The Sochi Project

In 2007, Vladimir Putin stepped onto the stage at the International Olympics Committee's annual meeting to the sound of the triumphal opening of Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto. He was there to support Sochi's candidacy for hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. "It's a unique place," he began. "On the seashore you can enjoy a fine spring day, but up in the mountains it's winter. Real snow is guaranteed." What the Russian president didn't mention is that a metaphorical winter is raging here as well. For Muscovites, Sochi is a summer capital, with its beaches and luxury resort spas. It is the ideal setting for the glitter and glamour of the games. But there's trouble brewing behind those mountains. The largely unrecognized mini-state of Abkhazia has been a source of conflict since time immemorial, and it's just a stone's throw away. Further to the east are the vast war-torn regions of Chechnya and North Ossetia. This is the hidden story behind the upcoming games, and Rob Hornstra and Arnold van Bruggen have been covering it with their slow journalism project since 2007. Made partly with the support of donations, these "long reads," photo series and video reports have now been assembled on a multimedia website. Coming soon, they will also be exhibited in various cities, including Amsterdam and Moscow – the lion's den.