Kazan 2013: ‘One Year to Go’-Celebrations

Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin reveals the countdown clock

KAZAN – July 6^th, 2012 marked that Kazan is one year away from the kick-off of the 2013 Summer Universiade. On that day next year the official Opening Ceremony of the 27th World University Summer Games will take place. On this occasion a special countdown clock was inaugurated to commemorate the one-year-to-go milestone.

The opening of the countdown clock became perhaps the most remarkable and symbolical event on the programme of festivities and was held in the remote-interactive mode. Over a thousand of students attended the Kazan 2013: ‘One Year to Go’-concert in the Pyramid Cultural and Entertainment Centre; hundreds of people gathered in the square near the Galiaskar Kamal Tatar Academic Theatre and Bauman street where main outdoor festivities, a sailing regatta and various sports activities unfolded; even residents of the Universiade Village and constructors of the new 45,000-seat football stadium joined these once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. All sites involved in the festivities got connected with the centre stage, the Pyramid Cultural and Entertainment Complex, via video conferencing and reports were made to President Rustam Minnikhanov on how Kazan is gearing up to stage the 2013 Games. For example, Alexander Evdokimov, Director General of KamEnergoStroy, general contractor of the new football stadium in Kazan, said: “Construction teams work day and night. A total of 1,400 workers are involved in construction operations at the stadium. All works will be complete until December 30th, 2012, and the venue will be ready to be commissioned.”

Tatar President Rustam Minnikhanov

Another site of the city, the square near the Galiaskar Kamal Tatar Academic Theatre, hosted the largest and most dramatic event in FISU history – the 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay. Five young people representing five continents of the world were awarded the right to take the official torch of the 27th Summer Universiade to Paris, where the Torch Lighting Ceremony will take place on July 12th. The solemn see-off ceremony for the delegation going after the Kazan 2013 Flame brought together many spectators and families; even bikers of the Night Wolves Motorclub came to wish a good journey to the relay participants.

The torchbearers

The Pyramid Cultural and Entertainment Complex became the venue where all key events – the live gig featuring UNI-reserve and UNI-elite talents and admission ceremony for newly appointed Kazan 2013 Ambassadors – took place. Olga Shelest, the famous TV presenter; Dmitry Sautin, the two-time Olympic champion and holder of a record number of eight Olympic diving medals; artists Polina Gagarina and JukeBox trio received credentials from President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. They solemnly pledged to carry out a Kazan 2013 Ambassador’s honorable mission and contribute to the promotion of sports, a healthy lifestyle and volunteering.

In Bauman street the countdown clock was revealed. The giant clock that now counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the 2013 Summer Universiade represents a unique art object that reminds by its shape two wings and letter ‘U’ and embodies close partnership relationships between Hyundai Motor CIS and Kazan, the host of the 2013 Summer Universiade. “On the wings of a dream and with your support we won the bid to host the Games in Kazan. The city changes for the better and is waiting for the start of the Universiade,” said Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin to the Tatarstan President.

“We’ve travelled a long journey, but we have an entire year of hard work and in 365 days we will welcome 13,500 athletes and 170 participating nations that will compete in 27 sports,” said Rustam Minnikhanov to the audience. “Let the countdown begin!” And by saying this, the Tatarstan President announced the launch of the countdown clock that was switched on and started counting the time left to the Opening Ceremony of the largest and most high-profile event in modern Russia. In the meantime an inspired team of organisers and volunteers of the future Universiade is getting ready to do its best to make the Games a success and show the world the sports potential of Tatarstan and Russia.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Committee)