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Beautiful Volgograd city Admire Sri Lankan culture and traditions
9 June 2014
The date of birth of the city is July 2, 1589. The city is 90 km in length and is the longest city in Russia. The total area of the city is 565 sq. km. There is an interesting and rich history in Volgograd with a lot of historical monuments, culture and architecture. Throughout its history the city has changed names three times.. Tsaritsyn – from 1589 to 1925. Stalingrad – from 1925 to 1961, and from 1961 the city has been known as Volgograd. For more than 400 years, the city has experienced many historical events. Many battles have taken place for control: Stepan Razin captured the city twice in 1670, and in 1708 power passed into the hands of Kondrat Bulavin. In 1774 Yemelyan Pugachev tried to take the city by storm, and in 1918 there was a civil war. The latest and most famous battle, was the battle for Stalingrad during World War II. The Battle of Stalingrad began on the 17th of July 1942, and ended on the 2nd of February 1943. This battle was very fierce, with about a 1000000 bombs being dropped on the city. It was completely destroyed, and more than 2 million Soviet and German soldiers were killed. This battle marked a turning point in the battle against Nazi Germany, and the city rose up from the ashes.

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Tour operators and agents at the Volga Hall of Hampton Hilton Volgagrad
9 June 2014
The following day, that is on the 9 May (day 12) a photo exhibition and a workshop was held for tour operators and agents at the Volga Hall of Hampton Hilton Volgagrad hotel complex. Commencing the workshop His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga conducted a very informative and an educative presentation on Sri Lankan Tourism. The workshop which was conducted in collaboration with tour Operator Space Travel attracted more than one hundred representatives from the Volgograd City and all were presented with audio CD package. This package of two Audio CD’s gives an exclusive commentary on 49 important tourist locations and provide extensive details on important cities such as Colombo, Kelaniya, Pinnawela Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Mihintale Polonnraruwa, Euwara Eliya, Kandy, Yala nad Galle. The audio CDs which have been recorded in Russian language is an excellent tour guide to the tourist from Russia and CIS countries. The first edition was published in 2008 and more than 5000 copies have been distributed. All tourists flying to Sri Lanka by Sri Lankan Airlines has been availed with the opportunity of listening to this CD on board. This too is a timely initiative by His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga, the ambassador to Russian Federation.
The day’s events concluded with a Shopping Mall Activation in the evening.

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Shopping Mall Activation sessions at the Akvarel Mall in Volvograd
8-9 June 2014
Mega Tourism Caravan 6, the Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion convoy winding its way through the culturally diverse cities in Russia reached the beautiful Volvograd city on the 11th day of its journey. Covering a distance of 1970 km from its starting point in Moscow and passing through number of cities, many on the banks of Volga river, the caravan’s arrival in the Volvograd city was warmly greeted by the people of Volvograd.
In the backdrop of the city’s beautiful landscape the Caravan commenced its promotional activities on the 8 June with two Shopping Mall Activation sessions at the Akvarel Mall in Volvograd. Once again “Laksala” “Siddalepa” and ‘Sri Lankan Airlines” participated in the Shopping Mall Activations drawing many enthusiastic spectators. During the event the spectators were issued with tourism promotional materials, gift items and tea sachets. The liquid tea service organized by the Embassy served the large gathering whilst the dancing troupe entertained them.

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Beautiful Volgograd city Admire Sri Lankan culture and traditions
8-9 June 2014

