VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA: Demographics

The city's population was 594,701 as of the 2002 Census; down from 633,838 recorded in the 1989 Census. Ethnic Russians and Ukrainians make up the majority of the population.

From 1958 to 1991, only Soviet citizens were allowed to live in Vladivostok or visit it (and even then had to obtain an official permission). Before this closure, the city had large Korean and Chinese populations. Some Koreans who were deported during Stalin's rule from the Russian Far East have since returned, particularly to Vladivostok.

Vladivostok has one of the largest Armenian communities in eastern Russia. There are a number of Armenian bakeries and restaurants in the city. There are also sizable communities of Chechens, Azeris and Tajiks in the city.  According to the latest statistics, there are currently about 100,000 Muslims living in the Russian Far East.

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RUSSIA: On this day: 7 March

The Soviet ice hockey team

On 7 March 1954 at the Royal stadium of Stockholm, Sweden, the Soviet ice hockey team beat Canada in the World Championships. The Canadians previously ruled the ice, but the Russians made their world debut with a glorious 7-2 win.

The Canadian team easily won their first six games of the championships and had to face the USSR in the final showdown. On March 7, the final day of the tournament, Canada needed only a tie to claim first place while the Russian team would have to win outright if they were to take home the gold medal. Once the game began, the Soviet team demonstrated their style of hockey which was extremely fast paced with precision passing.

A Canadian commentator had this to say about Russians’ performance: “Their slowest player skated more quickly than our fastest player. I don't know if I should say this or not, but they dominated us by more than the 5 goals margin.”

It was the international debut of the Soviet Union hockey team. The sensational victory was a major landmark, promoting hockey in Russia and a brining international recognition to the Soviet school of hockey. Russia proceeded to win 23 World Championships and eight Olympics gold medals.

http://rt.com/Russia_Now/2010-03-07.html

RUSSIA: Russians Point Fingers Over Olympic Flameout

March 6, 2010

Canadians are still basking in the glow of the Winter Olympics. But in Russia, which will host the next winter games, the mood is grim. Russian athletes performed like the Chicago Cubs in Vancouver, and the accusations are flying like shots into Ryan Miller's knee pads. Host Scott Simon talks to Tom Goldman about the week's sports news.

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TRANSCRIPT:

SCOTT SIMON, host: This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I’m Scott Simon and I wait all week for sports.

(Soundbite of music)

SIMON: Canadians are still basking in the golden glow of the Winter Olympics but in Russia, which will host the next Winter Games, the mood is grim. Russian athletes performed in Vancouver like the Chicago Cubs, and the accusations are flying like shots into Ryan Millers knee pads.

Back to the Olympics and joining us now is NPRs sports correspondent Tom Goldman. Morning, Tom.

TOM GOLDMAN: Good morning.

SIMON: So just three Russian gold medals in Vancouver. Terrible showing by their- terrible showing by Finlands standards - or Norways, at any rate, and when Vladimir Putin says people must be held responsible, does that mean off to the Gulag?

GOLDMAN: Or heads will roll, however you say that in Russian. This week, actually, the Russian president called for the Olympics sports officials to resign or be fired, and only one person has accepted the invitation so far; that’s the head of the Russian Olympic Committee. But Prime Minister Putin has been especially critical about the Olympic effort and very vocal about correcting the problems. He is a big sports fan and the driving force behind Russia winning the bid for the 2014 Winter Games, and he’s calling for wholesale changes in how his country trains and funds athletes as a way to, you know, for Russia to reclaim its past winter sports glory.

SIMON: I don’t know much about Sochi. I don’t know anything about Sochi except those guys dancing and the little silver balls that, you know, at the closing ceremony.

GOLDMAN: Right.

SIMON: But lets put it this way. It doesn’t come to mind, it doesn’t bring an image to mind the way Vancouver does.

GOLDMAN: Certainly doesn’t. Well, actually in the wrong ways. You remember all the rain and the warm weather Vancouver had? Some people say Sochi will be this times hundred. A very vocal critic of the efforts to locate the Games in the seaside resort of Sochi in Russia is a man called Boris Nemtsov. He’s the former deputy prime minister and the leader of the opposition to the Kremlin, and he has said that that Putin has found one of the only places in Russia where there is no snow in the winter and he describes Sochi as subtropical. So just a number of complaints and criticisms that include, you know, very slow progress in building there and the charges of corruption, which always seem to surface in Russia. Saying that there may be some real problems.

SIMON: NPRs sports correspondent, Tom Goldman. Thanks so much.

GOLDMAN: Youre welcome, Scott.

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DALIAN, CHINA: People’s Square (Renmin Guangchang)

FROMMER’S:

For a less pretty but still interesting taste of modern Chinese architecture, head to Renmin Guangchang (1km/ 1/2 mile east of the railway station on Zhongshan Lu; bus: nos. 801 and 701). This large square, surrounded on three sides by ominous government buildings, is pleasant at night when lights illuminate the fountain.