An ice arena, “Hakivka”, opens in Lviv: a space for hockey, figure skating and the development of para ice hockey

A new ice arena, “Hakivka”, has started operating in Lviv and is meant to become a hub for the development of winter sports in the city. Its special feature is adapted infrastructure that allows athletes with musculoskeletal disabilities to get onto the ice without outside help. Above all, the space was created with the needs of the para ice hockey team in mind, which includes veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

At the same time, the arena will serve as a venue for children’s and adult hockey teams, figure skating classes and for drawing city residents into active leisure. The opening of “Hakivka” is not only the appearance of new sports infrastructure but also an important step towards the accessibility of sport and rehabilitation through physical activity.

An arena where ice becomes accessible to everyone

“Hakivka” opened on 27 October at 30 Zubrivska Street, on the grounds of Lviv school No. 84. It is the first ice arena in Lviv and the first in Ukraine fully adapted for people with disabilities. Its total area is almost 3.2 thousand square metres.

The main feature of the complex is barrier-free access to the ice. From the changing room to the rink itself, a special surface has been laid that allows para hockey players to move independently, without outside help. This is important for athletes who lost limbs as a result of the war and play sledge hockey.

“This is the first adaptive ice arena in Ukraine. In fact, at other venues players need help to get onto the ice. In our case that is not needed. Every player can go the whole way from the changing room to the ice without a single barrier”, said Roman Hapachylo, president of the para ice hockey club “Nezlamni”.

For the team, having its own rink has special meaning. The club was founded a year and a half ago, starting with five players. Today 15 athletes train there, about 90% of them war veterans.

“The guys who lost limbs in the war have not lost their spirit and their unbreakable will. The ice gives them wings. They can again feel speed, compete, score goals. This is a chance to live a full life”, Hapachylo shared.

Earlier the team trained at different venues, including outside Lviv. Now the athletes will have a permanent place to train four times a week. Having its own infrastructure also opens up possibilities for holding all-Ukrainian and international tournaments in the city.

From a Lviv club to international competitions

Para ice hockey is gradually developing in Ukraine, and “Nezlamni” already have experience of international appearances. The team took part in tournaments in Great Britain, Finland and Slovakia, and Ukrainian players also play abroad, in particular in the Czech Republic.

According to a club representative, the opening of “Hakivka” may give an impetus to forming a full-fledged para hockey community in Ukraine. Teams and initiatives to develop this sport are now appearing in various cities, including Kalush, Cherkasy, Dnipro and Odesa.

“I think this arena will effectively become the centre of the para hockey movement. Tournaments can be held here, foreign clubs invited. We want to organise the first Ukrainian Cup”, noted the team’s president.

The athletes’ ambitions go far beyond national competitions. According to him, the team is preparing to compete at the 2027 World Championship, where potential opponents will be the teams of Great Britain, Austria and France. The next big goal is participation in the 2030 Paralympic Games.

To achieve it, not only the athletes’ motivation and regular training matter, but also the opportunity to develop the sport at a systemic level. That is why the appearance of a specialised arena matters for the future of Ukrainian para hockey.

Why was the arena built on school grounds?

The idea of creating “Hakivka” arose from the need to give Lviv para hockey players a permanent place to train. The mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, said the initiative came directly from the athletes.

“58 thousand Lviv residents are at the front right now. Practically every family has lost someone or has loved ones in the war. We receive many of our heroes here for rehabilitation and recovery. A para hockey team was born in Lviv – guys and girls who lost limbs. They asked the question: ‘Mr Mayor, where is the arena? We want to train in Lviv, not travel somewhere around the region’”, said Andriy Sadovyi.

According to him, about six months passed from the appearance of the idea to the implementation of the project. The grounds of school No. 84 in the Sykhiv district were chosen for construction. One of the reasons for this decision was the availability of the necessary utilities and the possibility of integrating sports infrastructure into the educational process.

“This was a territory that was not being used properly. Besides, Sykhiv is one of the largest districts of Lviv. Now children will be able to come here for PE lessons, to play hockey or do figure skating. Infrastructure is needed for the development of sport”, noted the mayor.

Sadovyi also stressed that the city is considering further developing similar facilities with the support of international partners, in particular the Czech Republic, Norway and Canada.

The director of the Lviv City Council Sports Office, Anton Nikulin, explained that locating the arena on school grounds was one of the most practical solutions.

“We found the most optimal model – a school. The utilities are already in place here, and schools themselves are places that draw the community. I believe we managed to combine several important areas”, noted Anton Nikulin.

According to him, after the end of the test period, which will last about a month and a half, the arena will also be open to city residents. Lviv residents will be able to come here for public skating, and those who wish will be able to try figure skating.

“This is very cool and important for the district. I think ‘Hakivka’ will become a real sports magnet for Sykhiv”, Nikulin added.

What does “Hakivka” mean for Lviv?

The opening of the arena matters not only for professional and adaptive sport. It is also a chance to build a new sports community, draw children into winter disciplines and make ice sports more accessible to townspeople.

It is also important that “Hakivka” will have municipal status, which means the city will coordinate its development and operation. For the first month and a half the facility will operate in test mode, during which the stability of all systems will be checked.

According to Anton Nikulin, the number of people wanting to take part already shows the need for such infrastructure. That is why, in the longer term, the city may consider creating another ice arena.

The name of the facility itself also draws attention. “Hakivka” is the historical Ukrainian name for hockey, popularised by Ivan Boberskyi, one of the founders of the Ukrainian tradition of physical education and sport.

Thus the new arena in Sykhiv combines several areas at once: the development of children’s sport, support for veterans, and the promotion of hockey and figure skating. But its most important significance lies in the chance to give people back the sense of a team, of movement and of a sporting goal.

For the para hockey players of “Nezlamni” it is a home of their own, for children it is new opportunities, and for Lviv it is one more step towards forming an accessible sports environment.

Source: Sport Business Media (sportbusiness.media), https://sportbusiness.media/2026/11/01/u-lvovi-vidkryly-lodovu-arenu-gakivka-prostir-dlya-hokeyu-figurnogo-katannya-ta-rozvytku-parahokeyu/