Since the 13th of May till the 15th of May, 2010 the International children's festival «The Underwater World», devoted to the Year of France in Russia and Russia in France took place in Saransk in the fifth time. The second year it was spent under the aegis of the World Festival of the Underwater Image in France.
        The festival program included competitions of children's drawings «The Underwater World by the Eyes of Children», competition of underwater photo and video films, poetry and prose, competition by high-speed kinds of scuba diving and diving. About 5 thousand children from eight countries took part in the Festival: Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland and France.
        The capital of Mordovia accepted the guests: Daniel Mercier - the founder and the president of honour of the World Festival of the Underwater Image in France, the honourable chairman of the European Confederation of Professional Underwater Instructors (CEDIP); Vladimir Lyutov - the president of the International festival «The Parade of Underwater Cinema AkvaFilm» from St.-Petersburg; Serguey Avdeev - the space pilot, the Hero of Russia; Aleksandr Kamnev - the academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, the sea biologist.
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          The international children's festival «Underwater world» has already in the fourth time opened the doors for young sportsmen and photographers, poets and artists. This year about 8 thousand children from Russia and the near abroad countries: Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus have taken part in creative competitions. In high-speed kinds of underwater sports and diving children from Kharkov, Saratov, Lytkarina of Moscow Region, Zarechnogo of the Penza region and, certainly, Saransk competed. By the way, competitions on children's diving were spent for the first time to Russia.
          The festival has taken place thanks to support of Administration of the Head of Republic Mordovia. Organizers of the festival are: the Ministry of physical training, sports and tourism of Republic Mordovia, the Management of Federal Agency of the Russian Federation under the control over a drug trafficking on Republics Mordovia, the Mordovian salvage and rescue service of the Ministry of Emergency Measures of Russia, sport school of P.G.Bolotnikova, «The Palace of Sport», sport centre "Mordovia", school of №3 of Saransk, "KinoMaks - Pobeda", the Mordovian republican public children's organisation "Dolphin".
          For the fourth time the visitors from France, who had already become good friends for Saransk children, were honorable members of jury of the festival: Daniel Mercier (the founder and the chairman of the World festival of the underwater image in the city of Antibes of France, the honourable chairman of the European confederation of professional underwater instructors), Andre Laban (the video operator of the command of Cousteau, the known artist, the writer) and Vladimir Ljutov - the president of the International festival of underwater films "AkvaFilm" from St.-Petersburg.
          For the first time our festival was visited by Christian Frasson – the known journalist, Daniel Mercier 's assistant. He enthusiastically responded about the festival and, as he said, he was completely fascinated by it.
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