Football on the island

History

Kali­nin­grad Stadium was built for Russia 2018 on Oktya­brsky Island, right in the heart of Kali­nin­grad. The selec­tion of Kali­nin­grad as a host city has prompted the local autho­ri­ties to develop the island, which for many centu­ries has been a wilder­ness, left largely untouched. After the 2018 World Cup, a new resi­den­tial deve­lo­p­ment will be built around the stadium, with parks, quays and embank­ments along­side the Pregola river.

Kali­nin­grad is the western­most venue of the World Cup.

City and legacy

Kali­nin­grad is the center of Russia’s western­most region and the country’s only exclave. It was home to one of the world’s grea­test philo­so­phers, Imma­nuel Kant. Until 1946, Kali­nin­grad used to be known as Koenigs­berg and was part of the East Prussia. The region and the city have been known as a source of amber, fossi­lized tree resin that is some 50 million years old. It is home to the planet’s only indus­trial-scale amber produc­tion faci­lity with an annual output of more than 300 tonnes.

 The capa­city will be cut to around 25,000 after the World Cup and FC Baltika Kali­nin­grad, the local side, will play here. It risks being another venue that is rarely filled: the club have not played in the Russian top flight for two decades and typical crowds at their current Baltika Stadium home number in the low thou­sands. Concerts and other events are also expected to take place here, though.

Follo­wing the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, it will serve as the home arena for FC Baltika Kali­nin­grad, and will also become part of a sports faci­lity, featuring a leisure park, a bicycle track, parking lots, and a yacht quay.