The Olympics are finally over. Nothing really went wrong, Russia squeaked into first place in the medals count—a big relief for the hosts after their embarrassing 11th place finish in Vancouver. And now the decay sets in. Heading into these Olympics, the debate was reignited over whether the huge expense of such events is a worthwhile investment for the host countries, and most economists agreed that it is, in general, not the smartest way to spend a nation's money.
Photographer Lily Idov recently visited the venues Russia built the last time the Olympics came through town, in the summer of 1980. Many buildings just outside the city center had to be razed to make room, but other pre-existing athletic facilities were simply refashioned for the event (unlike Sochi, where everything was build from scratch). Here's what it all looks like today, 34 years later.