 Omelchenko's Arena |
Ruslana's Eurovision victory means that Kyiv will host next year's show. It's a salute to Ukrainians' can-do attitude and sense of national pride that few favor passing the honor (and the trouble and expense) to Serbia and Montenegro, the contest's runner-up.
Though only 5 percent of those responding to The Willard Group's Opinion Leader Survey favored passing on the honor, there was no clear consensus as to what Kyiv Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko should do. More favored holding a scaled-down contest than favored building a new arena (the mayor's choice). Just 13 percent favored building a cover for Republic Stadium. Has the domed stadium craze fizzled out before it came to Kyiv?
Most of our respondents felt that building a new venue is the most reasonable thing to do, and just over 50 percent of the respondents said that the arena could be built in time (though a healthy number expressed reservations concerning the quality of the work).
Building a new arena is one thing. Paying for it is another. Most respondents felt the arena should be funded from government budgets, with help from corporate donors. While our respondents are willing to accept corporate donations, they're fairly split on whether the government should sell naming rights in exchange for part of the project's cost. We'll have to see whether Kyiv will host Eurovision 2005 in Ukrtelecom Arena.
With a summit approaching and Ukraine's role gradually increasing, NATO was also on our minds this month. A majority of the Opinion Leaders who responded to our poll said that Ukraine is not yet ready for full NATO membership. Membership in the defense alliance shouldn't be a priority issue for Ukraine right now, according to 26 percent of our respondents. The good news: Only 3 percent felt that Ukraine should stay away from NATO, for political reasons.
We rounded out our monthly survey with a question that was, to be truthful, a little off-the-wall, but our Opinion Leaders are a good-natured lot.
We found that while not everyone is an Elvis fan, most believe the king of rock and roll is dead and buried at his home-turned-tourist attraction, Graceland. Yet there may be some truth to those "Elvis sightings" after all: 18 percent of our respondents claimed to be Elvis!
The complete survey, with all responses:
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Elvis is alive and living incognito. |
4 % |
Elvis is dead and buried at Graceland. |
55 % |
I don't know and don't care. |
24 % |
I am Elvis, and I'm living in Kyiv! |
18 % |
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Host a scaled-down 2005 contest in an existing venue, like the Sports Palace. |
29 % |
Host the contest in a new hall built for the occasion. |
23 % |
Put a roof on Republic Stadium (Olympic Stadium). |
15 % |
Hold the contest on Independence Square using temporary bleachers. |
29 % |
Pass the honor to Serbia & Montenegro. |
6 % |
|
Sports Palace (reduced capacity). |
18 % |
Republic (AKA Olympic) Stadium, without alteration. |
14 % |
Build a dome/roof/cover for Republic (Olympic) Stadium. |
11 % |
Erect bleachers for 25,000 at Independence Square. |
28 % |
Build a new 30,000-seat concert hall. |
29 % |
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It can be finished in time and will be great. |
22 % |
It can be built, but will likely have serious problems. |
29 % |
It can't be built by next May. |
29 % |
The mayor's wrong. It shouldn't be built. |
19 % |
|
Kyiv city funds. |
5 % |
Ukraine government funds. |
18 % |
Corporate (community) funds. |
8 % |
Combination of the above. |
70 % |
|
NATO is moving too slowly, and should accept Ukraine soon. |
18 % |
Ukraine is not yet ready for full membership. |
54 % |
Ukraine should not join NATO for political reasons. |
3 % |
NATO membership is not a priority for Ukraine now. |
26 % |
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More in the section:
Ukraine International Airlines...
Read also previous issue' articles:
Quilting the Way to Success for Mothers in Need
Big League Election Observation and Little League Baseball in Ukraine
Play ball? Where are the fields?
Announcement For Rugby Fans and Supporters The 3rd Annual John Marsh Memorial
Democratic Party Organizes in Kyiv
John Marsh Rugby Tournament
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