Kievites seeking a different venue for opening of Eurovision-2016

Kiev journalist has registered a petition "Cancel the decision to open Eurovision-2017 at the Sophia of Kiev and to conduct a vote on a new venue taking into account the views of Kievites and the faithful" on the site of the Kiev city administration.

"I assume that the decision to hold the opening of Eurovision-2017 at the Sophia of Kiev can cause resentment among the faithful, despite the fact that today this place is a reserve. In addition, there is no data on assessment of possible risks to damage the ensemble of St. Sophia’s Cathedral, the first stone of which was laid almost a thousand years ago. The lack of safety guarantees of the complex is a matter of concern, especially considering the fact that in recent years such buildings have been given insufficient attention. This is the reason for the extremely poor state of a large number of architectural monuments not only in Kiev but also in Ukraine," wrote the author of the petition, the journalist and public figure Mikhail Kirilenko.

Mikhail Kirilenko suggested choosing a new venue for the festival, taking into account the views of Kievites and believers through voting.

As reported by the UOJ, the Kiev City Administration suggested hosting the opening ceremony of "Eurovision-2017" at the St. Sophia of Kiev. The President was urged to ban the opening of Eurovision Song Contest at the Sophia.