Behind the Flashy Facade of Russia’s World Cup

25 June 2018 19:03

The World Cup kicked off in Russia on June 14. Amidst international excitement, Hromadske looks at the conditions beyond the football fans and camera flashes. How much was spent on stadiums? How are visiting fans being tracked? Who performed at the opening ceremony? What’s going on with Oleg Sentsov in the midst of all?

At Great Expense

The World Cup is taking place in 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities. The budget for the championship is 360 billion rubles, which means about $5.75 billion available for building and restoring stadiums.

Despite the huge costs invested in the arenas, many are already in need of repair. The construction of St. Petersburg’s Krestovsky stadium took 10 years (and ultimately cost 48 billion rubles, or $764 million). It opened in summer 2017 and has a leaky roof, cracked tiles, and ramps that lead nowhere.

During the construction of Baltika Arena in Kaliningrad, according to various sources, anywhere from 300 to 500 million rubles ($4-8 million) disappeared.

The designers of Ekaterinburg’s stadium expansion met the World Cup requirement to seat 35 thousand spectators by adding bleachers outside the bounds of the arena.

Local residents complain that the stadium now resembles an impregnable fortress.

“Before mothers could walk around here with their strollers, you could play sports. Now we have this miserable structure. Who is it for?” complains local resident Elena Mormol in an interview with Reuters.

FAN ID and Other Restrictions

This year World Cup spectators need more than a ticket to enter the stadium. Every ticket holder is required to have a FAN ID – a special pass displaying one’s photo and personal data.

As explained on the FAN ID website, registering for the pass requires supplying detailed personal information, including name, date of birth, passport information, mobile telephone number, e-mail and home address. This information is managed by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation.

Entry into cities hosting World Cup matches is restricted to buses with special permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Individuals attending matches from other Russian cities have to report to the local Ministry of Internal Affairs department within three days of arrival, while foreigners have to report within one.

“There are restrictions on the organizing of peaceful gatherings during the time of the World Cup. Also, there are restrictions on the sale of alcohol,” explained Novaya Gazeta journalist Nadezhda Prusenkova in an interview with Hromadske.

Salah and Kadyrov

Much to the controversy that this decision has sparked, Egypt’s national team are based in Chechnya for the World Cup. On June 12, Mohamed Salah, a star of the Egyptian football team and a Liverpool FC forward, had his rest interrupted by a visit from Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechen leader accused of numerous human rights violations, on occasion of a personal visit to the training grounds of the Egyptian team.

News, which first appeared on Associated Press, stated that Kadyrov personally sent his car to the hotel in Grozny where the Egyptian team is staying, so that Salah could travel to the stadium with the Chechen leader. This is bearing in mind the fact that Salah does not train with the general group, and is still recovering from the shoulder injury he received during the UEFA Champions League final.

On June 23, another news broke out that Salah accepted an honorary citizenship from Kadyrov.

Negativity Ban

Leading up to the kickoff, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation issued a directive to regional media to refrain from publishing “negative news,” as reported by Mediazona. According to the publication, this means news of detentions and arrests. In addition, beginning June 6, regional departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs stopped publishing information about criminal investigations.

Helpful Cossacks

Curiously, Russian authorities decided to enlist the help of unlawful paramilitary groups of “Cossacks” to maintain public order during the World Cup championship. Reuters reports that many of those engaged have experience fighting in the Russian campaigns in Syria and Ukraine. The number of personnel in these new patrols is roughly 800. The newly formed Cossack brigades are reported to be directly sponsored by the Kremlin. One is the “Great Don Army,” which played an active role in the war in Ukraine’s east.

Women Can Figure it Out

Head of the Duma Family Committee Tamara Pletneva urged Russian women to abstain from sex with foreign fans, lest it bring about “unwanted children.” She said, “These children suffer, this even happened during the Soviet days. We should cherish our children. I’m not a nationalist, but still.”

Meanwhile, Liberal Democratic Party member Mikhail Degtyarev encouraged women to fall in love with foreign fans and give birth to children.

Finally, Putin’s press-secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that women can decide for themselves with whom to have intimate contact, and any questions of that nature are beyond the purview of the presidential administration.

“Angels” and Hooligans

Natalia Oreiro, star of a popular Argentinian series “Wild Angel” wrote a song “United by Love” for the World Cup in three languages: Spanish, English, and Russian. In the song’s video she wears a kokoshnik and shirt made from the flags of different countries.

Performing at the opening of the championship, British singer Robbie Williams announced that he was asked not to perform his famous song “Party like a Russian” and then proceeded to make an obscene gesture towards the camera.

Famous Russian singer Alexander Malinin performed with his daughter a song called “Moscow Welcomes the Championship,” based on the 1979 hit by Ghengis-Khan. Internet users remarked on the low quality of the video’s graphics and effects, in addition to criticizing the song lyrics.

Comedian Semen Slepakov performed a satirical song about the Russian national football team. The song recommends hiring Ramzan Kadyrov as the head coach. Kadyrov himself enjoyed the song and even responded in verse.

“I Support Sentsov”

Oleg Sentsov, the Ukrainian filmmaker imprisoned in Russia on fabricated charges, continues his hunger strike in the Arctic colony of Labytnangi to this day. On June 8 he was taken to an intensive care unit. His situation has improved since then, but he remains in the medical ward. His cousin Nataliya Kaplan says he has no intention of stopping the hunger strike.

On World Cup opening day, the Open Russia organization unfurled a large banner of Sentsov near the stadium of Luzhinki, demanding release of the Ukrainian prisoner. This was reported by the organization’s head Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Twitter.

On June 15 Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmila Denisova arrived at the prison colony in Labytnangi to visit Sentsov. It was then reported that she was not permitted entry.

Member of European Parliament Mark Demesmaeker called European leaders to turn their attention away from football and toward demanding freedom for Sentsov.

“Today, I am a fan of Sentsov,” he stated.

The Case of Yuri Dmitriev

“We’re already joking that the championship just started, and within two hours [the authorities] have managed to overturn the acquittal of historian Yuri Dmitriev, raise the retirement age [...] and we still have a month to go,” said Novaya Gazeta journalist Nadezhda Prusenkova during a live broadcast with Hromadske.

The Supreme Court of Karelia did overturn the acquittal of historian and head of the Karelia Memorial Society Yuri Dmitriev (who is known for locating the executions sites and identifying victims of Stalin’s Terror – ed.). After more than a year in jail on the false charge of “depraved actions,” Dmitriev was freed on April 5. Now, according to “new circumstances” that are not subject to external verification, the issue will be reviewed closer to September.