A battle is unfolding in the capital to preserve sports infrastructure: residents of Kyiv are urging the city authorities to prevent the disappearance of the ice arena ‘Kryzhynka’ in the Dnipro district.
This is reported by Kyiv24
The community has united to protect the arena
The ice arena ‘Kryzhynka’ has been an important center for figure skating and hockey training for over 40 years. Currently, residents are concerned about its future and are calling on officials to intervene in the situation to preserve this sports facility for the community.
A corresponding electronic petition has already appeared on the Kyiv City Council website. The authors of the appeal report that the land plot where the arena is located was recently sold to a private investor, who has reallocated it for the construction of a residential complex or office center.
Possible closure and its consequences
According to the signatories of the petition, the rink could close as early as December 28, which, according to activists, would lead to serious consequences for capital sports and youth. It is noted that the cessation of the arena’s operations would halt the training of hundreds of children and professional athletes, as well as destroy the established system of figure skating and hockey training that has developed in Kyiv over decades.
“If this happens, activists point out, it will lead to a complete halt of the training process for hundreds of children and professional athletes, and the destruction of the established sports base for figure skating and hockey in Kyiv.”
Moreover, residents of the capital emphasize the acute shortage of ice arenas in the city, making ‘Kryzhynka’ particularly important for the development of sports.
The community demands that the authorities intervene immediately, initiate a review of the legality of the change in land use designation, and the transfer of the building into private ownership. Residents also propose considering the possibility of purchasing the sports facility with subsequent transfer to communal ownership and the introduction of a ban on the demolition or reconstruction of the arena.