Opening ceremony of the 2013 Summer Universiade

The construction of the stage for the opening and closing ceremonies began on March 5, 2013 with the installation of metal structures, after which rehearsals of technical equipment and numbers were held on it. More than 400 people were involved in the installation of the structure. Rehearsals lasted 90 days.

The scene was made in the form of a multi-tiered circle and is surrounded by fountains and a body of water, in the water of which floating boats and sets of artists performed. To the scene from 4 angles were platforms. In the center of the stage, a huge lifting transformable structure with a total weight of 467 tons was arranged, the tier parts of which rose during the show in different ways so that they formed a straight and inverted pyramid and a bowl. Video screens were arranged on the tiers, including the largest main tier broadcasting the image on 4 sides of the stands. The structure was suspended on four truss supports with projectors converging from the corners of the stadium field. In the upper part of the convergence of the supports, a truss dome was also built with spotlights that hit the stage and the audience, as well as high up into the sky. On the dome above the roof of the stadium, a 6-ton bowl for the Universiade Fire was erected, which was lit when 4 torches of the arrived Fire were brought to the bases of the supports.

In the corner sector, an orchestra pit was set up among the stands in the form of a huge luminous letter “U”, in the center of which there was a platform for solo performers, and at the top - platforms for choirs. In another corner sector, a staircase was built, ending with a platform for the flags of Russia and the Universiade .

The show consisted of three parts:

• theatrical performances;
• official part with a parade of teams, speeches of officials, a ceremony of raising flags and a ceremony of lighting the Fire;
• concert part with the final salute.

Theatrical part

The official opening of the XXVII World Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan was preceded by a grandiose, vivid, diverse and multifaceted theatrical performance dedicated to Russia and its peoples and including a twenty-minute procession of representatives of more than 180 nationalities inhabiting the territory of the modern Russian Federation ^[1] .

The performance told the participants and guests of the Universiade about the various stages of the history of Russia , Tatarstan and Kazan , about the wealth and periods of development of literature , culture , science and technology in the country, as well as about the diversity of folk traditions and crafts ^{[2] [3]} .

The procession of the peoples of the Russian Federation was a theatrical historical and ethnic mystery , in which the leading role was assigned to man - the main engine of history, the creator of the country's rich heritage.

On the central stage of the Kazan Arena stadium, surrounded on three sides by water, 384 artists in colorful national costumes created vivid images of characters from myths , legends and fairy tales of the peoples of Russia - Three Birds , Baba Yaga , Firebird , Zilant , and also images of Russian artisans - northerners, hunters, reindeer herders on teams, shepherds and winegrowers from the southern regions and others.

Especially for the procession, 215 costumes and more than 300 items of props were made, and 100 people worked on the creation of costumes for the episodes.

The participants of the theatrical performance performed national folk dances , as well as elements of folk wrestling on belts included in the Universiade program.

The procession of the peoples of Russia and the rhythmic movement of hundreds of artists on the stage and around it took place to the accompaniment of a piece of music specially written for the opening ceremony, which is a kaleidoscope of melodies of Russian , Tatar , Adyghe, Karelian, Mordovian, Tuvan, Sami, Evenki folk songs. The rhythm of the movement was set by 120 drummers.

In various theatrical performances, circus gymnasts participated, hanging from structures rising in and out of the field and describing the circle around the stage in the form of clouds, the sphere of the globe, spaceships, etc.

During the change of scenery, viewers watched on video screens of the main tier of the stage construction a video message from the orbit of the crew of the International Space Station and thematic scientific and historical video presentations in stereo-3D format using issued stereo glasses.

Official part

The flag of the Russian Federation was presented at the stadium . It was carried out by children who had merits in various sports. President Vladimir Putin and the president of the student games then watched as Kirillov Nikita, Maria Karakyozova, Zukhra Khakimova, Vladislav Zimbitsky, Darina Zaripova, Marat Khairullin, Timur Hafizov and Anastasia Ivanova take out the flag. Children handed the flag to the guard of honor , after which the anthem of Russia sounded.

In the traditional solemn procession of the Universiade participating teams, teams from 162 countries of the world walked in the Latin alphabet and were announced in Russian , English and French with the indication of the lifting construction of the stage on the video screens. The team parade was closed by a deafening ovation and the standing of all spectators by the national team of the host country - Russia . The teams followed girls dressed in national costumes with tablets and a flag carrier, made a circle of honor and immediately sat down on the side platform.

