Brands, cities and (post-)politics: A comparative analysis of urban strategies for the Universiade 2013 and the World Football Cup 2018 in Russia

© The Author(s) 2014 This article analyses how two large-scale sports events in Russia shape regional identities and brands, and prompt different social and administrative effects in urban milieus. These two mega-events are the Universiade in Kazan’ in 2013 and the Football World Cup to take place in 11 Russian cities, among which we focus more specifically on Nizhny Novgorod. We argue that the logic of municipal and regional authorities is largely based on post-political thinking, with such main priorities as building consensus, securing public order, stimulating consumption, developing investment opportunities, renovating urban areas, and branding and globally promoting regions’ competitive advantages. This logic, however, is often contested by groups concerned about financial transparency and accountability, managerial efficiency, environmental protection, preservation of historical areas and other public issues