Chelyabinsk, Russia - An exact copy of the well-known 'Maya Gate' will be carved out of ice in Chelyabinsk, giving the citizens and visitors of South Ural the unique chance to pass into the new era through "The Gate to the Future."

The original gate can be found at Labna, a Mesoamerican archaeological site and ceremonial center of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization located in the Puuc Hills region of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. According to legend, it's possible to pass into the New Era only by coming through this gate on December 21, 2012.

The 21st of December is a special day indeed - as testified by numerous astrological researches, legends and folk tales from different cultures and epochs (predictions made by Maya, Nostradamus, Vanga, The Sumerians, Buddhists, the Slavs and others): it's the start of a new cycle, a new period of time, a new world.

Such a thing happens once in a few thousand years - it's an epochal New Year when one era comes to an end and a new one begins. This event will be celebrated in Ural (1667 kilometers east of Moscow) with unprecedented scope.

South Ural's "Gate to the Future" is being built by well-known Ural sculptors. They are building the enormous ice construction with beautiful lighting that will look like a fairy-tale palace, with the height of the gate at 7.5 meters (think three-story building) and the width up to 10 meters. The rules for passing into the future and a story that tells why the Maya Gate has appeared in Ural will be placed on the sides of the gate.

During the ceremonial laying of the first brick of "The Gate to the Future" a full-scale model of the construction was presented. The project's ideologists (scientists, astrologers, and culture experts,) spoke about the significance of this passing and described a unique element of the gate - a large tambourine covered with tinsel and a calendar of ancient civilizations on it. During the construction, the 'Maya Gate' is being guarded by famous goaltender Michael Garnett, who plays for the Traktor ice hockey club and is a recipient of the KHL 2011-2012 Continental Cup.

At 12 pm on December 21st, a conceptual show will take place in Kirovka (crossing of K. Marksa and Kirova streets), and at 12:21 pm the gate will be opened, so that everybody will be able to pass into the future.

In addition, December 12, 2012 (12.12.12.) will become a significant date - only on that day will newly married couples have an opportunity to take part in a special wedding rite of setting up a family by symbolic participation in building "the Gate to the Future" and will receive a New Era talisman.

The ice architects' work and South Ural citizens passing into the New Era will be available for online observation: a web-camera will be placed on the construction project. It'll be possible to pass through "The Gate to The Future" and hit a tambourine alone or with your family, your love, friends or colleagues. An occasion to pass into the future arises just once in a lifetime... and not even in every lifetime.