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Ilya Averbukh and Vladimir Antipov will hold master classes for Noyabrsk’s residents as part of the Winter Fest project

17 march 2021

A winter sports festival Winter Fest will be held on March 19-20 at the Avangard Ice Palace in Noyabrsk at 65 Izyskateley St. Admission to the event is free. Athletes, coaches and children will be able to try their hand at ice skating and have a lot of fun to boot. The Festival’s attendees will be offered to meet the champions who will hold their master classes in figure skating and ice hockey and will share some of their secret techniques.

On March 19, children will be taking a class in the art of figure skating delivered by Ilya Averbukh, an Honored Master of Sports of Russia. Averbukh was a two-time World Junior champion (in 1990 and 1992), the silver medalist of the Salt Lake City Olympics, the 2002 World Champion and the 2003 European Champion. Ilya Averbukh’s track record also includes the titles of the 2003 Grand Prix Winner and Russia’s National Champion (in 1997, 2000-2002).

Upon his retirement from competitive figure skating, the former athlete founded his own show on ice, "The Ice Symphony”. Ilya Averbukh's company successfully implemented a series of various figure skating-related projects. Soon afterwards, Averbukh was offered to set up a new ice show for television. His new program "Stars on Ice" was widely praised by the audience and went on to become one of Channel One’s top-rated shows of 2006.

2007 saw Ilya Averbukh produce another similar project called "The Ice Age" that ran for several consecutive seasons. In 2010-2012, Averbukh oversaw production of a few more popular figure skating-themed projects. In 2014, Ilya Averbukh took an active part in organizing the Sochi Winter Olympics. He was chosen to be the torchbearer for the Russian national team at the Olympics’ Opening Ceremony. Following that, Ilya Averbukh directed Carmen, an ice show staged at Sochi’s Iceberg Ice Palace. The show’s reruns went on for two more years. In 2017, Carmen was replaced by an equally spectacular production of Romeo and Juliet. The show was a resounding success not only in Sochi, but also in Moscow and in St. Petersburg.

It’s always a delight to be able to take part in gatherings like these, because they offer so much to all of its participants. For young figure skaters, attending our master class will be a truly memorable event. Perhaps, for some of them this will be a moment of  inspiration, and, as a result, our country will see more spectacular athletic wins and performances in the future. For me, this is a chance to get to know these young athletes, to be able to pass on to them my experience and confidence. Everyone needs to know that what they do is not for nothing,  said Ilya Averbukh.

On March 20, Vladimir Antipov, an Honored Master of Sports of Russia, will be showcasing his ice hockey skills to the festival’s participants. He is a five-time champion of Russia (in 1997, 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2011) and the 2011 Gagarin Cup winner. Antipov’s career in the KHL tournaments was also very successful: the ice hockey player won a bronze medal in the 2011/2012 season and a silver medal in the 2012/2013 season. According to both sports reporters and ice hockey fans, Antipov's playing style was noted for his total commitment and tenacity. Throughout his career, the athlete was consistently at the top of various lists of top scorers and best forwards.

At the festival, each of the champions will deliver a talk to all willing attendees and join a group photo session.

After completing their master classes, the participants will receive personalized certificates and souvenirs, and will have their pictures taken together with the star athletes in the photo area. For the children, this will be an opportunity to obtain useful experience and get some great memories.

The Winter Fest is being held as part of the Formula for Good Deeds, SIBUR's social investment program. Its motto is "More Movement = More Victories". The festival’s key objective is to promote fitness and healthy living as a popular trend among Russia’s youths while devoting special attention to supporting and developing regional coaching talents and to promoting sports.

Far North’s winters the are long. This is precisely the kind of climate that makes it possible to practice winter sports all the way from September through May in the northernmost cities where SIBUR has its operations. Ice skating, ice hockey and skiing are particularly popular. The Winter Fest is truly a winter holiday for West Siberia’s residents. This is a festival that is eagerly anticipated in every city. This year, it is the residents of Nizhnevartovsk and Noyabrsk who got particularly fortunate. The master classes conducted by star athletes motivate local residents to pursue more active lifestyles, whereas future young champions get a boost for striving for even greater achievements, said Sergey Vinokhodov, Advisor to General Director of JSC SiburTyumenGaz.

The Winter Fest has been held since 2015 in the cities of Tobolsk, Dzerzhinsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Tomsk, Perm, Noyabrsk, Kstovo, Blagoveshchensk, and others. Over this time, more than 12,000 children have taken part in the master classes with star athletes, legends of sports, and Olympic champions.

The festival has been attended by the likes of Ilya Averbukh, Fedor Kanareykin, Sergey Gimaev, Maria Butyrskaya, Dmitry Ryabykin, Andrey Nikolishin, Sergey Shepelev, Elena Berezhnaya, and others. In 2016, the festival was held in Dzerzhinsk with Ilya Averbukh and Dmitry Ryabykin in attendance. The 2019 Winter Fest hosted by Kstovo featured Elena Berezhnaya and Sergey Shepelev. This is the second time the festival is being held in Noyabrsk.