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Kazan becomes beautiful prospering city due to Universiade -- Shuvalov

He believes that Kazan’s experience will be useful in Sochi that will host the Winter Olympic Games in 2014

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

KAZAN, July 6 (Itar-Tass) - Kazan has turned into a beautiful prospering city due to the Universiade, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said.

“Over the past 10-15 years Kazan has changed immensely. Federal investments, work and funding provided by the republic itself turned the city into a prospering place,” he said on Saturday, July 6. “We all were preparing for this event. And everyone is in an excellent mood.”

In his opinion, the Universiade will leave a good legacy to the republic’s residents. “A modern city will be left after the Universiade. Its students will have the best sport training facilities that only Kazan can boast of. All modern infrastructure - junctions and subway - will be left to the residents of Kazan,” Shuvalov said.

He believes that Kazan’s experience will be useful in Sochi that will host the Winter Olympic Games in 2014.

Shuvalov took part in the Universiade Torch Relay. The final leg of the race started in the Universiade Village whereby the torch was passed on by 53 persons, also involved Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko who handed over the torch to Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov. Tennis player Anastasia Myskina was the last one to carry the torch.

The race was supported by a large number of volunteers, guests and local residents, mainly students. The last several dozen metres of the race was run in the warm summer rain, which only added more fun and excitement.

The Flame was ignited on June 15, 2012 at Paris’ Sorbonne which hosted the first international student games in 1923. The torch then travelled around the world aboard the sailing vessel Sedov. On July 15, during a major international regatta, the torch was handed over to a team of cadets - the keepers of the Universiade Flame.

The barque with the Flame sailed for 45,000 nautical miles and repeated the voyage undertaken by the greatest travellers.

On Russian Students’ Day, January 25, the Russian stage of the Torch Relay Race started. Moving westward from the east of the country, the torch travelled through 30 major student centres, Khabarovsk, Yakutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Volgograd, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Arkhangelsk, Stavropol, Pyatigorsk, Sochi, Rostov on Don, St. Petersburg, Vladimir, Moscow, Perm, Izhevsk, Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Yoshkar Ola, Cheboksary, Ulyanovsk, Saransk, Penza, Saratov, Samara, Orenburg, and Ufa.

The race then continued across 43 municipalities in Tatarstan. The Universiade Flame will be lit from the torch during the opening ceremony at Kazan Arena at 21:30 on Saturday, July 6.

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