Host city Kyiv

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City: Kyiv

Province: Kyiv Oblast

Population: 2,794,000

Area: 839 km2 

Altitude: 179 m above sea level

Kyiv is the beautiful capital of Ukraine and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The elder right-bank (western) part of Kyiv (Kiev) is represented by numerous woody hills, ravines and small rivers (now mostly extinct). The left-bank (eastern) part of the city was built in the Dnieper valley. Significant areas of it were artificially sand-deposited and enforced by dams. Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-techindustries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport.

An ancient legend says, that Kyiv was founded by three brothers Kyi, Schek and Khoryv and their sister Lybid and it was named after the eldest brother Kyi.

Climate: Kyiv's climate is moderately continental. The average winter temperature is about -5 °C, in summer the average temperature is +27 °C.

TRANSPORT

To and from

Kyiv has two airports, Zhulyany (8km south-west of the city centre) and Boryspil International (35km east). The latter has regular services to Warsaw, Lviv, Kharkiv and Donetsk. The Central Bus Station 3km south of the centre offers longer but somewhat cheaper links to other UEFA EURO 2012 venues: Lviv (10 hours), Kharkiv (7 hours) and Donetsk (11.5 hours). The swish train terminal in the heart of the city has connections, many overnight, to Kharkiv (from 6 hours), Lviv (from 6.5 hours), Donetsk (12 hours), Warsaw (from 15 hours), Poznan (18 hours) and Wroclaw (25 hours).

Distances to other UEFA EURO 2012™ venues:

Kharkiv – 480km

Lviv – 540km

Donetsk – 700km

Warsaw – 820km

Wroclaw – 1,090km

Poznan – 1,140km

Gdansk – 1,190km

Web resource that might help you in finding the way in the city: http://www.eway.in.ua

In and around

Public transport includes buses, trolleybuses, trams and an ever-expanding metro system. The metro is usually the fastest and most convenient way of getting around, even if the descent to the depths of the city can be a journey in itself – at 102m underground, Arsenalna is one of the deepest stations in the world. It runs from 6am until midnight and the turquoise journey tokens cost 2 UAH; a monthly pass is 95 UAH. Like many former Soviet metro systems, stations are clean and elaborately decorated a contrast to the somewhat less reliable bus service as they have to contend with Kyivan traffic.

SPORT

Sporting excellence and Kyiv go hand in hand. Women's handball side Spartak Kyiv won 20 consecutive USSR championships between 1969 and 1988 and Kyivans have also had a big impact on the international stage. 'Man of Iron' Borys Shakhlin earned seven Olympic gold medals, fellow gymnast Larysa Latynina won nine. Neither were born in Kyiv but both moved there early like Valeriy Borzov, winner of the 100m and 200m sprint double in 1972. Kyiv is also the hometown of two-time Stanley Cup ice hockey victor Ruslan Fedotenko.

FOOTBALL

Kyiv is home to the dominant force in Ukrainian football, FC Dynamo Kyiv, a club founded in 1927 with the distinction of never suffering top-flight relegation – at first in the USSR and now Ukraine.

Dynamo is not the only top-flight team in the capital – FC Arsenal Kyiv, formerly the army side CSKA, and brewery-backed FC Obolon Kyiv are also resident – yet the Bilo-Syni (White-Blues) are the star attraction. The most successful side in the USSR with 13 Soviet Top League titles and nine cup wins, their dominance has continued since independence, claiming 13 of the 21 titles and nine cups.

FC Dynamo Kyiv

Nickname: Bilo-Syni (White-Blues)

Founded: 1927

Honours: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1975, 1986; UEFA Super Cup: 1975; (1986); Soviet/Ukrainian league title: 26 (2009), Soviet/Ukrainian Cup: 18 (2007)

Most appearances: Oleh Blokhin (647)

Most goals: Oleh Blokhin (282)

Did you know?

Dynamo became the first team from the Soviet Union to capture a major European title when they lifted the 1975 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Olympic NSC

UEFA EURO 2012™ capacity: 68 055

From 1 December 2008 stadium the stadium underwent a full-scale reconstruction in order to satisfy standards put in place by UEFA for hosting the Euro 2012 football tournament. Among all sports arenas that are being prepared for Euro-2012 Olympic NSC is the largest. It is the stadium on which final competition and closing ceremony will be held.

WHERE TO STAY

Kyiv is ready to accommodate fans for all three of its UEFA EURO 2012 group matches as well as the quarter-final and the final. Thousands of beds are still available in hotels of 1, 2 and 3-star rating, as well as in health resorts and dormitories. Prices start at €17 and can be booked via www.accom2012.comand www.hotelsukraine.com.ua/en.

Apartments can be rented and bed and breakfast is available on www.kievrent.net andwww.ukraineapartments.com. There are also several camp sites able to welcome large groups of fans, with a few constructed specifically for the occasion:

Kiev Beach Club
Location: Trukhaniv Island (1km from the fan zone)
Capacity: Up to 10,000 beds (tents for 2-4 persons)
Price: From €25 per person per night
Booking: www.accom2012.com

Fan Plaza

Location: Expocentre, 1 Academician Hlushkov Street (with direct subway to the fan zone and the stadium in under 30 minutes)
Capacity: Up to 4,400 beds (rooms for 4-8 persons)
Price range: €50 per person per night
Booking: www.accom2012.com

Camping Prolisok
Location: 139 Peremohy Avenue (4km from the stadium)
Capacity: 300 beds in tents, 50 places for campers
Price: €25 per person per night for tent bed; €65 per camper per night
Booking: +38 044 254 51 10 or +38 044 254 53 82 or nikitchenko@hamalia.com.ua

Kievan Rus Park
Location: 55km away from the city centre
Capacity: 530 beds in tents (tents for 2/4/6/8 people, places for own tents and caravans)
Price range: From €11 per person per night; up to €45 per caravan per night
Booking: www.parkkyivrus.com/

Enclave 
Location: On golf course on the banks of the Dnipro River (20 minutes from city centre)
Capacity: 500 beds
Price: From €275 per person per night
Booking: www.accom2012.com