Donbas Arena ( Ukrainian : Донбас Арена [donˈbɑs ɐˈrɛnɐ] ) is a stadium with a natural grass pitch in Donetsk , eastern Ukraine , that opened on 29 August 2009. The facility is located in the center of the city, in the Lenin Comsomol park . With a capacity of 52,187 spectators, the stadium used to host Shakhtar Donetsk matches and also hosted some matches of UEFA Euro 2012 . The final cost of construction for Donbas Arena was $ 400M. The stadium has been unused and closed to the public since May 2014, due to the war in Donbas .
72-472: The name of the stadium represents the simplified and shortened name of the Donets Basin —huge industrial region of Donbas, hence— D on b as ( Ukrainian : Дон ецький бас ейн or Донбас ). Construction began in 2006. The general contractor was a Turkish company ENKA . The Stadium was completed and opened in 2009. About 1,600 specialists, mainly Turkish, were involved in the construction. Donbas Arena
144-523: A " Soviet identity ". Roman Horbyk of Södertörn University wrote that in the 20th century, "[a]s peasants from all surrounding regions were flooding its then busy mines and plants on the border of ethnically Ukrainian and Russian territories", "incomplete and archaic institutions" prevented Donbas residents from "acquiring a notably strong modern urban – and also national – new identity". Souvenirs A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento , keepsake , or token of remembrance
216-684: A federative South-Eastern state with its capital in Kharkiv . Donetsk Mayor Oleksandr Lukyanchenko , however, stated that no one wanted autonomy, but rather sought to stop the Orange Revolution demonstrations going on at the time in Kyiv and negotiate a compromise. After the Orange Revolution's victory, some of the organisers of the congress were charged with "encroachment upon the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine", but no convictions were made. In other parts of Ukraine during
288-464: A fitness center, corporate boxes and first aid rooms. The stadium also provides facilities for corporate events - presentations, press conferences, celebrations and concerts. Stadium tours are available which include an examination of the unique features of Donbas Arena, a visit to the footballers' rooms and FC Shakhtar Museum and a visit to the FC Shakhtar brand shop for souvenirs . The stadium
360-414: A location, often including geographic information and usually produced in a manner that promotes souvenir collecting. Throughout the world, the souvenir trade is an important part of the tourism industry serving a dual role, first to help improve the local economy, and second to allow visitors to take with them a memento of their visit, ultimately to encourage an opportunity for a return visit, or to promote
432-552: A new, full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, which Russian president Vladimir Putin said was intended to "protect" the people of the Donbas from the "abuse" and "genocide" of the Ukrainian government. However, Putin's claims have been refuted. The DPR and LPR joined Russia's operation; the separatists stated that an operation to capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast had begun. On 18 April 2022,
504-405: A particular region. Bringing back omiyage from trips to co-workers and families is a social obligation and can be considered a form of apology for the traveller's absence. Omiyage sales are big business at Japanese tourist sites. Unlike souvenirs, however, omiyage are frequently special food products, packaged into several small portions to be easily distributed to all the members of
576-665: A short time with the help of its German and Austro-Hungarian allies. During the 1917–22 Russian Civil War , Nestor Makhno , who commanded the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine , was the most popular leader in the Donbas. Along with other territories inhabited by Ukrainians, the Donbas was incorporated into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the aftermath of the Russian Civil War. Cossacks in
648-438: A significant presence in the Donbas, particularly in the district of Mariupol , where they constituted 36.7% of the population. Despite this, Russians constituted the majority of the industrial workforce. Ukrainians dominated rural areas, but cities were often inhabited solely by Russians who had come seeking work in the region's heavy industries. Those Ukrainians who did move to the cities for work were quickly assimilated into
720-553: Is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine . The majority of the Donbas is occupied by Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War . The word Donbas is a portmanteau formed from " Donets Basin ", an abbreviation of " Donets Coal Basin " ( Ukrainian : Донецький вугільний басейн , romanized : Donetskyi vuhilnyi basein ; Russian : Донецкий угольный бассейн , romanized : Donetskiy ugolnyy basseyn ). The name of
