Logo for Euro 2012 at Kyiv's Olympic Stadium Unveiled

The main sports arena in Ukraine, which will host the finals of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament, now has a logo.
Soccer fans could enter a contest to have their logo chosen to represent the tourney. The winner is designer and soccer fan Sergey Melnik, who lives in Dubai. The logo is supposed to represent the inside of the stadium.
Sergey’s brother traveled to Kyiv to accept the $1,200 prize on his brother’s behalf.
[Alexander Melnik, Winner’s Brother]: “This is a membrane that is stretched over the stadium, and the viewer will see something like this angle.”
Over 260 works from 150 people were entered. Ukrainians chose the top six. And from April 21st to the 27th, a jury met to decide on a winner.
But even though the prize has been awarded, some members of the jury say that the logo still needs more work.
[Valery Sushkevich, President, Paralympic Committee of Ukraine]: “It lacks many aspects, in particular – the national identity. I would add colors of the flag to this graphic design.”
The 14th Euro 2012 tournament will take place in Poland and Ukraine in June and July of 2012. The final match will be played in Kyiv on July 1st.

EURO 2012 Granted Money

General Prosecutor of Ukraine has checked on the legal use of granted money for UEFA EURO 2012 preparation in Ukraine. As expected the results have appeared to be very interesting and rather disappointing. Therefore, some functionaries have appropriated illegally lots of money. Nevertheless, nobody believed in another scenario that preparation of Ukraine will pass without use of “intricate national peculiarities of Ukrainian character”.
On this ground Lviv has distinguished dramatically. There is an action in Trial court about invalidation of contract between Lviv Communal Enterprise “Agency for Lviv stadium construction”, LLC (limited liability company) “Engineer-constructor company “Azovintex” and German enterprise “arenaCom GmbH”. The problem is the latter has received 1.37 million euro instead 22 thousand of real value, according to check performed by Lviv controlling and auditing service.
Also Lviv Procurator Office carries out several audits on legal use of granted 18 million euro destined for government state-owned enterprise “Agency for EURO 2012 facilities construction in Lviv”.
The same situation with illegal appropriation of granted money for EURO 2012 preparation is in Kyiv. Particularly, Pechersky Raion Prosecutor Office has established that 22 million euro has been appropriated during Olympic stadium seats dismantling by director of a government state-owned enterprise. The action is already brought against negligent and dishonest chief.
In addition, Kyiv Prosecutor Office audits on legality of the purchase goods and services and use of granted money by the Communal Enterprises “Kyiv Metropolitan Railway” and “International Airport “Boryspil”.
Moreover, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Prosecutor Office checks on lawfulness 11 tenders for purchasing goods and services to the amount of 62.000 euro, granted for “Dnipropetrovsk Oblavtodor” (enterprise that occupies with construction and upkeep of oblast roads).
Week ago, The Cabinet of Minister of Ukraine revised value of preparation and operation of EURO 2012 in Ukraine and diminished it by 100 million euro or is 1 % down. Now total expenses are up to 10 billions euro.

Ukrainian passport control

1 million football fans estimated to visit Ukraine during 2012 UEFA European Football Championship. So the passport control procedure will be considerably hastened for EURO guests in order to make their staying comfortable from the very first minute i.e. from the arrival. Therefore RFID-card terminals (tags with identification data of a passenger) will be installed at the four host cities airports, Kyiv, Donetsk, Lviv and Kharkov, and additionally at the Dnipropetrovsk IA and Odesa IA.
There already are these magnetic stripe cards in Kiev and Kharkiv, other cities will be equipped with by the end of this year. Representatives of State Border Guard Service of Ukraine say that it is very important step for Ukraine in airport preparation for EURO 2012.
Now the most important thing is to extend the sales network of RFID-cards and to start advertising campaigns that will promote the advantages of these new cards during border crossing. Such promo videos will be broadcast at the airports.
Nowadays more than 25.000 people provided themselves with RFID-cards that permit to go through passport control more rapidly and comfortably.
However, there are several construction and reconstructions of all airports that will receive EURO 2012 guests. Therefore new equipment installation and new jobsite creation are on in the Lviv airport. Also runway is extending and it will permit to land all types of airplanes. New terminal will have 900 passengers per hour capacity but during EURO 2012 it will be able to service some 1900 passengers. According to the Project Director the new Lviv Terminal will be ready by the end of December.
The biggest airport of Ukraine - Boryspil International Airport, now have a new Terminal “D” under construction. It will be finished by the end of this year. As the Donetsk new airport will. Now it is in homestretch and only some finishing works are left. New runway is still under-construction in Kharkiv IA.
According to Boris Kolesnikov, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine all new airport terminals for EURO 2012 will be done in time.

