NEWS

Children of Kazan and other cities and towns of Tatarstan will appear alongside the artistic greats of Cirque du Soleil during the Summer Universiade's cultural programme in July 2013. This announcement was made today by the Mayor of Kazan. According to Ilsur Metshin, the decision to engage Tatarstan's young performers into Cirque du Soleil's outdoor shows was made by Kazan Mayor's Office together with senior managers of the Canadian entertainment company.

Basketball players of Moscow's CSKA became winners of the 12th Russian Children and Youth Basketball League Junior Championship, the final round of which concluded today in Kazan, the host city of the 2013 Summer Universiade. Led by Aleksey Zhukov, the Army men defeated Moscow's another team Dynamo, 84-65. 

Russia will attach particular significance to security in organizing and holding international competitions, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told journalists in Sochi on Tuesday in commenting on the Monday bombings in Boston, reports Interfax.

State Hermitage museum director, Russian Academy of Sciences associate member and Tatarstan Academy of Science honorary member, Mikhail Piotrovsky, has today delivered a public lecture in Kazan.

On the first day of action at the Russian Swimming Cup Final in Kazan, Yana Martynova of Tatarstan earned a berth on Team Russia for the FINA World Championships in the 400m medley.

Nikita Nikolaev of Moscow eclipsed his rivals in the men's 1m springboard preliminary round. He was class above all the other competitors in the compulsory dives and even increased his lead after performing a flawless optional programme.

The plot is thickening in the Russian Children and Youth Basketball League as the top national youth basketball teams clash this weekend to decide the 9th-30th places.

The women's 1m springboard (Group A) and platform (Group B) and the men's 3m springboard (Group A) finals will be held later in the evening. 

In May, work will start on the site right in front of the Farmers' Palace in Kazan to lay out the Universiade Cultural Park that will cover the area of 6 hectares and will be big enough for 30,000 people. This was reported by Igor Sivov, Deputy Director General of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate, at a meeting of the city's headquarters for the preparations for the Games.