792-464: Is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a memento of a visit. The object itself may have intrinsic value , or be a symbol of experience. Without the owner's input, the symbolic meaning is lost and cannot be articulated. The tourism industry designates tourism souvenirs as commemorative merchandise associated with
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#1732790743109864-475: Is home to a significantly higher number of cities and villages that were named after Communist figures compared to the rest of Ukraine. Despite this portrayal, surveys taken across that decade and during the 1990s showed strong support for remaining within Ukraine and insignificant support for separatism. From the beginning of March 2014, demonstrations by pro-Russian and anti-government groups took place in
936-438: Is in the Donbas region, a mining region, and the date was chosen for its symbolism. The primary tenant of the facility is the local professional football club Shakhtar Donetsk ("Donetsk Coal Miners"). American Pop/R&B singer-songwriter Beyoncé performed a show from her I Am... World Tour on the opening night of the new stadium. It was Knowles' first performance in Ukraine. Beyoncé performed her famous hit Halo to honour
1008-483: Is located near Regional Sport Complex Olimpiyskyi . The roof of the stadium slopes from north to south matching the landscape and contributing to the natural lighting and airing of the pitch. The external lighting makes the Stadium shine at night. A major design consideration was the ongoing protection of as much of the forest setting as possible (each tree having been planted in commemoration of deceased family members in
1080-520: Is strictly regulated by international laws. A more grisly form of souvenir (here as an example of war booty ) in the First World War was displayed by a Pathan soldier to an English Territorial . After carefully studying the Tommy 's acquisitions (a fragment of shell , a spike and badge from a German helmet), he produced a cord with the ears of enemy soldiers he claimed to have killed. He
1152-563: The 2010 FIFA World Cup . Donbas Arena was included in the official bidding project submitted by Poland and Ukraine for hosting UEFA Euro 2012 . The stadium was one of the venues for the UEFA Euro 2012. The stadium hosted group D stage games and one quarter-final and one semi-final game (with the other matches in that group played at Olimpiyskyi National Sports Complex ). Unlike most new stadiums being built in Poland and Ukraine, Donbass Arena
1224-579: The Arena Lviv in the city of Lviv in western Ukraine (600 miles (970 km) away from Donetsk) as their temporary home ground. In early 2017, the club moved their home games to the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv (183 miles (295 km) to the north-west of Donetsk). Additionally, the club's administrative headquarters and player training sessions have been re-located to the capital city of Kyiv. The stadium has remained unused and closed to
1296-459: The Commonwealth of Independent States . Close to 90% of voters voted in favour of these propositions. None of them were adopted since the vote was nationwide. Ukraine remained a unitary state , Ukrainian was retained as the sole official language, and the Donbas gained no autonomy. Nevertheless, the Donbas strikers gained many economic concessions from Kyiv, allowing for an alleviation of
1368-409: The Russo-Ukrainian War . The conflict was thus, in the words of historian Hiroaki Kuromiya, "secretly engineered and cleverly camouflaged by outsiders". There was limited support for separatism in the Donbas before the outbreak of the war, and little evidence of support for an armed uprising. Russian claims that Russian speakers in the Donbas were being persecuted or even subjected to " genocide " by
1440-686: The Soviet Union . Turnout was 76.7% in Donetsk Oblast and 80.7% in Luhansk Oblast. In October 1991, a congress of South-Eastern deputies from all levels of government took place in Donetsk, where delegates demanded federalisation. The region's economy deteriorated severely in the ensuing years. By 1993, industrial production had collapsed, and average wages had fallen by 80% since 1990. The Donbas fell into crisis, with many accusing
1512-511: The Ukrainian government . Amid that conflict, the self-proclaimed republics held referendums on the status of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts on 11 May 2014. In the referendums, viewed as illegal by Ukraine and undemocratic by the international community, about 90% voted for the independence of the DPR and LPR. The initial protests in the Donbas were largely native expressions of discontent with
