Russia Prepares To Host 2018 World Cup

As Russia prepares to host the 2018 World Cup next summer, its most westerly venue, Kaliningrad, the main city in an exclave next to Poland … Continue reading Russia Prepares To Host 2018 World Cup


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As Russia prepares to host the 2018 World Cup next summer, its most westerly venue, Kaliningrad, the main city in an exclave next to Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea shore, sees massive renovation.

The construction of the 2018 World Cup stadium started two years ago and still continues. 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.

The project of the stadium is said to be similar to the one of Berlin’s Allianz Arena, which hosted matches during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

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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 are fears that the stadium would not be often used after the tournament.

Local residents have different opinions on the construction works for the upcoming soccer championships. Some support the project with hope the legacy of the World Cup will help to develop sports and attract more tourists to the city. Others say the money could be spent on social needs.

Kaliningrad, which was part of Germany as Koenigsberg before 1945, has been famous for its seaside and amber attracting mainly Russian tourists. With 2018 World Cup championships the numbers are expected to grow.

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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