EURO 2012: Lviv Prepares (J. Kit)

Panorama of Lviv's historic centre.

Background: Lviv (Polish: Lwów) is the principal city of western Ukraine, with a population of around 760,000. Now a Ukrainian city with an almost exclusively Ukrainian population, before the war it was a Polish city with a mixed but predominantly Polish population. Anywhere between 7,000 and 30,000 people who identify themselves as Poles still live in the city. Lviv will host 3 matches during the 2012 European football championships.
***********************************************************************************

  When UEFA president Michel Platini announced that Ukraine and Poland would co-host Euro 2012, the inhabitants of Lviv knew at once that thier hometown would be one of the host cities. Lviv's football tradition stretches back to the 1930s. Polish football was born in Lviv and the Pogoń club was one of the giants of pre-war Polish football. Today, the club has been resurrected thanks to the efforts of the city's Polish community. In the 1970s another Lviv club, FK Karpaty, won the Soviet championship. FK Karpaty currently play in the Ukrainian premier division while the city's second club, FK Lviv, play in the second tier. The Ukrainian national team particulary like playing in Lviv as it is the only stadium where the whole crowd sing the national anthem before international games.

After the initial pride of being amongst the host cities had worn off, however, the inhabitants of Lviv have begun to wonder if their city can really afford it, and whether they are really capable of competing with Western European cities.

The new Lviv Arena

 The main problem was the lack of a stadium, as the city's existing facilities did not meet UEFA's requirements. The city council decided to build a new stadium at the expense of both the city and private sponsors. Private investors, however, were not too keen to invest in a facility whose long-term prospects after the tournament are unclear. The shortfall in funding was paid for by the national government.

The building of Lviv's stadium started later than all the other stadiums built for the tournament. Construction lasted a year and a half and the stadium was officially opened at the end of October 2011, a few months later than planned. The finishing touches were still be added until April this year.

"It's the biggest investment in Lviv for 20 years!" says Andrzej, who has worked on the stadium from the very beginning. "There was a lot of work. We worked on Saturdays and sometimes even on Sundays... I am sure that I will be laid off after the tournament, not because of my Polish background but because nobody knows how the stadium will make a profit after Euro 2012."

The cost of the stadium, which has a capacity of 35,000, is around 85 million euro. "With that money they could have built a few schools, clinics or hospitals which are desperately needed here" say inhabitants who are against the Euros.

The name of the stadium was another source of controversy. At one stage there was even a plan to name it after Stepan Bandera. (Controversial Ukrainian nationalist-CK)  Finally, a safe, neutral name was chosen: The Lviv Arena.

***********************************************************************************

Lviv, with 800,000 inhabitants, is expected to host 200,000 fans. Apart from Germany and Portugal, Denmark will also play here. No teams, however, will be based in Lviv. ( Only 2 teams-- Sweden and France-- will be based in Ukraine.) Germany will stay in Gdańsk, Denmark have chosen Kołobrzeg and Portugal will be based in Opalenica, near Poznan.

The teams will arrive in Lviv by plane the day before the matches. In 30 years Lviv's airport did not see any investment. For the Euros there is a new terminal and an extended runway. The teams will therefore have no trouble flying in but fans face an expensive journey as no budget airlines fly to Lviv. Another option is by rail. A new express connection with Kharkiv and Donetsk has been prepared for the tournament.

Nonetheless, the majority of fans will choose to travel by car. EU citizens do not need entry visas for Ukraine. Border guards are ready for a large influx of people. Things look less positive with regards to the roads. Despite ambitious plans mooted by the regional government, no new roads have been built. The only good roads connected to Lviv are in the direction of Kiev. Roads between Lviv and the Polish border have been hastily, and poorly, renovated. " It is true that after the Euros we will be left with some infrastructure but it is of dubious quality. In a year or so the roads will need repairing." This is the sceptical view of Galina, PR manager with a consultancy firm.

Accommodation will be provided in the form of hotels, hostels, student residences, campsites and private homes. 5 years ago there was only 1 hostel in Lviv, now there more than a dozen. Some of them do not even bother to advertise in Ukrainian, they are aimed soley at foreigners.

A month ago there were reports of hotel prices being increased by up to 1000% but after the intervention of Michel Platini and the city council hoteliers have been more reasonable with their prices. In Lviv, where 2 new hotels have been built, prices range from 20 to 400 euros per night. Their could even be vacancies during the tournament.

Many residents will put up fans in their own homes. Some owners have been keeping properites empty since January so that they can rent them out for 100 euro a day come the tournament.

Not everyone stands to gain from the tournament. "Most people will have to work longer for the same pay" says Galina "My father is an electrician in a hotel. Before the Euros the employees had to carry out the interior renovations themselves, whilst the documentation says that it was carried out by foreign contractors..." Bakery workers have said that they will have to do extra shifts during the Euros without pay as a 'good deed'.

***********************************************************************************

Lviv's Opera House, backdrop to the central fan zone.

4 fans zones are to be set up, one of them in the heart of the city centre outside the Opera House. Lviv's theatres will be open in June and several music festivals will take place. Street buskers will also be performing, just as they did before the war.

Over 1,000 volunteers will be on hand to assist visitors. Fans can also count on the general public of Lviv, who are known for their openness and hospitality. The locals always try to help tourists, especially those who do not speak Ukrainian. Almost all residents of Lviv understand Polish and the volunteers will also be able to speak various Western European languages.

Problems may arise, however, with understanding the police, who can only speak Ukrainian and Russian. Contact with the police might be the result for anyone who buys the services of the prostitutes, both local and from out of town, who will be keen to cash in on the tournament....

On a more positive note, fans will not be thirsty in Lviv. Local breweries have promised not to raise the prices of their beers, which cost between 2.50 and 5 zł. in shops, depending on the brand.

***********************************************************************************

On match days public transport in Lviv will operate until 2.30am. However, everyday transport is a problem. In January the city council introduced a new timetable. The overcrowded buses, trolleybuses and trams run to suit the operators, who enjoy a monopoly, rather than the passengers. Ticket prices have risen as the quality of service has declined.

At the end of May it came to light that Lviv will not have anywhere to dispose of its rubbish come the Euros. The city's only landfill should have been closed 2 years ago and it has become an environmental hazard. Residents of villages near the site have threatened to block roads if the city does not stop using the landfill.

In the city itself moods are mixed. "In my opinion Lviv will gain improved infrastructure and will be have the opportunity to present itself as a European city" says Walentyna Bartoszyk, director of the administration and economy department of Lviv city council. "Another important benefit is that people working in the service sector will learn good habits such as hospitality and politeness. Contact with foreigners will be a good experience for local entrepreneurs" she adds.

Pensioner Nadzieja Chomyn is more sceptical: "In Lviv everything has changed for the worse. For me, and for most pensioners, Euro 2012 does not mean anything. If I have a pension of 1350 hrywa (490 zł) a month, how can I buy a ticket for 50 euro? Food prices here are higher than in Poland, only vodka and cigarettes are cheaper. The only roads which have been upgraded are those which will be used by VIPs and the footballers. The neighbourhood roads will still have 20cm deep potholes in them. Everyone is talking about the good organisation for the Euros but it is all propaganda to distract people from the situation with Julia Tymoschenko and the economic crisis. I only trust the news from TVP Polonia. We cannot get any other Polish TV channels here."

Nadzieja Chomyn and the rest of Lviv's Polish community-- offically 7,000 strong but unofficially counting 30,000 members-- only regret that their city will not play host to the Polish national team for a match. That would be something special...

Author: Jarosław Kit   Taken from 'Przegłąd' magazine