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#17327907431091584-413: The battle of Donbas began, a Russian offensive in mid-2022 within the larger eastern Ukraine campaign . By September 2024, Russia had control of about 80% of the region. According to the 2001 census, ethnic Ukrainians form 58% of the population of Luhansk Oblast and 56.9% of Donetsk Oblast. Ethnic Russians form the largest minority, accounting for 39% and 38.2% of the two oblasts respectively. In
1656-528: The "Donbas clan", a group of people that controlled economic and political power in the region. Prominent members of the "clan" included Viktor Yanukovych and Rinat Akhmetov . A brief attempt at gaining autonomy by pro-Viktor Yanukovych politicians and officials was made in 2004 during the Orange Revolution . The so-called South-East Ukrainian Autonomous Republic was intended to consist out of nine South - Eastern regions of Ukraine. The project
1728-462: The 2000s, the Donbas was often perceived as having a "thug culture", as being a "Soviet cesspool", and as "backward". Writing in the Narodne slovo newspaper in 2005, commentator Viktor Tkachenko said that the Donbas was home to " fifth columns ", and that speaking Ukrainian in the region was "not safe for one's health and life". It was also portrayed as being home to pro-Russian separatism. The Donbas
1800-522: The Donbas and its population into Ukraine. The plan would give Russian-backed political entities partial control of the electorate and has been described by Zerkalo Nedeli as "implanting a cancerous cell into Ukraine's body." This was never implemented, and was subject to public protest. A 2018 survey by Sociological Group "Rating" of residents of the Ukrainian-controlled parts of the Donbas found that 82% of respondents believed there
1872-463: The Donbas autonomous status, whilst 34% supported a ceasefire and "freezing" the conflict, 23% supported military action to recover the occupied Donbas territories, and 6% supported separating these territories from Ukraine. On 21 February 2022, Russia officially recognised the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, effectively killing the Minsk agreements . Russia subsequently launched
1944-421: The Donbas became gripped by pro-Russian and anti-government unrest . This unrest later grew into a war between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists affiliated with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk "People's Republics", who were supported by Russia as part of the broader Russo-Ukrainian War . The conflict split the Donbas into Ukrainian-held territory, constituting about two-thirds of
2016-435: The Donbas was largely unpopulated until the second half of the 17th century, when Don Cossacks established the first permanent settlements in the region. The first town in the region was founded in 1676, called Solanoye (now Soledar ), which was built for the profitable business of exploiting newly discovered rock-salt reserves. Known for being a Cossack land, the " Wild Fields " ( Ukrainian : дике поле , dyke pole ),
2088-465: The Donbas, Russia abandoned what has been called its " hybrid war " approach, and began a conventional invasion of the region. As a result of the Russian invasion, DPR and LPR insurgents regained much of the territory they had lost during the Ukrainian government's preceding military offensive. Only this Russian intervention prevented an immediate Ukrainian resolution to the conflict. This forced
2160-781: The Donbas, as part of the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and the Euromaidan movement. These demonstrations, which followed the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation , and which were part of a wider group of concurrent pro-Russian protests across southern and eastern Ukraine , escalated in April 2014 into a war between the Russian-backed separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR respectively), and
2232-595: The Donbas. According to linguist George Shevelov , in the early 1920s the proportion of secondary schools teaching in the Ukrainian language was lower than the proportion of ethnic Ukrainians in the Donbas – even though the Soviet Union had ordered that all schools in the Ukrainian SSR should be Ukrainian-speaking (as part of its Ukrainization policy). Surveys of regional identities in Ukraine have shown that around 40% of Donbas residents claim to have
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2304-620: The Donbas. A subject of continuing research controversies, and often denied in these two oblasts, is the extent of forced emigration and deaths during the Soviet period, which particularly affected rural Ukrainians during the Holodomor which resulted as a consequence of early Soviet industrialization policies combined with two years of drought throughout southern Ukraine and the Volga region. Nearly all Ukrainian Jews either fled or were murdered in
