Central Stadium in Zhytomyr Reopens
Following a 20-year renovation, the Central Stadium in Zhytomyr has welcomed spectators back to the stands. A ceremonial match on 10 August ended with FC Polissia beating FC Kharkiv 3:1 in front of 3,469 fans, marking a major milestone for one of the city’s most important sports venues.
The stadium was originally built in 1951 through a community volunteer effort. It had been in a dilapidated state since 2002, and restoration work finally got underway in 2005. The project drew on funding from the regional budget as well as private investment from Gennadiy Butkevych, the club’s owner. In 2022, an additional 40 million hryvnias from the regional budget was allocated to keep the reconstruction moving.
Upgrades and What Comes Next
Ahead of the 2026/27 season, the stadium received a series of significant improvements:
- all spectator seating was replaced;
- eight modern skyboxes were built;
- sanitary facilities were renovated;
- two new technical zones for teams were installed.
In winter 2025, at Butkevych’s initiative, the main stand also gained a Gold Zone offering Silver and Gold hospitality packages.
FC Polissia, revived in 2016, reached the Ukrainian Premier League for the 2023/24 season. Butkevych bought the club from the Zhytomyr City Council in 2021, becoming its co-owner. According to Vitaliy Bunechko, head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration, Butkevych’s arrival as owner was a turning point for the city’s football infrastructure.
Alongside the Central Stadium project, the club plans to build a new 12,300-seat stadium on Pokrovska Street. The design, which will feature the BGV Group name beside the FC Polissia logo on the facade, has already been published by the National Union of Architects of Ukraine. The club’s youth academy now has more than 2,000 young players, a clear sign of football’s growing popularity in the region.
The reopening of Central Stadium is a landmark event for Zhytomyr. It provides a modern venue for sporting events and strengthens the local football community, while the academy continues to nurture young talent. These developments are likely to boost interest in sport across the region and give further momentum to Ukrainian football infrastructure during challenging times.