Luzhniki Stadium
Encyclopedia
The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow
, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium , is the biggest sports stadium in Russia
. Its total seating capacity
is 78,360 seats, all covered. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex
, previously called the Central Lenin
Stadium . The name Luzhniki derives from the flood meadows in the bend of Moskva River
where the stadium was built, translating roughly as "The Meadows". The stadium is located in Khamovniki District of the Central Administrative Okrug of Moscow
-city. As part of the Olympic complex Luzhniki also have the Palace of Sport at Luzhniki
.
club, who also own the sports complex, and Spartak Moscow
. It is also one of the few major European stadia to use an artificial pitch, as it installed a FIFA-approved FieldTurf
pitch in 2002. The pitch is necessary for the cold Russian climate, as regular grass pitches are often destroyed during a typical winter and must be replaced at high cost. However, a temporary natural grass pitch was installed for the 2008 Champions League Final http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=383543&cc=3888.
The Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium was the chief venue for the 1980 Summer Olympics
, the spectator capacity being 103,000 at that time. The events hosted in this stadium were the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics
, Football finals
, and the Individual Jumping Grand Prix
.
The Luzhniki Stadium was chosen by UEFA
to host the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final
won by Manchester United who beat Chelsea
in the first all English Champions League Final on May 21. Prior to the match some skeptics questioned the state of the pitch
and also the ability of Russian authorities to keep order amongst the traveling British fans, however the match passed incident free and a British Embassy in Moscow spokesman said, "The security and logistical arrangements put in place by the Russian authorities have been first-rate, as has been their cooperation with their visiting counterparts from the UK."
The 2018 FIFA World Cup
has been awarded to Russia and the Luzhniki Stadium has been selected by the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup bid as the venue for the final which will be held on July 8, 2018. The stadium will then join Rome's Stadio Olimpico
, Munich's Olympic Stadium
and London's Wembley Stadium as the only stadia to have hosted the finals of the FIFA World Cup
, UEFA's European Cup/Champions League
and featured as a main stadium of the Summer Olympic Games
.
and the Soviet Union
, attended by a crowd of 55,000 and setting a new world record at that time. Other events staged include the 1973 Summer Universiade
, the 1989 Moscow Music Peace Festival
and the inaugural World Youth Games in 1998. Artists suchs as Michael Jackson
(1993 Dangerous Tour), The Rolling Stones
, Madonna
(2006 Confessions Tour
), Metallica
(Sick Of The Studio '07 tour
), Kino
, U2
(2010 U2 360° Tour
) have all performed concerts in the stadium. It also makes an appearance in the Russian film Night Watch
, during the power shut-down scene when the power station goes into overload. The stadium is seen with a match taking place, and then the lights go out. New Japan Pro Wrestling
, the Japan
ese professional wrestling
promotion, ran a show in 1989 as well.
during the UEFA Cup
match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem
. Scores of people were trampled, with the official number of deaths being 66.
, a company run by Yelena Baturina
, now Russia's richest woman. Her husband is Yuriy Luzhkov
, the former mayor of Moscow, and many see the awarding of the contract to have been a conflict of interest.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium , is the biggest sports stadium in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Its total seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
is 78,360 seats, all covered. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex
Luzhniki Olympic Complex
The Luzhniki Olympic Complex is a sport facilities complex located in Moscow, Russia.- Venues :*Grand Sports Arena*Luzhniki Palace of Sports*Luzhniki Small Sports Arena*Olympic Pool...
, previously called the Central Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
Stadium . The name Luzhniki derives from the flood meadows in the bend of Moskva River
Moskva River
The Moskva River is a river that flows through the Moscow and Smolensk Oblasts in Russia, and is a tributary of the Oka River.-Etymology:...
where the stadium was built, translating roughly as "The Meadows". The stadium is located in Khamovniki District of the Central Administrative Okrug of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
-city. As part of the Olympic complex Luzhniki also have the Palace of Sport at Luzhniki
Luzhniki Palace of Sports
Luzhniki Palace of Sports, formerly the Palace of Sports of the Central Lenin Stadium, is a sports palace in Moscow, Russia, a part of the Luzhniki Sports Complex. Built in 1956, it originally had a spectator capacity of 13,700...
.
Stadium history
Its field is used mainly for football games by Torpedo MoscowFC Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow is an association football club, based in Moscow, Russia. The club was founded in 1930. On March 19, 2009 it was denied membership of the Professional Football League and did not play in the professional competitions in 2009...
club, who also own the sports complex, and Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
. It is also one of the few major European stadia to use an artificial pitch, as it installed a FIFA-approved FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
pitch in 2002. The pitch is necessary for the cold Russian climate, as regular grass pitches are often destroyed during a typical winter and must be replaced at high cost. However, a temporary natural grass pitch was installed for the 2008 Champions League Final http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=383543&cc=3888.
The Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium was the chief venue for the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
, the spectator capacity being 103,000 at that time. The events hosted in this stadium were the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics
Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics was represented by 38 events. They were held in the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium at Luzhniki between July 24 and August 1. There were a total number of 959 participating athletes from 70 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal...