2376-742: The Donbas. Other large cities (over 100,000 inhabitants) include Mariupol , Luhansk , Makiivka , Horlivka , Kramatorsk , Sloviansk , Alchevsk , Sievierodonetsk , and Lysychansk . The Kurgan hypothesis places the Pontic steppes of Ukraine and southern Russia as the linguistic homeland of the Proto-Indo-Europeans . The Yamnaya culture is identified with the late Proto-Indo-Europeans. The region has been inhabited for centuries by various nomadic tribes, such as Scythians , Alans , Huns , Bulgars , Pechenegs , Kipchaks , Turco-Mongols , Tatars and Nogais . The region now known as
2448-508: The Great Patriotic War, and the exclusion zones to the neighbouring war memorials. A major geotechnical fault exists some 100m below the ground directly under the centre-spot. The building's foundations and piling was a major sub-project. The Donbas Arena was completed ahead of schedule, but the grand opening was delayed until 29 August 2009 to coincide with the Ukrainian holiday of Miners Day, as well as Donetsk City day. Donetsk
2520-694: The Holocaust in Ukraine during the German occupation in World War II . The Donbas is about 6% Muslim according to the official censuses of 1926 and 2001 . Prior to the Revolution of Dignity, the politics of the region were dominated by the pro-Russian Party of Regions , which gained about 50% of Donbas votes in the 2008 Ukrainian parliamentary election . Prominent members of that party, such as former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, were from
2592-651: The Russian-speaking worker class. In April 1918 troops loyal to the Ukrainian People's Republic took control of large parts of the region. For a while, its government bodies operated in the Donbas alongside their Russian Provisional Government equivalents. The Ukrainian State , the successor of the Ukrainian People's Republic, was able in May 1918 to bring the region under its control for
2664-473: The Ukrainian government, forcing its hand to intervene, were deemed false by Voice of America . Fighting continued through the summer of 2014, and by August 2014, the Ukrainian "Anti-Terrorist Operation" was able to vastly shrink the territory under the control of the pro-Russian forces, and came close to regaining control of the Russo-Ukrainian border. In response to the deteriorating situation in
2736-470: The Ukrainian side to seek the signing of a ceasefire agreement. Called the Minsk Protocol , this was signed on 5 September 2014. As this failed to stop the fighting, another agreement, called Minsk II was signed on 12 February 2015. This agreement called for the eventual reintegration of the Donbas republics into Ukraine, with a level of autonomy. The aim of the Russian intervention in the Donbas
2808-785: The area that is now called the Donbas was largely under the control of the Ukrainian Cossack Hetmanate and the Turkic Crimean Khanate until the mid-late 18th century, when the Russian Empire conquered the Hetmanate and annexed the Khanate. In the second half of the 17th century, settlers and fugitives from Hetman's Ukraine and Muscovy settled the lands north of the Donets river. At
2880-677: The coal basin is a reference to the Donets Ridge ; the latter is associated with the Donets river. There are numerous definitions of the region's extent. The Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine defines the "small Donbas" as the northern part of Donetsk and the southern part of Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and the attached part of Rostov region of Russia. The historical coal mining region excluded parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts , and included areas in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Southern Russia . A Euroregion of
2952-454: The coal industry led to a population boom in the region, largely driven by Russian settlers. Donetsk , the most important city in the region today, was founded in 1869 by Welsh businessman John Hughes on the site of the old Zaporozhian Cossack town of Oleksandrivka. Hughes built a steel mill and established several collieries in the region. The city was named after him as Yuzivka (Ukrainian: Юзівка ) or Yuzovka (Russian: Юзовка ). With
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3024-495: The conflict broke out in 2014, the Ukrainian government registered 1.6 million internally displaced people who had fled the Donbas to other parts of Ukraine. Over 1 million were said to have fled elsewhere, mostly to Russia. At the time of the report, 2.7 million people were said to continue to live in areas under DPR and LPR control, comprising about one-third of the Donbas. Despite the Minsk agreements, low-intensity fighting along
