Stadion im. Romana Shukhevycha – stadium description

What were the beginnings of the Ternopil municipal stadium?

The beginnings of the Ternopil municipal stadium can be traced back to the end of the 19th century, when a square for gymnastics, athletics and other sports games was built near the city park (" Old Park"). At the time, Ternopil was in Galicia, the crown state of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

At the end of the first decade of the 20th century, two football teams were formed in Ternopil – Kresy and Podilla, the latter associated with the Ukrainian community. On August 21, 1909, on the pitch "near the park", the teams played each other in the first documented football match in the history of Ternopil (won by Kresy 4:1).

Who did the Ternopil stadium serve in the inter-war period?

After the First World War, Ternopil found itself within the borders of the Second Polish Republic. In the interwar period, the most important team in the city was Kresy, who in 1937 were close to being promoted to Class A (the back of the First League).

Was there a 'death match' at the Ternopil stadium?

When Ternopil came under German occupation during the Second World War, there was a match between Ternopil footballers (the team was most likely made up of Podilla players, which was renamed Lokomotiv after the USSR occupied the Eastern Borderlands) and a Luftwaffe team in August 1943. The locals won the match 1:0. There are also accounts of a second match between the Ternopil team and the Germans, played in October 1943, also won by the hosts.

After the war, the Soviet press tried to give these matches a mythical status, categorising them as so-called 'death matches' (the most famous took place in Kiev, but matches in several other Ukrainian cities also earned a similar term). The German players were said to have threatened their opponents with death before the matches if they did not want to lose. However, this information was most likely untrue or exaggerated.

Who did the Ternopil stadium serve after World War II?

After World War II, Ternopil found itself within the borders of the Soviet Union. In 1958, the local team Avangard reached the final of the Ukrainian SSR Cup. The match was played on September 2 at the Ternopil stadium, with the hosts losing 1:2 to Torpedo Kharkiv after extra time.

In 1984 a club called Nywa moved from Berezhany to Ternopil and played in the USSR second division (third level). After Ukrainian independence, the club played in the top division until 2001.

What important matches took place at the Ternopil municipal stadium?

In 1992, the stadium in Ternopil hosted the first interstate match when the Olympic teams of Ukraine and Belarus faced each other in a friendly (0:0). On September 4, 2018, the venue hosted a women's World Cup qualifying match between Ukraine and Hungary (2:0).

On May 13, 2021, the final of the Ukrainian Cup (Dynamo Kyiv – Zorya Luhansk 1:0 a.e.t.) was played at the stadium.

When did the last modernisation of the Ternopil municipal stadium take place?

The stadium has undergone various upgrades over the years, the most recent of which was completed on May 13, 2012, when, among other things, the stadium received new seats, a video screen, some fixtures were replaced and the facilities were renovated.

Whose name is the Ternopil municipal stadium named after and what is the controversy surrounding it?

On March 5, 2021, the city council unanimously agreed to the mayor's request to name the stadium after Roman Shuchevych, general and commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. After the independence of Ukraine, many streets, squares and schools were named after him in the western part of the country.

The cult of Shuchevych aroused much emotion and controversy, and his commemoration was met with fierce opposition. Shuchevych is held responsible for ethnic cleansing during World War II, including the murder of Poles as part of the so-called Volhynian massacre, but also for crimes against Jewish, Belarusian and Ukrainian civilians.

The naming of the municipal stadium in Ternopil after Shuchevych caused the most reaction. The Institute of National Remembrance and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre protested against the decision, the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine condemned it, and the Polish ambassador cancelled a planned visit to the city. Cooperation with Ternopil was severed by the Polish cities of Zamość and Nysa.

Security expert and historian, Dr. Andrzej Zapalowski, commented on the decision of the Ternopil authorities as follows:

"Naming a public place after a person who is associated not only with Ukrainian nationalism, genocide, but above all with a personal attitude and an organisation that acted in support of Nazi Germany, is shocking to me. All the more so since you are giving the name of a genocidaire to a facility that is primarily intended to promote physical culture, sport (...). I would like to remind you that the circles which gave birth to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, an Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (from 1941 onwards most of the Ukrainian police in German service were tens of thousands of people) took part in the murder of Jews between 1941 and 1942. It is estimated that several hundred thousand Jews in Ukraine were murdered with the complicity of these people. Between 1943 and 1944, they murdered Poles. If there are people who are unequivocally associated with the promotion of Ukrainian Nazism and their names are given to public facilities, how does that sound. This is a stadium, so if there were international games, how could a Polish team perform in this type of stadium? It's like if there was a stadium in Germany named after Adolf Hitler or other people who are associated with the German genocide against the Poles. It is an incredible thing for me."

— Andrzej Zapałowski, [NASZ TEMAT] Dr hab. A. Zapałowski: R. Szuchewycz – jeden z dowódców UPA, która mordowała Polaków, ma zostać patronem Stadionu Miejskiego w Tarnopolu. Promocja nazizmu ukraińskiego powinna spotkać się z reakcją polskiego MSZ, RadioMaryja.pl, March 6, 2021

However, the city authorities have announced that they will not reverse their decision.

What does the Ternopil municipal stadium look like?

The facility has a heavily used athletics track, surrounded by stands with a capacity of 15,150 spectators. The stands are equipped with plastic seats, forming a colourful mosaic. The auditorium is covered by a roof assisted by internal supports. A video screen is placed in one corner and four floodlighting masts stand behind the corners. The stadium is located not far from the city centre, next to the "Old Park".