Universiade Flame glows brightly between Asia and Europe

The Universiade Flame, the main symbol of the World University Games, drew yet closer to Kazan when it arrived in Orenburg on June 16. The Torch Relay in Orenburg was notable for the scale of the event, with 120 Torchbearers carrying the Flame a total of 32,000 meters through the streets and public squares of this college town.

Orenburg celebrates its 270th anniversary this year and is the 29th city to host the Universiade Torch Relay in Russia. The length of the route and the number of Torchbearers in the Orenburg Torch Relay set a record for the event in Russia. The first torch was lit and the Torch Relay kicked off from the square in front of the Express Culture Center. Orenburg city administration head Yevgeny Arapov was given the honor of becoming the first to carry the main symbol of the Universiade in that city.

The Torch Relay route passed through streets and squares, universities and children’s athletic schools before ending on the square before the Municipal History Museum. Thousands of Orenburg residents, both young and old, greeted the Torch Relay with dancing, flags and smiles as it passed through their city.

The region’s top students, government officials, outstanding athletes, volunteers, members of youth associations as well as employees of corporate partners to the Universiade were given the unique right to carry the main symbol of the World University Games in Orenburg.  

“I loved being a Torchbearer; it was a very important experience for me,” said Universiade 2013 volunteer Ilsia Gomurzakova. “I am expecting our national teams to give worthy performances at the Universiade that will live up to all our hopes. I have no doubt whatsoever that the Universiade in Kazan will be the best World University Games of all time!” she said.   

The Torch Relay ended with a traditional lighting of the City Cauldron, the honor going to athletic trainer Tatiana Maslennikova. A number of prominent individuals also took part in the ceremony, including Orenburg Governor and government head Yury Berg, chief of staff for the governor and the Orenburg regional government Dmitry Kulagin, Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Chief Executive Linar Yakupov, Orenburg city head Yury Mishcheryakov, Orenburg administration head Yevgeny Aparov as well as Orenburg Region Council of Rectors chairman Vladimir Kovalevsky.

“This day is very important because the Flame – symbolizing youth and eternal movement – has arrived in the Orenburg region,” said Dmitry Kulagin. Everyone who took part in the Torch Relay – Torchbearers, volunteers and spectators – has had an encounter with something almost divine. The Universiade to be held in Kazan are Games of the whole planet, of our entire country!” Kulagin emphasized.

“The Torch Relay is truly a significant event on a global scale,” said Yury Mishcheryakov. “We are proud that the main symbol of the World University Games has arrived in Orenburg during the symbolic 270th anniversary of our city. I am certain that many of you will participate in the Universiade in Kazan and are worthy to represent our country in this international competition,” he said.

Greeting the people of Orenburg on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, Linar Yakupov said, “Orenburg is a city of students, a city that is constantly developing. The Universiade Flame is traversing the entire planet, and it is gratifying that it passed through Orenburg today. The Universiade Flame is inspiring an increasing number of young people to get involved in sports. I congratulate you on this great sports event!” he said. Linar Yakupov also presented city administration leaders with commemorative torches from the Universiade Torch Relay.  

A festive fireworks display in honor of the main symbol of the World University Games served as the rousing culmination of the evening.

The next city on the Russian leg of the Torch Relay is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa, where the main symbol of the Universiade will arrive on June 18.

The Universiade Torch Lighting Ceremony took place at 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. On July 15th, the Torch was handed over to a team of navy cadets – the Keepers of the Universiade Flame. Travelling aboard the bark Sedov, the Torch covered 45,000 nautical miles and repeated the route of greatest sailors of all times. 

The Russian leg of the Universiade Torch Relay started off on January 25, on Russian Students' Day. Travelling from east to west, the Flame is carried through Russia’s 30 top student cities such as Khabarovsk, Yakutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Arkhangelsk, Stavropol, Pyatigorsk, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Vladimir, Moscow, Perm, Izhevsk, Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Yoshkar-Ola, Cheboksary, Ulyanovsk, Saransk, Penza, Saratov, Samara, Orenburg, Ufa and passes 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.