3096-527: The congress, claiming to represent over 35 million citizens. Moscow Mayor Yurii Luzhkov and an advisor from the Russian Embassy were present in the presidium. There were calls for the appointment of Viktor Yanukovych as president of Ukraine or prime minister , for declaring of martial law in Ukraine, dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada , creation of self-defence forces, and for the creation of
3168-653: The course of the occupation. In Voroshilovgrad Oblast, now Luhansk Oblast , 45,649 were killed. In 1943 the Operation Little Saturn and Donbas strategic offensive by the Red Army resulted in the return of Donbas to Soviet control. The war had taken its toll, leaving the region both destroyed and depopulated. During the reconstruction of the Donbas after the end of the Second World War, large numbers of Russian workers arrived to repopulate
3240-570: The development of Yuzovka and similar cities, large numbers of landless peasants from peripheral governorates of the Russian Empire came looking for work. According to the Russian Imperial Census of 1897, Ukrainians (" Little Russians ", in the official imperial language) accounted for 52.4% of the population of the region, whilst ethnic Russians constituted 28.7%. Ethnic Greeks, Germans , Jews and Tatars also had
3312-482: The economic crisis in the region. Small strikes continued throughout the 1990s, though demands for autonomy faded. Some subsidies to Donbas heavy industries were eliminated, and many mines were closed by the Ukrainian government because of liberalising reforms pushed for by the World Bank . Leonid Kuchma , who had won the 1994 presidential election with support from the Donbas and other areas in eastern Ukraine,
3384-604: The end of the 18th century, many Russians , Ukrainians , Serbs and Greeks migrated to lands along the southern course of the Donets river, into an area previously inhabited by nomadic Nogais , who were nominally subject to the Crimean Khanate. Tsarist Russia named the conquered territories " New Russia " (Russian: Новороссия , Novorossiya ). As the Industrial Revolution took hold across Europe,
3456-410: The line of contact between Ukrainian government and Russian-controlled areas continued until 2022. Since the start of the conflict there have been 29 ceasefires, each intended to remain in force indefinitely, but none of them stopped the violence. This led the war to be referred to as a " frozen conflict ". On 11 January 2017, the Ukrainian government approved a plan to reintegrate the occupied part of
3528-796: The locale to other tourists as a form of word-of-mouth marketing . Promotional tchotchke at trade shows serve a similar function. Perhaps the most collected souvenirs by tourists are self-generated: photographs as a medium to document specific events and places for remembrance. Souvenirs as objects include mass-produced merchandise such as clothing : T-shirts and hats ; collectables : postcards , refrigerator magnets , key chains , pins , souvenir coins and tokens , miniature bells , models , figurines , statues ; household items: spoons , mugs , bowls , plates , ashtrays , egg timers , fudge , notepads , coasters , and many others. Souvenirs also include non-mass-produced items such as folk art , local artisan handicrafts , objects that represent
3600-740: The memory of Michael Jackson , who would have had his birthday on that day. Many state officials attended the show designed by K-events Filmmaster Group. The opening ceremony was awarded as Event of the Year at the Stadium Business Awards on 18 June 2010 in Dublin . Shakhtar Donetsk's first match at the stadium was a 4–0 victory in a 2009–10 Ukrainian Premier League fixture on 27 September 2009 against FC Obolon Kyiv . The first international game took place on 18 November 2009 against Greece , which Ukraine lost 0–1 failing to qualify for
3672-405: The new Ukrainian government. Russian involvement at this stage was limited to its voicing of support for the demonstrations. The emergence of the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk began as a small fringe group of the protesters, independent of Russian control. This unrest, however, only evolved into an armed conflict because of Russian military backing for what had been a marginal group as part of
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#17327907431093744-541: The new central government in Kyiv of mismanagement and neglect. Donbas coal miners went on strike in 1993, causing a conflict that was described by historian Lewis Siegelbaum as "a struggle between the Donbas region and the rest of the country". One strike leader said that Donbas people had voted for independence because they wanted "power to be given to the localities, enterprises, cities", not because they wanted heavily centralised power moved from "Moscow to Kyiv". This strike