Mega Tourism Caravan 6, the Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion convoy winding its way through the culturally diverse cities in Russia reached the beautiful Volvograd city on the 11th day of its journey. Covering a distance of 1970 km from its starting point in Moscow and passing through number of cities, many on the banks of Volga river, the caravan’s arrival in the Volvograd city was warmly greeted by the people of Volvograd. Being one of the most beautiful, ancient cities of Russia Volvograd offered plenty of opportunities to promote Sri Lankan tourism among the city’s people. located in the south-eastern European part of Russia, the city had been built as a fortress on the right bank of the Volga. The date of birth of the city is July 2, 1589. The city is 90 km in length and is the longest city in Russia. The total area of the city is 565 sq. km. There is an interesting and rich history in Volgograd with a lot of historical monuments, culture and architecture. Throughout its history the city has changed names three times.. Tsaritsyn – from 1589 to 1925. Stalingrad – from 1925 to 1961, and from 1961 the city has been known as Volgograd. For more than 400 years, the city has experienced many historical events. Many battles have taken place for control: Stepan Razin captured the city twice in 1670, and in 1708 power passed into the hands of Kondrat Bulavin. In 1774 Yemelyan Pugachev tried to take the city by storm, and in 1918 there was a civil war. The latest and most famous battle, was the battle for Stalingrad during World War II. The Battle of Stalingrad began on the 17th of July 1942, and ended on the 2nd of February 1943. This battle was very fierce, with about a 1000000 bombs being dropped on the city. It was completely destroyed, and more than 2 million Soviet and German soldiers were killed. This battle marked a turning point in the battle against Nazi Germany, and the city rose up from the ashes.

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People of Saratov a city Savour natural beauty of Sri Lanka
7 June 2014
Covering over 1500 km from its starting point Moscow, the Mega Tourism Caravan 6, the tourist promotion campaign on wheels reached Saratov, a city in the southeast of European part of Russia on the 10th day. After a series of shows en-route in different cities, arrival in Saratov marked another milestone in this all important Tourism Promotion Event; that is bringing the beauty and the traditions of Sri Lanka to a major cultural, economic and educational centre in Volga region. Saratov is among the twenty largest cities in Russia. Saratov was founded as a fortress to protect the southern borders of the Russian state in 1590. During the second half of the 18 century – Saratov was considered a major transshipment point and center of trade in fish and salt, and in the 19th the – one of the centers of the grain trade. Saratov is also known in Russia as a center of higher education, research and project activities. With a rich history and a sophisticated present day aura Saratov today is known as the ‘ Jewel along Volga’ among the people of Russia.
The tourism promotion activities in the ‘ Jewel along Volga’ included two sessions of Shopping Mall Activations at the “Orangeviy Mall. Key participants in the activation were “Laksala” “Siddalepa” and ‘Sri Lankan Airlines”. One of the major attraction during the activation was the tantalizing dancing performance of the Sri Lankan Dancing troupe. The Perehara which paraded through the mall received wide spread applause from a large number of spectators. The handicrafts displayed by the Laksala once again drew large crowds, whilst carving of a mask by an expert craftsman was greeted with appreciation. Distribution of booklets, leaflets, T shirts and gift packs too were carried out at the venue. Here also the liquid tea service organized by the embassy served more than one thousand visitors.
Whilst the dancers and the perahera attracted a considerable number of people Siddalepa Aurvedic Treatment centre too attracted an equally a large number. Many were seen keenly listening to the explanations on the benefits of Siddahalepa Aurvedic treatment including massages.
The dynamism displayed by HE Udayanga Weeratunga the Ambassador to the Russian Federation once again enabled the successful completion of the Tourism Promotion show in Saratov, a city which is almost 1550 km from Moscow.

