TOMSK, Oct 22 – RIA Tomsk. Russians have chosen Wolf-football player, created by student of Tomsk State University (TSU) Ekaterina Bocharova, as a symbol of FIFA World Cup, which will pass in Russia in 2018; more than 50% of votes are given for the Wolf – it has been announced on air of Channel One in the Evening Urgant program on Friday night.
Earlier it was reported that last winter the special jury chose the final three of characters who can become mascots of FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Russia in 2018. They are the Tiger, the Wolf and the Cat. The student of TSU Ekaterina Bocharova drew the Wolf. All sketches were finished by means of professional animators for final vote. The vote started on September 23 on the website and on social networks.
"More than one million people voted. Wolf (52,8%) got the majority. And he becomes a championship symbol", – the host Ivan Urgant told.
The Tomsk student, participating in shootings of the program, told that teachers of Tomsk State University, where she studies, suggested to participate in the competition. "I have a dog, I love dogs. And it is almost wolves. And I had no doubts that I will draw a wolf", – Bocharova in the Evening Urgant program told.
The Wolf was supported by the Tomsk dance-team UDI with "Masks in the Dark" dance, which subdued Great Britain. This time the dance was devoted to soccer.
Before Bocharova reported that domestic animated films and the favourite dog Tyson inspired her. The student declared that she essentially did not begin to take an image of a bear as a basis as she did not want to correspond to the settled stereotypic opinions, and a wolf is "also integral part of history of our country and its culture".
According to the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), for the first time the mascot appeared at FIFA World Cup-1966. Since then images (animals, fruits, children and abstract characters) supplemented the bright atmosphere of competitions perfectly.