They have been exhibited in Berlin during the Euro Cup to denounce the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The grandstand of the Sonyachny stadium in Kharkiv, destroyed by Russian missiles, has found a new temporary home in Berlin. The president of the German Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, and the Ukrainian ambassador, Oleksii Makeiev, inaugurated the installation of the Ukrainian Football Association on the fan mile, in front of the Reichstag building.
The ‘stand’ includes an interactive installation with the history of Sonyachny. With the help of the virtual realityit is possible to see Ukraine’s stadiums in their current state.
Kharkiv was one of the four Ukrainian venues for Euro 2012. In 2022, the stadium was destroyed by Russian attacks during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Till the date, 500 sports facilities in Ukraine, including 77 football stadiums, have result damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks with bombs and missiles.
In his speech, Bas stressed that this project sends a message: The joy during the Euro Cup exists in parallel to suffering caused by the Russian war of aggression. He expressed his support for the Ukrainian people.
Ambassador Makeiev declared: “Today is the nineteenth day of the European Championship in Germany. That equals the number of days in June alone airstrikes were launched on Kharkiv: 468 hours and 19.5 days.
In this sense, this tribune andIt’s a commemorative monument: a reminder that not far from here, Russia is committing barbarism every day, from which not even football is immune.”
“Peace has a price”
The damaged stand was first exhibited in Munich, where the Ukrainian team played its first match of this year’s Euro Cup against Romania. The Ukrainian team lost the match 3 to 0.
The tribune then traveled with the team to the second venue, in Düsseldorf, where it was also exhibited. After three games, of which the team lost one and won another, leaving a tie in the third, the Ukrainian team was eliminated from the tournament.
During the team’s last match, in Stuttgart against Belgium, The supporters of the Ukrainian national team started a campaign. From the stands, Ukrainian fans raised a banner with the words “peace has a price” and a portrait of Nazariy Hryntsevich, a fallen soldier and soccer fan.
The image of Hryntsevich was created using artificial intelligence (AI) and the photos of others 182 fallen Ukrainian soldiersall of them known to be avid supporters of their local football clubs.
If the circumstances had been different, They probably would have attended the games in person or they would have supported their team in front of the television. Instead, his static images radiate emotion and resistance.
