Kharkiv blooming marvellous for UEFA EURO 2012
Monday, June 7, 2010
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Kharkiv has become the first host city to unveil its unique civic logo and tournament flowerbed as Poland and Ukraine mark two years to go until kick-off at UEFA EURO 2012.
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Kharkiv became the first of the eight host cities to unveil its official logo for UEFA EURO 2012 and its own tournament flowerbed, bearing the finals' distinctive bloom emblem, as Poland and Ukraine mark two years to go until the finals kick off on 8 June 2012.
Political and sporting dignitaries were on hand to see the new civic logo, which incorporates the Mirror Jet Fountain (Dzerkalnyi Strumin) and presents the city as a place of open people and infinite possibilities.
Kharkiv also unveiled the first of its two tournament flowerbeds on the city's University Hill, with the 5x8m bed boasting 22,000 flowers. The floral installation will be illuminated every night until 30 September, with a second bed located near the city's airport.
"As always, Kharkiv is first," said Ukraine's deputy prime minister Borys Kolesnikov. "It was the first capital of Soviet-era Ukraine and now it has presented its logo and beautiful flowerbeds first." Ukrainian tournament director Markiian Lubkivskyi added: "These flowerbeds symbolise the coming of this fantastic football festival, and I'm sure Kharkiv will carry out its part of it with flying colours."
