The stadium on Krestovsky Island in the city of St. Petersburg, in fact, is not a completely new facility. It is located on the site of the old sports complex named after S. M. Kirov. Its construction is, in fact, the restoration and reconstruction of the existing field. The placement has not changed, but the appearance should make a lasting impression on the residents and visitors of the city.
Start
In August 2006, after the administration of North Palmyra made a decision to build a new stadium, a vote was organized for the best project. In the first round of the competition, 5 organizations became winners, the plans of which met the basic requirements: they fit into $ 250 million, allowed to keep the old hill of the stadium and had a retractable roof. Citizens, along with members of the jury of the competitive commission, were invited to cast their vote for the stadium on Krestovsky Island that they liked. The first project had a golden dome, reminiscent of the Mariinsky Theater. The roof of the second was supposed to be lined with metal cassettes and heated. These options were ruled out due to problems with operation and keeping them clean.
The next option was to restore the appearance of the stadium, retaining all the elements of the project of the architect A. S. Nikolsky, but adding to the field with cascades of stairs, fountains and a pyramid in the center. The fourth project depicted the stadium on Krestovsky Island in bright colors. Its authors drew inspiration in the design of
St. Basil's Cathedral (the famous church in Moscow, located on Red Square). The last project that won the competition was proposed by the Japanese. In shape, the stadium will be like a spaceship, like a huge designer.
Project financing
It was originally planned that the construction of the stadium on Krestovsky Island would be carried out at its own expense by the Zenit football club, together with the main sponsor, Gazprom. However, now the city budget allocates money for its construction, and the new stadium will belong to St. Petersburg. Because of this, the authorities have not decided on the name of the field, which they previously wanted to call Gazprom Arena, and now the Primorsky or Krestovsky variants are popular. The initial calculations of the cost of implementing the project have not paid off. At first, the amount of 6.7 billion rubles was announced, but due to the refusal of the organization that started the construction, it was necessary to reevaluate the costs and finance the completion of the project. As a result, for 2014 the amount required to complete the construction was announced, equal to 28.7 billion rubles.
When the stadium will be commissioned
In 2006, authorities promised that the new stadium on Krestovsky Island could be used by April 2009, so that FC Zenit would play their first match. The expected term for putting the
football field into operation has been shifted several times over 8 years. To date, the governor of St. Petersburg promises to open a stadium on Krestovsky Island by the end of July 2016.
Fans are looking forward to the completion of the reconstruction of this facility, because in 2018 the World Cup will be held. And if in our country, in St. Petersburg, there appears a stadium of such a scale that meets all the requirements of FIFA and UEFA, this will attract a huge number of tourists to major league football matches.