The essential issues of the project consist in debates, negotiations, information campaign and critique around the constructing arenas and infrastructure, resettlement of locals and rebuilding of their habitual environment, and far-reaching effect of this transformation for the city Sochi, its habitants and visitors, Russians at all, natural environment. The more practical and obvious cases are under consideration the more theoretical framework and critiques are crucial. The prepared paper as a result of the first stage of the research project includes both theoretical and field (visual study, photo tour) results.

It appears that Olympics are not only sports event and not so much sports event as diffused event: cultural (look at any of latest Olympics and the part played by cultural programme), social (look at Paralympics’ growing programme, the project of “First Nations” branding in Vancouver, volunteers’ movement, local communities engagement campaigns), of course, economic (both for multinational brands and nation and local business enterprises), and political (concerning National branding and international relations) event. The process of preproduction and preparation is much longer and more important by its social and cultural results than itself Olympics, and the consequent utilization and habitualisation of Olympic objects either would be important, too.

The theoretical framework of the paper is based on author’s model of distinction of socialcultural media with focus on social inequality as part of cultural processes. It reveals social meanings of corporeal environment by Olympic construction projects and ways of its representation in visual and virtual reality.

The analysis of theoretical models in the literature review reveals the significance of the “ideology” and value prescriptions incorporated in the methodology and the mood of interpretation of field data. The structure of the theories’ classification reflects the key categorization and value assumptions (even general feeling) of the authors: 1) technological optimism (information society theories, the new media audience concept, technological determinism), 2) socio-technical pessimism (the concept of new social inequalities, digital divide studies, political economic critiques); 3) humanistic pessimism (post-humanism, “the death of the Human”).

The paper considers two kinds of visual images. First, the photos have been made in the field – Adler region – by researchers’ team (more than 1 thousand pfotos). Second, the virtual representations of Sochi-2014 Olympic construction projects region in specialized and social Internet sites. Two direction of comparison this symbolic reality with something different are investigated. First, the difference of Internet reality and corporeality is studied. The paper presents visual comparison of images and context of Internet sites. Also it demonstrates what real construction projects, spaces are sources of this images, and the author tries to reveal social and cultural mechanisms, that produces the differences and distance of Internet reality and corporeality: official Olympic propaganda, national political phraseology (taking into account interests of different parties and groups of interest), and, as important factor, perceptions of local community and public experts. Second dimension of comparison is international comparison with Internet realities and public discussions around previous (Athens, Beijing, Vancouver) and forthcoming Olympic games (London).

The paper considers the diffusion of technically complicated media and its influence on social system, while media itself transforms into everyday things. The dissemination of high-tech media effects in social stratification, strengthening social inequality. The diffusion of technically complicated media is not only horizontal net spreading but also in depth of social organization penetration, it changes the nature of social ties in communities.

The model of the transformation of corporeal environment and the diffusion of technologies in the juxtaposition with social practices and cultural units has been called “Tornado model”. This metaphor allows to organize the initial visual photo data and divide some different stratums of diffusion of things and technologies. The Tornado’s influence causes specific processes of separation of social position at each stratum.

The key questions of the project have been discussed on the panel “The discourse of Olympics Sochi-2014”

at the Annual conference of the Society of Professional Sociologists, Moscow, 10-11 December 2010.

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