3816-476: The present day, the Donbas is a predominately Russophone region . According to the 2001 census, Russian is the main language of 74.9% of residents in Donetsk Oblast and 68.8% in Luhansk Oblast. Residents of Russian origin are mainly concentrated in the larger urban centers. Russian became the main language and lingua franca in the course of industrialization, boosted by the immigration of many Russians, particularly from Kursk Oblast , to newly founded cities in
3888-691: The public since FC Shakhtar were forced to abandon it. In March 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine , the Donbas Arena Football infrastructure continued to suffer from the war in Ukraine. The main stadium of Donetsk suffered some damage. Donets Basin The Donbas ( UK : / d ɒ n ˈ b ɑː s / , US : / ˈ d ɒ n b ɑː s , d ʌ n ˈ b æ s / ; Ukrainian : Донбас [donˈbɑs] ; ) or Donbass ( Russian : Донбасс [dɐnˈbas] )
3960-603: The region were subjected to decossackisation during 1919–1921. Ukrainians in the Donbas were greatly affected by the 1932–33 Holodomor famine and the Russification policy of Joseph Stalin . As most ethnic Ukrainians were rural peasant farmers, they bore the brunt of the famine. The Donbas was greatly affected by the Second World War . In the lead-up to the war, the region was racked by poverty and food shortages. War preparations resulted in an extension of
4032-474: The region, and separatist-held territory, constituting about one-third. The region remained this way for years until Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine . On 30 September 2022, Russia unilaterally declared its annexation of Donbas together with two other Ukrainian oblasts, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia . The city of Donetsk (the fifth largest city in Ukraine) is considered the unofficial capital of
4104-455: The region, further altering the population balance. In 1926, 639,000 ethnic Russians resided in the Donbas, and Ukrainians made up 60% of the population. As a result of the Russification policy, the Ukrainian population of the Donbass then declined drastically as ethnic Russians settled in the region in large numbers. By 1959, the ethnic Russian population was 2.55 million. Russification
4176-629: The same name is composed of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in Ukraine and Rostov Oblast in Russia . The Donbas formed the historical border between the Zaporizhian Sich and the Don Cossack Host . It has been an important coal mining area since the late 19th century, when it became a heavily industrialised territory. In March 2014, following the Euromaidan protest movement and the resulting Revolution of Dignity , large swaths of
4248-432: The traditions and culture of the area, non-commercial, natural objects such as sand from a beach, and anything else that a person attaches nostalgic value to and collects among their personal belongings. The collecting of natural items such as seashells, plants, or rocks is often discouraged due to ecological damage. Especially the export of endangered plants and animals (or products made of their fur or leather) as souvenirs
4320-407: The vast coal resources of the region, discovered in 1721, began to be exploited in the mid-late 19th century. It was at this point that the name Donbas came into use, derived from the term "Donets Coal Basin" (Ukrainian: Донецький вугільний басейн ; Russian: Донецкий каменноугольный бассейн ), referring to the area along the Donets river where most of the coal reserves were found. The rise of
4392-486: The working day for factory labourers, whilst those who deviated from the heightened standards were arrested. Nazi Germany 's leader Adolf Hitler viewed the resources of the Donbas as critical to Operation Barbarossa . As such, the Donbas suffered under Nazi occupation during 1941 and 1942. Thousands of industrial labourers were deported to Nazi Germany for use in factories. In what was then called Stalino Oblast , now Donetsk Oblast , 279,000 civilians were killed over
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#17327907431094464-402: Was an inspiration for one of the multiplayer maps in the 2020 battle royale video game Call of Duty: Warzone , which depicts several real-life locations in Donetsk. On 20 May 2014, the stadium hosted a small "Peace March" against the violence of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic . On 22 August 2014, the stadium was damaged by what
4536-525: Was designed by ArupSport. It was Project Managed by Arup Major Projects (Project Director Charles Goddard). Arup Sport also designed the City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester, England), Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany) and the Beijing National Stadium (Beijing, China). The soaring roof effect makes the Stadium resemble a flying saucer. The stadium has an oval shape and a glazed façade and
