2013 SU Update: Universiade Mascot visits Baikonur

BAIKONUR/KAZAN – The Kazan Universiade mascot, Uni the snow leopard kitten, has a rich travel experience, he has visited a lot of interesting places already. On April 12th, on World Cosmonautics Day, which this year is marked with the 50th anniversary of the first man in space, Uni paid a special visit to the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

There was a presentation of the 27th Summer Universiade held on the landmark venue for the whole humanity. The event was organized by the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate delegates.

The solemn ceremony dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin’s flight into space started with the arrival of the Gagarin’s Versts Supermarathon participants to Baikonur’s central square that was submerged in the positive festive atmosphere. By that time the runners had already covered a route of thousands of kilometres across the roads of Kazakhstan and Russia, through such cities as Aralsk, Khromtau, Aktobe, Sol-Iletsk, Orenburg, Buzuluk, Samara, Balakovo, Saratov. The athletes finished the marathon with the Kazan 2013 flag in their hands.

Later on, Uni the snow leopard kitten emerged in the stadium wearing a shiny spacesuit and holding the Kazan 2013 flag in his paws. Uni greeted the guests of the festive event and invited them to Kazan. The Kazan Universiade mascot planted the flag on the ‘new land’.

It should be mentioned that Uni became a local celebrity. Apart from kids, that were really excited to see such an unusual creature as a winged snow leopard kitten, the Kazan Universiade mascot presented the forthcoming 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan to Baikonur citizens and invited them to come and visit the grand sporting event.

On April 12^th, the Baikonur Cosmodrome became a venue of vast festivities. The atmosphere, that reigned the central square, reminded of the Sabantuy Festival or Kazan’s 1,000th anniversary celebrations. Four various folk bands took the stage set up on the venue especially for the event: Terra Ethnic Dance Theatre, Action, Chicago, and also Cosmodrome Modern Dance Group. The festivities lasted in a big way till the very morning and culminated in 50 fireworks sent up in the sky in commemoration of the anniversary event.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)

UNI in Space

A figurine of Uni the winged snow leopard kitten, the 2013 Summer Universiade mascot, found its new home in a space museum at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The Kazan 2013 delegation also visited the Baikonur Cosmodrome’s space museum and gave a figurine of the Universiade mascot to the museum. It was the present made to the space museum by the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate’s delegation that joined the official events dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first man in space.

The souvenir was solemnly presented to Baikonur Cosmodrome space museum’s director Evelina Schur in the presence of guides and guests of the museum. The mascot took pride of a place in the museum that has over 10,000 space-related items. Thanks to this, the 2013 Summer Universiade will become closer not only to museum attendees but also to the cosmonauts who traditionally visit the museum before going into space.

After the solemn ceremony the Kazan 2013 delegates left their notes in the museum’s guest book that contains signatures made by legendary cosmonauts and key political figures.