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The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, today visited the Sochi 2014 Olympic Park to inspect the progress being made on the construction of the Olympic venues. Mr. Putin went on to meet a group of students who have been given the opportunity to become members of the Sochi construction team and gain unparalleled experience from working at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Park.

Mr. Putin toured the Olympic Park, due to open in March 2013, with Taymuraz Bolloev, Head of Olympstroy, who updated the Prime Minister on the latest construction advancements in the Olympic Park, including the Central Stadium, Bolshoi and Maliy Ice Palaces and Olympic Skating Center. The overall development underway for the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is the largest construction project in Europe.

The Prime Minister was shown first-hand the impressive progress being made on the Bolshoi Ice Palace by being allowed to directly compare an artist’s impression drawing with the building itself in the background.

After inspecting the Olympic Park, Mr. Putin met with a group of students who are playing an active role in the construction process. Mr Bolloev informed the Prime Minister that a total of 8% of the construction workers on the Olympic Park are students. There was huge demand from students to become a part of the construction teams at the Olympic venues, with more than 17, 000 people entering the competition to become a member of the construction team.

The initiative by Sochi 2014 to offer the opportunity for students to gain valuable work experience has seen the number of students working on the Olympic Park rise to 1,500 from 200 last year. The student participation in the construction process for the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is at a level never before seen in Russia.

The students working on Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games construction projects are drawn from a total of 28 regions from across Russia, as well as Azerbaijan, Belorussia, Kazakhstan.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, said:

“The Prime Minister’s visit will further inspire the many students who are taking the unique opportunity to gain valuable work experience from working at the Olympic venues.

“The level of student involvement highlights how young people are embracing volunteering through Sochi 2014 and their direct experience at the Olympic venues will be a huge benefit for them in the future.

“We are also delighted that the students come from a number of Russian regions, as we aspire to provide opportunities for everyone in Russia, particularly young people, to become involved in the preparations for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”