“The Universiade in Kazan will cost three times cheaper than the Olympics in Sochi”

Director of the municipal unitary enterprise “The Universiade-2013 Directorate”, deputy of Tatarstan State Council Vladimir Leonov took part in an online news conference at Tatar-inform agency. Journalist Leysan Abdoullina hosted an interview about preparation for the World Summer Universiade-2013 in Kazan.

These days we all are talking about Ak Bars victory. How did you support our team?

V.L.: What happened happens rarely in life. We were glad to that degree only in May last year, when we won the right to host the World Universiade of 2013 in Kazan. For sure, Ak Bars is a terrific team with excellent coaches.

I am very glad and sincerely congratulate everyone on this historical victory. For the first time in history, teams from Tatarstan become champions in the two key sports – football and ice hockey in one season.

A football stadium with capacity of 45 thousand seats will be constructed in Novo-Savinovsky district. Later information about transfer of Water Sports Palace construction site to this district was distributed. Is it true and will it influence the construction term?

V.L.: The Universiade competitions will be held in 64 sport sites. 28 of them are available already; 36 are yet to be built. The list of the sites was endorsed by all levels of the federal authorities at the recent session under Russian President in Sochi. 29 out of 36 new facilities will be constructed at the expense of the federal budget. The football stadium and the Water Sports Palace are among them.

The area where the stadium and the palace will be situated is Novo-Savinovsky district of the city, on the crossing of Chistopolskaya and Amirkhana streets. It is a very beautiful and interesting place in terms of logistics. An open contest among foreign and Russian design institutes for drafts of these sport complexes will be announced in the very near future.

We plan to implement re-use projects for building the sites. It means that such a sport facility with the same parameters had been constructed already, not necessarily in Russia. We can use such projects to save time and money. A decision of the exact sites and construction terms of the Water Sports Palace and the football stadium will be made in May 2009. Anyway, all sport facilities must be put into commission in 2012, because we want to organize test competitions before the Universiade.

How do you choose contractors for construction of the facilities?

V.L.: These questions are considered at the level of the Government. Of course, tenders, contests will be announced. Anyone who wants can take part in the contests; we guarantee it.

We have been working in another field. We tried to draw maximal amount of funds from the federal budget for construction of new sites during the crisis time. And we did it.

The preliminary budget of financing the Universiade-2013 was 604 million euros. What is the situation at present?

V.L.: 604 million euros was taken as an analogue sum during our application campaign. After Kazan’s victory in the bid for the Games-2013 the budget was recalculated. The budget will be formed from several resources – the federal, republican, municipal budgets and investors’ funds.

25 billion roubles are expected to be spent on construction and renovation of 64 sport facilities. Approximately 11.5 billion roubles will be allocated for construction of the Universiade village. An informational centre, a cultural-entertainment centre, food complex serving 3 thousand people simultaneously, a training stadium, gyms, a centre of accreditation will be situated on the territory of the village. The federal budget takes part in financing of sport facilities and the Universiade village.

Reconstruction of the international airport “Kazan” will cost 10-10.5 billion roubles. But it is an investment project. Full renovation of all terminals and increase of the complex traffic capacity up to 5 million passengers per year is expected to be accomplished by 2013.

Construction and modernization of roads is stipulated. The project in road industry is the most expensive – about 80 billion roubles. A session of Russina Transport Ministry focused on the projects of the World Summer Universiade of 2013 will be held in Kazan in the end of April.

The first line of the underground is expected to be finished by the Universiade. 40 billion roubles are necessary to finish construction works on all underground stations between Vorovsky and Dubravnaya streets.

Do foreign investors show interest?

V.L.: Yes, we are holding talks with them. They show great interest, but our task is to involve domestic resources to a maximum extent. That means if foreign investors enter our market, anyway they will work with our designers, constructors, and materials. Of course, there are unique materials which are not produced in Russia – in these cases we are ready to meet their wishes.

Where will the press-centre of the World Summer Universiade-2013 be situated? Will there be special sections for journalists in sport facilities?

V.L.: In my personal opinion, without adequate coverage and proper conditions for journalists, such international events are not useless, but inefficient. That’s why technical specifications of all new sport cites, which are under construction, include accreditation centres, rooms for commentators, conference halls, rooms for online broadcasts. The existing facilities - Basket-Hall, Tatneft-Arena - will undergo modernization in terms of facilities for mass media.

A new press-centre must be built. 1.5-3 thousand journalists will be involved in coverage of the Universiade-2013 in Kazan. There are several sites for the the centre so far. The preliminary technical specification stipulates 1000 seats at the press-centre. A related infrastructure has been included in the plan: rooms for briefings, news conferences, cafes. There is no doubt that we need the press-centre. All new complexes to be constructed by the Universiade will be comfortably equipped for journalists.

When will the Universiade-2013 executive directorate be formed?

V.L.: The executive directorate will be created in the very near future. The thing is that it couldn’t be formed without Russian Government’s decision. A session of the Council under Russian President for physical culture and sport was held on March 23 in Sochi. A decision on creating the Universiade directorate was adopted at the session. The executive directorate will coordinate work of all organizations – international sport federations, the Russian Olympic Committee, the International University Sport Federation (FISU), Russian and Tatarstan Governments, municipalities, and investors. This organization will coordinate the work connected with preparation and organization of the World Student Games.

Founders of the executive directorate will be: Russian Government through the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy, Russian Student Sports Union, the Republic of Tatarstan Cabinet of Ministers, and Kazan city administration. Most likely, it will be founded as an autonomous non-commercial organization.

A department of volunteers will be established. The Summer Universiade-2009 starts in Belgrade, Serbia on July 1. We signed an agreement with Serbs on sending 150 Tatarstan volunteer-students to Belgrade. They will take training and pass internship in voluntary movement for 20 days there.

Students will work with journalists, sportsmen – the range of activities is very wide. We are going to announce a contest. We need young people with good command in foreign languages. It must be students, because the Universiade is the games of students. These 150 people will lead the huge army of volunteers at the Universiade-2013. We also invited Serbian volunteers’ organizers to come to Kazan after the Universiade-2009 and hold master-classes for our youth.

When is FISU delegation expected to visit Kazan?

V.L.: FISU Secretary General Erik Saintrond and Director for the Summer Universiade Marc Vandenplas will come to Kazan on April 27. The will examine the sites which are under construction at present. We will hold a presentation for them, tell about our plans.

According to the remote communication with FISU, they are quite satisfied. There is the experience of Belgrade, which faces the crisis situation – additional sports were cut; several events were cancelled; the place of the opening ceremony was transferred. In these terms, we follow the plan. FISU representatives are coming to see it, discuss and make plans for the future together.

Tatarstan delegation will participate in the Universiade-2009 in Belgrade. A session of FISU executive committee will take place there. We will have to make the first official report to the International University Sports Federation.

Which will cost more for Russia – the Olympics-2014 in Sochi or the Universiade 2013 in Kazan?

V.L.: The Olympic Games in Sochi will cost at least three times more. The Olympics are more expensive in all concerns. Besides, Kazan has been a large sport centre for several years already. We have beneficial geographical disposition. In Sochi there are some problems concerning logistics, cargo delivery…

Writing by Kristina Ivanova
Photos by Yekaterina Krasutskaya.

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