Today, in the Universiade Village, a commemorative plaque was unveiled on the wall of the residential building where the Russian student team lived in the summer of 2013, which won a convincing victory in the team competition of the World Student Games.
In total, 1083 Russian athletes (including 51 from Tatarstan) lived in house No. 5. Our team set a medal record, winning 153 gold, 72 silver and 62 bronze medals. The idea to perpetuate the memory of the achievement of the national team belongs to the president of the Russian Student Sports Union, Rector of the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture Sergey Seiranov, who in 2013 was the head of the Russian delegation to the World Student Games.
The opening ceremony of the memorial plaque at the Volga State University of Sports was timed to coincide with the visit of rectors of 14 universities of physical culture to Kazan during the XXIV Festival of Universities of Physical Culture.
Today, addressing the participants of the ceremony, Sergey Seyranov said:
- This was a stunningly powerful team. Such a number of athletes, coaches, doctors, massage therapists have never been in any delegation at any competition. Student sports is a forge of personnel and good mood! Vitaly Mutko, at that time the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, personally came to this building, here we arranged honoring athletes who won medals on this day, the anthem of Russia was played here… As the guys told me, it was an amazing atmosphere, and they will never forget these days! I really want those who live in these rooms today to understand that the positive energy of those days is still here!
Acting Rector of the Volga Region University, First Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Rafis Burganov in his welcoming speech noted that the time for the opening of the memorial plaque could not be more correct:
- I am very glad that we have managed with today's ceremony for the arrival of our colleagues – rectors of universities of physical culture. In fact, it's hard to put into words what a fantastic atmosphere prevailed here in those days. Sergey Germanovich managed to unite the team and make sure that the sports festival was transferred from the arenas here, to the residential building, where our athletes returned in the evening. It was full of fun and positive emotions. And I really want everyone who will live here in the coming years to know that this place is the legacy of a great sports forum and a great victory for our national team.
