Mega-Event Simulacrum: Critical Reflections on the Sustainability Legacies of the World Cup 2018 for the Russian Host Cities

Abstract

© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. The research critically reflects on the way that the 2018 FIFA World Cup Sustainability Strategy was implemented for Russian host cities through case studies of the cities of Kazan and Kaliningrad. The authors employ the term “mega-events simulacrum“ for actions that are a substitute for the social, economic and environmental changes required by mega-events, leaving the real needs of the local host communities unfulfilled. Comparative analysis shows that in contrast to Kaliningrad, the city of Kazan made a step forward in the employment of sustainability practices. However, most of them were imitative by nature to meet the rigid FIFA requirements but did not serve as a sustainability legacy for their own citizens.