The World Cup is starting in 16 days. We're launching a special project to tell you about how Russian cities prepared for the year's major sports event. State-of-the-art stadiums, spacious fan zones, national cuisine, and the most unusual souvenirs are waiting for players and fans.
Today, we'll focus on Saransk. Mordovia Arena will host four matches and eight teams — Peru, Denmark, Columbia, Japan, Iran, Portugal, Panama, and Tunisia. Tens of thousands of fans will arrive in the city. Tickets are sold out.
Marina Gromova is reporting from Saransk.
The test matches are over. The soccer field is resting as the emerald grass catches a few rays. It even seems that you can hear cicadae, but it's actually the daily fire alarm test. The last test match had a capacity crowd. 1 in 8 citizens of Saransk had a chance to see the Republic's newest pride and joy — Mordovia Arena. The first row spectators were a mere 2 or 3 meters away from the players. The stadium was built in keeping with the best traditions of England, the home of soccer. It resembles Soccer City, the main arena of the 2010 World Cup.
The designers and builders of Mordovia Arena were inspired by the bright sun. Its rays colored all the 45,000 seats of the stadium in orange and white. The field is visible from any point. All framing and pillars are hidden inside.
This is not quadcopter footage; this is the view from the balcony. Fans are going to live here, within a 5-minutes walk to the stadium. The unique residential complex has been turned into a hotel for World Cup fans.
Evgeniya Romantsova, Front Desk Manager: "These rooms will be closed when guests are here. These are the kitchen and the second bedroom. A standard hotel room is intended for one or two guests. It has all the necessary furniture, including a wardrobe and chairs. Yes, this is a standard room. All the rooms have televisions.”
And these hotels were built specifically for the World Cup. They are decorated with the national colors — vinous, green, and golden. There are wooden decorations, ornaments, and famous Mordovian national embroidery. The staff is getting ready to receive the soccer teams.
Vadim Prasov, VP of the Russian Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers: "One of the teams asked for palm tree shoots to be on the menu, which is quite exotic, of course".
Players will have to include Mordovian pancakes in their riders. One can't visit Saransk without trying them. World-renowned Tavlinskaya toys can also be bought here right next to Zabivaka mascots. Mordovian grannies are waiting for soccer fans from all over the world in Podlesnaya Tavla. You'll be greeted by "Shumbrat," meaning "Hello" in Erzya. Of course, the locals can speak Russian, but they don't speak it very often. They aren't guisers, but real keepers of traditions and history.
They can also speak the Erzya and Moksha dialects of the Mordovian language, as well as English, French, Spanish, and German. 2,500 volunteers are ready to help all the guests of Saransk.
Irkyam Surkova, Director of the Volunteer Center of the 2018 FIFA World Cup: "These are wonderful guys of various ages and background, from 18 in the organizing committee, from 16 in the city volunteer program, all the way the oldest volunteer in Saransk, who is 85".
Volunteers will meet guests at the railway station and the airport, which were renovated for the World Cup. Signs have been translated into English, a pedestrian bridge was built over the platforms, and the airport has changed dramatically. This grey building used to be the airport of Saransk. A few years ago, the citizens of the republic used it, but now the old terminal is closed. A brand-new spacious and comfortable building was built before the World Cup. Now one can go to anywhere in Russia from here. During the World Cup, it will receive international flights so that foreign fans can avoid transfers.
Mikhail Berman, Mordovia Airlines CEO: "During the World Cup, there will be a temporary port of entry. The terminal has already been built. The Republic's authorities are now working to make it a permanent port of entry".
All of the four matches that Mordovia Arena will host will take place in the evening. Cathedrals and monuments, fountains and high-rise buildings are brightly illuminated. Fans and spectators will be received by a hospitable and beautiful city with a centuries-long history, another page of which will be the 2018 FIFA World Cup, an event of global importance.
Marina Gromova, Ivan Ponomarenko, Natalya Ivanova and Andrey Greshnev for Vesti from Saransk, the Republic of Mordovia.
