The site where the Saint Petersburg Stadium was built has a long sports history. In 1950, the main Kirov Stadium was erected on Krestovsky Island. Its construction spanned 18 years, starting in 1932. The war changed the stadium's construction time. The opening ceremony was held on July 30 with a game between the Leningrad teams of Zenit and Dinamo, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The stadium had a seating capacity of 100,000 and underwent four renovations after its opening.
Today, a modern stadium stands in its place. In 2006, Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa's project was selected for the construction of the new stadium. His design preserved the dimensions of the hill and the pavilions. The location of the football pitch also remained the same, as well as the ticket offices and the Kirov monument.
The main structural decision was a moving roof over the stands with a diameter of 286 meters that rests on eight masts. Another special feature of the stadium is its retractable pitch, which allows for holding any type of events.
In the summer of 2017, the Saint Petersburg Stadium hosted four matches of the FIFA Confederations Cup and was the most filled arena of the Cup. In 2018, seven games of the FIFA Cup were held there.
In 2021, the stadium will host seven games of the UEFA EURO 2020, and in May 2022, the stadium will again become a European football venue — this time for the 2021/2022 UEFA Champions League finals.
