The 2018 World Cup has officially kicked off. Soccer teams from Saudi Arabia and Russia – the tournament’s host country – play the first match Thursday morning.
In preparation for the games, Russia has devoted more than $2.8 billion toward building and updating 12 massive stadiums across 11 cities. The arenas pay tribute to traditional Russian architecture – characterized by sculptural fixtures – while also nodding to Putin-era building design, which have sharp angles and flamboyant patterns.
Take a tour below:
In addition to the $2.8 billion on the 2018 World Cup stadiums, Russia spent more than $8 billion on infrastructure projects — like repairs and construction on roads, railway stations, and airports — for the games.
Source: Reuters
The Otkrytie Arena in Moscow
When it opened: September 2014
Cost: $430 million
Capacity:45,360
Details:In 2010, an architectural council rejected the stadium's design, because the group thought it was too ordinary. The current, revised design was developed by engineering firm AECOM, London-based architects Sport Concepts, and facade designer Dexter Moren Associates.
The Otkrytie Arena in Moscow
The Luzhniki stadium in Moscow
When it opened: 1956
Reconstruction cost: $410 million
Capacity:80,000
Details: In 2013, the original arena was demolished, but the facade was preserved. Workers then built an entirely new stadium with the old exterior to meet FIFA's specifications, including 3,000 surveillance cameras.
The Luzhniki stadium in Moscow
The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod
When it opened: April 2018
Cost: $287 million
Capacity: 45,000
Details: The stadium's design uses a palette of white and various blues, colors associated with the Volga region's plentiful bodies of water. The metal roof weighs over 11,000 tons, giving the arena an overbearing appearance.
The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod
The Samara Arena in Samara
When it opened: April 2018
Cost: $320 million
Capacity:40,900
Details:Known as the home of the Soviet aerospace industry, Samara created the rocket that astronaut Yuri Gagarin piloted to become the first man in space in 1961. The design of the city's new stadium - which resembles a spacecraft - nods to that history.
The Samara Arena in Samara
The Saint-Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg
When it opened: April 2017
Cost: $1.1 billion
Capacity:64,287
Details: Stretching 260 feet tall, the metal arena was envisioned to look like "a spaceship that has landed on the shores of the Gulf of Finland," according to architect Kisho Kurosawa. When the venue opened in 2017, it was late and 548% over budget, the Moscow Times reported.
The Saint-Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg
The Volgograd Arena in Volgograd
When it opened: April 2018
Cost: $273 million
Capacity:40,479
Details: A monument of a sword-wielding woman called "The Motherland Calls" - which is nearly the height of the Statue of Liberty - sits next to the riverside arena to commemorate the Battle of Stalingrad. At night, the venue lights up.
The Volgograd Arena in Volgograd
The Kazan Arena in Kazan
When it opened: July 2013
Cost: $450 million
Capacity: 45,379
Details: According to the stadium's architecture firm Populous, the design was inspired by a water-borne flowering plant, a reference to Kazan's riverscape.
The Kazan Arena in Kazan
The Ekaterinburg Arena in Yekaterinburg
When it opened: 1957
Reconstruction cost: $201 million
Capacity:35,000
Details: From 2014 to 2017, the arena was renovated to include accessible seating, modern security systems and video technology, a new turf, extended parking facilities, and more. As you can see in the photo above, the project preserved the venue's 1950s-era columns - an architectural characteristic that Putin has seemed to favor.
The Ekaterinburg Arena in Yekaterinburg
The Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don
When it opened: May 2018
Cost: $312 million
Capacity:40,709
Details: Recognized as the first large project built south of the River Don, the arena will supposedly encourage the city's expansion south.
"Of course it won't be the only building here. We're planning to create a whole new center for life in Rostov," architect Alexey Polyanski told The Voice of Russia.
The Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don
The Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad
When it opened: May 2018
Cost: $299 million
Capacity:31,484
Details: The stadium is said to resemble a ship, a design that pays homage to the port town of Kaliningrad. Mastlike towers hold up the roof, which features a rectangular opening over the soccer field.
The Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad
The Fisht Stadium in Sochi
When it opened: February 2014
Cost: $779 million
Capacity:41,220
Details: The roof of the stadium, which looks like a mantaray, splits down the middle.
The Fisht Stadium in Sochi
The Mordovia Arena in Saransk
When it opened: April 2018
Cost: $300 million
Capacity: 41,685
Details: The stadium's design is based on the image of the sun, the primary symbol of ancient myths and legends of the Mordovians, one of Russia's largest indigenous groups.
The Mordovia Arena in Saransk
The Mordovia Arena in Saransk
