A Sporting Country
VTB’s Sporting Country programme provides support for professional sports and a healthy lifestyle in regions where the Group operates.
Support for professional sports
In 2019, VTB Bank continued to support professional sports federations such as the International Gymnastics Federation, the Russian Gymnastics Federation, the Russian National Volleyball Federation, and the Beach Volleyball Federation.
| VTB funding, RUB million | Matches | Attendance, thousands | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volleyball | 30 | >150 | 415 |
| Beach Volleyball | 20 | >400 | 26 |
In 2019, VTB Bank implemented 32 major sporting projects. Notable events included:
- VTB Formula One Russian Grand Prix;
- VTB United League Basketball Tournament;
- VTB Kremlin Cup Tennis Tournament;
- KamAZ Master Rally Team events.
VTB Bank is the title sponsor for the VTB United League, a basketball league founded in 2008 together with the Russian Basketball Federation. In 2019, the Bank sponsored the VTB United League’s All-Star Game, the premier basketball event of the year. The game took place at the VTB Arena, a recently opened multi-purpose stadium in Moscow.
The VTB Group has sponsored the VTB Kremlin Cup Tennis Tournament since 1998. In 2019, Moscow hosted the XXXth Kremlin Cup tournament. The prize money provided by VTB totalled USD 1,954,520. As part of its CSR programme, VTB ran a campaign offering Bank clients to attend basketball games free of charge for the first few days. Students at 300 Moscow general-education schools also received complimentary tickets. A charity initiative gave children aided by the Gift of Life and T-Shirt Gives Life foundations an opportunity to attend the tournament. The games drew more than 61,000 attendees.
Traditionally, the VTB Group continued to sponsor the KamAZ Master Rally Team and the KamAZ gas-fuelled sports-truck project. July 2019 saw the Silk Way Rally 2019 Russia – Mongolia – China take off from Irkutsk, Russia.
In 2019, VTB Bank (Georgia) was a general sponsor for football, water polo, equestrian, and fencing organisations as well as for children’s rugby and ski clubs. The bank sponsored the year’s David Kipiani Cup football tournament, triathlon tournament, and European Under-21 Championship.
VTB Formula One Russian Grand Prix 2019
The Russian Grand Prix was held in September at the Sochi Autodrom, Russia’s only purpose-built Formula One facility. The event featured a rich entertainment programme for attendees. The Grand Prix also saw Formula Two and Formula Three junior championship races held on the Sochi Olympic Park’s racing street circuit.
Supporting amateur sports and physical fitness
Promoting amateur sports in Russia is a top priority on VTB’s CSR agenda. The Group seeks to support a new generation of future champions by developing urban infrastructure and promoting amateur sports and a healthy lifestyle.
In 2013, VTB Bank and Moscow’s Department of Transportation joined forces to support Velobike, a bikesharing service, helping it make it to the world’s top five bikesharing systems. The initiative promotes fitness and reduces traffic and carbon emissions by encouraging the use of alternative transport. In 2019, Velobike entered its seventh season. Muscovites used bikes to commute to work and get around as well as to take part in the Moscow Cycling Festival.
The VTB Group plans to make the service available in other cities. VTB and Murmansk region’s government signed a deal to open ten bikesharing stations in Murmansk. The stations will be designed with the region’s climate and terrain in mind. There are also plans to extend the project to Saint Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod.
To spur public interest in cycling, VTB Bank and Velobike sponsored Moscow’s traditional cycling events held in 2019 such as Autumn Veloparade (30,000 cyclists), Moscow Veloparade (over 40,000 cyclists), and Night Veloparade (over 40,000 cyclists).
In winter 2019, VTB Bank ran a New Year advertising campaign that involved sponsoring Moscow’s best ice rinks: Gorky Park’s Factory of Happy People, the VDNKh Winter City Ice Skating Rink, the Sokolniki Ice Skating Rink, and the Red Square GUM Ice Rink. Over the winter season of 2018–19, Bank-sponsored ice rinks drew 1.7 million attendees.
VTB Bank (Georgia) is making a major contribution to promoting amateur sports as well. For instance, in 2019 the bank sponsored Euro 2020 broadcasts, the Under the Tbilisi Sky Festival, and the Zurab Sakhelashvili Zuka Cup Water Polo Tournament.
Vozrozhdenie Bank sponsored the Pushkin Municipal District Futsal Championship, Novorossiysk’s Track-and-Field Relay Race, and Klin’s City on Your Palm aviation festival and Klin Fest dance festival.
Zapsibkombank provided support for the Open Youth Festival of Extreme Sports (Surgut, Russia) and the Open Equestrian Championship (Tyumen region). A total of RUB 1.1 million was donated to the Thank You Yugra foundation to organise and hold events that promote youth sports.