Luzhniki

The Luzhniki Grand Sports Arena is the largest stadium in the country and an iconic landmark of the capital. This grand sports facility is part of the eponymous Olympic complex and occupies a total area of 221 thousand square meters. In 2018, the International Football Federation FIFA recognized the Moscow stadium as the best in the category of field visibility from the stands, noting the high standards of ergonomics and comfort of the spectator seats. The football pitch of the arena has standard dimensions: length is 105 meters, width — 68 meters. For the convenience of visitors, there are 16 entrances equipped with a modern navigation system that allows fans to quickly find their seats in the stands.

Capacity and modern infrastructure of the stadium

Today, the sports arena can accommodate 81 thousand spectators at the same time. The stands are divided into four sectors with comfortable individual seats arranged in two tiers at an optimal viewing angle. The lower tier includes blocks with hundred-series numbers, the upper tier — with two-hundred-series. A special feature of the modern arena is the equipped skyboxes for VIP guests. Technical characteristics of the modern system:

• filling the stands takes only 10 minutes
• full evacuation of spectators is carried out in 6 minutes
• entrance numbering goes counterclockwise
• navigation signs are installed near each portal

The sports complex also includes the Northern and Southern cores — open training grounds for athlete training and competitions.

History of the sports complex creation

The decision to build the grand sports arena was made in December 1954. The design took only three months, after which construction began in April 1955. To clear the territory, eight thousand people had to be resettled and the Tikhvin Church demolished. Construction was completed in record time — in 450 days. The grand opening took place on July 31, 1956, with a friendly match between the teams of the RSFSR and the People's Republic of China. Initially, the facility was named the Central Stadium named after Lenin.

Capacity in different years

When it opened in 1956, the arena could seat more than 100 thousand fans on common wooden benches. Before the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the number of seats was reduced to 96 thousand. After the installation of plastic seats during the 1996-1997 reconstruction, the capacity decreased to 78 thousand spectators. In 1960, an eight-meter monument to Vladimir Lenin, created for the World Exhibition in Brussels, was installed in front of the central facade. In 1973, sports announcer Valentin Valentinov gave his voice to the stadium, working at matches until 2010.

Olympics-80 and landmark events

In the summer of 1980, the Grand Sports Arena hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games. The touching moment of farewell to the Olympic Bear to the song by Alexandra Pakhmutova and Nikolai Dobronravov is remembered by millions of TV viewers around the world. In 1992, the sports complex was privatized, and Lenin's name disappeared from the official name. The facility became simply called Luzhniki.

Central arena of the largest competitions

Over the decades, the stadium has hosted the most important sporting events:

• seven Spartakiads of the Peoples of the Soviet Union
• the seventh Summer Universiade
• world championships in various sports
• two World Festivals of Youth and Students
• international competitions Druzhba-84 and Goodwill Games-86
• World Youth Games

Reconstructions and modernization

The first major renovation was carried out before the 1980 Olympics. The next major modernization took place in 1996-1997, after which UEFA included the arena in the list of five-star football stadiums in Europe. The capital reconstruction before the 2018 FIFA World Cup was carried out from 2013 to 2017. At the same time, the historical appearance of the building was preserved.

Main works of the latest reconstruction

• complete reconstruction of the stands and replacement of spectator seats
• lowering the level of the football pitch
• planting about 400 kilograms of seeds to create a high-quality lawn
• installation of heating, drainage and aeration systems for the pitch
• replacement of the roof with light-transmitting impact-resistant polycarbonate
• extension of the roof canopy by more than 11 meters
• installation of a huge media screen into the roof structure

Thanks to the modernization, the stadium received the highest category of an elite facility, which allows hosting matches of European and world level.

2018 FIFA World Cup

During the 2018 World Cup, seven matches were played at the arena, including the final game. The grand opening and closing ceremonies of the championship also took place here. The modern navigation system with clear marking of entrances, sectors and blocks helped avoid confusion and significantly sped up the process of seating spectators.

