Universiade Flame to travel to Vladivostok by air
On January 24, the Flame of the 27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013 will land in Vladivostok. A representative of the bark Sedov, the four-masted tall ship which carried the Universiade Torch around the world, will take the Flame to Knevichi Airport. And on Friday, January 25, the Russian stage of the most ambitious Universiade Torch Relay in the history of university sports will kick off from the far eastern shore of Russia.
It was originally planned that the bark Sedov where the lantern with the Universiade Flame was placed on July 15, 2012 at the French port of Brest will bring the Flame to Vladivostok. However, due to bad weather conditions the tall ship altered its course 30 degrees and was secured in roadstead in the port of Pusan, South Korea. From here a representative of the bark Sedov took a flight by Aeroflot, which is the Official Airline of the 27th Summer Universiade, to Vladivostok to make sure that the Russian stage of the Universiade Torch Relay will commence on January 25, Students' Day in Russia, and become a real gift for all students of our country.
Anatoly Vasilyev, a photojournalist of the bark Sedov, had the honour of delivering the Universiade Flame to Russia. He was with the crew throughout the entire journey around the world. He also strongly contributed to staging sports competitions for navy cadets during the voyage. More than that, Anatoly Vasilyev promotes a healthy way of life and encouraged members of the crew to do strength sports.
The 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay kicked off on July 12th, 2012. The Universiade Flame was kindled in Paris-Sorbonne University where the first ‘World Student Games’ were held in 1923. On July 15th, the Torch started a round the world trip on board the four-mast bark Sedov. The Universiade Flame's circumnavigational journey became epic as for the first time ever it reached such large proportions. The lantern with the Flame covered 45,000 nautical miles and repeated the route of greatest sailors of all times.
The Russian stage of the Universiaede Torch Relay starts in Vladivostok. Travelling from west to east, the Flame will be carried through Russia’s 30 top student cities: Yakutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Arkhangelsk, Stavropol, Pyatigorsk, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Vladimir, Perm, Izhevsk, Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saratov, Orenburg, Ufa, St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities. Closer to its finish line, the Universiade Torch will pass through all municipal districts of the Republic of Tatarstan and on July 6, a little less than a year after its kick-off, the Relay will finish at the football stadium in Kazan, culminating with the Opening Ceremony of the 27th Summer Universiade.