Vladimir Putin has reportedly ordered the creation of a new science and technology innovation center in Sochi, at the Olympic Park and on territory controlled by the “Sirius” educational center. A spokesperson for “Sirius” told the magazine RBC that the new center will occupy nearly 100 acres, featuring a vocational school, a kindergarten, a swimming pool, a concert hall, and a university — all converted from the media center built for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The remodeling work, funded by Russia’s Education Ministry, is supposed to be finished by 2021. The exact cost of the construction project is still unknown, but it’s believed to be more than 2 billion rubles ($30.5 million).
“Sirius” already controls the second largest stadium in Sochi — the Shayba Arena — and soon it will receive the Adler Arena Skating Center, as well. The education center has been allocated these facilities to stage athletic competitions for students and the public.
The new science and technology center is reportedly a copy of Moscow State University’s “technological valley,” which is being developed by a foundation led by Katerina Tikhonova, who’s believed to be Vladimir Putin’s younger daughter.
The “Sirius” educational center
A facility for gifted children, the “Sirius” center was created in 2014 by the “Talent and Success” Foundation, whose founders include close cellist, businessman, and close Putin ally Sergey Roldugin. Journalists who investigated the “Panama Papers” say Roldugin has billions of dollars hidden in offshore bank accounts, which he is supposedly “holding” for Putin.