Helsinki Takes Control of Arena from Russian Owners
The city of Helsinki is taking control of the Helsinki Halli Arena, a large sports and event venue. This move comes after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The arena was owned by two Russian businessmen: Gennady Rotenberg and Gennady Timchenko. Both men have close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rotenberg is the son of a friend from Putin‘s childhood, while Timchenko has gotten help from Putin to start an oil trading business and invest in a major gas company. The Rotenberg family has made money by working with Putin since they were young friends.
The city council voted to take control of the arena on November 11th. This decision is part of international sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine.