2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia: The venues

Monday, 7 May 2018 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Sport
Reading Time:  18 minutes

© FIFA

© FIFA

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men’s national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights on 2 December 2010. All but one of the stadium venues are in European Russia, west of the Ural Mountains to keep travel time manageable. The Lushniki Olympic Stadium in Moscow shall be the venue of the opening match and the final. Of the 12 venues used, the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow and the Saint Petersburg Stadium (the two largest stadiums in Russia) will be used most, with 7 matches being played at each of these stadiums. In March 2018, the German Federal Criminal Police Office issued a clear warning about “high threats of terrorism” during the World Cup, so that it is recommended to visit the venues only after the World Cup (additionally: U.S. Department of State – Russia Travel Advisory). All other Western security services have issued similar warnings. The venues are similar to those of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017, which was considered a dress rehearsal for the World Cup. Russia has had to reduce the overall budget for the World Cup several times due to the country’s persistent economic problems, so that the original planning for the World Cup, with the approval of the FIFA, can no longer be met. The venues are:


KALININGRAD STADIUM

Kaliningrad Stadium under construction © Rakoon/cc-by-3.0

Kaliningrad Stadium under construction © Rakoon/cc-by-3.0

Kaliningrad Stadium, also called Arena Baltika, is an association football stadium under construction in Oktyabrsky Island, Kaliningrad. It will host some of the games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It will also host FC Baltika Kaliningrad of the Russian Football National League, replacing Baltika Stadium. Arena Baltika is located only 45 kilometers from the border with Poland (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship), which makes it the stadium of the 2018 FIFA World Cup located closest to the European Union. At first, regional authorities considered the option with the construction of new sports facilities in the city center, on the place of the current Baltika Stadium. Finally, in December 2014 it was announced that Oktyabrsky Island will be the location of the new stadium, even though it is often under threat of flooding and work on it requires additional financial investments. On August 10, 2015 it became known that the stadium will be named “Stadium Kaliningrad” or in the English version, Kaliningrad Stadium.




KAZAN ARENA

Kazan Arena © Amar77/cc-by-sa-3.0

Kazan Arena © Amar77/cc-by-sa-3.0

Kazan Arena is a stadium in Kazan. It was completed in July 2013, and will host football matches, especially Rubin Kazan‘s home games in the Russian Premier League. The stadium has the largest outside screen in Europe. The stadium hosted the 2013 Summer Universiade opening and closing ceremonies, and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Its capacity is around 45,379. It will replace Central Stadium as Kazan’s main football stadium. Kazan Arena also hosted the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. The architectural concept has been designed by Populous; according to lead designer Damon Lavelle, the stadium is a unique response to the local culture and place.




LUZHNIKI STADIUM MOSCOW

Luzhniki Stadium Moscow © Mos.ru/cc-by-4.0

Luzhniki Stadium Moscow © Mos.ru/cc-by-4.0

Luzhniki Stadium, is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital, Moscow. Its total seating capacity of 81,000 makes it the largest football stadium in Russia. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, and is located in Khamovniki District of the Central Administrative Okrug of Moscow city. The name Luzhniki derives from the flood meadows in the bend of Moskva River where the stadium was built, translating roughly as “The Meadows”. Luzhniki was the main stadium of the 1980 Olympic games, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as some of the competitions, including the final of the football tournament. A UEFA Category 4 stadium, Luzhniki hosted UEFA Cup Final in 1999 and UEFA Champions League Final in 2008. The stadium also hosted such events as 1973 Summer Universiade and 2013 World Championships in Athletics. It was named the main stadium of 2018 FIFA World Cup and will host some matches of it, including the final. In the past its field has been used as the home ground (at various times) for football games played by PFC CSKA Moscow, Torpedo Moscow and Spartak Moscow, however, there are currently no clubs based at the stadium. Today it is mainly used as one of the home grounds of the Russian national football team. The stadium is used from time to time for various other sporting events and for concerts. It also used to host Russian domestic cup finals.




