The newly elected mayor of Sochi – the Russian resort city that will host the 2014 Winter Olympics – has officially come into office.
Top officials from the region attended Anatoly Pakhomov's inauguration ceremony.
Back in April the lure of governing the Olympic city on the Black Sea attracted dozens of candidates, including a billionaire, a ballet dancer, a porn star and a UK murder suspect.
Pakhomov – a member of the ruling United Russia party – won the election with more than 76% of the vote.
The 49-year-old has vowed to scrupulously fulfill his duties and to serve the city and its residents.
“Success and prosperity shouldn’t depend on one person only,” he said.
The city administration, deputies and city residents, he said, should all continue the development of Sochi together.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead. Our city should honorably host the 2014 Winter Olympics, and we must turn Sochi into one of the best resorts in the world,” Anatoly Pakhomov said.