(KZN.RU, July 23, Adelia Galieva). Today at City Hall Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin and Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Igor Levitin presented federal awards - the Medals of the XXVII World Summer Universiade 2013 to those who worked on the organization and conduct of this sporting event that changed the capital of Tatarstan. The People's Artist of Russia Igor Krutoy, scriptwriter of opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the music of the Universiade became one of them.
During the ceremony, guests of the City Hall remembered the brightest moments of the World Student Games, which lifted Kazan as a city of the sporting events to a new level. The Mayor of Kazan and the Assistant to the President of Russia welcomed the members of the team, that were working to organize the Universiade, and presented state awards. People's Artist of Russia, composer and producer Igor Krutoy was also awarded with especially loud applause and words of gratitude.
The head of the city noted the symbolism of the ceremony on the eve of further large-scale event that would have not been impossible without the heritage and experience of the Universiade - World championship in water sports.
"We won the Universiade and thought it was the most important victory. And then we realized that in order to meet the high status of the international event, much more remains to be done to resolve a tangle of problems, and most import was to improve transport infrastructure, starting from the airport and completing the road transport system: interchanges, pedestrian crossings, metro station ", - I. Metshin recalled. According to the Mayor, an important role in these issues Igor Levitin played, he had supported Kazan projects aimed at rebuilding and construction of infrastructure, roads and sports projects.
As the head of the city noted, every event has its own history in the faces; and the overall victory is the merit of thousands of Kazan citizens. "A huge army of state officials accepted the task of organizing and holding of the Universiade as their own. We were the team and remain the team now. Everyone, including residents of the city, took it as a challenge, a great achievement and responsibility. There is no person in this room, without whom the Universiade could be possible! "- said I. Metshin and expressed his gratitude to all those who supported Kazan, working for its benefit. He also thanked the President of the country who inspired Kazan for the Universiade, and the head of the Republic, under whose leadership it was preparing.
Igor Levitin also addressed to all those present in the hall with words of thanks and congatulations. "We were preparing the two great events in Russia at the same time: the Olympic Games in Sochi and the Universiade in Kazan. We have something to compare how the commands had worked. I thank the Mayor of Kazan, because he had gathered a team, with whom we solved all problems quickly! You have done everything for this a big celebration, "- said Levitin.
He also stressed that the Universiade has shown the importance of the heritage of major sporting events for the city. "If it were not for the heritage of the Universiade, the World Cup in water sports would not be held, as well as many other sporting events", - said the Assistant to the President of the Russia.
Among the awarded today were the director of the Museum of Social Lifestyle Rustem Valiakhmetov, director of the enterprise "Urban improvement" Kamil Zakirov, head of the City Hall Dina Lutfullina, director of the Development Assistance Committee of Tourism of Kazan Eugeniya Lodvigova, the deputy chief of traffic police Rustam Ibrahimov, the head physician of the city hospital №16 Vladimir Belyakov, and many others.
"For us, the Universiade is the first love, the first child in the family. This is a wonderful event that was included in the golden pages of our city, our republic, our country, we have done it together! "- summed Ilsur Metshin.
The award ceremony ended with a concert program.