Krasnoyarsk becomes 4th City to welcome Universiade Torch Relay on Russian Soil

KAZAN/KRASNOYARSK – On 17 April, Yakutians bid a fond farewell to the 27th Summer Universiade Flame Relay at North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) where the Torch has been stored for three weeks. It arrived in Yakutsk on 28 March. More than 35,000 people saw the Torch while it stayed in the Republic of Sakha.

On 20 April, when the Torch Relay of the 27th Summer Universiade arrived in Krasnoyarsk, it became a special day for the Siberian city which is one of the bidders to host the 2019 Winter Universiade.

The route of the 27th Summer Universiade Flame in Krasnoyarsk is one of the longest and includes the sites in front of six universities of Krasnoyarsk: Siberian State Technological University, Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University, Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University, and Siberian State Aerospace University. Krasnoyarsk’s extreme sports enthusiasts – roller skaters and cyclists – took part in the Torch Relay, thus introducing an alternative way of carrying the Flame. The last Torchbearer of the 12-kilometre relay was Aleksey Ovchinnikov, the gold medallist at the 2012 Russian Mountain Skiing Championship and potential participant in the 2019 Winter Universiade. It was him who lit the City Cauldron set up in the square in front of Siberian Federal University.

“Given that the Universiade Torch Relay will be held for the first time in the history of the Russian Federation, Kazan has made a historical step. Today we are in Krasnoyarsk. Just imagine: this Torch has been to every place imaginable – on the seas and oceans, and now it passes through the territory of Russia. On 6 July, on the opening day of the Summer Universiade, it will arrive in Kazan. We are looking forward to the Flame,” said State Secretary and Russian Deputy Minister of Sports Natalia Parshikova.

“Being 4,000 kilometres away from Kazan, we were very pleased to see such support, such interest in our Relay. It proves once again that the Universiade is important for the entire country. We hope so much that, just like Kazan once, Krasnoyarsk will celebrate the same victory at the end of the bidding campaign on 9 November. Even if we have to run to the very Lausanne for that – we are ready to do it together with you”, said Rafis Burganov, Minister of Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Rafis Burganov, Minister of Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan holding the torch with Russian Deputy Minister of Sports Natalia Parshikova at his side

The 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay kicked off on 12 July 2012 in France. The Universiade Flame was kindled in Paris-Sorbonne University where the first World Student Games were held in 1923. On 15 July, the Torch started a round the world trip on board the four-masted bark Sedov. The Universiade Flame’s circumnavigational journey became epic, reaching such large proportions for the first time in the history of FISU. The lantern with the Flame covered 45,000 nautical miles and repeated the route of greatest sailors of all times. On 25 January, on Russian Students’ Day, the Flame arrived in Vladivostok. Krasnoyarsk became the fourth city to welcome the Universiade Torch on Russian soil. Travelling from east to west, the Torchbearers will carry the Flame through Russia’s 29 top student cities and travel through 43 municipal districts of the Republic of Tatarstan.

(Source: Kazan 2013 Media Dept.)