SPARTAK STADIUM MOSCOW

Spartak Stadium Moscow © Mos.ru/cc-by-4.0

Spartak Stadium Moscow © Mos.ru/cc-by-4.0

Otkritie Arena is a multi-purpose stadium in Moscow. The venue is used mostly for football matches, hosting the home matches of Spartak Moscow and occasionally the Russian national team. It will be called Spartak Stadium during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup. The stadium is designed with a capacity of 45,360 people. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on 2 July 2007, but construction was delayed multiple times for different reasons. Construction was scheduled to be completed between 2009 and 2010 but, as of 2009, the stadium was still in the design stage. In 2010, the stadium project underwent revision because it was rejected by an architectural council that found the project too ordinary. The current design was developed by AECOM, in association with Sport Concepts, and façade designer, Dexter Moren Associates adjacent to a separate indoor arena. The main financing of the construction came from the club’s owner Leonid Fedun through affiliated companies LUKoil company and IFD Kapital. With the construction of the stadium in 2015, the metro station Spartak, which had been completed in 1975, opened for passenger traffic. On 19 February 2013 it was announced that the new stadium will be named «Otkrytiye Arena» for six years under the terms of the contract with Otkrytiye Bank.




NIZHNY NOVGOROD STADIUM

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium © Bestalex

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium © Bestalex

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is a football stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia which is under construction. It will have a capacity of 44,899 spectators. The projected total area of the stadium building is 127,500 m². The capacity of the stadium will be 45,000 seats, including 902 seats for low-mobility groups of people together with accompanying persons. It is expected that after the tournament is over, the stadium will be used for home matches of the FC Olimpiyets Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian Football Premier League. In the spring of 2017, Governor Valery Shantsev suggested that the stadium will be used for competitions in other sports, as well as for other major events and concerts.




ROSTOV ARENA

Rostov Arena © Kremlin.ru/cc-by-4.0

Rostov Arena © Kremlin.ru/cc-by-4.0

Rostov Arena is an association football stadium in Rostov-on-Don which is under construction. It will host FC Rostov of the Russian Premier League, replacing Olimp – 2. It will have a capacity of 45,000 spectators. In June 2013, during the groundbreaking for the stadium, five shells from WWII were found, almost perfectly preserved. In August 2013, work began on the sandy alluvium foundation for the stadium. Work on the foundation was completed in May 2014. Construction commenced on the stadium substructure in October 2015. In December the construction site began to bring in heavy equipment and construction materials. In January 2015, crews began driving piles. In March 2015, the stadium project was revised, reducing the cost of construction to 3 billion rubles. In the summer of 2015 pile driving was completed and superstructure construction began. In December 2015, work began on the installation of the metal roof frame. In July 2016 work on the concrete stadium bowl began. In addition, builders started construction of the facade and began landscaping the adjacent territory to the stadium. In November 2016 the reinforced concrete work of the stadium main bowl was fully completed and the installation of load bearing roof structures began.




COSMOS ARENA SAMARA

Cosmos Arena Samara © Muffi/cc-by-sa-4.0

Cosmos Arena Samara © Muffi/cc-by-sa-4.0

Cosmos Arena is a football stadium in Samara, which is under construction. It will be called Samara Arena during the World Cup. It will host FC Krylia Sovetov Samara, replacing Metallurg Stadium. It will have a capacity of 44,918 spectators. Samara authorities announced their design tender in late 2012 with cost estimated at $320 million. In the initial bid submitted to FIFA new stadium was to be built on an island south of the city, where almost no settlements or infrastructure exist. There wasn’t even a bridge leading there at that time. This caused criticism and so the stadium was relocated up north, to be built within city limits. Initially its area was planned to be 27 ha, but it was changed to 240 ha, and then up to 930 ha The decision to enlarge the complex area was taken before any consultation with Samara citizens. Most of the constructions planned on the enlarged area has no relation to sports.




MORDOVIA ARENA SARANSK

Mordovia Arena Saransk © Павел Протченко/cc-by-sa-4.0

Mordovia Arena Saransk © Павел Протченко/cc-by-sa-4.0

Mordovia Arena is a football stadium currently under construction in Saransk, Mordovia. It will also host FC Mordovia Saransk, replacing Start Stadium. It will have a capacity of 44,442 spectators. For the final look of the stadium a local company SaranskGrazhdanProekt was chosen. The simple bowl-shaped venue is to have acid orange seats and capacity for 44,442 people, but only in tournament mode. After the 2018 World Cup upper stands are to be dismantled, decreasing capacity to 28,000. Between the stands left and the roof a promenade with retail and leisure spaces is to be created. The oval stadium will have a two-storey basement and five floors. Construction of the final fifth floor began in December 2015. The walls and roof are made from a single shell of perforated metal panels in solar colours. These are supposed to represent warmth and hospitality. The galvanised roof base is made from profiled sheets that will have insulation and membrane coating laid over the top. Construction on the stadium is expected to be completed by April 2018.




