SOCCER-RUSSIA/WORLD CUP-KALININGRAD Russian city of Kaliningrad prepares to host FIFA Wold Cup 2018

Record ID: 146691

  • Title: SOCCER-RUSSIA/WORLD CUP-KALININGRAD Russian city of Kaliningrad prepares to host FIFA Wold Cup 2018
  • Date: 19th July 2015
  • Summary: KALININGRAD, RUSSIA (JULY 18, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BEACH VARIOUS OF KALININGRAD FC BALTIKA TEAM TRAINING AT LOCAL STADIUM VARIOUS OF CRANE AT CONSTRUCTION SITE VARIOUS OF WORKERS AT CONSTRUCTION SITE FIELD VARIOUS OF CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY WORKING VARIOUS OF HOUSES ON BEACH CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY SEEN ON FIELD TENT ON FIELD VARIOUS OF KALININGRAD REGIONAL GOVERNMENT
  • Embargoed: 3rd August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABLF31A3GMTUCOIH5E6UMCO098
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Russian city of Kaliningrad, in the country's westernmost region enclaved between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea shore, is preparing to start the construction of one of 12 venues to host the FIFA World Cup 2018.
    Construction in Kaliningrad, which was part of Germany before 1945 when it was known as Koenigsberg, has not yet started although the site is ready, local authorities say. The stadium, which is planned to seat 35,000 people, will be called Arena Baltika and will also host FC Baltika Kaliningrad of the Russian First Division, replacing a relatively small Baltika Stadium where the team plays now.
    The project of the stadium is said to be similar to the one of Berlin's Allianz Arena, which hosted matches in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
    "Today, all preparation works have been finished as I have already said. The test of the piled have been run. And the of project of construction organisation provides that the construction will be finished by the end of 2017," Kaliningrad regional government deputy chairman Alexander Roubinov said.
    Kaliningrad, with a population of about 430,000, as a World Cup venue was long under threat as is took longer than other Russian cities to make a decision on a spot where the stadium would be built. The region does not have a strong soccer culture and there were fears that the stadium would not be often used after the tournament. According to Russian officials, after the World Cup the stadium's capacity will be reduced by 10,000 seats and part of it will be removed.
    "The city of Kaliningrad is a city with its own very old history. It has happened historically that there are almost no places for such volumes of construction in the city. The territory where we are now is the Oktyabrsky island. The island is in between the two riverbeds. This territory was left free of buildings," Roubinov said.
    He added that the legacy of the World Cup was the main priority for the region and this was one of the reason why the stadium is built not far from the city centre.
    Other Russian cities to host World Cup matches in 2018 are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara. The games will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums, two of which are located in the Russian capital.
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