Translated material
How much is Euro 2012
The 14th European football championship in Warsaw on June 8 is unprecedented in its own way. Never before have been such a powerful international protest campaign against an organizing country. Calls to boycott Ukraine hosting the tournament “Poles” with Poland, for the “persecution” of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, were heard from the lips of the first European politics: the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, the newly elected President of France ... And only on May 24, he officially stated that the “political boycott of the Ukrainian part of the Euro 2012”, surrounded by President Viktor Yanukovyk Sighed. The course for the main football spectacle of the New Times monitored in Kyiv, Warsaw and Wroclaw. 
In Ukraine, on preparations for Euro 2012, which will be accepted by four cities-Kyiv, Donetsk, Kharkov and Lviv-say everything from the president to the taxi driver. The first is sure that Ukraine was “ready one hundred percent” and its team managed to make the impossible: in two years to prepare the entire infrastructure, eliminating the short power of the past government by the Stakhanov pace. “Two years ago, the level of preparation for Euro 2012 was estimated by specialists at the level of 10-12%,” Viktor Yanukovych recently assured, “we hopelessly lagged behind the preparation schedule, and warnings that we will not have time.” The taxi drivers are covered with obscenities and all the authorities who decided to block the baptism and putting the transport flow to the detour of the center of the capital through the narrow streets, as a result of which traffic jams began to occur not only in the morning and evening, but also in the afternoon.
How much is a holiday
A week before the start of the championship, it finally became aware of how much funds Ukraine invested in its preparation. According to the Ministry of Regional Construction, approximately $ 20 billion, of which $ 5 billion is the funds of the state budget. Three stadiums in Kyiv, Kharkov and Lviv were built with this money, airports, training bases in the Lviv, Kyiv and Donetsk regions were reconstructed, roads were fixed. In addition, 44 hotels for 4.5 thousand rooms were built and reconstructed, 24 dormitories for 11 thousand places were repaired. Poland, according to the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Infrastructure, Boris Kolesnikov, and even spent $ 34 billion on preparations for the Euro. According to him, Ukraine plans to earn up to $ 1.5 billion at the championship, and the country will visit the country from 800 thousand to 1.2 million tourists. But this is the position of official authorities. If you believe some Western media, Ukraine is almost the most dangerous country in Europe. Kiev is scared in the same way as in the Cold War - Moscow, only instead of bears wandering around Red Square, they are now talking about prostitutes, racists and a rampant of epidemics, from AIDS to measles. 
"Hold them at home!"
Kyiv received the most serious reputational blow from the German and British media. The interest of Berlin was clear: Germany hoped that if Kyiv did not get in preparation, the right to hold the championship would go to it. The interest of England is not so obvious. It is possible that it is not at all. But it was thanks to the BBC that all of Europe learned that in Ukraine it is unsafe to be African Americans and Asians. The Panorama program showed a plot about the match between the Kharkov Metalist and the Donetsk Shakhtar, when the fans of both teams attacked a Asian student. Commenting on what he saw, the ex-captain of the English football team Sol Campbell gave advice to the fans: “Stay at home. Watch the championship on TV. No need to take risks. Because you can return back in the tombs. ” And even before this recommendation on the Netherlands NED-1 and Ned-2, the social video “Hold it at home” was broadcast, which called for Dutch to do everything possible so that their couple would not go to Ukraine, where “full of beautiful women”.
In the background
However, Ukrainian newspapers and television are not lagging behind the Western ones in terms of revelations. Why are public procurements in the framework of preparation for Euro 2012 were opaque; Why are ticket prices so high, and European fans get them much more. It got to the point that the Ukrainian director of the tournament, Markiyan Lubkivsky, called on journalists to introduce self-censorship and declare a moratorium on negative information about Euro 2012: “80–90% of negativity is not true. Yes, we have problems, but they are in Europe, and I do not understand how to constantly pour mud on yourself. ”
Against this background, football himself faded into the background. The news about the composition of the Ukrainian team was almost unnoticed, there are practically no plots on television about its preparation. Nevertheless, the championship will take place, and the new European football champion will eventually be announced in Kyiv. What will happen later - you can only guess. It is possible that according to the results of the parliamentary elections that will take place on October 28 this year, the opposition will be able to receive a majority in the Verkhovna Rada. Supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko, who is serving a 7-year term in Kharkov, where several matches will be held, promise to initiate anti-corruption investigations against those who prepared the country for the euro. True, Boris Kolesnikov, who is responsible for the preparation of Ukraine for the tournament, does not scare such a prospect: “I had a choice from the very beginning-either to be afraid of something, or prepare the country for the championship. I chose the second. I give one hundred percent guarantee: all the actions of my team fit into Ukrainian legislation. ” "
The main theme for rumors and gossip is the most expensive box in the new stadium of the monoclava, which, as the sources assure, rented three matches in the group Passionate Football Lover Roman Abramovich
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In neighboring Poland, the question of who and how distributed tickets for the euro, in the fan environment is just as acute as in Ukraine. Polish newspapers are ironic about the unheard of generosity of the Minister of Sports, Yoanna Mukha, who offered a “certain percentage” of tickets to the officials of the central departments, the figures of political parties and deputies of the Sejm. So far, only the Marshal of Sejm Eva Kopach has not taken advantage of the unexpected privilege. “No one took the right to purchase tickets from the deputies on the principles binding on all fans,” she explained her refusal. It is the “principles” of local figures that the fans are most outraged. “Look, our football union received 23 thousand tickets. Well, I divided them in the style well known to us: two -thirds - for officials, sponsors and guests and only about 8 thousand - for the draw between the fans, ”the passionate fan and young manager of one of the Polish firms Peter explains the New Times. “And there were dozens of people who wanted, if not hundreds of thousands.”