The tragedy of 1982

On April 20, 1982, during a UEFA Cup match between Moscow Spartak and Dutch Haarlem, a tragedy occurred that claimed the lives of 66 people. More than 60 fans received serious injuries. Snow fell the day before the match, and the temperature dropped to minus ten degrees. Only 16 thousand tickets out of the possible 82 thousand were sold, so only two stands were cleared. Most spectators were on the stand closer to the metro. Not waiting for the end of the match in the severe frost, fans began to leave the stands. Someone slipped on the stairs, and a crush began. The Moscow prosecutor's office conducted an investigation, the case was considered at an open session of the city court. Experts noted that the tragedy could have been avoided with strict compliance with the instructions for mass events.

World-class concert venue

The arena has become a venue not only for sports competitions, but also for grand concerts. In August 1989, the two-day rock festival Moscow Music Peace Festival with world stars took place here; it was broadcast in almost 60 countries and was called the Russian Woodstock. Famous performers on the Luzhniki stage:

• Michael Jackson
• Madonna
• Rolling Stones
• Metallica
• U2
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Imagine Dragons
• Bon Jovi
• Muse

In 1990, 72 thousand spectators witnessed the last performance in the history of the legendary band Kino. Two years later, a memorial concert dedicated to Viktor Tsoi was held at the stadium.

Tours and entertainment

The sports complex offers several excursion programs for guests of the capital and Moscow residents.

Types of tours

Technical tour of the Grand Sports Arena includes the opportunity to meet with specialized specialists and get acquainted with the technical component of the facility. Sightseeing tour is a walk through interesting places that are inaccessible to ordinary fans during events. Visitors can see the press center, athletes' locker rooms, the tunnel leading to the pitch. Legends of Luzhniki — a program with interactive elements, stories about the history of the complex and sports stars.

Tour to the stadium roof

A special route with a reliable belay system is laid along the roof. From a height of 50 meters, breathtaking panoramic views of the capital open up. Fans of vivid impressions over 14 years old can take part in the tour. The light-transmitting polycarbonate roof creates a special atmosphere, and the built-in media screen demonstrates the capabilities of modern technology.

Additional entertainment

• team quests based on the 2018 World Cup
• organization of children's birthdays with a football theme
• attraction “Swallow Flight” — descent from the roof along a cable track with a height difference of 25 meters (operates from May to October)

Opening hours and cost of visit

The sports complex operates daily from 07:00 to 24:00. The time of matches and concerts depends on the schedule of specific events. The cost of entering the territory by car is from 200 to 400 rubles per hour. Tickets for excursions are purchased separately; current prices are posted on the official website of the complex. For detailed information about excursions, you can contact the call center at +7 (495) 780-08-08 or the excursion department specialists at +7 (495) 788-10-77.

How to get to Luzhniki Stadium

The sports complex is located at: Moscow, Luzhniki street, 24. You can get to the arena by various types of transport.

By metro

Nearest metro stations:

• Vorobyovy Gory (Sokolnicheskaya line, red line)
• Luzhniki (Moscow Central Circle, line 14)
• Sportivnaya (Sokolnicheskaya line)

By surface transport

Buses go to the stops “Stadion Luzhniki” or “MKTs Luzhniki”:

• s263, s249, s755
• m5, m6
• route 220

By cable car

You can get from Vorobyovy Gory to the complex by cable car. Please note that during mass events, the entrance from the cable car station side may be closed.

By car

There are enough parking spaces on the territory. Access transport terminals are located:

• from the side of Novodevichy Embankment
• near Luzhnetsky proezd
• on Komsomolsky Prospekt
• at Frunzenskaya Embankment

Interesting facts about Luzhniki

The sports complex boasts many unique features and records. On the central alley there is a huge flowerbed “Recognition of Eternity”, entered in the Guinness Book of Records. On an area of 3000 square meters, 35 thousand plants bloom simultaneously. The complex includes 140 different facilities: sports arenas, courts, swimming pools (including the largest in the country), a hotel and a sports museum. The entire territory is a park ensemble with alleys, flower beds and monuments to outstanding athletes. In the 1990s, a clothing market operated on the territory of the complex, which was typical for that time of change in the country. Today Luzhniki is regularly modernized, restored and re-equipped with modern equipment, remaining the center of sports and cultural life of the capital. Every guest of Moscow should visit this legendary arena to touch the history of Russian sports and feel the scale of the grandiose structure.