Dynama Stadium re-design worth $40K to remain on paper?

The reconstruction of Dynama Stadium is turning into a real TV series-like saga. Last fall, the president ordered to transform the arena into a modern stadium with the capacity of 40,000 seats within two years. Initially, a Hungarian company looked set to be granted a contract to rennovate the arena but was eventually sent off. Last winter when the re-design tender was won by a German company, preliminary works to disassemble the stands began.

$40,000 were paid to the German company for the stadium's outward apperance re-design. The second and the third runner-ups got $30,000 each...

But speaking in mid-August at a meeting with top government officials dedicated to the future of Dynama Minsk sports club, the head of state voiced new ambiotious plans with regard to... an field-and-tracks stadium instead of a football arena.

"It could be a high-class athletics stadium. There is no escaping from the fact that athletics is a sport that may bring medals," said Lukashenka. "It has turned out that the money we wanted to spend to demolish and rennovate Dynama, we still can do it and build yet another one."

As for a new football stadium, Aliaksandr Lukashenka proposed to reconstruct Traktar stadium or even to build a stadium anew on a different site. In the view of Belarusian leader, the arena should accommodate between 28,000 and 35,000 visitors.

Bealrusian officials would voice a number of ideas as for the reconstruction of Dynama Stadium, but those ideas were never implemented. Therefore, Euroradio has approached competent sources asking to comment on what is taking place at Minsk's key stadiums at the moment.

Euroradio has learned that Dynama Stadium director Yury Kryvadubski resigned from his position on the eve of the August meeting with the president and got a managerial position at FC Minsk. He is replaced by Aleh Kurceuski, former director of Minsk Ice Arena.

"I will not give you a definite answer with regard to reconstruction [of Dynama Stadium], explains the new director to Euroradio. "But there were preconditions for a comprehensive sports complex so that athletics events could be hosted. That will be probably the focus."

The adminstration of Traktar Stadium in Minsk was fired just several days aga. Currently, a new director is yet to appointed within the next several days by Minsk City Hall.

Traktar Stadium. Photo: news.21.by

"I know that 25 per cent of stakes in Traktar Stadium belonged to the state. 75 per cent belonged to businessman Romanov," says renowned football expert Liudas Rumbutis who managed FC Partizan Minsk when businessman Romanov provided the funding. "I know nothing about reconstruction. I just read the news yesterday that something was to be done there. I don't know who is taking over as the owner now."

Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov who owns 75 per cent of Traktar Stadium was the owner of Lithuanian bank Ūkio bankas and invested dozens million US dollars in FC Partizan and Traktar Stadium. The stadium was expected to be transformed into a new arena with several residential buildings to be built nearby. The project was worth $250 million. But Romanov failed to reach an agreement with Belarusian partners and lost interest in Belarus.

The owners of the new opened DJ-bar Shelter, located at Traktar Stadium, told Euroradio they were alarmed by the news about the forthcoming reconstruction of the stadium. That way, they would have to close their entertainement center and incur substantial losses.

Despite the new whirpool of plans to reconstruct the stadiums in Minsk, officials at Architecture and Urban Development Committee at Minsk City Hall know nothing about the new plans. But they stress that the German project to transform Dynama into a modern football stadium was only a re-design project that went no further than a blue-print.

“No amendments have been filed with the Committee. We have received no  official information," deputy head of committee Uladzimir Kurshyn.  "I served as an acting chairman of the committee for two weeks. There were just speculations and rumors. Perhaps, some decisions have been taken but they are yet to be communicated to us."

Euroradio: Do you know anything about a possible reconstruction of Traktar Stadium?

Uladzimir Krushyn: “I know nothing. We do not make decisions. When we get a communication, we will consider it and start implementing."