The sports complex, which we will consider in the article, has only one analogue in Russia - IC Krylatskoye in Moscow. It features a 400-meter walkway covered with high-quality artificial ice. Nowhere else in Russia is there such a large-scale covered ice platform. It will be about the Ice Palace "Lightning" in Chelyabinsk. We continue our acquaintance with its brief description.
About the Ural Lightning Complex
"Lightning" is an ice complex created both for mass skating, and for training athletes, competitions at various levels. The palace has the name of the 6-time Olympic champion Lydia Pavlovna Skoblikova.
The Ural Lightning Ice Palace in Chelyabinsk was built in 2004 according to the project of architects A. Latyshev, Zh. Cherneva, V. Kovalev, engineer V. Bryukin. It is distinguished by the fact that it is the highest flat indoor skating rink in Russia (222 m above sea level). I must say, the structure was very damaged as a result of the fall of the Chelyabinsk meteorite in 2013.
This sports complex also highlights the fact that there is a museum of speed skating inside it. The second such institution in Russia is located only in Kolomna. And the ice of the Chelyabinsk “Lightning” hosted such iconic competitions as the Russian Championship, the European Championship, the World Cup in speed skating, the Junior Championship of Russia. The Lightning Ice Palace in Chelyabinsk is the only complex in the country that can host a hockey game with a ball.
Main characteristics
The sports complex "Ural Lightning" in Chelyabinsk has the following technical characteristics:
- The total area of ice is 10540 m 2 .
- 400 m of a speed skating track, a field for mass skating, platforms for skaters, hockey players, curling.
- It operates about 12 hours a day for 11 months a year.
- The average daily workload is 800 visitors.
- 1.5 years were spent on the construction of the complex instead of three years according to plan.
- On the surface of the ice surface there are two frost-free zones, where there are recreation areas, corners for shoe changing and even a buffet.
- The complex is equipped with 11 comfortable dressing rooms, the area of each of which is 30-36 m 2 . Some of them have a shower room, toilet.
- Inside the complex there is a first-aid post and a doping control room.
- The stands are designed for 1600 people. There are VIP boxes (100 seats), a sector for the media.
- The Omega timepiece in the judiciary is able to record achievements with an accuracy of 0.001 seconds.
- The main part of the information complex is a 4.5 x 6 m combined display panel. It allows you to broadcast content both online and offline.
- Everything that happens on the ice is fixed by 48 installed cameras.
- To cool the entire ice zone, 2460 kW of energy is expended. This is 0.234 kW per 1 m 2 , which exceeds the cost of ice systems in Moscow or Turin by 1.5 times.
There are several specialized appointments at the Molniya ice palace in Chelyabinsk: skating, training for skaters and hockey players, opportunities for curling or short-track players and, of course, mass skating. For the latter, there are 600 pairs of skates of various sizes and other training and protective equipment in the reserve of the palace. Experienced instructors will always come to the aid of skiers.
Schedule and prices
The following standard ice skating schedule for all comers is set in the Molniya ice palace in Chelyabinsk.
| Session Timeout: | Weekdays: | Holidays and non-working days: |
| 13: 00-15: 00 | - | + |
| 16: 00-18: 00 | - | + |
| 19: 00-21: 00 | + | + |
| 22: 00-00: 00 | + | + |
On Sunday, there is the opportunity to get into the family session from 12:00 to 13:00.
As a deposit, you can leave a cash amount of 1,500 rubles for one pair of skates or a passport, driver's license. For each document, you can take a maximum of two pairs of skates. The administration warns that it does not accept student cards, bank cards and telephones as collateral.
You can familiarize with the prices in the Molniya ice palace in Chelyabinsk in the table below.
| Service: | Cost: |
| Adult going out on ice, 2 hours | 250 p. |
| Adult going out on ice, 1.5 hours | 200 p. |
| Child's exit (up to 14 years) on ice for 2 hours | 100 p. |
| Child's exit on the ice, 1.5 hours | 70 p. |
| Skate rental | 100 p. |
| Sharpening skates | 100 p. |
| Protective kit rental | 30 p. |
Tickets for the session begin to be sold an hour before it starts. Try to arrive early, as most likely there will be no tickets left by the start of the ride.
Contact Information
Ice Palace is located on the street. Labor, 187a. Landmarks: from one corner - the intersection of Engels and Labor Streets, from the other - Gagarin PKiO and Chelyabinsk Zoo. From the railway station, bus number 64 and trolley bus number 17 follow.
Ice Palace "Ural Lightning" is very popular among Chelyabinsk citizens and visitors. And for good reason - the nearest sports complex of this level is located only in the capital.