”I must say, I don’t find any heresy in the icon and that is why I came to bless the intention of two enterprising people,” he said before adding: “Of course, for us this is something new, but on the whole the idea is good.”

Meanwhile, speaking about the purpose of creating such an icon, Vasily Stefurak said he had recently felt “an inflow of negative information” on whether Ukraine will hold the 2012 event or not. One should now “consolidate and do what has to be done,” he added.

”People, who will visit Ukraine during Euro 2012, should remember not only our stadiums but also our culture, spirituality. That’s the main aim of this project,” explains Raguli Vasidze.

European football’s governing body, the UEFA, has many times criticized Ukraine for their lack of preparedness. So far, only Kiev and partly Donetsk meet all requirements, with Lvov and Kharkov remaining under-prepared. The final decision on which cities will host Euro 2012 will be announced in December 2009.