Universiade Flame to travel by train in Russia

On 13 May, the train carrying the team of the 27th Summer Universiade Torch Relay sets off on its epic journey to the Games. The intervals between cities will now become shorter; the Flame will stay in each city only a few days before moving on to a new destination.

“From this day, the Universiade Flame will move around Russia by train. I hope that this train will never be late and wish its team lots of smiles, good mood and optimism. I am certain that its passengers will be welcome guests in each city,” said Igor Sivov, Deputy Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate.

Novosibirsk will be the first destination on the 'train voyage' on 15 May. The Flame of the upcoming Games will arrive here from Volgograd where the Torch Relay was held on 9 May, Victory Day.

The Torch Relay in Novosibirsk will start from Novosibirsk State University on 15 May. Governor of the Novosibirsk Region, Vasily Yurchenko, will take part in the kindling ceremony of the first torch. The honour of starting the Relay in Volgograd fell upon Egor Selivanov, candidate master and bronze medallist at the 2012 Russian Championship. In all, 27 of the region’s best students will carry the Torch along the city’s streets and avenues. They will have to cover 4 stages over a total  distance of around 8 kilometres. The Novosibirsk leg of the Universiade Torch Relay will conclude in front of the main building of Novosibirsk State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering where the City Cauldron will be lit.

The 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay kicked off in July 2012 in France. The Universiade Flame was kindled in Paris-Sorbonne University where the first World Student Games were held in 1923. The historic moment in the Torch Relay arrived when the Universiade Flame embarked on a round-the-world voyage aboard the world’s largest bark - the tall ship Sedov. The Russian leg of the Universiade Torch Relay started off on January 25, on Russian Students' Day. Travelling from east to west, the Flame will be carried through Russia’s 30 top student cities. The Torch Relay have already been to Khabarovsk, Yakutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Volgograd.

Thousands will come out in Novosibirsk to welcome the Flame on May 9, and in the months to come the Torch Relay will visit Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, 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, Ufa and pass through 43 municipal districts of the Republic of Tatarstan, finishing its odyssey in Kazan on July 6, on the opening day of the 2013 Summer Universiade. 2,013 Torchbearers will carry the Universiade Torch as it will make its way all over the country. 

Universiade Torch Relay partners:

Hyundai Motor CIS is the General Partner and Official Transport Provider of the Kazan 2013 Summer Universiade. Hyundai Motor CIS is an exclusive distributor of Hyundai cars in the Russian Federation. Currently the company owns one of the largest dealer networks in the Russian automotive industry and comprises over 140 automobile showrooms.

Coca-Cola HBC Eurasia LLC is an Official Partner of the 27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013. The Coca-Cola system is a long-standing partner of some of the world’s most important sporting events and places great emphasis on promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyle around the world. Coca-Cola HBC Eurasia gives a warm welcome to the Universiade Flame in Russia and acts as the partner of the 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay.

SOGAZ Insurance Group is the Official Partner and Insurance Provider of the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan. SOGAZ Insurance Group: be nervous only about victories at the games, all other things at the Universiade are insured!

ОАО Aeroflot Russian Airlines is the Official Partner and Official Airline of the 27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013. Apart from that, Aeroflot is the partner of the 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay.

OOO Trade House Forward (FORWARD Sportswear) is the Official Provider to the 27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013 and official partner of the 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay. FORWARD Sportswear is quality, vibrancy, comfort and beautility! Being with FORWARD means being part of achievements and victories of great Russia!