SOCHI

also spelled Soci, city and resort area of Krasnodar kray (region), southwestern Russia. The city stretches along the Black Sea coast at the foot of the western part of the main Caucasus mountain range. It was established in 1896 on the site of the former Navaginskoye fort and began developing as a resort area in 1902. The presence of mineral springs, attractive coastal and mountain scenery, long beaches, and the warm climate have made Sochi a large and popular holiday and health resort for Russian and eastern European vacationers. Sochi has dozens of hotels, tourist centres, and campsites and more than 50 sanatoriums. Its streets and gardens are filled with exotic subtropical trees and shrubs. Greater Sochi, created in 1961, includes resorts stretching for some 90 miles (150 km) along the coast. The Kavkazsky Nature Reserve, established in 1924 and occupying 1,017 square miles (2,633 square km), lies approximately 45 miles (72 km) east of the city. Pop. (1993 est.) 352,000.