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Sri Lankan cultural performances at the picturesque Mega-Samara Mall
4-6 June 2014
The 8th and 9th days of the MEGA Tourism Caravan-6 the novel Tourism Promotion show conceptualized and executed by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation saw the people of Samra City being afforded an opportunity to witness unique Sri Lankan cultural performances at the picturesque Mega – Samara Mall. With a large number of locals and foreigners flocking to Samara Mall daily it was the ideal location to showcase the Sri Lankan beauty and the culture.
The events on both days commenced with an elaborate introduction to Sri Lanka by the HE Udayanga Weeratunga, which was well received by the large gathering present at the mall. Thereafter the gathering was entertained through shopping mall activations which included; Sri Lankan traditional dancing performances together with a “Perehara” which was a major attraction. Apart from these performances, leaflets/souvenirs, tourism promotional videos and T-shirts were distributed amongst those who were present in the mall. In addition more than …….. thousand Ceylon tea cups were served to all those who had gathered to witness the event.
Amongst the Sri Lankan traditional items on display at the shopping mall handicrafts produced by the State owned Gift and Souvenir Boutique “Laksala” attracted a large number of visitors. Laksala, the renowned Gift and Souvenir Boutique in Sri Lanka once again lived up to its reputation by not only displaying the items but also assisting in conducting elaborate explanations on the items which were on display. Many a locals were seen keenly observing the items on display and listening to the explanations.
the role played by Sri Lanka Tourist Board in providing unstinted support to the efforts of the Sri Lankan Embassy in the Russian Federation in organizing these activities in the Samara City is worthy of mention. Sri Lanka Tourist Board whilst actively participating in the programe tirelessly worked in achieving their two main objectives: Marketing and promoting Sri Lanka directly or indirectly as a tourist and travel destination of quality in accordance with the Tourism Development Plan and promoting Sri Lanka as a gateway to the South Asian Regions; and making Sri Lanka known as the centre of excellence in tourism management and development in the region.
The meticulous execution of the Mega Tourism Caravan programme in Samara City was possible solely due to the untiring efforts of HE Udayanga Weeratunga where he personally lead the organizing team by providing essential guidance required.

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Sri lankan culture and traditions enthrall People of samara city
6-7 June 2014
Continuing in its 7 city journey, MEGA Tourism Caravan 6, on the 7th day reached Samara City travelling a distance of 420 km from its previous stopover, the Kazan city in Russia. Crossing the 1000 km mark in its journey, the Caravan on reaching Samara city completed 1170 km of travel overland since beginning 7 days ago.
Why select Samara city to showcase the beauty and the traditions of Sri Lanka in the MEGA Tourism Caravan 6 programme; Key among the many reasons are the city’s beauty and the friendly and hospitable people. Samara known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev, is the sixth largest city in Russia and the administrative center of Samara Oblast (Oblast is the word used to identify an administrative division). It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers on the east bank of the Volga. The Volga acts as the city’s western boundary; across the river are the Zhiguli Mountains adding lot of beauty to the surrounding. The northern boundary is formed by the Sokolyi Hills and by the steppes in the south and east. Formerly a closed city, Samara is now a large and important social, political, economic, industrial, and cultural center of European Russia, which in May 2007 hosted the European Union—Russia Summit. Samara has a continental climate characterized by hot summers and cold winters. Samara’s river-front is one of the favorite recreation places for local citizens and tourists. After the famous Russian novelist Vasily Aksyonov visited Samara, he remarked referring to the Samara’s river front : “I am not sure where in the West one can find such a long and beautiful embankment. Possibly only around Lake Geneva. Coupled with this serene beauty and the friendly and hospitable people the Samara City probably can be considered one of the best locations for tourist promotions. Thus stopover by the Caravan.
Tourist promotion activities for the day began with a Photo exhibition and a workshop for tour operators and their agents at the “Mir” conference hall in the “Renaissance Samara” hotel. The photo exhibition which opened the day’s proceedings added a lot of colour to the event with over 120 photos displayed on visits of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Republic of Kazakhstan. The photos on display also included photos of major tourist destinations in Sri Lanka such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy, Sigiriya, Pinnawela and Nuwara Eliya along with scenic and pristine beaches on both Western and Eastern coasts, Hotels, Sri Lankan cuisine, traditional dancing and wild life. The workshop which followed the photo exhibition was organized in collaboration with the reputed Tour Operators Russian Express and INTAER, drawing over one hundred and fifty representatives from the tourism industry in Russia. His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga after welcoming the tour agents personally conducted a very informative and an educative presentation on Sri Lankan Tourism. Drawing from a wealth of knowledge he posses on the Sri Lankan Tourist Industry and speaking in fluent Russian, the ambassador elaborately covered important aspects such as history, climatic conditions, major tourist attractions, major cities, visa procedures and recent infrastructure development during the presentation.
At the conclusion of the presentation all the attendees were presented with many promotional materials and a Catalogue on Sri Lanka Tourism in Russian language containing information about Sri Lankan history, modern history, people, festivals, visa procedures, currency, Sri Lankan food, culture and heritage. This comprehensive catalogue is sure to provide valuable information to its readers on cities such as; Colombo, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, Kandy and the other townships in the hill country along with other relevant details on wildlife, beaches and star class hotels with the facilities provided.
The tantalizing dancing performances of the Dancing Troupe directed by Chandana Wickramasinghe entertained the participants and received a well deserved appreciation for their flawless performances.
After the workshop for the tour operators and agents, the ‘Shopping Mall Activation’ at the MEGA Samara Mall commenced. Complete array of cultural items presented during the “Shopping Mall Activation” attracted a large number of people and all were afforded an opportunity to taste liquid Ceylon Tea.

