Krestovsky Stadium, officially named Saint Petersburg Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is used predominantly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg, its owner.
Opened on 22 April 2017 with a Russian Premier League match between Zenit and Ural Yekaterinburg, it replaced the Kirov Stadium, which had a capacity of 110,000. The seating capacity of the new stadium is currently set at 67,800. The stadium was designed by Kisho Kurokawa and had a construction cost of $1.1 billion.
A UEFA category four stadium and one of the biggest stadiums by capacity in Europe (the biggest in Russia), Krestovsky Stadium hosted several matches of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA Euro 2020. It is also the venue for the 2021 final of the UEFA Champions League. In 2020, it was elected as the second most beautiful stadium in the world in an online poll by StadiumDB.com. As of its third anniversary, Krestovsky Stadium had welcomed more than 5 million spectators. The stadium is also one of the potential venues for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Russia may bid to host.
While the previous stadium was also officially named 'Central Stadium of the Kirov Islands', both the old and the new stadia are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Krestovsky Stadium. Krestovsky is the name of the island the stadium was built on, located in the western portion of Saint Petersburg, which was named after its former owner, the noble Yakov Krestovnikov. This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction; the people of Saint Petersburg used to simply call it Krestovsky ('Crest'). Therefore, the stadium's common name became 'Krestovsky Stadium', which is usually anglicized to 'Crest Stadium'. This translation, however, could be argued to be inaccurate, since Krestovsky refers not to 'crest' but to the original name of the island: Krestovsky Island ('Crest's Island').
The Krestovsky Stadium, also known as Gazprom Arena for sponsorship reasons, was officially opened for use in April 2017. The design of the stadium was drawn up by the Japanese firm Kisho Kurokawa. The stadium has a retractable roof and a sliding field. The sliding field is a part of the stadium's innovative design which allows the football field to be slid out of the stadium, exposing it to sunlight, when it is not in use. The retractable roof can be closed in 15 minutes to allow for events to take place even in inclement weather.
Krestovsky Stadium is the second-largest stadium in Russia, with a seating capacity of 67,800 spectators for football matches and over 80,000 for concerts. It was one of the venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, hosting seven matches including a semi-final. The stadium is also the home ground of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, one of the most successful clubs in Russian football history. In addition to football, the stadium has been used for a variety of other sports events, such as the 2017 Confederations Cup, and concerts, including performances by major international artists like Metallica, The Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney.
Located on Krestovsky Island in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Krestovsky Stadium, also known as Gazprom Arena, was identified as an ideal site due to its ample space, excellent accessibility and potential for future expansion. Situated on the border between Krestovsky Island and the Petrograd Side, the stadium was initially known as the 'Krestovsky Project'.
The ambition of the club was always to own both the stadium and the surrounding land. Initially, a lease was established for the municipal land, with the final purchase taking place in 2009. The design for the sports complex was conceived in the early 2000s by Kisho Kurokawa, a renowned Japanese architect.
Under the leadership of the club's president, Sergey Fursenko, the members coped with an increased fee to support the construction costs of the new stadium. They offered large donations, and some even went as far as to work on the construction site during holidays or weekends. A 'steel campaign' was even launched, where large quantities of steel were donated to the club.
Construction officially began on 26 May 2007. Nearly a decade later, at a cost of 43 billion rubles, on 22 April 2017, a 64,287-capacity crowd filled the stadium for the inaugural match against FC Ural. The stadium, with its retractable roof and pitch, is now considered one of the most technologically advanced in the world.
Krestovsky Stadium (2017) (in Russian): Detailed information about the Krestovsky Stadium, its official opening, design, and features $url1
Krestovsky Stadium (The spaceship) – since 2017: An article providing an overview of the Krestovsky Stadium, its usage for major events, and its ranking among global stadiums $url2
The Krestovsky does not fade, Preface, Prime Books, 2017: A book detailing the history and significance of the Krestovsky Stadium $url3
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg 100 glorious years - The History 1, Edition and Contents, S.A., 2017: A historical account of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg and its association with the Krestovsky Stadium $url4
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