Political and Economic Events around the Grand Opening of the DONBASS ARENA

1. Ukraine opens the largest soccer stadium in Eastern Europe – DONBASS ARENA. A new stadium has 50,000 seats. It is the first stadium with a five-star UEFA ELITE rating built in Eastern Europe. Around $400 mln were spent on its construction.
   
2. BEYONCE performed at the DONBASS ARENA opening ceremony. President of FC SHAKTAR (eng. Coal-miner) and member of POR party, Rinat Akhmetov, said that Beyonce received $2 mln for her performance.
   
3. Donbass region demonstrates its support of POR party once again. President Yushchenko got booed at the opening ceremony of DONBASS ARENA. Prime-minister Tymoshenko who was at the opening ceremony refused to make a speech after she saw how the audience "welcomed" President Yushchenko.
   
4. The grand opening of DONBASS ARENA was so grandiose that it almost looked like the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (video 1, video 2).