Universiade Flame glows brightly between Asia and Europe

Head of the Orenburg Administration Evgeny Arapov holds the first torch

ORENBURG – The Universiade Flame drew yet closer to Kazan when it arrived in Orenburg. The Torch Relay in Orenburg was notable for the scale of the event, with 120 Torchbearers carrying the Flame a total of 32,000 metres through the streets and squares of this student centre.

Orenburg celebrates its 270th anniversary this year and is the 29th city to host the Universiade Torch Relay in Russia. The length of the route and the number of Torchbearers in Orenburg set a record for the Russian leg of the Torch Relay. The first torch was lit and the Torch Relay kicked off from the square in front of the Express Palace of Culture. Head of the Orenburg Administration Evgeny Arapov was given the honour of becoming the first to carry the main symbol of the Universiade in the city.

The Torch Relay route passed through streets and squares, universities and children’s sports schools before ending in the square before the Orenburg City History Museum. Thousands of Orenburg residents, both young and old, greeted the Torch Relay with dancing, flags and smiles as it passed through their city.

The region’s top students, government officials, outstanding athletes, volunteers, members of youth associations as well as employees of corporate partners to the 2013 Summer Universiade were given the unique right to carry the main symbol of the World University Games in Orenburg.  

The Torch Relay ended with a traditional lighting of the City Cauldron, the honour going to athletic trainer Tatiana Maslennikova. A number of prominent individuals also took part in the ceremony, including Orenburg Governor and Chairman of the Orenburg Oblast Government Yury Berg, Chief of Staff for the Governor and the Orenburg Oblast Government Dmitry Kulagin, Tatarstan Investment Development Agency (TIDA) Chief Executive Linar Yakupov, Mayor of Orenburg Yury Mishcheryakov, Head of the Orenburg Administration Evgeny Aparov as well as Chairman of the Orenburg Oblast Council of Rectors Vladimir Kovalevsky.

Greeting the people of Orenburg on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, Linar Yakupov said: “Orenburg is a city of students, a city that is constantly developing. The Universiade Flame is traversing the entire planet, and it is gratifying that it passed through Orenburg today. The Universiade Flame is inspiring an increasing number of young people to get involved in sports. I congratulate you on this great sports event!” he said. Linar Yakupov also presented the city’s leaders with souvenir torches of the Universiade Torch Relay.  

A spectacular display of fireworks in honour of the arrival of the main symbol of the Universiade in Orenburg served as the rousing culmination of the evening.

The next city on the Russian leg of the Torch Relay is the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa.

(Source: Kazan 2013 Media Dept.)