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Sri lankan culture and traditions on show in kazan
2 June 2014
Travelling a distance of over 800 km the Mega Tourism Caravan 6 arrived in the city of Kazan, which is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia on the 2 June 2014. Kazan city sits on the banks of the Volga River austerely, its cityscape a visual confection of architecture that somehow manages to be both playful and severe. With a population of 1,143,535, it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Amongst many places of interest within the city of Kazan, the Kazan Kremlin stands out. It is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan. The Kazan Kremlin includes many old buildings, the oldest of which is the Annunciation Cathedral (1554-62), the only 16th-century Russian church to have six piers and five apses. Like many of Kazan’s buildings of the period, it has been constructed using local pale sandstone rather than of brick. It was declared a World Heritage Site in the year 2000.
The day’s activities in the Kazan city began with a Shopping Mall Activation in the morning at the famous MEGA Kazan Mall. During the shopping mall activation Sri Lankan traditional dancing performances, distribution of leaflets/souvenirs, tourism promotional videos and liquid Ceylon tea service was successfully carried out. The large number of people who flocked to enjoy the performances of Sri Lankan dancers and other cultural items was a true testimony to the success of the programmes of MEGA Tourism Caravan 6 in the city of Kazan. The morning Shopping Mall Activation was followed by another one in the evening which included the same cultural and other activities, drawing a large crowd.
One of the key contributory factors for the success of this event was the untiring efforts of HE Udayanga Weeratunga, the Ambassador to Russian Federation. His meticulous planning coupled with the extensive knowledge of Russia and the fluency in Russian language was the key to successful execution of the MEGA Tourism Caravan 6 programme. His introduction to Sri Lanka presentation which was elaborate and comprehensive enlightened the audience on all the important aspects of Sri Lanka’s culture and traditions which certainly would be a catalyst for promoting Sri Lanka as a preferred holiday destination. He was ably supported in this endeavour by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. The tourist board identifying the potential the CIS countries have towards positively impacting on the Sri Lankan Tourism sector, provided extensive support to MEGA Caravan 6 programmes.
The other Major participants in the event “Laksala”, “Siddalepa” and ‘Sri Lankan Airlines” too made significant contributions towards the success of the programme.

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The successful workshop for key tour operators in Kazan at “Hotel Mirage”
3 June 2014
The successful conduct of the Shopping Mall Activations on 2 June 2014 in Kazan city no doubt paved the way for the successful conduct of a workshop for key tour operators in Kazan at “Hotel Mirage” on the 2nd day of the visit of the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Kazan, 03 June 2014. The principle partners in this endeavour were the tour operators; Russkij Express, Intaer and GTV. With impressive track records in the field of tourism, these partners played an important role in making the event a success.
The selection of Mirage Hotel for this event was based on its unique location and the splendor surrounding it. Overlooking the World Heritage site Kazan Kremlin and ideally situated close to many attractions in Kazan, this 5-star hotel is an ideal location for events of this nature.
During the workshop after extending a very warm welcome to all participants Ambassador Udayanga Weeratunga conducted a very informative and an educative presentation on Sri Lanka Tourism. During the presentation he provided insights into Sri Lankan history, culture, society, climatic conditions, major tourist attractions, important cities, visa procedures and recent infrastructure developments in the spheres’ of socio – economic and tourism. The eye catching dancing performances of the Dancers Guild directed by maestro Chandana Wickramasinghe was a major attraction at the workshop.
The turn-out for the workshops exceeded 140 participants. During the workshops the participants were issued with tourism promotional materials such as leaflets, booklets, and audio CD’s and many more. The package of two Audio CD’s gives an exclusive commentary on 49 important tourist locations and covers Colombo, Kelaniya, Pinnawela Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Mihintale Polonnraruwa, Euwara Eliya, Kandy, Yala nad Galle. The package which is been published in Russian language is an excellent tour guide to the tourist from Russia and CIS countries.
The enthusiasm and the keenness with which the participants indulged in the activities of the workshop was a testimony to its success. One factor which cannot be overlooked in this instance is the fluency with which H E Udayanga Weerathunga explained the details in Russian language to all the participants. This no doubt was a major contributory factor to the successful conduct of the workshop for tour operators and their agents in Kazan. He was ably supported in this endeavour by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. The tourist board identifying the potential the CIS countries have towards positively impacting on the Sri Lankan Tourism sector, provided extensive support to MEGA Caravan 6 programmes.
The other Major participants in the event “Laksala”, “Siddalepa” and ‘Sri Lankan Airlines” too made significant contributions towards the success of the programme.

