Kirov Stadium

Welcome to the western tip of Krestovsky Island in Saint Petersburg, a place where sports history and futuristic engineering collide. You are standing on the site where the legendary Kirov Stadium once towered—an earthwork marvel…

As you walk toward the main entrance of the stadium, look back at the pathway that leads to the metro station. For decades, this part of the island was incredibly inaccessible, requiring a half-hour walk from the nearest station. …

One of the most impressive features of the modern Gazprom Arena is invisible when you are inside—the retractable pitch. Because of Saint Petersburg's cold climate and the need for a multi-use facility, the entire grass playing…

Look up at the massive sliding roof, a feature that allows the Gazprom Arena to operate year-round, regardless of Saint Petersburg's notorious rain and snow. The roof covers an area of 71,000 square meters—nearly three times the…

Walk toward the western balconies of the stadium for a spectacular view of the Gulf of Finland. From this vantage point, you can see the new Western High-Speed Diameter bridge and the vast expanse of the Baltic Sea. …

Descending to the lower concourses, you enter the world of Zenit Saint Petersburg, the most supported club in the country. The fan zone is a place of intense community energy, featuring fan shops located directly inside the…

Before we finish, look for the remaining steps and architectural cues that hark back to the original Kirov Stadium. While the main structure was demolished, some of the original surrounding pathways and the general footprint of…

As we conclude our walk around the Kirov Stadium site and the Gazprom Arena, consider the evolution of the 'sports palace.' The old Kirov Stadium was a landscape intervention—a hill built from the river to host a city's dreams.…

Our tour of the Kirov Stadium site and the Gazprom Arena comes to a close. We have moved from the earthen embankments of the 1950s to the sliding roofs and retractable pitches of the twenty-first century. …