SHENZHEN, (China, Guangdong province) August 18 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian House Kazan-2013 is becoming increasingly popular among the participants in the World Summer Universiade underway here. A large number of athletes and members of official delegations from Russia, the CIS, Europe, Asia and Africa are gathering at it every evening for relaxing and socialising.
“Representatives of some 30 countries have already visited us. We daily hold theme nights and events that are to familiarise he guests with the capital of the next World Summer Student Games,” head of the cultural programs department of the Universiade-2013 Executive Directorate Arkady Karbayev told Itar-Tass.
“We brought from Kazan the best DJ, 35 artists, as well as two chefs,” he noted.
Visitors to the Russian home, located in the Aolin Hotel near the Universiade Village, can taste manti (type of dumpling in Turkish and various Central Asian and Northwest China and Caucasian cuisines) and traditional Tatar cuisine dishes, and make free phone calls home.
“We hold video bridges, show videos, offer information about Kazan, Tatarstan and Russia, communicate. And, of course, we honour the winners who every day bring medals to our team,” he said.
The current student competitions will last until August 23. A ceremonial transfer of the flag of the Universiade to the next host of the Games – Kazan will be held after they end.
The first guests of the Russian House Kazan-2013 became about two hundred people – the administrators of technical committees and the members of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), as well as the heads of delegations of participating countries of the XXVI Summer Universiade in 2011 in Shenzhen, China. Participants of the reception became both the ex-president FISU George Killian (which is now resigned to lead the federation), and the president of the Russian Student Sports Union Oleg Matytsin, and the leaders of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate.
The Russian House guests tasted the most exquisite viands of Russian and Tatar cuisine, and got acquainted with the most beautiful cultural traditions of Russia. The most talented young performers and creative teams of Tatarstan including representatives of the “UNI-reserve” and “Uni-elite”, selected by Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate under the “Universiade Culture” project, performed on the stage of the Russian house. As expected, the young talents representing the rich cultural diversity of the Russian people were able to make a lasting impression on the guests of the first official reception at the Russian House Kazan-2013. Each guest of the night received a memorable gift with the symbols of the World Summer Student Games in Kazan in 2013 out of the winners’ of the contest “Faces of the Universiade” hands, according to an Executive Directorate release.
It is worth noting that Kazan arouses great interest among the representatives of the participating countries of the Universiade. That is why today in Shenzhen they conduct a presentation of the XXVII World Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan for the heads of delegations, and tomorrow a presentation of the Games 2013 will take place at the General Assembly of FISU.
Formal opening of the Russian House Kazan 2013 took place in Shenzhen on August, 13 with the participation of President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin. Every day the House holds theme nights to familiarise the Universiade-2011 participants with the capital of the next World Summer Student Games.
The Universiade in Kazan will be “a dress rehearsal for the Olympic Games 2014,” President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said earlier. Up to 20,000 volunteers will be trained for the University Games, after which they will be engaged for the Olympic Games in Sochi. Minnikhanov believes that the success of the Universiade will depend not only on the sport facilities but also on city transport. “We should create a proper transport system. This will require mobilisation of all forces and strict compliance with quarterly and monthly schedules,” he noted.
Kazan, which has for the first time ever been chosen to host World University Games in 2013, will host them in a worthy manner, the city’s mayor Ilsur Metshin said earlier. “The Games budget exceeds 300 billion roubles,” he noted, adding that 39 billion roubles will be spent on completing the first line of Kazan’s subway with six underground stations. Besides, 62 billion roubles will be spent on the construction of 130 kilometres of the city roads with 17 junctions, and 11 billion roubles on the construction of the Games-2013 village for 10,000 sportsmen. “All the facilities for the XXVII World University Games will be built in due time and in compliance with international sports standards,” the mayor said.
Kazan, which is more than 1,000 years old, remains a young city, the mayor stressed. A total of 180,000 students from 15 countries of the world study at its 30 higher educational establishments. The city is developing dynamically, and the amount of investments has grown almost fivefold over the recent years.
Over the past three years, the republic has built 230 sport facilities. Twenty-two new gymnasiums have opened in Kazan, as part of preparations for the World University Games.