Andrey Vovk: "The name of the arena perfectly aligns with the team's traditions and the revival of the 'Volga' brand."

      May 8, 2026 10:03 Society Political observer Andrey Vovk commented on the title assigned to the Ice Arena at Strelka - "Volga Arena" on pravda-nn.ru. "When I first heard that the arena would be called 'Volga,' it was not yet known that it was related to a brand. So at first, I was also indignant; it seemed to me that although the Ice Arena is located on the Volga, naming it after the river was a bit weak. Moreover, it is even strange not to sell the name of the arena in the modern marketing world, looking at the experience of all the major hockey and football arenas around the world. So I thought that simply naming it after the river would be a real missed opportunity for the budget. But as it turned out later, the name is indeed related to an automotive brand - then everything fell into place. I heard that there were negotiations with banks regarding the name of the arena, but that would have been purely a commercial name. It seems to me that in such a scenario, the indignation would have been even greater. But now it turns out perfectly - firstly, we are naming the arena after the river on which it is located and, in general, Nizhny Novgorod, for which the club is already receiving some money because it is a brand. Additionally, we are linking the arena with the originally oldest brand of the Avtozavodsky district. We know that 'Torpedo' has always been an auto factory team associated with GAZ. Now we are linking the arena and the team with the reviving brand 'Volga.' Therefore, for me, the fans' indignation is now not very clear. Moreover, it seems to me that this is the perfect combination of commercial naming with the traditions of the team and the revival of the truly iconic brand 'Volga.' As for the question raised by Nizhny Novgorod residents about the choice of writing language, it should also be noted that it is Latin script. In fact, it is not the English language, but rather Latin script, which is used worldwide. The idea is precisely that this language is an international language, so I see no contradiction here." NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+