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The President toured the display of architectural plans for seven stadiums being constructed in preparation for the World Cup with Acting Governor of Samara Region Nikolai Merkushkin, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and Presidential Plenipotentiary to the Volga Federal District Mikhail Babich, and participated in the burying ceremony for a time capsule with a message to future generations.

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Vladimir Putin: Hello friends,

Just recently, Russia conducted a major, large-scale project – perhaps the biggest project in our recent history: the Olympic Games in Sochi. We did this very well, holding the Olympics at the highest level. And today, we can say that our athletic results were as good as we expected.

Now, we are starting implementation of a new, no less major project – preparing for the Football World Cup in 2018. I am confident that we will also carry it out at the highest level. A wonderful location has been selected here in your city for building the future stadium.

I must say that this project will allow us to show many of our cities to the world and will develop infrastructure in our cities, including transport, hotel, and communications infrastructure. We will need to do a great deal in order to lift our cities to a new level – including your wonderful city.

I hope this project will leave a wonderful legacy, allowing us not only to showcase the talent of our high-level athletes, our football players, but also allowing young athletes, such as the ones standing across from me, to build their athletic future, to be involved in sports and physical culture – not occasionally, but every day.

I want to wish success to our construction workers. Onward!