Rostov Arena director FIRED for allowing ‘erotic photo session’ at stadium – reports

The director of the Rostov Arena, Pavel Gavrikov, has reportedly been dismissed from his post in the wake of the scandal over an ‘erotic photo session’ which was approved to take place at the stadium.

The row, involving semi-naked models who posed right on the field at the arena – which was one of the venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup – erupted in September after revealing pictures from the photoshoot leaked online, causing an uproar on social media.

It was later explained that a local company had requested to conduct an advertising photoshoot, saying its models would wear swimsuits while posing in the stands.

However, after obtaining official permission to take pictures inside the stadium, the company – whose name remains unknown – shot snaps not only in the stands but also right on the field, with the models donning figure-hugging lingerie instead of swimsuits.

The controversial photoshoot snowballed into a huge scandal after one of the pictures was shared online, with Rostov officials calling it “filth” and “pornography.”

A commercial department manager who received a letter from the company and asked for approval to hold the photo session was immediately fired following the row.

Now, one month after the controversy, Rostov Arena Director Gavrikov, who allowed the shooting, has reportedly lost his job as well.

According to local sources, Gavrikov’s dismissal was linked to the “pornographic photo session at the stadium and a huge scandal after one of the pics leaked on social media despite the governor’s instructions to prevent provocative photos from going online.”