Sochi 2014 Olympic torch arrives in Volgograd
索契冬奥会火炬抵达伏尔加格勒
The Sochi 2014 Olympic torch arrived in Volgograd on Monday, the Russian city where two suicide bombings took place last month. 34 people were killed and, understandably, security fears have been heightened in the run-up to next month’s Winter Games.
Along the relay route...the mood was festive, despite single digit temperatures. Lightly armed police and interior ministry officers guarded intersections...and traffic was shut down in much of the city center.
Responsibility for the two bombings was claimed in a video released online to be the work of two suicide bombers who said attacks on the Olympics would be "revenge" for the deaths of Muslims around the world.
Increased police presence in Volgograd lasted a couple weeks, but locals say now the level of security appears to have largely dropped back to normal.