In Ufa, at the Musa Gareev Wrestling Palace, a truly significant event in the sports life of the Commonwealth of Independent States took place — the grand opening ceremony of the First CIS Winter Spartakiad for Children with Disabilities.

The capital of Bashkortostan once again became the venue for a major event. Recall that previously, it was here that the Summer Games of Deaf Sports “We Are Together. Sport” (July-August 2023) took place, as well as the All-Russian Winter Spartakiad of Deaf Sports (February 2025).

Participants of the First CIS Winter Spartakiad for Children with Disabilities (deaf sports, blind sports, Paralympic sports) were nearly 100 young athletes from Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and the Russian Federation.

The evening commenced with a breathtaking concert that left everyone spellbound. The performers demonstrated incredible skill and a high level of preparation.

The concert program received a special touch from artists from the House of Culture for the Deaf. Talented young performers and beloved public figures skillfully intertwined sign language interpretation with the musical numbers. This made the performance accessible and deeply moving for deaf persons.

The Spartakiad was declared open by honored guests: Mikhail Gusev, Director of the Federal Center for Sports Reserve Training of Russia; Ruslan Khabibov, Minister of Sports of the Republic of Bashkortostan; Rima Batalova, Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, multiple Paralympic champion.

Mikhail Gusev read welcoming words from the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Degtyaryov, to all participants and guests of the event.

Ruslan Khabibov, on behalf of the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Radiy Faritovich, welcomed all participants of the 1st Winter Spartakiad of the CIS countries among children with disabilities:

- This is a truly historic event. Athletes from five CIS countries are with us today. During the week, they will compete in five disciplines of adaptive sports: cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, curling and chess. I wish everyone good luck. May Bashkortostan leave only warm memories for you. I would like to express my special gratitude to the Minister of Sports of Russia, Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev and the Federal Training Center of the Russian Sports Reserve for their trust in hosting the Games. We won't let you down.

Then all the honored guests addressed the young athletes with warm wishes, encouraging them towards new sporting achievements, overcoming themselves, and well-deserved victories.

On stage, for deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, the welcome speeches and encouragements from the distinguished guests were clearly and expressively translated by professionals, Russian Sign Language interpreters — Maria Vasilieva and Kira Nugaeva.

The culmination of the grand ceremony was the performance of the national anthems of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan, in which all artists, athletes, and guests participated.

The event culminated in a spectacular fireworks display, filling the hall with vibrant colors.

With genuine enthusiasm, we extend our warmest wishes to the participants of the inaugural CIS Winter Spartakiad. May they achieve outstanding sporting feats, set new records, and savor personal victories. Above all, we hope they find joy in every day of competition and the spirit of fair play.

The detailed competition schedule can be found here (click).

PHOTO ALBUM

Text: Regional Organization of VOG in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Nurlan Tazhigulov

PHOTO: Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Stanislav Kostikov

Translation: Daria Kudelina