In the official part, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and then President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Claude-Louis Gallien welcomed the participants in Russian and Tatar languages and announced the official opening of the Universiade, comparing the scale of the Universiade in Kazan with the Olympic Games and emphasizing that the future of the younger generation has become the national idea of ​​Russia. The ceremony was also attended by the current and former Presidents of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Mintimer Shaimiev , Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin .

The oath of the Universiade participant was made by the Olympic champion in gymnastics Aliya Mustafina , the oath of the judges was the referee Yevgeny Sadovy .

During the procession of athletes, the Russian flag was entrusted to be presented to Dmitry Khomyakov , a student at Kazan Federal University , an international class master of sports in weightlifting, the 2012 world champion among students and the world youth champion, and six famous people brought the Universiade flag - chess player Alisa Galliamova , prima ballerina of the Bolshoi theater Svetlana Zakharova , Olympic swimming champion Vladimir Salnikov , pianist Denis Matsuev , actor Konstantin Khabensky and ehtovalschitsa Camilla Gafurzyanova .

The culmination of the official part of the opening ceremony was the Universiade Fire, which overcame a record relay distance of 104 thousand kilometers. It was divided into 4 torches, brought into the stadium by four keepers - volleyball player Ekaterina Gamova , hockey player Nail Yakupov , paralympic skier Irek Zaripov and judoka Tagir Khaibulaev , brought to the supports and ran up to the dome to the Chalice.

Concert

Dmitry Hvorostovsky , Maria Maksakova and Alexander Gradsky , soloists of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters Aida Garifullina , Albina Shagimuratova , Ildar Abdrazakov and other opera and ballet stars, as well as song, dance and theater groups performed in the concert part of the opening ceremony. Poems for all the songs that were performed during the opening ceremony were written by the famous Russian poetess Lilia Vinogradova .

In different parts of the show, spectators took part, who, under the instructions on the corner video screens and volunteer animators between the stands, formed tribune “waves” (with the participation of teams and V. Putin as well), lit lanterns and luminous balls, highlighted welcome rackets, rang the bells . To do this, at the beginning of the show in a white backpack, all spectators were given a set of white and red decorative tennis racquets in the form of a symbol of the Universiade of a tulip, red and blue lanterns, a luminous green lantern ball, a ringing metal bell and stereo glasses. The set was left to the audience as a souvenir.

In addition to the fireworks during various parts, the show ended with fireworks and fireworks from the roof of the stadium.

The opening ceremony was held from 21:30 on July 6 to 2:00 on July 7, 2013 and was broadcast live by the Russia 1 and TNV-Tatarstan TV channels, as well as on the media facade of the Kazan Arena stadium and on the screen in the Universiade Cultural Park .

Spectators from the metro station “Kozia Sloboda” and some remote points of the city were transported and transported by several dozen white methane special shuttle buses.

Vouchers for tickets to the opening ceremony began to be sold exactly one year before the start of the Universiade - July 6, 2012, were sold out by May 2013 and began to be exchanged for tickets on June 10, 2013.

Tickets for the opening ceremony of the World Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan cost from 750 to 6,000 rubles.

• Universiade
• Summer Universiade 2013
• Closing ceremony of the 2013 Summer Universiade

• Text: Oleg Koryakin (Kazan) . Spectators participated in the opening of the Universiade. Rossiyskaya Gazeta // rg.ru (July 7, 2013)
• Russian President Putin declared the Summer Universiade Games in Kazan open. RIA Novosti // ria.ru (July 7, 2013)
• The 27th World Summer Universiade kicked off with a grand show in Kazan. Russian News Agency TASS // itar-tass.com (July 7, 2013)
• Universiade 2013 kicked off - the fire of the Games is lit above the dome of the Kazan Arena. Russian News Agency TASS // itar-tass.com (July 7, 2013)
• Pavel Zarubin . The opening of the Universiade in Kazan impressed and moved the audience to tears. // vesti.ru (July 7, 2013)
• Putin almost opened the Olympics instead of the Universiade. // tvrain.ru (July 7, 2013)
• The 27th World Summer Universiade has opened in Kazan. (unavailable link) // kazan2013.ru (July 7, 2013)