- Title: Russia's resort city of Sochi opens beach season with wild carnival
- Date: 29th May 2017
- Summary: SOCHI, RUSSIA (MAY 28, 2017) (REUTERS) CARNIVAL PARTICIPANTS WITH FLAGS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES WALKING PEOPLE TAKING PICTURES CARNIVAL PARTICIPANTS WALKING CARNIVAL COSTUMED PARTICIPANT ON MOVING PLATFORM VARIOUS OF YOUTH WITH DRUMS VARIOUS OF PERSON IN COSTUME OF 2018 WORLD CUP MASCOT, WOLF NAMED ZABIVAKA DANCERS MOVING PLATFORM WITH SLOGAN READING (Russian): 'SOCHI - CITY OF SPORT EVENTS' (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SOCHI RESIDENT, OLGA, SAYING: "Happy new season! We invite guests! Please, come! It is amazing here! We love Sochi and you will like it here too! Come!" CARNIVAL PARTICIPANTS WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SOCHI RESIDENT, DIANA, SAYING: "This is an amazing event - it is so bright and full of colour. I feel amazing and the event is perfect." CARNIVAL IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 12th June 2017 11:12
- Keywords: carnival resort Black Sea Sochi holiday beach season Russia
- Location: SOCHI, RUSSIA
- City: SOCHI, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Living / Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016IW4UNT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi celebrated the beginning of the holiday season with a bright carnival on Sunday (May 29).
Costumed carnival participants marched along one of the Sochi streets welcoming tourists from across Russia and abroad.
Among those taking part in the colourful procession was the 2018 World Cup mascot - a wolf called Zabivaka. The wolf lead a moving platform celebrating Sochi as a city of sport events.
Sochi hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and is getting ready to host the 2017 Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup.
According to Sochi mayor Anatoly Pakhomov, the city expects to welcome over four million tourists during the summer months this year with over 95 percent of hotel rooms being already booked till October. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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