4608-464: Was followed by a 1994 consultative referendum on various constitutional questions in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, held concurrently with the first parliamentary elections in independent Ukraine. These questions included whether Russian should be declared an official language of Ukraine, whether Russian should be the language of administration in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, whether Ukraine should federalise, and whether Ukraine should have closer ties with
4680-631: Was further advanced by the 1958–59 Soviet educational reforms, which led to the near elimination of all Ukrainian-language schooling in the Donbas. By the time of the Soviet Census of 1989 , 45% of the population of the Donbas reported their ethnicity as Russian. In 1990, the Interfront of the Donbass was founded as a movement against Ukrainian independence. In the 1991 referendum on Ukrainian independence, 83.9% of voters in Donetsk Oblast and 83.6% in Luhansk Oblast supported independence from
4752-644: Was initiated on 26 November 2004 by the Luhansk Oblast Council, and was discontinued the next month by the Donetsk Oblast Council. On 28 November 2004, in Sievierodonetsk , the so-called First All-Ukraine Congress of People's Deputies And Local-Council's Deputies took place, organised by the supporters of Viktor Yanukovych. A total of 3,576 delegates from 16 oblasts of Ukraine, Crimea and Sevastopol took part in
4824-1051: Was keeping them to take back to India for his wife. Similar to souvenirs, memorabilia ( Latin for 'memorable (things)'; plural of memorābile ) are objects treasured for their memories or historical interest; however, unlike souvenirs, memorabilia can be valued for a connection to an event or a particular professional field, company or brand. Memorabilia can also be related to collections, such as action figures, or video games. Examples include sporting events, historical events, culture, and entertainment. Such items include: clothing ; game equipment; publicity photographs and posters ; magic memorabilia ; other entertainment-related merchandise & memorabilia ; movie memorabilia ; airline and other transportation-related memorabilia; and pins , among others. Often memorabilia items are kept in protective covers or display cases to safeguard and preserve their condition. In Japan , souvenirs are known as omiyage ( お土産 ) , and are frequently selected from meibutsu , or products associated with
4896-416: Was no discrimination against Russian-speaking people in Ukraine. Only 11% saw some evidence of discrimination. The same survey also found that 71% of respondents did not support Russia's military intervention to "protect" the Russian-speaking population, with only 9% offering support for that action. Another survey by Rating, conducted in 2019, found that only 23% of those Ukrainians polled supported granting
4968-418: Was not specifically built for the tournament. The following matches were played at the stadium during the UEFA Euro 2012: The project of new stadium "Donbas Arena" was conceived long before Ukraine was named as co-host of Euro 2012 . The owner considered the possibility of daily use of the arena. "Donbas Arena" includes three restaurants, a lounge-bar, a fan cafe, numerous fast-food outlets, retail outlets,
5040-408: Was re-elected as president of Ukraine in 1999 . President Kuchma gave economic aid to the Donbas, using development money to gain political support in the region. Power in the Donbas became concentrated in a regional political elite, known as oligarchs , during the early 2000s. Privatisation of state industries led to rampant corruption. Regional historian Hiroaki Kuromiya described this elite as
5112-442: Was reported to be artillery shelling, as the Ukrainian armed forces clashed with pro-Russian separatists for control of the city. On 20 October 2014, the stadium was again damaged by what was reported to be artillery shelling. This time, the stadium sustained damage to the east and west sides and at least one large glass panel fell near a young girl. Since July 2014, due to the danger of the ongoing conflict in Donetsk, Shakhtar used
5184-501: Was to establish pro-Russian governments that, upon reincorporation into Ukraine, would facilitate Russian interference in Ukrainian politics. The Minsk agreements were thus highly favourable to the Russian side, as their implementation would accomplish these goals. The conflict led to a vast exodus from the Donbas: half the region's population were forced to flee their homes. A UN OHCHR report released on 3 March 2016 stated that, since
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