The two-week seminar was scheduled to give the volunteers an opportunity to prepare for the estimated influx of around 500,000 domestic and foreign guests to the region during the World Cup.

It consisted of foreign language classes, lectures and practical exercises which hoped to enhance the volunteers' knowledge of regional attractions and hospitality offerings.

"Professional guide is very difficult," said USUE director of service and hospitality Elena Kurilova.

"It requires serious preparation, profound knowledge, because the questions tourists might arise [can be] quite unexpected.

"And a tourist can ask a question in their own language, so you need to raise the level of knowledge of foreign languages."

It's estimated that around 500,000 people will visit the Sverdlovsk Oblast as Yekaterinburg's Central Stadium gets set to host a number of FIFA World Cup fixtures ©AFP/Getty Images



Volunteers also participated in a lecture on transportation security led by Olga Sanaeva, USUE's head of travel industry.

During the security seminar, Sanaeva demonstrated best practices in security preparedness for volunteers charged with organizing transportation.

This training seminar concluded just days after the Sverdlovsk Region's Ministry of Physical Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Policies released its training materials for volunteers ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The plans called for a multi-faceted volunteer training programme that includes foreign language lessons and personality development.

"I believe that these steps, taken in 2014-2018, will result in the emergence of a team of active, positive and efficient volunteers in the Sverdlovsk Region who will accomplish the important mission of hosting the World Football Championship events in 2018," said Sverdlovsk Sports Minister Leonid Rapoport, according to Ural Business Consulting.

Yekaterinburg was chosen as one of the 11 host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the city's 44,000-seater Central Stadium set to host a number of the tournament's matches.

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