Soccer Arena Rouses Fans, and Russia, Over Its Cost
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Version 0 of 1. MOSCOW — A project to build a state-of-the-art soccer arena on the Neva River in St. Petersburg, envisioned as the jewel of Russia’s stadiums when the nation holds the World Cup in 2018, now stands to be scrutinized by auditors as part of a high-level inquiry into why it has repeatedly and drastically exceeded its budget. The government ordered the audit after soccer fans displayed their frustration by heckling St. Petersburg’s governor, Georgy S. Poltavchenko, before a soccer match played by the local team, Zenit, nine days ago. “The governor’s a lout,” hundreds of fans chanted repeatedly, their arms punching the air, as security guards looked on. The fans then switched to another slogan. “Finish the stadium,” fans on one end of the arena roared. “Sell your dacha,” replied the crowd from the other end, using the common word for vacation home. The public anger is a danger signal for Russia’s government, which has earmarked billions of dollars for construction ahead of the World Cup and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The unfinished concrete carcass in St. Petersburg has become a symbol of government mismanagement, fueling frustration with officials and threatening to grow into a political liability. Sergei V. Stepashin, the chairman of the federal accounts chamber, announced on Friday that auditors would analyze construction expenses and any new budget increases, according to Interfax, a Russian news agency. The audit chambers of Moscow and St. Petersburg will cooperate in the investigation, he said. In an interview with Sovetsky Sport, a Russian sports newspaper, Mr. Stepashin added that Moscow intended to pay closer attention to the project from now on. “We will not leave until the stadium is completed,” he said. The outburst against Mr. Poltavchenko was triggered by a local television interview in which he said soccer fans were welcome to offer their help in completing construction. The comment touched a nerve with many residents, who have complained that the arena is sucking up all the government’s time and resources, drawing attention from everyday services like snow removal and building renovation. The costs of the tax-financed project have soared since it started in 2007. The St. Petersburg authorities recently asked for a further budget increase, pushing the cost to an estimated $1.4 billion, up from the initial estimate of $210 million, officials have said. Construction began as a financial collaboration between the St. Petersburg government and Gazprom, the state natural gas company. After Gazprom pulled out of the project in 2009, the city has been responsible for the budget. During a September visit to the site, Prime Minister Dmitri A. Medvedev berated Mr. Poltavchenko for a “disgraceful” lack of progress. “I was here two years ago, and everything was the same,” he said. Mr. Poltavchenko has denied speculation that corruption or embezzlement may have contributed to the costs. “I have no reasons to suspect that anything was stolen,” he told BaltInfo, a local news agency. Costs rose when FIFA, the international body that oversees the World Cup, asked to expand the stadium’s seating areas, Mr. Poltavchenko said, and when plans were adjusted after the death of the stadium’s original architect, Kisho Kurokawa, in 2007. Still, his suggestion that St. Petersburg residents help with construction was regarded as an insult, according to a statement on the Web site of Zenit fans, Landscrona.ru. “We view these words as a striking act of impudence on behalf of individuals whose professional duties make them accountable for this city, its projects and their implementation,” the statement read. Although officials have not drawn a connection between the maneuver by St. Petersburg soccer fans and the start of the official audit of the construction project, the timing suggests the government hopes to prevent the anger from escalating any further. |