Before a piste has been skied or a figure skated, the Sochi Olympics is already one of the most talked-about and scrutinized of the modern era. Estimated to cost in excess of $50 billion, it eclipses even the Beijing 2008 summer extravaganza, though allegations of corruption and mishandling of money have dogged preparations for the big event. With Vladimir Putin's full support and Russia's national pride on the line, these games are almost as important to the host nation as they are to the athletes competing in them.
Feb 27, 2014
How will Sochi handle its Olympic hangover?
Russia wants to turn the Winter Games host city into a tourist destination, but experts are skeptical
Feb 24, 2014
Vladimir Putin won the Olympics, but he's not smiling
The shadow of Ukraine looms large over Sochi closing ceremonies
Feb 21, 2014
Meet the Cossacks handing out vigilante justice in Sochi
Attack on Pussy Riot sheds new light on the conservative militia patrolling the Winter Olympics
Feb 18, 2014
Pussy Riot members detained at Winter Olympics
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Aloykhina held on charges of theft near Sochi
Feb 13, 2014
Sochi critic sentenced to three years in prison colony
Human rights activists say charges against environmentalist Yevgeny Vitishko are trumped up and politically motivated
Feb 4, 2014
Freezing Sochi: how Russia turned a subtropical beach into a Winter Olympics wonderland
Organizers have hustled to transform a hub for beach holidays into a snow-filled athletic venue
Jan 28, 2014
Spy games: behind Russia's massive Olympic surveillance program
Extensive monitoring program is geared toward terrorists, but critics say the Kremlin has gone too far
Jan 23, 2014
Russia returns to Soviet spending habits for Sochi Olympics
Vlad's Olympics are as much about grandiose public works as they are about winter athletics
