Today at 19:02
“Two stages, an entertainment program, and 60,000 guests divided into two teams. Kyiv’s Olympiyskiy stadium is getting ready for today. But will the two presidential candidates actually meet? And what will the format of this meeting be? A debate or election campaigning,” UATV reporter Olha Mykhayliuk said.
There are just hours left before Ukraine’s presidential debate. Kilometers of cables have been laid, panels have been fitted, and the stages are up.
Candidate Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s stage was set up first. It’s designed to look like the Ukrainian flag. The showman’s team has a lot of experience in setting up stages.
“We’re on time with everything. We’ll have the television equipment ready, and we’ll be set to hold rehearsals,” Representative of Zelenskyi Campaign Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.
On the other side of the field, is Petro Poroshenko’s stage. It has a minimalist design. His team also worked non-stop to set it up.
“Right now we’re doing a sound check. We’ll make it in time,” the engineer says.
In the center of Olympiyskiy stadium, representatives marched around the turf, to check where they planned to put the fan zone. The zone will be fitted for 10,000 fans from each candidate. Protecting the pitch from that many people took some planning.
“It will be covered with a protective layer, and after it’s taken off, we’ll check the condition of the pitch, to see if everything’s alright. If the field is damaged, then the candidates will have to compensate,” Deputy Events Director of Olympiyskiy Stadium Volodymyr Buhai said.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, over 10,000 law enforcement officers will be deployed to keep the peace. They have warned visitors that bringing flammable or sharp objects, or weapons, is forbidden. And the fans for each candidate will be separated.
“According to the latest agreements, as far as we know, they will be divided… As for the number of law enforcement officers… there will be enough to make any provocations impossible. In any case – there will be enough to respond promptly to any unusual situations,” Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs Zoryan Shkiryak said.
The debate will begin at 7 pm, Kyiv time. Entrance to the stadium is free of charge, but no tickets can be found at the stadium’s ticket booths.
“One of the candidate’s election headquarters distributed tickets via the Internet. The second headquarters went a different way – and identified all the guests who will be present at the arena. But this is connected with the status of one of the candidates because he is the current President and is under special state protection,” Deputy Director of Olympiyskiy Stadium Viktor Anisimov said.
As for the allotted space for Zelenskyi fans, tickets are sold out. They were reportedly available for purchase online. According to the debate schedule, the stadium opens at 4:00 pm, and the entertainment portion of the program begins at 5.
Poroshenko’s election headquarters is asking potential visitors to go through registration, as a safety measure. For those living outside of Kyiv, there will be free bus rides from each regional capital.
A restaurant near the stadium is prepared for a big dinner crowd. Restaurant owners say they usually see these kinds of crowds only during football games.
“We don’t have experience with political events. We hope that everyone makes their own choice. We understand that we’re not just talking about a football score, but about the future of our country,” restaurant Marketing Director Olha Bukevych.
The debate at Kyiv’s Olympiyskiy Stadium, according to law, is not considered an official presidential debate. The official debate must be held in the Public Broadcasting Company’s studio. The start time of this debate was pushed back to 9:00 pm Kyiv time, in order to give both candidates time to make it from the stadium.