A call for Friends of UEFA EURO 2012

Ukrainian international right-back Artem Fedetskiy urged citizens of Lviv to play their part next summer after being unveiled as the latest Friend of UEFA EURO 2012 in his adopted city.

Artem Fedetskiy is made the latest Friend of UEFA EURO 2012 ©Yevhen Kraws

Ukrainian international right-back Artem Fedetskiy urged citizens of Lviv to play their part next summer after being unveiled as the latest Friend of UEFA EURO 2012 in his adopted city.

Ukrainian international Artem Fedetskiy urged citizens of Lviv to play their part next summer after being unveiled as the latest Friend of UEFA EURO 2012 in his adopted city.
FC Karpaty Lviv defender Fedetskiy was the star attraction in Tuesday's volunteer programme launch at Lviv city hall, and immediately embarked on a recruitment drive. "It's an honour to become a volunteer programme ambassador," said the 26-year-old former FC Shakhtar Donetsk right-back.
"I believe Lviv will provide a warm welcome for all everyone at the tournament, players and guests. The city can experience a major boost in tourism due to the hospitality of our volunteers so I'd like to invite everyone to put themselves forward."
Volunteers will support UEFA staff in 20 different areas of operation, working at a variety of official UEFA EURO 2012 sites including stadiums, airports and hotels. Candidates will be able to apply via UEFA.com from 14 June.

Friends of EURO
Up to 100 people in Ukraine will be officially named as Friends of UEFA EURO 2012 – half of them public figures selected by the LOC, with the remaining spots open to the general public via competitions for people of all ages. Tournament co-hosts Poland will also nominate 100 Friends of EURO.

Prices are rising up

We are not alone asking question about constant rising up in construction prices for 2012 European Football Champion facilities. Perhaps our demands and requests were finally heard and that’s why National Agency on Holding and Preparation of Euro 2012 decided to reveal the causes of such phenomenon.
The prime reason of ongoing situation is improvident former-Government that didn’t care much about EURO 2012 and the whole country therefore projects were prepared improperly.
It was announce by Oleg Lycyk, Chief of Infrastructure Development Department of the National Agency on Holding and Preparation of final part of Euro 2012 in Ukraine and realization of infrastructural projects. Rather scary position, isn’t it. It might be a reason for such position existence – frighten imprudent workers that illegally rise up construction cost constantly. He also mentioned that local authorities elaborated these projects in hurry so stadiums and airports were off UEFA’s standards.
But arrival of “intelligent and experienced” people who understand the essence matter changed the situation considerably. Due to the unexpected help of such “experienced people” granted money started to fly away in mysterious direction. Thanks to them construction cost of the EURO 2012 facilities multiplied by several times.
The numbers speak for themselves, Olympic stadium in Kiev, the main arena of EURO 2012 has risen in price at least three times. Firstly construction cost made up 136 millions of euro. Nevertheless, “intelligent and experienced” people’s advent brought another rising in price up to 190 millions of euro. However, neither April nor June of 2011 delivered us good news and price accounted for EUR 272 millions and EUR 409 millions respectively. Moreover, reconstruction of Troitskaya square requires EUR 9 millions and 1.5 kilometers hospitality zone of Olympic stadium – EUR 36 millions.
But instead deadline approaching we see it moving far-far away. There were several drop-dead date in June of 2011 with 190 millions cost, The Independence Day already having EUR272 millions construction cost. Now we got intermediate apogee – the late autumn and EUR 409 millions reconstruction price.
Nevertheless, the stadium will be open exactly in time for EURO 2012. The main point is safety of Michel Platini’s new suit. Hopefully, it will not be smeared with fresh paint or covered with repair dust.
The estimated cost of Donets airport was risen by Ukrainians authorities up to EUR81 million at the end of March. The new reconstruction cost is EUR196 millions and it doesn’t count other infrastructure that has to be build. Exactly one month later Government decided to rise up expenses for building Lviv Airport terminal by 2.24 times. Today the price of reconstruction accounts for EUR200 millions. The reason for such a mysterious rising was lack of required equipments in previously approved project.
However, Oleg Lysyk delivered good news and promised that there won’t be any correction in estimated cost of EURO 2012 facilities.

Eco and Ukraine

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Have a nice weekend!

Yours,
UkrInna

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