FIFA World Cup 2018. Welcome to Russia! 
2018 is essential for all sports- lovers in Russia! 
This is the year of the game, hospitality and joy!
This is the year of FIFA WORLD CUP!

From the 15th of June to the 15th of July, eleven Russian cities will greet thousands of football fans from the all corners of the Globe! 

There are 32 international football teams taking a part in the competition. Including the most successful and productive teams of Portugal, Germany, Argentina, Iceland, Spain etc. 
11 huge, modern and absolutely different Host Cities welcome the teams and fans: 

Host Cities are preparing for the matches at high-level: new airports and railway stations are building. Stadiums and city sights are restoring. New concept and stylish restaurants, cafes and hotels are opening! Each host city centre is filled with FIFA symbols and decorations! 
The transport giant companies launched railway tickets available free for fans during the World Cup. World Cup Volunteer Program was also launched in all the country. Over than 1000 volunteers will help the guests of host cities to feel themselves comfortable and calm during the games. 
In Moscow and Saint-Petersburg Metro tourists and guests can have a ride in the theme FIFA World Cup 2018 wagons. 
There is info about host cities, matches and history of Russian and World football.
 

That’s what the country does for the game!

The official mascot of the game –Zabivaka! 
The campaign for choosing a mascot started in the spring of 2015. At the first stage more than 50 thousand fans took a part in the voting, who chose the ten most popular characters. At the second stage of the campaign, these heroes were drawn by students of Russian art schools. In 2016 there were only three finalists left: the Wolf, the Tiger and the Cat. 
The mascot was created by the Graphic Design student of the Tomsk State University Ekaterina Bocharova. Zabivaka is really energetic and positive wolf that is the winner of the people's choice. He collected 53% of the vote. The mascot was presented live on the ‘Evening Urgant’ show on the First Channel. Now Zabivaka is loved by the millions Russians and appears as souvenir, city sight and a symbol of the game! There are figures of him situated in each Host City. Tourists like the mascot too and do not miss the chance to take a picture with him! 
Zabivaka is an active user of social media! He has around 15 000 mentions inInstagram and 3000 mentions in VKontakte. So everyone is welcome to the official Zabivaka’s accounts.

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On the 1st of December, 2017 The Final Draw of the 2018 FIFA World Cup was concluded in the State Kremlin Palace. 32 teams participating in the championship were divided into eight groups. These groups show the competitive teams. 

There is the list of the groups below:

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Group A
1. Russia 2. Saudi Arabia 3. Egypt 4. Uruguay

Group B
1. Portugal 2. Spain 3. Morocco 4. Iran

Group C
1. France 2. Australia 3. Peru4. Denmark

Group D

1. Argentina 2. Iceland 3. Croatia 4. Nigeria
 

Group E
1. Brazil 2. Switzerland 3. Costa Rica 4. Serbia

Group F
1. Germany 2. Mexico 3. Sweden 4. South Korea

Group G
1. Belgium 2. Panama 3. Tunisia 4. England

Group H
1. Poland 2. Senegal 3. Colombia 4. Japan

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Hosting Cities

Let’s briefly have a look at 11 Host Cities. Each of them has unique cultural, history, sports and national heritages and victories.

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MOSCOW 
Stadium: Luzhniki, Otkritie Arena 
The capital of the country that cannot be described in few words. It is rush, contrasts and wealth. Gold domes of the cathedrals, noisy streets and narrow boulevards. Parks, river walks, hundreds of modern and classic museums, music houses and stages. It is the world famous theatres and landmarks. Moscow is about great history and perspective future! Moscow is visited by millions of tourists annually so don’t miss the chance to see the greatness of Russia visiting Moscow during FIFA World Cup! 

SAINT-PETERSBURG 
Stadium: Saint-Peter Stadium 
The picturesque city of white nights, cultural, musical and history treasures of the country. The literature, art, theatre and architecture are mixed with hospital and well-educated residents. People from all the World come there to see “the Russian Venice” by their own. 
You have a chance to see one of the most inspiring and unordinary cities of the Globe! Believe me, Saint-Peter is worth of walking, playing and seeing!

