Security measures became stricter for European Championship and it was felt at Kharkiv airport. Before entering the country, I was checked. When I presented passport and it turned out that I was in Ukraine for the first time, the airport guard called a nearby man who was dressed in civilian clothes. He asked me everything about my visit. When he learnt that I was a journalist accredited from UEFA, he called someone and I had no problem anymore.  
 

You cannot feel in Kharkiv that European Championship is starting soon. Neither airport was full of tourists. Taxi driver told me the same. By the way, we have to drive bypass roads because some roads towards the center of the city were blocked.

It is said, airport is a gateway of the city. “Kharkiv” airport is a great example that European Championship helps development of city infrastructure. New terminal is built in Kharkiv for European Championship. It is 20000 square meters and it can receive 2550 passengers per hour. You can see a banner: “FC METALST WELCOME”. “Metalist” is a football club of Kharkiv and this banner is a natural. The main work is finished in the airport but some is left to do and workers were fulfilling their duties at my arrival. According to the locals, there is a big difference between new and old Kharkiv airports.

Old terminal is repaired and is ready to receive VIP-guests – it can receive 250 people per hour. Besides that, another terminal is built which receives 1000 people per hour. After Euro-2012, it will be changed as cargo terminal. In one word, “Kharkiv” is ready to receive guests of European Championship and 25000 people can use service of the airport - it is 100-120 airplanes. Georgia wants to host Euro-2020 with Azerbaijan and a lot of work must be done at Tbilisi international airport.

As for the city, it is not European style. It looks like typical Soviet city. By the way, roads are not in ideal condition. For example, there are such holes on tramway roads which we saw in Tbilisi several years ago. Air temperature in Kharkiv is +25 and when I arrived, it started raining.
 

Lasha Tabagari, special correspondent of worldsport.ge from Kharkiv