In Sochi, resettlement from places of Olympic construction to be completed by summer

Sochi now sees the final phase of building new residential districts for resettlers from the places where future Olympic objects will appear. About half of the families agreed to the governmental compensations. Most of them hold their housewarming parties; some of the settlers preferred to receive money. However, some citizens still refuse to sign agreements, finding compensation amounts to be inadequate.

According to the Department of Krasnodar Territory for implementing the powers at preparing for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, in total, 743 appraisal reports of alienated property were received from independent appraising companies by the end of December 2010. Agreements were concluded with 422 citizens; 684 draft agreements have been prepared. About a thousand families have to change residence because of Olympic construction. The exact figure is nowhere announced.

Independent companies-appraisers were attracted to evaluating the alienated real estates. Neither Olympic Department nor the State Corporation "Olimpstroy" may interfere in their work; therefore, all of the claims about the cost of property and sum of compensation are forwarded by officials to the appraisers.

"We have four houses in our street of the same area and in the same condition after repairs; however, in one case the accrued compensation is 19.5 million roubles, in the second one - 12 million roubles, and in the third one - 10 million roubles," Vladimir Horshikyan, a local resident, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

However, according to Larissa Zavedeyeva, "errors when calculating the amount of compensation for the alienated property are excluded, since "special experts of the National Council on Appraisal are additionally verifying all the appraisal reports."

For all other resettlers, new houses are built in seven designated areas. According to builders and local authorities, there will be enough cottages and apartments for everyone. "We already have some reserve out of what has been actually built," said Vladimir Kuzhel, head of the Directorate for Roads Construction on Black Sea Shore. "The explanation is simple - more and more citizens prefer money as compensation."

It is planned to complete the process of resettlement of the residents whose property was alienated for Olympic construction by this summer.