---
title: "Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv: Nearly Five Years Without Matches, but the Arena Is Ready for Games of Any Level"
description: "Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv has not hosted matches for nearly four and a half years, but, according to management, the arena is ready for games of any level after a few days of preparation."
date: 2026-09-15T11:10:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/metalist-stadium-kharkiv-ready-for-matches-of-any-level
tags: [kharkiv, metallist-stadium, ukraine-football, war-damage, sports-infrastructure]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv: Nearly Five Years Without Matches, but the Arena Is Ready for Games of Any Level

![Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv with its distinctive blue steel roof truss against a clear sky — the arena has been idle for nearly five years but remains ready for matches of any level](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/15/stadion-metallist-harkiv-gotov-primat-matchi/stadion-metallist-harkiv-gotov-primat-matchi-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv has not hosted official matches since the start of the full-scale invasion, but it has been physically preserved.
- Deputy General Director Vitaliy Lepsheev stated that the arena is ready for matches of any level after a few days of preparation, including the VIP stands and locker rooms.
- The staff was cut from ~300 people to ~5%; for about half a year Lepsheev cared for the stadium on his own.

Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv has not hosted a single official match since the start of the full-scale invasion. Nevertheless, according to Sport RBC.UA, citing Public Sport, the arena has been preserved in a condition that allows matches to resume almost immediately. This makes the Kharkiv facility one of the few major sports structures in the region that has retained its working configuration amid a multi-year war.

### An Arena Spared by Strikes

Despite Kharkiv's proximity to the front line and the regular shelling of the city, the stadium, as noted on site, remains intact. Deputy General Director of Metalist, Vitaliy Lepsheev, emphasized that the arena has so far been spared from Russian strikes. That is why, in his words, the pitch and the stands look well-maintained and give the impression of a facility ready to host official matches.

### From Three Hundred People to Five Percent

At the start of the full-scale invasion, Lepsheev recalls, almost all employees left. For about half a year he cared for the stadium on his own — whereas before the war began, around three hundred people worked at the arena. Today the staff has been reformed, albeit in a markedly reduced form: according to the deputy general director's estimate, only about five percent of the former personnel have returned to work.### Ready for Matches of Any Level

According to Lepsheev, not only the pitch and the main stands are in good condition, but also the VIP zones and the locker rooms. Management claims that, if necessary, Metalist is capable of hosting a match of any level after just a few days of preparatory work, which underscores the systematic nature of the care for the facility even in the absence of regular competitions.

### Context: The Fourth Year Without Football

The situation in Kharkiv contrasts with the fate of a number of other Ukrainian sports facilities that were damaged or destroyed during the fighting. Open sources have published roundups of sports structures destroyed by the Russian Federation, which included facilities in the Kharkiv region. Against this backdrop, the preservation of Metalist and the stated technical readiness to resume matches look especially telling: the arena has in effect been waiting for the return of football for over four years.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ready to host matches in three days: what Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv looks like now](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/tri-dni-gotovi-priymati-matchi-k-zaraz-viglyadae-1789470540.html) - Первичный источник: цитаты замгендиректора В. Лепшеева, данные о штате (300 -> ~5%) и о полугодовом одиночном обслуживании; визуальное состояние — по «Общественное Спорт».
- [Metalist – Kharkiv. On the eve](https://football.ua/ukraine/52094-metallyst-kharkov-nakanune.html) - Подтверждено по источнику football.ua
- [Metalist - Rapid BH, February 3, 2012, match results](https://www.championat.com/football/_other/tournament/465/match/163121/) - Подтверждено по источнику championat.com
- [The fourth year without football. A blogger visited the OSK Metalist and showed the condition of the stadium](https://www.ua-football.com/ukrainian/news/1770112260-chetvyortyy-god-bez-futbola-bloger-pobyval-vnutri-osk-metallist-i-pokazal-sostoyanie-stadiona.html) - Корреспондирует с хронологией (четвёртый год без матчей) и с описанием физического состояния арены; не противоречит основному тексту.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Is Metalist Stadium currently hosting matches?
**A:** No. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the arena has not hosted a single official match.

### Q: Is the stadium ready to resume matches?
**A:** According to Deputy General Director Vitaliy Lepsheev, yes: if necessary, Metalist is capable of hosting a match of any level after a few days of preparation, including the VIP stands and locker rooms.

### Q: How many employees currently work at the arena?
**A:** According to Lepsheev's estimate, about 5% of the former ~300 people; for about half a year after the start of the invasion he cared for the stadium on his own.