St. Petersburg hosted today an event celebrating the completion of Gazprom’s construction project for a sports complex with two ice arenas in the city’s Nevsky District.

The event was attended by Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Georgy Poltavchenko, Governor of St. Petersburg, Elena Mikhailova, Member of the Management Committee, Head of Department of Gazprom, Kirill Seleznev, Member of the Management Committee, Head of Department of Gazprom, Director General of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz, Tamara Moskvina, Honored Figure Skating Coach of the USSR and Russia, and Anton Sikharulidze, Honored Russian Master of Sports and Olympic champion.

The new state-of-the-art complex is a year-round training center for hockey players, including those with disabilities, and figure skaters. Tamara Moskvina’s figure skating school will also operate in the building.

“We are proud of the fact that Gazprom supports the glorious sporting traditions of St. Petersburg. It was in St. Petersburg where the first world figure skating championship took place more than 120 years ago. Russia’s first hockey teams emerged in the city at the turn of the 20th century.

Today, on the 100th anniversary of the Nevsky District, the city gained two new full-sized ice grounds, which will allow hockey players and figure skaters to train comfortably without ‘fighting’ for ice.

I have no doubt that these ice arenas will attract many children and teenagers and will help make some of them into world-class stars,” said Alexey Miller.

As part of the celebrations, one of the ice arenas hosted an exhibition gala featuring Tamara Moskvina’s students, including pair skaters Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov, two-time European champions, silver and bronze medalists of European championships, two-time World bronze medalists, and three-time Russian national champions.