Russia Tour Diary: Volgograd, a World War ll site, looks towards a bright future

Volgograd, June 30: Rebuilding an entire city is no big deal for Volgograd. They have done it twice already - Tsaritsyn became Stalingrad, which was ravaged during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-43, and then the city was rebranded as Volgograd after the Volga River.

But the next part of the rebranding is the most challenging one for Volgograd, one of the venues for the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. Sure, they have a set of memorials like the Mamayev Kurgan and Dom Pavlov to remember their heroes from the World War ll. A wheat mill that was bloodied during the War has also been preserved beautifully at the centre of the city. But somehow the next generation citizens want more from Volgograd - good paying jobs and a touch of modernity.

"We remember our heroes well. There are a lot of tributes for them all over the city and even the Mamayev Kurgan (Statue of the Motherland) had a special light show during the World Cup remembering the Great Patriotic War. The name of my street - Svyazistov Ulitsa - is about four people who were martyred in the war. Their struggles is definitely in our hearts and we remember that each time. But I also feel it is time we make quick progress in different fields for uplifting our own lives," says Alexander Kostanov, the frontman of a popular band in Volgograd called Nebo Rye (Sky of the fish).

Compared to Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kazan, Volgograd has been given a short arm during the World Cup. They hosted only four group matches - England v Tunisia, Egypt v Saudi Arabia, Iceland v Nigeria and Japan v Poland - and have not had the privilege to witness any knockout matches at the grand Volgograd Arena, which was built just for the tournament. Moreover, the city's transport system itself just supports a rickety tram and a couple of bus routes, which fall short of the metro, tram and bus infrastructure in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Volgograd is still better off than other Russian cities but the citizens clearly want more. Tractor manufacturing is the primary occupation of many Volgogradians but the city is also an important centre for science, research and police training.

Yelena Isinbayeva, considered the best pole vaulter until she was banned for 2016 Rio Olympics because of the Russian doping scandal, is from this city. A bunch of other Olympic swimmers call Volgograd their home. It's also a big centre for cycling and athletics in the southern region of Russia.

"A big stadium like that is great for our city," says Nicola Beli, an artist and photographer. "It's good for our football club called Rotor Volgograd which plays in the second division. They can train with the best of facilities. But for the normal people, life after the World Cup will be back to normal. There won't be many people on the streets and the special shows at the Mamayev Kurgan will be reduced to just during the holidays."

But Volgograd, about 1,000 kilometres south of Moscow, is brave. About 1.2 million Soviet people and 800,000 Nazi forces lost their lives during the Battle of Stalingrad that began on July 27, 1942, and went on until Feb 2, 1943.

And now, the new citizens of the city want to progress with the world keeping in mind Mother Russia's message - Stand up and fight for pride and your country.

(myKhel.com correspondent Aravind S is in Russia, covering the event though from a typical fan's perspective).