Before the first match of Ukraine's national team at Euro 2024, the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) has set up a fragment of Kharkiv Stadium "Sunny" bleachers on Wittelsbacherplatz Square in Munich. This part was built for Euro 2012 and destroyed by Russian forces in May 2022.

The damaged stand traveled across Europe to bear witness to the world that football is not separate from war: as of today, over 500 sports infrastructure objects have been affected by Russia's bombardments and missile strikes in Ukraine.

Photo courtesy of UAF

The stand is combined with an interactive installation: visitors will be able to read and hear the story of "Sunny," which served as a training base for the Netherlands national team at Euro 2012, and later became a training ground for Ukraine's national team. VR headsets will transport each visitor to the stadium in real-time to see what it looks like after Russia's attack.

Photo by Konstantin Libero

"When I was the national team coach, we often came to Kharkiv for training. At 'Sunny,' we prepared for our Euro 2021 appearance. To find out that the stadium had been destroyed felt like finding out your home had been ruined,— shares UAF president and Golden Ball winner Andriy Shevchenko with visitors. — However, if football fields or stands cannot withstand Russian artillery strikes, we will never stop standing up for our country and telling the world about this heartless war. I believe that Ukraine will definitely host international competitions on its stadiums again."

Photo courtesy of UAF

After Munich, the stand will embark on a tour through German cities. Its next stop is Düsseldorf, where Ukraine's national team will play its second Euro 2024 match against Slovakia on June 21.