big celebration in all capitals and the countdown starts ticking not just in Sochi but in all Russia.

It will be a great time for us and also President Putin who will participate in the year-to-go event in Sochi, which will be hosted in the Hockey Palace and we will start exactly fourteen past eight. So the figure will be 20:14 on the display.

There will be some events that will recognize one of the famous directors who used to organize the figure skating events, so it will be sort of a hint to the opening.

Then it will be big, big, big fireworks.

We will be testing our cannons, to test our innovating fireworks. It will be a test event for the biggest Russian producer of fireworks, fireworks we will be using for the Games as well.

Written and reported by Ed Hula.