Gratitude from Minnikhanov and Terzic's jokes: "Dynamo-Ak Bars" awarded at the Kazan Kremlin

      "Dynamo-Ak Bars" – an example of effective development of professional sports"

      Rustam Minnikhanov congratulated "Dynamo-Ak Bars" on winning the eighth championship title and presented a certificate for 5 million rubles.

      Today in the Kazan Kremlin, the President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, congratulated the women's volleyball team "Dynamo-Ak Bars" on winning their eighth title and the championship of Russia in the 2025/26 season. The solemn ceremony began with honoring Kazan athletes and presenting state awards and gifts. In addition, the head of the republic presented a letter of gratitude to the club and a certificate for 5 million rubles. Rustam Minnikhanov noted the successes of the women's volleyball club and added that the republic is proud of its sports achievements, and Tatarstan is a leader in Russian sports. "I congratulate 'Dynamo-Ak Bars' on winning the championship title for the eighth time. This is a historic achievement and once again confirms Tatarstan's status as one of the leaders in Russian sports. Your victory is the result of incredible work, team spirit, and professionalism. You have shown true character, will to win, and a desire to be the best. The entire republic is proud of your triumphant performance," said Minnikhanov. The President of Tatarstan emphasized that the success of "Dynamo-Ak Bars" inspires children and youth in the republic to engage in sports and strive for high results. "The republic is proud to have sports teams of world-class and caliber in various sports. 'Dynamo-Ak Bars' is a bright example of effective development of the professional sports system. I am sure this championship title is not the last glorious story of the club," the correspondent of "TI-Sport" quoted Minnikhanov.

      Zoran Terzić: "This is not our last trophy."

      Recall that on April 12, 2026, the women's volleyball club "Dynamo-Ak Bars" secured its eighth championship in history and the second under the leadership of head coach Zoran Terzić. The Serbian specialist took charge of "Dynamo-Ak Bars" in 2023. During a meeting with Rustam Minnikhanov, the volleyball team's coach allowed himself a bit of humor and stated that in Serbia, where he is from, they would not believe that he was at the ceremony with his volleyball team in the Kazan Kremlin with the leader of Tatarstan, so he needed photos from the event. "We became champions of Russia for the second time under my leadership. I want to express my immense gratitude to my team, the club's management, and the republic for their support and trust. I never thought I would find myself here, in the Kazan Kremlin, at the ceremony for our team together with the President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov. So I will definitely ask for photos from this event to show back home in Serbia. And finally, I promise: this is not our last trophy," concluded Terzić at the end of his speech.

      The champions themselves were unrecognizable that day – all were dressed classically, in parade attire, with hairstyles and makeup, and many in heels. It is more familiar to see Kazan athletes on the court and in volleyball uniforms. The volleyball team, in turn, presented the President of Tatarstan with a ball signed by the championship squad and a T-shirt. Rustam Minnikhanov noted at the end that all gifts from sports clubs are kept in the sports museum of the republic.

      Dynamo-Ak Bars player Matveeva: "I was sure we would win, one hundred percent."

      Kazan athletes reclaimed the title of the best women's volleyball club and won during the regular season and in the playoffs. Thus, the Tatarstan team regained the championship after last year's silver.

      It should be noted that in the 2024/25 season, the Kazan girls led the series against "Lokomotiv" 2:0 and believed that the championship was already in their pocket. However, they stumbled in the third match and then lost in the two subsequent matches. When asked if there were any concerns regarding last year's situation, setter Polina Matveeva replied that she had no doubts personally. "This year there were no doubts, and we didn't celebrate prematurely; we were set to fight until the end. And when the third set was happening, I knew we would win; I was one hundred percent sure. For example, Masha Bibina said after the final that she only felt the intensity of this final in the third set. I think I felt the tension in every set. We just took everything into our own hands and brought it to the end," Matveeva shared her impressions with journalists after the official part of the solemn event in the Kazan Kremlin. It should be noted that Matveeva's block became a key episode in the victory of the Kazan team during the fourth match in the Moscow region.

      Winning the final of the 2025/26 Championship against "Zarechie-Odintsovo" was aided by the shouts of Kazan athletes.

      Perhaps the most challenging and prolonged series for Kazan athletes was the semifinal series against Moscow's "Dynamo." The opponents completed it in four matches, losing the third match (2:3) in Moscow. Dynamo-Ak Bars player Kamila Rebrova shared that she was motivated before the fourth game by the method of Polina Matveeva and libero Masha Bibina. "When we played the third match against 'Dynamo,' we lost it, and we had no emotions. For the fourth game, we went out and just tried to shout. It really adds emotions and strength. So when you just shout, you release your emotions, and adrenaline starts immediately. And emotions are very important in the game," Rebrova admitted.

      Interestingly, all the prize winners of this tournament made a step forward compared to last season. This was noted by 19-year-old Rebrova, who earned her debut championship at the adult level with "Dynamo-Ak Bars." Recall that this year she missed a number of games due to injury but still earned the approval of head coach Zoran Terzić. "I think there was progress among all the young players: for me, for Katya Gatina, for Yulia Stolbova. Despite everything, we feel trust and support from the head coach. Even after we made mistakes, he didn't rush to change us but left us on the field. And this really gives a lot of confidence to young players. The last games are his merit," said the player.

      Ahead is the Russian Cup, and the mood of the "Kazan girls" is no less serious.

      Ahead for the Kazan girls is another equally important tournament – the second stage of the Russian Cup. The opponent and city have not yet been determined. However, when asked by journalists, Polina Matveeva, speaking for the entire team, noted that they would like the competitions to start at home, in Kazan. "We are slowly starting to prepare for the upcoming tournament. I won't say it's easy to motivate myself after the main trophy for the cup battle. I will have to squeeze the last out of myself. Of course, I would like to play in Kazan. At home, the familiar walls definitely help," Matveeva replied. The Russian Cup within the women's volleyball Super League starts on April 27, 2026.

      Photo: rais.tatarstan.ru