News

May 14, 2011 is 1000 days before the Olympic Games in Sochi. XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi training centers for volunteers in 2014 will open this day. Celebration of volunteer centers opening will start at 12.00 at the Palace Square in St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg Center for volunteers attracting and training organized on the basis of St. Petersburg State University of service and economics. Volunteers traning will be held here to take part in organizing and holding the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014.

As reported in the Internet, due to the increasing demand for visas to Russia and to improve the quality of service visa to the Russian Federation in Finland will issue a "Visa Application Centre". Visa Center in Helsinki is already open. In Lappeenranta, Turku and Mariehamn (Maarianhamina) visa centers must begin operate 05/06/2011.

Russia held a population census in 2010. The Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) has published preliminary results of the last census recently.
According to statistics, Russia's population was 142,905,000 persons permanently residing in Russia. Compared to 2002 the population of Russia decreased by 1,6% (in 2002 there were 145 million 166,700 people). Russia's population decreased in 63 regions and increased in 20 regions of Russia.

World Championship figure skating was to be held 21-27 March in Tokyo (Japan). But happened devastating earthquake and tsunami caused tremendous damage to Japan. Holding the World Cup has become impossible. Championship had to be moved to another country. The right to host this tournament claimed the United States, Canada, Croatia, Russia and Finland.

Casino and other gambling establishments in Russia should have been closed all over Russia from 1 July 2009. Four zones weren created where gambling has been allowed in Russia: in the Altai region, Kaliningrad region, place on the border of the Krasnodar Territory and Rostov Region, as well as in Far East.

Yesterday ended the first competition at the Olympic ski slopes in Sochi. Alpine Skiing Cup of Russia competitions stage was held at the ski resort "Rosa Hutor" in Krasnaya Polyana. It was the first official event in the course of testing Olympic trails futures. The competition was attended by about 60 skiers. At this ski resort in 2014 will be host the Olympic Games.

From March 1, 2011 militsiya in Russia change its name. At the initiative of President Dmitry Medvedev State Duma of Russian Federation approved the Police law. Under the new law, militsiya (милиция) changed its name to police (полиция).

The transcontinental marathon Dakar Rally 2011 had ended. Start Rally was given on January 1 in Buenos Aires. Rally finish was held on January 16 in the same place.
At the start of the race were 407 vehicles: 170 motorbikes, 30 quads, 140 cars and 67 trucks.

The winners of the Dakar Rally 2011

• Cars: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT), Timo Gottschalk (GER), Volkswagen.
• Motorcycles: Marc Coma (ESP), KTM.