The Nizhny Novgorod Volunteer Centre for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia was officially opened yesterday by Dmitry Svatkovsky, Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Vadim Saygin, Vice-Rector for Administrative and Logistical Affairs, and Vadim Kuzmin, Dean of the Faculty of PE and Sports at Lobachevsky University.

The event brought together students, football fans and volunteers for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

The official opening ceremony was specially held on the International Football Day. Attendees were welcomed by two Volga football club players, Ilya Petrov and Alexey Sheliakov, and the club's Mascot.

Students and guests took part in the creation of the symbol of the Nizhny Novgorod Volunteer Centre and showed off their football freestyle skills.

Prospective volunteers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 will be able to apply during the second quarter of 2016, when the Nizhny Novgorod Volunteer Centre will start to recruit 1, 500 volunteers.