Festival in Sochi: phone for everyone, virtual excursion across Tatarstan and 2017m race
A big delegation – 200 people – went to the World Festival of Youth and Students to Sochi from Tatarstan. Member of the Tatarstan delegation, press secretary of the M. Jalil Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre Elena Ostroumova tells about interesting first days of the festival in her blog written specially for Realnoe Vremya.
Fifty lucky men
The delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan arrived in Sochi on 14 October. But this day was free of events because the participants needed to check in at the hotel, get accreditation badge that is necessary to get the festival's events.
At the end of the day, we got a 'delegate's package' that had a badge, the festival's kit, set of souvenirs, an invitation to Sochi Park and Irbis phone with the symbol of the festival. Thanks to the organisers!
The Tatarstan delegation rushed to the Media Centre to our republic's stand early in the morning of the first festival day – Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, President's Aide Leyla Fazleyeva, Minister on Youth Affairs and Sport Vladimir Leonov were expected to come at 10 o'clock.
All participants joyfully welcomed the honourable guests of the WFYS, showed the stand and took a photo with them. There were masterclasses on Tatar dances, Sabantuy traditions, Tatar karaoke, cybersport competitions, virtual excursion to Tatarstan's sightseeing points were to take place in the Tatarstan stand to acquaint with our republic for the festival participants (who are more than 20,000!).
Of course, the festival's opening ceremony, which took place in Bolshoy Ice Palace, was the main event of the first day. Unfortunately, it could not host all participants of the festival, and every delegation was given certain quotas. About 50 tickets were allocated to our delegation of 200 people. The very participants organised a lottery. The lucky men managed to see the bright ceremony with their own eyes that Russian President Vladimir Putin opened.
The opening ceremony was about six topical themes of the world – ecology, poorness, education, energy, information and science. The speakers invited from different parts of the world told from screen what they personally gave to this world. After the speakers' speech, pop singers gave performances. Polina Gagarina, Dima Bilan, Sergey Lazarev were among them. The performance of the festival's headliners One Republic was a present.
Those who did not get Bolshoy could watch the live transmission of the festival in the Media Centre and Medal Plaza where a supporting show with Morandi, Quest Pistols, Lena Katina and others was held.
Common chat of our delegation
The second festival day was no less busy. Early wake-up and breakfast from 6.30 to 9.00, a trip from the hotel to the Olympic Park by shuttle where all festival events take place, many new impressions, acquaintances, lunch from 12.30 to 15.00, discussions again, meetings with speakers, dinner from 18.00 to 21.00 and even after dinner there were several events that one doesn't want to miss – it is one day of the participant of the 19 th World Festival of Youth and Students!
Our delegates joined this crazy festival pace quickly – the common chat of Tatarstan participants can accumulate up to 100 messages just within 15 minutes because everyone is on different platforms and shares the most interesting events in the chat.
The meeting with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government Vitaly Mutko, Anatoly Vasserman, Sochi Jazz Festival with Igor Butman, Vadim Eilenkrig and his Eilenkrig Crew and others, the festival 2017 metres race where a participant from Tatarstan won, meeting with Olympic champions – it is just small part of the events of the second day that the participants from Tatarstan visited.
The festival unites, fills every day with new knowledge, presents new acquaintances, helps to believe in oneself and aspire to move forward, to new summits.