Little is known that initially the Lokomotiv stadium did not belong to this team. In 1935, in its place was a sports complex with a different name - "Stalinets". And he belonged to the trade union of workers in the electric industry. The stadium was not impressive in size and comfort. The stands were land, and the locker rooms - stuffy. Despite this, in the post-war years, Stalin played games with the most famous metropolitan clubs (Dynamo was closed, and Luzhniki was not even planned). The sports complex got its current name only in Khrushchev’s times.
Lokomotiv Stadium from 1966 to 2000
Soon, the “Stalinist” was demolished, and on August 17, 1966, a new sports complex was erected in its place. The opening was dedicated to the match Dynamo - Lokomotiv. At the entrance to the stadium screaming deprived fans. Two box office windows were closed with a piece of paper with the inscription "No tickets." This was the first full house at the stadium. In the following years, a lot of “home” matches took place in the sports complex. Especially memorable is the meeting between Spartak and the Swiss Sion, which ended in a draw (2: 2). After graduation, the Swiss asked the judge to measure the goal. In the end, it turned out that they are a little out of line with international standards. After the replay, Sion regretted their decision, because Spartak defeated them with a score of 5: 1. The Lokomotiv sports complex functioned until the late nineties, and then the management decided to reconstruct it. Although there were no objective reasons for this. The team played in the stadium until the end of the 1st season of 2000. Then the sports complex was completely closed. Nikolay Aksyonenko (head of the Ministry of Railways) was appointed the chief of reconstruction, in which the team got an ultramodern summer house in Bakovka.
Updated Lokomotiv Stadium
The first match in the updated sports complex took place in early July 2002. The Lokomotiv team played with the Elistin Uralan. But officially the stadium was put into operation only in early August. Before opening it was consecrated by representatives of the church. In September 2002, a match between Russia and Ireland was held within the walls of the sports complex (ahead of the 2004 European Championship). This was the first match at the national level, which “saw” the Lokomotiv stadium. Soccer teams showed excellent! Many fans still remember that match, which ended in favor of Russia (4: 2). In general, the sports complex has become home not only for the team of the same name, but also for the Russian team.
Lokomotiv Stadium in facts and figures
- Field. Equipped with irrigation, drainage and heating system. Strips of artificial grass lie behind the front and side lines . The lawn itself was brought from Switzerland, but it turned out to be bad and practically did not take root. Urgently had to change it. In May 2003, a combined lawn was laid, which was sewn with synthetic fibers for strength.
- Tribunes. The stadium has 6 floors and 2 tiers of stands, divided into 22 sectors. Each sector has a separate entrance. Capacity - 30,000 spectators. The upper tier is designed for 15 500 people, the lower - for 14 500. 28 810 seats are intended for spectators, 156 - for members of the press. There are 60 closed VIP-boxes for 10-24 people and 974 open VIP-seats.
To find out how the Lokomotiv stadium (ticket office) works, your phone, as well as other necessary information, it is better to go to the official website - there is always the most current data.