Donbass Arena


Yes, the football arena that hosted one of the Euro 2012 finals is the main attraction in the relatively young and industrial Donetsk. It's home to the country's best team – Shakhtar Donetsk, oligarch Akhmetov's favourite toy. At the clearly marked Shakhtar museum, you can arrange a tour of the arena (adult/student 80/40uah; every hour on the hour 11am to 5pm), including dressing rooms, which saw Wayne Rooney after he scored the single goal in the England-Ukraine match kicking the hosts out of Euro 2012. Next to the museum, there is a shop selling clothes in Shakhtar's stylish black and orange colours. If you want to see Shakhtar in action, drop by the ticket office.

The arena is surrounded by the manicured Lenin Komsomol Park. To the right from the main entrance is the striking WWII Liberators of Donbass memorial set against the backdrop of mines and picturesque slag heaps – terrikony. They change colour depending on the season and the time of the day, locals muse dreamily.


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