Restoration of the Champion Stadium in Irpin: has the city received the funds raised by Andriy Shevchenko (document)
17 February 18:40
EXCLUSIVE
on February 11, 2025, during a press conference at the UAF, UAF President Andriy Shevchenko said that the funds he had raised for the reconstruction of the destroyed Champion Stadium in Irpin had been transferred to the local council.
In turn, [Komersant] sent a request to the Irpin City Council to comment on whether they had received the funds mentioned by the UAF president and the current level of repair work on the reconstruction of the city’s sports arena destroyed by the occupiers.
The written response received from the city council reads as follows:
“According to the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 12.01.2024 No. 21-r “On the transfer of funds to the Kyiv Regional State Administration from the account “Fund for the Restoration of Destroyed Property and Infrastructure”, funds were allocated in the amount of UAH 13,000.0 thousand for the project “Overhaul of the
of the central city stadium “Champion” at 183-B Soborna Street in Irpin”, additionally, by the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 29.03.2024 No. 283-r “On the transfer of funds from the account “Fund for the Restoration of Destroyed Property and Infrastructure” to the Kyiv Regional State Administration in 2024, UAH 34,347.15 thousand were provided for the restoration of the stadium”
In view of this, the Kyiv Regional Military Administration appealed to the Ministry of
of Communities and Territories of Ukraine regarding the distribution and transfer of funds from the account of the “Fund for the Restoration of Destroyed Property and Infrastructure”. According to the information on the movement of funds
on the accounts for attracting voluntary contributions (charitable donations) in support of Ukraine “UNITED24”, as of January 13, 2025, the account “Fund for the Restoration of Destroyed Property and Infrastructure” has an amount of UAH 35,937 thousand.
At the meeting of the Interagency Commission for Reviewing Applications and Preparing Proposals for the Distribution and/or Transfer of Funds from the Fund for Restoration of Destroyed Property and Infrastructure to Objects to be Restored, the request of the Kyiv Regional State Administration (Kyiv Regional Military Administration) was considered, including the distribution and transfer of funds from the account “Fund for Restoration of Destroyed Property and Infrastructure” for the overhaul of the central city stadium “Champion” in Irpin and it was decided to support the proposal
20.01.2025).
Now, as explained by the Irpin City Council, it is up to the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine to prepare a relevant package of acts of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Initiatives to restore the Champion Stadium
After the de-occupation of the city, active discussions and plans to restore the stadium began. In January 2023, the acting head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Mykola Kalashnyk, together with the head of the Irpin community Oleksandr Markushyn, inspected the damaged facilities, including the Champion Stadium. It was noted that project documentation is being developed to restore the stadium, and negotiations are underway with potential partners to attract off-budget funding.
International support plays an important role in the reconstruction process. Famous Ukrainian footballer Andriy Shevchenko, together with the United24 platform, is actively involved in raising funds for the stadium’s reconstruction. In addition, AC Milan and Shakhtar football clubs held charity events, raising significant amounts of money to rebuild Irpin’s sports infrastructure.
In November 2022, Shevchenko and UNITED24 announced a fundraiser to rebuild the destroyed stadium. The initial goal was 600 thousand euros, which was to be used to reconstruct the stands, restore the field and lighting.
However, as of November 2023, the restoration work at the stadium had not begun. According to information from the Prozorro public procurement system, the Department of Regional Development of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration announced tenders totaling more than UAH 74 million for the reconstruction of the Champion. These funds were allocated from the state budget, which is significantly higher than the initially announced amount.
The question of where the funds raised by Shevchenko were directed remains open. Representatives of UNITED24 reported in early February 2024 that after a detailed assessment of the damage, the amount needed for reconstruction had increased, and additional funds had been raised through international donor efforts. The full amount of 42 million hryvnias was transferred to the account of the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the first tranche was to be transferred to the local authorities.
What is known about the stadium in Irpin, which was destroyed by the Russian occupiers
The city of Irpin, located in the Kyiv region, has become one of the symbols of the destruction caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine. Among the damaged facilities is the city’s Champion Stadium, which served as a center of sports life and a venue for various events before the war.
As a result of shelling and hostilities in the spring of 2022, the Champion Stadium was heavily damaged. Photos published by the ITV news agency show the destroyed stands, damaged pitch and stadium infrastructure. Local authorities and residents were shocked by the extent of the damage, given that before the war, Champion hosted matches of the Ukrainian women’s youth football team and the men’s rugby sevens team.
As of February 2025, restoration work at the Champion Stadium is ongoing. The pitch has already been restored using modern artificial turf technologies. After a detailed inspection, it was decided to partially dismantle and reinforce the damaged structures. The next step will be to adjust the design and estimate documentation and continue the repair and construction work.
The local authorities emphasize that the restoration of the Champion Stadium is a priority project given its importance for the city’s sports and social life. The involvement of international partners and charitable organizations plays a key role in providing the necessary funding and technical support for the successful implementation of the project.
