Penza, 29 April 2015. PenzaNews. The opening ceremony of the Penza martial arts palace “Voeykov” took place on Wednesday, April 29.

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Among the officials involved in the ceremony were the presidential envoy in the Volga Federal District Mikhail Babich; the Penza region governor Vasily Bochkarev; the director of the summer sports development department of the Russian Ministry of Sports Grigory Kabelsky; the President of Russian MMA Union Fedor Emelianenko; and the President of the Russian Union of Taekwondo Anatoly Terekhov.

The honored guests were given a tour around the sports facilities held by the acting chairman of the regional sports committee Artur Panteleev.

He led the quests through the gyms for Greco-Roman wrestlers, weightlifters, judokas and boxers equipped at their best ability.

The tour was followed by the official part.

Addressing the audience, including the well-known Penza athletes, sports schools heads and students, Mikhail Babich noted that the opening of the martial arts palace is a significant event not only for Penza, but also for the entire country.

“There is no other single-building martial palace with comfortable conditions in the Volga Federal District that can train in all kinds of martial arts and weightlifting. This is a grand event in the sports life of the region, the federal district and the country,” the envoy said.

He thanked Vasily Bochkarev for implementing the large-scale construction project, and said his birthday’s greetings.

“However, this is just one more sports facility commissioned by his efforts and the team of the Penza region for the citizens. They built a huge number of swimming pools, ice rinks, football fields and other facilities in recent years. And today Penza athletes shine not only in Russia, but also on the international level in many sports,” Mikhail Babich added.

In his turn, the governor of the Penza region stressed the symbolic coincidence between the opening of the palace of martial arts and the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory.

“Of course, on this anniversary, together we must give Russia and the world good results in all sports, including martial arts. I believe the coaches and athletes will do it and devote all their victories to this great event,” Vasily Bochkarev said.

The grand ceremony included the public performances of weightlifters, boxers, taekwondo wrestlers, fighters and representatives of the regional school of gymnastics.

Sergei Romankov, general director of the construction company “Blits,” presented the young athletes a symbolic key to the “Voyekov” martial arts palace.

After that, Mikhail Babich, Vasily Bochkarev, Gregory Kabelsky, Fedor Emelianenko and Anatoly Terekhov cut the red tape, signifying the opening.

The martial arts palace is a sports complex that combines an arena and a number of training facilities also designed for competitions in Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, taekwondo, boxing and weightlifting.

The gyms of the palace can hold up to 360 people simultaneously, or up to 1,000 in its weekly training schedule.

The palace has an arena hall with 1,200 seats, a commentator booth, and sound and light control.

The training unit has a cloakroom for audience, locker rooms with showers for athletes and judges, luggage storage area, medical and rehabilitation centers, drug control room, sauna, gyms with complimentary facilities, gyms for general physical training, aerobic fitness room, dining room, meeting rooms and residence rooms for foreign athletes.

The second floor in the lobby holds a snack bar with 78 seats.

The palace of arts is named after the countryman Vladimir Voeykov, the first chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee. It was he who made a significant contribution to the development of gymnastics school, football and the establishment of the first Russian Olympic team that took part in the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games.