​Winter Universiade 2019 Flame Carried Through Kazan Historical Centre

The 29th Winter Universiade 2019 Flame leg took place in Kazan with the total route length of 2500 m. The Universiade Flame bearers started in front of the Agricultural Palace and finished in the vicinity of Kazan Federal University.

Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan,  Ilshat Gafurov, Rector of Kazan Federal University and Chairman of the Council of Rectors in the Republic of Tatarstan took part in the official Universiade Flame events.

"The Winter Universiade 2019 Flame is a significant event for our city," said Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan. "Today, Krasnoyarsk is getting ready to hold the Games. We participated in the bidding campaign when the capital of the Krasnoyarsk Territory was bidding to host the Winter Universiade 2019, and we are still taking an active part in the preparations for this international event. Our journey is over, but we're ready to help Krasnoyarsk. The preparations are underway, and I think together we'll make it and Russia will prove once again that we are the best!"

On the Kazan leg, the representatives of the Krasnoyarsk Territory were Alexander Uss, Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Anton Natarov, Adviser to Krasnoyarsk Territory Governor, Sergei Alekseev, Minister of Sport of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Maxim Urazov, Head of ANO  "Directorate Krasnoyarsk 2019."

"The FISU decision to hold the Winter Universiade 2019 in Krasnoyarsk, the first Winter Universiade in Russia, was possibly due to the fact that the Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan was held at the highest level", said Alexander Uss, Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, "I should emphasize that, first of all, Kazan constructed the high quality sports venues. Second, it was the preparations of the city itself to meet the guests. Third, creating the welcoming atmosphere which requires not only a big heart, but also very qualified work. These three things are essential for us. We hope that we, with the help of the experience of our colleagues from Kazan, will worthily represent our country. During the last four years, we have communicated a lot with the representatives of this city to adopt their unique experience. In December, we'll once again send a big team of specialists there in order to improve the technology of holding wide-scale international complex competitions".

The first Universiade Flame bearer of this leg was Damir Rakhmatullin, a winner of "The Volunteer of the Year" Republican Award and a reporter of the "SportsKids Tatarstan" magazine, "It was a great pleasure for me to open the Kazan Universiade Flame leg. At first, I was a bit worried, but, after finding myself among the Flame keepers, I felt safe and worried less then. I'll go to Krasnoyarsk in March to work as the Winter Universiade 2019 volunteers' supervisor".

The total number of the Flame bearers in Kazan was 25, among them were Damir Fattakhov, Minister of Youth in the Republic of Tatarstan, Oleg Chen, Brand Ambassador of Siberian Wellness, three-time World Weightlifting Championship winner and two-time European champion, Vladimir Sidorenko, twenty-time fire-fighting sport world champion, world record holder and senior engineer of the 2nd regional Supervising and Preventing Department of the Directorate in the North-Western Administrative Division of the Main Directorate of Russian EMERCOM in Moscow, Vadim Yangirov, Director of the Kazan Marathon, Linar Shakirov, Director of the Administrative Department of NordStar Airlines, Executive Chairman of the Guardian Council and Chairman of the Parents' Committee of the Domisolka Children's Music Theatre, Alexander Sladkovsky, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the  Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, People's Artist and Meritorious Artist of Russia, Salavat Fatkhutdinov, singer, People's Artist of Tatarstan, Meritorious Artist of Russia and the Republic of Bashkortostan, Gulzada Rudenko, Director General of Yelabuga State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve, Deputy Chairman of the Public Chamber of the Republic of Tatarstan, Honored Cultural Worker of Russia and Tatarstan.

"It's a great unforgettable feeling to be a Flame bearer", Linar Shakirov, Director of the Administrative Department of NordStar Airlines, shared his emotions. "It's admiration, joy and pride! I want to thank the organizers for the opportunity to carry the Winter Universiade 2019 Flame through the most beautiful and the most athletic city of Russia".

The Flame bearer for the final stage of the Universiade Flame leg in Kazan was Nafis Sirazetdinov, a  winner of "The Student of the Year" Russian National Award, who lit the City Cauldron with Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan and Alexander Uss, the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

The Winter Universiade 2019 Flame will travel from Kazan to Yekaterinburg, the next Flame leg will take place there on November 17.

https://krsk2019.ru/en/news_items/1659