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President of tatarstan warmly welomes sri lankan envoy to russia
3 June 2014
President of Tatarstan His Excellency Rustam Minnikhanov warmly welcomed Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation His Excellency Udayanga Weeratunga in the Presidential Palace in Tatarstan’s capital Kazan on 3 June 2014. Ambassador Weeratunga toured Tatarstan on a 2-day visit from 2-3 June 2014 at the invitation of President Minnikhanov.
During their discussions which lasted for more than an hour, President Minnikhanov thanked Ambassador Weeratunga for finding time to visit Tatarstan. He expressed his desire to forge close links between Tatarstan and Sri Lanka. The discussions focused on the excellent relations that exist between Sri Lanka and Tatarstan as a constituent republic of the Russian Federation, developments in Sri Lanka and Tatarstan, the possibility of enhancing people to people contacts of the two countries and particularly the possibility of attracting investments from Tatarstan to Sri Lanka, mainly for tourism related infrastructure development. Ambassador Weeratunga expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome accorded to him. Ambassador Weeratunga also met the Deputy Minister of Tatarstan G Nigmatullin and President of the State Committee for tourismS Ivanovna. He also visited the Kazan Federal University.
Tatarstan is a constituent Republic within the Russian Federation and its capital city Kazan is one of Russia’s largest and most prosperous cities. Tatarstan is one of the most economically developed regions of Russia and is highly industrialized. The republic’s main source of wealth is oil and the most developed manufacturing industries are petrochemical industry and machine building.
The city of Kazan sits on the banks of the Volga River austerely, its cityscape a visual confection of architecture that somehow manages to be both playful and severe. With a population of 1,143,535, it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Amongst many places of interest within the city of Kazan, the Kazan Kremlin stands out. It is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan. The Kazan Kremlin includes many old buildings, the oldest of which is the Annunciation Cathedral (1554-62), the only 16th-century Russian church to have six piers and five apses. Like many of Kazan’s buildings of the period, it has been constructed using local pale sandstone rather than of brick. It was declared a World Heritage Site in the year 2000.
Coinciding with the visit of the Sri Lankan Ambassador, a multi-faceted Sri Lankan cultural programme including a tour by the Mega Tourism Caravan-6 was also organized in the city of Kazan. On 2 June, performances of Sri Lankan dances were conducted in the famous MEGA Kazan Mall. In addition to traditional Sri Lankan dancing performances, distribution of leaflets/souvenirs, tourism promotional video display and liquid Ceylon tea service was successfully carried out. The large number of people who flocked to enjoy the performances of Sri Lankan dancers and other cultural items was a true testimony to the success of the programmes in the city of Kazan. The morning Shopping Mall Activation was followed by another one in the evening which included the same cultural and other activities, drawing a large crowd.
Overall the visit of Ambassador Udayanga Weeratunga to Tatarstan was a resounding success. The visit not only provided opportunity to meet the leaders of Tatartan at the highest level, but also to provide a glimpse of rich Sri Lankan culture to the people of Tatarstan and to create awareness about Sri Lanka as a tourist destination among them.

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