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Otkrytije Arena in Moscow
History
Spartak Moscow, the “people’s team”, is one of Russia’s most popular football clubs. And yet, ever since it was founded in 1922, it has had to make do without its own stadium. The club has played home games at Moscow’s Dynamo, Luzhniki and Lokomotiv stadiums, at the Khimki Arena just outside Moscow and even in Ekaterinburg.
Spartak Stadium (Otkrytije Arena) stands near Volokolamskoye Highway, one of the busiest roads in Moscow’s northwest area. The arena was built on the site of the former Tushino airfield on the bank of the Moskva River.
In spring 2010, Spartak started building its own 45,000-seater stadium. The venue hosted its first match on 5 September 2014, when Spartak drew 1:1 with Red Star Belgrade, and was also a 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup stadium.
Design
Otkrytije Arena‘s appearance is a matter of great pride. Its façade takes the form of chain mail consisting of hundreds of little diamonds representing the Spartak logo. The façade of Otkrytije Arena can be changed depending on which team is playing. For Spartak matches, the arena is bathed in red-and-white; when the national team is in town, it switches to the colours of the Russian flag.
Spartak Stadium also houses the Spartak Moscow museum, the official fan club and the club shop. A new underground station has opened nearby.
The square outside of Otkrytije Arena is the site of a monument to a gladiator, considered to be a symbol of FC Spartak, the stadium’s home team.
Legacy
FC Spartak, one of the most popular football teams in the country, plays its’ home games here. The club’s training base is located nearby, and residential properties are being added. Stadium construction also revived plans to open a metro station nearby, a project put on hold 40 year ago. Spartak is the second metro station that carries the name of a football club, the other one being Dynamo.
Address
Volokolamskoye sh.
69, Moskva
Russland, 125424
Aerial view
Thank you, Google!
Opening
2014
Spectator seats
45,000
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