, Football finals
Football at the 1980 Summer Olympics
thumb|right|Official Programme of the match [[USSR]] vs [[Venezuela]]The football tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics started on July 20 and ended on August 2. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested...
, and the Individual Jumping Grand Prix
Equestrian at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Equestrian at the 1980 Summer Olympics was represented by 6 events. All of them, with the exception of the Individual Jumping Grand Prix, were held in the Trade Unions Equestrian Centre, which is situated in the Bitsa forest park...
.
The Luzhniki Stadium was chosen by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
to host the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final
2008 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 20:45 CEST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
won by Manchester United who beat Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in the first all English Champions League Final on May 21. Prior to the match some skeptics questioned the state of the pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
and also the ability of Russian authorities to keep order amongst the traveling British fans, however the match passed incident free and a British Embassy in Moscow spokesman said, "The security and logistical arrangements put in place by the Russian authorities have been first-rate, as has been their cooperation with their visiting counterparts from the UK."
The 2018 FIFA World Cup
2018 FIFA World Cup
The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...
has been awarded to Russia and the Luzhniki Stadium has been selected by the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup bid as the venue for the final which will be held on July 8, 2018. The stadium will then join Rome's Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
, Munich's Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Munich)
Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics....
and London's Wembley Stadium as the only stadia to have hosted the finals of the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, UEFA's European Cup/Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and featured as a main stadium of the Summer Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
.
Other events
The Luzhniki Stadium also hosted the final game of the 1957 Ice Hockey World Championship between SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, attended by a crowd of 55,000 and setting a new world record at that time. Other events staged include the 1973 Summer Universiade
1973 Summer Universiade
The 1973 Summer Universiade, also known as the VII Summer Universiade, took place in Moscow, USSR.-Medal table:-Sports and venues at the 1973 Summer Universiade :...
, the 1989 Moscow Music Peace Festival
Moscow Music Peace Festival
The Moscow Music Peace Festival was a one-time gathering of high-profile hard rock acts for a performance in Moscow, Soviet Union on 12 and 13 August 1989 to promote world peace and establish international cooperation in fighting the drug war in Russia. It was part of an era of momentous change in...
and the inaugural World Youth Games in 1998. Artists suchs as Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
(1993 Dangerous Tour), The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
(2006 Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It supported her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Madonna confirmed the possibility of going out on a tour as early as November 2005. Jamie King, Madonna's longtime collaborator, was then hired on...
), Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
(Sick Of The Studio '07 tour
Sick Of The Studio '07
Sick of the Studio '07 was a 2007 concert tour by American heavy metal band Metallica, which took place in Europe. The first four concerts were in festivals and the last eight in stadiums. The band held a tourname-competition among the fans and they personally chose the winning suggestion...
), Kino
Kino
Kino may refer to:In film and theatre:* Kino , a worldwide group of amateur filmmakers* Kino Flo, a manufacturer of lighting equipment for use in motion pictures.* Kino International, a movie theater in Berlin...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
(2010 U2 360° Tour
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
) have all performed concerts in the stadium. It also makes an appearance in the Russian film Night Watch
Night Watch (2004 film)
Night Watch is a 2004 Russian supernatural thriller film directed by Timur Bekmambetov. It is loosely based on the novel The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, and is the first part of a trilogy, followed by Day Watch and ending supposedly with Twilight Watch .-Plot:In the prologue, which...
, during the power shut-down scene when the power station goes into overload. The stadium is seen with a match taking place, and then the lights go out. New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
, the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
promotion, ran a show in 1989 as well.
1982 Luzhniki Disaster
On October 20, 1982, disaster struckLuzhniki disaster
The Luzhniki disaster was a deadly human crush that took place at Lenin stadium in Moscow, Soviet Union during the UEFA Cup second round match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem on 20 October 1982. The official death toll to this day is 67, although many claim it to be as high as 340...
during the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem
HFC Haarlem
HFC Haarlem was a Dutch football club from the city of Haarlem, established in 1889. The club won the Dutch national title in 1946 and reached five Cup finals, winning in 1902 and 1912...
. Scores of people were trampled, with the official number of deaths being 66.
Corruption allegations
The seats for the stadium were provided in 1999 by IntecoInteco
Inteco is a Russian construction company, 99% of which is owned by Yelena Baturina, Russia's richest woman and wife of former Moscow city mayor, Yuriy Luzhkov.-Early years:...
, a company run by Yelena Baturina
Yelena Baturina
Yelena Nikolayevna Baturina is a Russian oligarch, Russia's richest woman and the only Russian woman worth more than a billion dollars. She is the joint 993rd richest person in the world currently, after tumbling from a much higher wealth...
, now Russia's richest woman. Her husband is Yuriy Luzhkov
Yuriy Luzhkov
Yury Mikhaylovich Luzhkov is a Russian politician who was the Mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010. He was also vice-chairman and one of the founders of the ruling United Russia party....
, the former mayor of Moscow, and many see the awarding of the contract to have been a conflict of interest.