From March 25 to 31, the seventh International Winter Games Festival Zimniada 2009 will be held on Lake Baikal, bringing up to 40 thousand participants and guests from Mongolia, China, Germany, the Netherlands and other countries.

Up to 40,000 people will take part in the international winter games festival on Lake Baikal, “Zimniada-2009.” Participants are expected to come from Mongolia, China, as well as European countries — Germany, the Netherlands, and others.
The international tourism exhibition, ski marathon, ice fishing championship, alpine skiing competitions for the Governor of Irkutsk Oblast Cup. From March 25 to 31, the seventh International Baikal Festival of Winter Games “Zimniada-2009” will take place in the Angara region.
Participants are expected to come from Mongolia, China, as well as European countries — Germany, the Netherlands, and others. At the first meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of Zimniada-2009, which took place today in the government of Irkutsk Oblast, issues related to the festival events and ensuring the safety of participants were discussed. As part of the festival, competitions in snow volleyball, winter swimming, and ice fishing will traditionally be held, as well as a snowmobile show and various Russian amusements. From March 7 to 9, the multi-day race “Call of the Ancestors” will take place — on dog sleds, snowmobiles, and skis. One of the main events within the international program of “Zimniada” is the ice marathon “For the Preservation of the Clean Waters of Baikal,” which foreign athletes will attend. The festival will conclude on March 31.
- Let us assume that, according to today’s reports, everyone responsible for the areas of activity of the event participants is practically ready, and the organizations responsible for the events themselves are also ready. All these events must be held in an organized, high-quality manner; all safety measures must be ensured and taken without fail, - says Deputy Chairman of the regional Government Alexander Moiseev.