FISHT OLYMPIC STADIUM SOCHI

Fisht Olympic Stadium Sochi © Oleg Bkhambri/cc-by-sa-4.0

Fisht Olympic Stadium Sochi © Oleg Bkhambri/cc-by-sa-4.0

Fisht Olympic Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Sochi. Located in Sochi Olympic Park and named after Mount Fisht, the 40,000-capacity stadium was constructed for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, where it served as the venue for their opening and closing ceremonies. The stadium was originally built as an enclosed facility; it was re-opened in 2016 as an open-air football stadium. The stadium’s capacity will be temporarily expanded to 47,000 through temporary seating at the open ends of the stadium. The capacity will be reduced to 40,000 after the World Cup in 2018. Fisht Olympic Stadium was designed by Populous and British design consultancy BuroHappold Engineering. The stadium’s roof was built from approximately 36,500 square metres (393,000 sq ft) of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and was designed to give the roof the appearance of snowy peaks. The bowl opens to the north, allowing a direct view of the Krasnaya Polyana Mountains, and the upper deck is open to the south, allowing a view of the Black Sea.




SAINT-PETERSBURG STADIUM

Saint-Petersburg Stadium © Andrew Shiva/cc-by-sa-4.0

Saint-Petersburg Stadium © Andrew Shiva/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Krestovsky Stadium, officially Saint-Petersburg Stadium, also called Zenit Arena, is a retractable roof stadium in the western portion of Krestovsky Island in Saint Petersburg, which serves as home for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. The stadium was opened in 2017 for the FIFA Confederations Cup. Initially, it was planned to be completed by December 2008, which was changed to late 2011 and changed again numerous times until it was scheduled to open in 2017. As of May 2017, the stadium was 518% late and 548% over budget. The stadium has a capacity of 67,000 people. It is called Saint Petersburg Stadium during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup. At a cost of $1.1 billion at current exchange rates, it is considered one of the most expensive stadiums ever built.




VOLGOGRAD ARENA

Volgograd Arena © Alexxx1979/cc-by-sa-4.0

Volgograd Arena © Alexxx1979/cc-by-sa-4.0

Volgograd Arena is a football stadium in Volgograd, which is under construction. It will also host FC Rotor Volgograd. It will have a capacity of 45,568 spectators. The Stadium will be built on site of the demolished Central Stadium, at the foot of the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex, near the Volga River. The previous stadium was built in 1958, on the site of a former oil depot. This area was undeveloped, occupied by randomly distributed low-value buildings, warehouses, barracks and ravines. To save money it was proposed to make the stadium a compact, single object, which consisted of the podium at the 40 thousand spectators, a sports arena of the Olympic sample and two large sports complex with 10 different gyms. The complex included a swimming pool and riding school which was not built due to lack of funds.




CENTRAL STADIUM YEKATRINBURG

Central Stadium Yekaterinburg © Фальшивомонетчик/cc-by-sa-4.0

Central Stadium Yekaterinburg © Фальшивомонетчик/cc-by-sa-4.0

Central Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Yekaterinburg.The capacity of the stadium is just over 35,000. This will be reduced to 23,000 after the World Cup. The stadium is the eastern-most among the 2018 World Cup venues, being the only venue stands in Asian Russia. Central Stadium was built in 1957. Earlier on this territory of the city also was a sports facilities: from 1900 – the Velodrome, from 1928 – Regional Stadium, and from 1936 – the stadium “Metallurg of the East”. The Stadium has hosted thousands of sports and entertainment events. In the first years after its opening, the stadium has become one of the world most important arenas of speed skating. In 1959 it held the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women, as well as the 1958, 1962, 1964, and 1966 championships of the USSR, and in the 1964-73 period many matches between strongest national speed skating teams of the world (Soviet Union, Norway, Sweden and Finland). Approximately during the time when SKA-Sverdlovsk was one of the best club teams in the world.The stadium hosts 1962, 1966, 1974 and 1978 Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR and other Russian and international competitions.




Read more on Wikipedia 2018 FIFA World Cup (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.


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