The running tracks at the stadium in Mykolaiv to be repaired, which were damaged by shelling four years ago
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- Alina KvitkoReporter
Plans are in place to repair at least two running tracks at Mykolaiv’s Central City Stadium, which were damaged as a result of Russian shelling in 2022.
During a staff meeting on 7 September, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych instructed the municipal services to look into the possibility of partial repairs so that the tracks can be used to their full potential, according to NikVesti.
He said that he had recently visited the Central Stadium to assess its condition. The Russian missile struck the running tracks directly. The damaged area was filled in, but a full repair has not yet been carried out.
«You’ll recall that the impact site was on the running tracks, and they simply filled it in. And it’s still like that; nothing has been done,» said the mayor.
Oleksandr Sienkevych instructed the municipal enterprise «ELU Avtodorig» to work with the sports department and the director of the Central Stadium to explore the possibility of restoring at least two tracks.
«See if we can repair at least two tracks there, so that people can at least run on them,» he said.
According to the mayor, the stadium is already ready to carry out preparatory work — removing the damaged surface and preparing the base for further repairs.
The running tracks at the Central Stadium are badly damaged. Photo: NikVesti archive
The running tracks at the Central Stadium are badly damaged. Photo: NikVesti archive
The running tracks at the Central Stadium are badly damaged. Photo: NikVesti archiveBackground
The issue of the condition of the running tracks at the Central Stadium has been raised publicly on numerous occasions. In May, members of the Mykolaiv Regional Council criticised the condition of the facility and showed photographs of the damaged tracks. It was noted at the time that almost four years had passed since the Russian attack, yet a full-scale restoration had still not taken place.
Viacheslav Misarenko, director of the Central City Stadium, had previously reported that the tracks required not just replacement of the top layer, but comprehensive repairs — in particular to the base and geometry — in accordance with modern athletics requirements. According to him, there is currently no funding available for such work.
Earlier, in 2023, Oleksandr Sienkevych also stated that the professional refurbishment of the running tracks would cost nearly 25 million hryvnias, which is why the city authorities did not consider it appropriate to allocate such funds to this facility during the war. At the same time, he emphasised that the tracks around the central pitch would eventually be restored.
The central stadium sustained significant damage following a missile strike on 28 June 2022. The strike damaged, in particular, the running tracks, the stands and the administrative building.
The stadium is also exploring the possibility of installing solar panels
Oleksandr Sienkevych also discussed the possibility of installing solar panels. According to him, the site has a large roof area that is not shaded by trees, so it could be used to house a solar power station with the support of donors or international partners.
«If we have any partners who are prepared to supply us with electricity — that is, solar power — they can make use of this site,» noted the mayor.
He also instructed officials to look into the «Zoria» sports complex, which consumes a significant amount of electricity, particularly for heating the swimming pool and powering the complex’s operations.
According to Oleksandr Sienkevych, if the city finds partners willing to implement such projects, they will be invited to consider both sports facilities.
