A silver medal project: the partial success of Russia's soft power in Sochi 2014

Abstract

This paper argues that the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, represented a soft power attempt to introduce a new conception of “Russian-ness” to both domestic and international audiences. Pre- and post-event attitudes regarding Russia were captured at the international, domestic, and local levels from popular opinion surveys, international and domestic mass media and social networks, interviews, and participant observation. The paper concludes that while the international aspirations failed, the domestic population – after some notable problems – accepted this new sense of Russian-ness. Though the Sochi Olympics did not change international perceptions, the games were instrumental in consolidating domestic power.