According to Peter, Polish officials from football, distributing tickets, arranged everything slyly: before participating in the draw, it was necessary to buy a map of the “Club of the Fans of the Polish national team”, which will be valid for two years. “And this is for one match for Euro 2012! - Peter is getting excited. - In short, my friends and I did not even contact this. For example, I ordered tickets in time directly on the UEFA website - for one match in the group and for one quarter -finals. ”
UEFA, by the way, opened on the Internet a special site for exchange of tickets, until April 10 they could be resold by face value. Subpering with profit - it is strictly prohibited (although the UEFA service itself on the secondary market has unfastened 10% of the commission for itself), and the Polish law states that "the sale of entrance tickets for artistic, entertainment and sports events is prohibited above the nominal price, as well as the purchase of tickets with the aim of reserves with profit." But hunting for a fan with a tight wallet more than captivity. Polish resellers are much in fiction. There are a lot of offers to buy a ticket by face value, or even get it for nothing. But-as an application to the scarf of a fan or a beer mug with the Euro 2012 logo. All together - for ... € 300-500.
A curious example of an announcement on one of the Internet portals is given by Newsweek Polska weekly: “Polish-Russian dictionaries are offered 3800 zlotys (about € 1 thousand-The New Times), which are especially useful at the Euro 2012 match Poland-Russia. It is best to use them on June 12 at 20.45 in category II sectors. ” Another veiled way to sell a ticket is an invitation to attend the final match in Kyiv. Not a word about the ticket price in the announcement, but the service for moving to Kyiv will cost each fan from the four (UEFA sold tickets in a package for four) at € 1 thousand. 
The Russian team debuts at the championship with a match with the Czech Republic on June 8 in Wroclaw. “We prepared for the arrival of Russian and Czech fans to the fan zone for 30 thousand people in the most beautiful place of the city, in the Town Hall market, near cozy restaurants and Pivbars,” says Rafal Dutkevich, mayor of Wrozlava Rafal Dutkevich. “The premiere of the opera Ball Mascarad will take place on the open air, each of the spectators will receive a mask and will be able to become a member of the action.” Rumor has it that Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, will come to the Wroclaw for a match with Russia. But what about Vladimir Putin? “Information has come to us that he could also fly,” Mikhal Yanitsky shares with The New Times Vice-mayor.
But the main topic for rumors and gossip is the most expensive box in the Wroclaw new stadium, which, as informed sources assure, rented three matches in the group Passionate football fan Roman Abramovich. Exclusive salon with an area of 80 square meters. m can take 24 people. One place in the box costs € 5.2 thousand. Having bought all the pleasure in bulk, the Russian oligarch paid € 125 thousand, saving half a percent. For this, as follows from the advertising avenue of Salon Lux, Abramovich and his guests will receive “unique emotions in an elite company and exclusive conditions: a welcome cocktail, a rich selection of the most selected wines and alcohol of the upper class, treats before the match, according to its course and at the end, as well as a special present.” 
The world -famous Polish marathon, multiple champion of Olympiads, Europe and the world Robert Kozhenyovsky, on behalf of UEFA, is engaged in marketing of corporate packages for fans - Club Prestige. The package makes it possible to see a choice of several matches with exclusive maintenance. It is not cheap: five matches at the Warsaw stadium will cost € 7850, but the demand is great. 12% of customers who ordered Platinum or Gold packages are Russians. 
A housing issue
The Russian team for living was chosen by the Warsaw five -star hotel Bristol. The numbers of the highest category, in its interior, is not one like another. TV with a Russian channel, the Internet. Italian cuisine with a Polish accent, the best desserts in Warsaw. And a fantastic location: the most prestigious street Krakowskoe suburb, a five -minute walk, the main attraction of the capital is the old city, many boutiques, cafes. And next door, the Presidential Palace, near which the Polish opposition of the tenth of each month commemorates the victims of the plane crash of the Polish presidential aircraft near Smolensk. The Polish Minister of Sports has already offered the Russian team to change the location. The location of the hotel is really little in response to the solution of sports tasks for the euro. “Hotels for such competitions are not chosen by prestige, but in convenience,” sports journalist Marek Ksokovsky notes in a conversation with The New Times. “Under Warsaw there are a lot of pleasant and cozy places for living and rest.”
However, ours are not going to move anywhere. “Prestige” and “Status” - in Russia it is sacred.