The chairman of the London Olympics organizing committee Lord Coe said Friday that the city will welcome the summer Russian invasion with open arms.
A Russian Olympic delegation has rented parts of Kensington Palace grounds for a lavish cultural center in a two-story pavilion promoting the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
As with other Winter Olympics centres at previous Games, the so-called Russia House promises to be a major party hub for the sports extravaganza.
"I'm delighted that Sochi will be in London," Coe said on the sidelines of the Global Sports Forum in Barcelona, insisting the city would prove a worthy host.
"This is what London does. London does it really well. We have international engagement every day of the week, and not just in Olympic years, so yeah, fantastic."
A Russian delegation had planned to base its celebrations at Marble Arch with a huge ice rink but was refused permission. A smaller rink is planned for the Kensington location.
