‘Donbas Arena’ Stadium
‘Donbas Arena’ Stadium
Donetsk ‘Donbas Arena’ Stadium

Donbas Arena is the home stadium of the Ukrainian ‘Shakhtar’ football club, which became the first of the ‘elite’ category in Ukraine and in all of Eastern Europe.

Location:
Donetsk
Official status:
Not registered as monument
Type:
Sports complex
Constructed:
2006-2009
Date of destruction:
07.04.2014
Weapon:
Decay
History

Before April 7, 2022.

Donbas Arena is the home stadium of the Ukrainian ‘Shakhtar’ football club. It was designed and built according to UEFA standards and became the first of the ‘elite’ category in Ukraine and in all of Eastern Europe.

 

The stadium was designed by the British company ArupSport, which also elaborated on the stadiums ‘Manchester City’ in England, ‘Sydney’ in Australia, and ‘Allianz Arena’ in Germany. From the outside, Donbas Arena resembles an alien flying saucer or a huge diamond. The building has a unique glazed facade and is shiny day and night. Its roof was intentionally tilted from north to south in order to increase the amount of natural lighting reaching inside, as well as the aeration of the pitch.

 

The stadium was meticulously designed to fit organically into the landscape around it. The building is surrounded by a large, cosy park, where more than 70,000 bushes and trees were planted. The tree seedlings were brought from the oldest nurseries in Germany, Lappen and Lorberg. A cascade of waterfalls, light-dynamic fountains, an artificial lake, and a rock garden were arranged here. However, a huge 28-ton soccer ball rotating under the pressure of two powerful water jets became the recreation area’s main adornment. It was designed by German craftsmen using a special Tittlinger granite.

 

The stadium was built in a record time, from 2006 to 2009, and it could accommodate more than 50,000 spectators. The lawn, where spectacular and emotional football matches took place later, was brought from Slovakia. It was grown even at night due to the first artificial sunlight system in Eastern Europe.

 

Donbas Arena has become a significant landmark in Donetsk. People supported their favourite football clubs here, sang along to Ukrainian and foreign musicians at concerts, met with loved ones and friends, and enjoyed life. A fitness centre and the largest interactive sports museum in Ukraine dedicated to the Shakhtar football club were opened here. In 2012, Donbas Arena became a finalist for the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award and was listed among the 45 best new European museums.

After April 7, 2022. Photo: 5.ua

In 2010, the stadium received ‘The Best Mobotix Project of 2009 in the World’ and ‘The Best Building of 2009 in Ukraine’ awards. In addition, the opening ceremony at the Donbas Arena was recognized as the event of the year by the Stadium Business Awards. So, it was not surprising that the stadium was added to the list of arenas for Euro 2012 matches. After the championship, the European Football Union announced the Donbas Arena the best stadium for Euro 2012.

 

Donbas Arena received many awards during the 5 years of its functioning and won the world recognition of football professionals and the love of hundreds of thousands of fans. However, in 2014, Russia launched a military invasion of the East of Ukraine. The Russian troops shelled the stadium in August and October 2014, causing significant damage. Sports life has stopped here since then. However, Donbas Arena became a humanitarian aid distribution centre for the Donbas residents living under occupation. It lasted until 2017 because the authorities of the so-called ‘DPR,’ the Russian puppet state, took hold of the stadium.

 

Since then, the Donbas Arena’s heart has stood still, as has the life of the Donetsk region’s occupied part. EuroCups and excited fans’ chanting are left in the past. The park has turned into an abandoned, grassy wasteland with painted benches and a clogged lake. A new generation of Ukrainian football stars has emerged in the past 8 years. They have already conquered the world arenas but have never played in the Donbas Arena at home. Someday they will have such an opportunity in free Ukrainian Donetsk.

 

Meanwhile, the city that once held memories is now turning into a memory itself.

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