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KAZAN
Stadium:Kazan Arena
Kazan is an impressive past and beautiful future. Muslim minarets and Orthodox monasteries, the ancient archeological sites and the science city of Innopolis, forest steppes, taiga and the Great Silk Road all mix in the cauldron that is the Tatar capital. The result of this melting pot is the self-sufficient and self-assured third capital of Russia that each year extends a warm welcome to a million guests who come here to experience all sorts of impressions and emotions. Delicious national Tatar cuisine, traditional dances and music and fun! That is Kazan!

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SOCHI
Stadium: Fisht 
the Olympic capital of the country. One of the most famous and visited ski and beach resorts. The Winter Olympics of 2014 gifted the city with impressive modern infrastructure. Feel the south heat, try the cuisine, dare yourself for extreme sports and emotions in Sochi!

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KALININGRAD 
Stadium: Kaliningrad Stadium 
The Teutonic Order and the legendary Baron Munchhausen, iconic philosopher Immanuel Kant and writer and composer Ernst Hoffman. They have each left their mark on the history of Kaliningrad. The most European city of the country. Kirches, museums, music and art stages are suitable for every age! Picturesque landscapes, delicious cuisine and unforgettable atmosphere.

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NIZHNY NOVGOROD
Stadium: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium
The history of the city is really thought-provoking. Between 1959 and 1990 Nizhny was called Gorky and it was Soviet Union’s largest closed city. Named in honour of its most famous resident, early 20th-century Russian writer Maxim Gorky, the city was a symbol of Soviet Union’s military prowess. At the same time Nizhny Novgorod is an Old Russian merchant town with timber planking and carved window frames that survived the onslaught of modern architecture.

 

VOLGOGRAD 
Stadium: Volgograd Arena
Welcome to one of the best cultural centres of Russia, the longest city of the country. A heroic place that had changed its name 3 times. The city of unforgettable sunsets, hospitable people and great heritage. The city that combines and keeps its historical heritage and the developing industry. Many events have left their mark on the city in monuments, places and traditions. Over the last century the city has changed its name three times: at the beginning of the twentieth century it was called Tsaritsyn and it was a backwater place on the banks of the Volga River. Then it became Stalingrad - the fortress that played a pivotal role in World War II, and later was renamed Volgograd, having become in the process a sunny and hospitable city whose residents love fishing, football, boat rides and beaches.

 

ROSTOV-ON-DON
Stadium: Rostov Arena
The Don Cossacks, delectable fish and all the traditions of a large trading port: Rostov-on-Don treats visitors to the flavours of the Russian south.

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SAMARA
Stadium: Samara Arena 
Samara is a very diverse city. It is a merchant town and an important aerospace centre; it is athletic, musical and youthful. Back in 1916, Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, novelist and future Nobel Prize laureate, wrote: "Samara is the best, the most sinful, most elegant and most comfortable part of Moscow, cut out from the city and transplanted on the banks of the Volga."

EKATERINBURG
Stadium: Ekaterinburg Arena
Ekaterinburg is the one of the world’s UNESCO twelve ideal cities and this title perfectly suits the capital of Ural, a territory full of natural treasures such as oil, gas, gold mines and Europe’s largest emerald deposit. Very impressive cuisine, traditions and culture! You won’t stay uninspired!

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SARANSK
Stadium: Mordovia Arena 
Saransk is a town of myths and legends, with chequered past and big plans for the future. Remembering his trip to Saransk, the famous Russian classic Leo Tolstoy wrote in 1906: “Old pines with long trunks and short crowns. The soil is black, and a little stony… Backwoods. The Sura River, and the best sturgeon ever.” The myths of Saransk will have been transformed into architecture, cuisine and music! 

By Ruslan Fatrullin