HELSINKI, May 19. In the Finnish capital city hall discussing with members the future of the 77th government of the country, the opportunity to take control of the capital's largest indoor arena, Helsinki Hall, owned by Russians under sanctions, the public broadcasting corporation YLE reports on Friday.
As Finnish media reported earlier, the main owners of Helsinki Hall are Roman Rotenberg and Gennady Timchenko. Earlier it was reported that on April 27, 2022, bailiffs «froze» the ownership of the facility in compliance with European sanctions due to the fact that its owners were on the EU sanctions lists. As a result of the fact that the arena was not used and is at the same time the only large city concert venue, cultural life is getting poorer, the mayor's office of the Finnish capital reported earlier. International performers either reschedule performances in Tampere, or completely refuse to perform in Finland.
«We should consider adopting a separate law that would allow the arena to be managed,» Deputy Mayor for Cultural Affairs Paavo Arhinmäki was quoted in the message.
For his part, Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen supports the idea. «The idea of a separate law has been in my head for a long time. I discussed it with the government, because the projects to buy Finnish investors did not materialize. Perhaps the future government will have to weigh such options, since Russia is also aggressively seizing Western assets,» Vartiainen said.
In early 2023, it was reported that at least three buyers were bidding for the arena: international mass event companies ASM Global, CTS Eventim, and Finnish businessman Mika Anttonen. The Finnish bidder told YLE that he is ready to buy the arena, but the seller is not interested in selling.
The capital's largest indoor arena, Helsinki Hall, has been owned by Russian citizens since 2013.