Wednesday 31 August 2016, 08:39

History and comfort: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium's unique position

As the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ draws ever closer, construction on all the tournament's stadiums continues apace. Every month FIFA.com updates fans on how progress is going.

This month's progress Construction on the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is moving along swiftly: they have begun to put the roof in place and the stands are almost complete. The venue, set to host six matches at Russia 2018 including a quarter-final, will delight fans not only with its visual effects once completed; the actual location of the stadium is unique in itself.


The area known as the Strelka, where the 45,000-seater arena is being erected, has historical importance both for the city of Nizhny Novgorod and the country as a whole. Nizhny Novgorod was founded in the 13th century and became one of Russia's most important trading centres. The market was the largest of its kind in Russia during the city's heyday and was located right on the Strelka, which is the spot where the rivers Oka and Volga converge.

There have been no buildings of note on the Strelka in recent years, but the area is now undergoing a makeover with the stadium's construction. A new sports and entertainment centre is being built, which will greatly improve the whole area. The plan is to ensure the stadium has multiple uses.

"We have spoken with foreign experts who visited the area," explained the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Valery Shantsev. "They told us the work was of the highest quality. This is very important because the stadium will remain as a fine legacy after the World Cup. There are many buildings beneath the stands, where it will be possible to organise numerous classes and open up a sports school. We're planning on using the stadium throughout the year."

The location of the stadium is also convenient for fans. The railway station is just two kilometres away, where you can catch a train to Moscow in four hours. If you head two-and-a-half kilometres in the other direction across the Oka, you will find the historic city centre and the main attractions, including the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.

The stadium's appearance from inside will also be interesting. The top edge of the stands will take on a kind of wave shape; in some parts of the stadium the back row will higher than in others. This was mainly done with supporters' comfort in mind, since the view is not less impressive from the corners compared to the central sectors, so the higher seats there are not too far from pitch-level.

Elsewhere in Russia The new surface has been laid at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, where the opening match and final of Russia 2018 will take place. The grass was sown at the start of August, at the same time as constructors replaced the old engineering system and the pitch's earth bed.

The 17-metre-high southern and northern stands have been completed in Ekaterinburg, where the stadium is being reconstructed. The eastern and western stands will have been erected by the end of this year.

Parts of the roof and front of the Rostov Arena are almost fully assembled in Rostov-on-Don. This work began at the start of summer: the total weight of the roof is 591 tonnes and the parts making up the outer side of the facade are 755 tonnes.

In Saransk, the monolithic work on the Mordovia Arena is almost finished and the temporary supports are being put in place. Installation began on the engineering system earlier and public services and utilities are currently being set up.

Builders have started assembling the so-called compression ring of the stadium in Volgograd. This key weight-bearing metal construction will hold the roof under tension at a height of 40 metres.

Figure of the month After the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow has been fully renovated there will be 22 exits from the stadium, 16 of which will be the main exits and a further six will be for emergencies. There were only 13 before construction began. It is estimated that spectators will be able to get out of the stadium in 15 minutes following the end of a game.

Did you know? Fans attending Russia 2018 matches in Kaliningrad will in all likelihood come across a large "Aquaman" sculpture. The Aquaman is one of the symbols of the host cities situated on the Baltic Sea and is portrayed on the on the official poster. On the approach to the stadium, a 90-metre pool will be built, featuring a planned 20-metre figure of a footballer controlling a golden ball on his chest. Water will also shoot forward from the sculpture.