Russian attack Deputy Mayor Arhinmäki tight – Helsinki does not support former Hartwall arena: “Hardly anyone wants to be connected to a hall owned by those on the sanctions list”

Sport|The Russian attack

Helsinki the city does not intend to participate in the maintenance of the multifunctional arena, formerly known as the Hartwall Arena, Deputy Mayor Paavo Arhinmäki (left) tells HS.

“The idea that Helsinki would buy it, for example, is ruled out because the owners are on the sanctions list,” he says. To Roman Rotenberg and Gennady Timtchenko with reference to.

Rotenberg and Tymoshenko own the holding company through their Arena Events company. Although Arena Events owns less than half of Helsinki Halli Oy’s shares, the oligarchs have more than 90% control over the holding company.

“From the perspective of the city of Helsinki, the hall in Ilmala is on the sanctions list and cannot be used or supported,” says Arhinmäki.

He uses the names of the hall, the ice rink in Ilmala, and the hall in Ilmala.

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“The idea that Helsinki would buy it, for example, is ruled out.”

Culture and Arhinmäki, who serves as deputy mayor of leisure, recalls that the city has no longer supported the former Hartwall arena for years with institutional grants.

However, it has supported Helsinki-based clubs that practiced in the arena’s rehearsal hall with the kind of support they receive for the activities of children and young people anyway. Now, however, the grant criteria are changing.

“Initially, we have outlined that in the future no state support will be available for this training in the training hall,” says Arhinmäki.

“Besides, of course, the City of Helsinki does not organize or support any events that might take place at the Ilmala Ice Rink. After all, private actors have withdrawn. ”

Events such as concerts have already been removed from the arena.

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“In the future, no farm support will be available for this training in the training hall.”

Also the second venue for the May World Hockey Championships will change away from Ilmala. Helsinki is one of the partners in the competition.

“It is clear that they will not be held in Ilmala Hall. One potential place is the old ice rink in Helsinki, ”says Arhinmäki.

According to Arhinmäki, the situation is especially problematic for the event industry, when one arena falls out of use. At the same time, he emphasizes that terribly nothing can be done about it at the moment.

For example, Restel, which provided the restaurant services for the arena, and Hartwall, the name sponsor, have terminated their cooperation with the hall. Arhinmäki, who sits on Tradeka’s board, says that Restel’s decision was “relatively expensive, but the only possible solution”.

The decision came immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine.

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Arhinmäki says that Restel’s decision was “relatively expensive, but the only possible solution”.

Former According to its holding company, the Hartwall Arena is now known as the Helsinki Hall. This name is also opposed, because the incorporation of Helsinki into the hall owned by the oligarchs on the sanctions list is considered negative due to the war waged by Russia.

What does Arhinmäki think of the situation?

“It has, of course, been the official name of the company that runs its hall since 1995, as I recall. But it is known according to the sponsor who made the right decision and withdrew his sponsor name. That is why I myself have used the term ice rink in Ilmala. It gives a neutral picture of what it is all about, ”he replies.

“Hardly anyone wants to be connected to a hall owned by those on the sanctions list. Not the city of Helsinki or companies or organizations. ”