Mordovia Arena (russian: «Мордовия Арена») is a football stadium in

Saransk Saransk (russian: Саранск, p=sɐˈransk; mdf, Саранск ошсь, Saransk oš; myv, Саран ош, Saran oš) is the capital city of the Republic of Mordovia, Russia, as well as its financial and economic centre. It is located ...

Mordovia The Republic of Mordovia (russian: Респу́блика Мордо́вия, r=Respublika Mordoviya, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə mɐrˈdovʲɪjə; mdf, Мордовия Республиксь, ''Mordovija Respublikś''; myv, Мордовия Рес ...

, Russia built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It hosted

FC Mordovia Saransk FC Mordovia Saransk (russian: ФК Мордовия Саранск) is a Russian association football club from Saransk, Republic of Mordovia. In its current state it was formed in 2005, through the merge of Biokhimik-Mordovia and Lisma-Mordovi ...

, prior to their dissolution in 2020 from the Russian Professional Football League, replacing Start Stadium. It has a capacity of 44,442 spectators. The total area of the facility is 122,700 sq m. The Arena is located in the central part of the city and is within a walking distance of the city's key infrastructure. The stadium design is based on the image of the sun, the main symbol of ancient myths and legends of the

Mordvin people The Mordvins (also Unified Mordvin people, Mordvinians, Mordovians; russian: мордва, Mordva, Mordvins (no equivalents in Moksha and Erzya)) is an obsolete but official term used in the Russian Federation to refer both to Erzyas and Mo ...

. After the FIFA World Cup, the stadium is expected to serve as Saransk and Mordovia's largest sports and leisure center.

History

The decision to construct a new stadium in Saransk, a city 200 miles south-east of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

with a population of 330,000, had been made before Russia's bid to host the FIFA World Cup was approved. The Arena was planned to be built between 2010 and 2012 and to be completed for two events: Spartakiad and celebration of the Millennium of the Unity Between the Mordovian People and the Peoples of the Russian State. But as FIFA's regulations stipulate a minimum capacity of 45,000 people the original plans were changed and the opening postponed when

was listed as World Cup host city. Sport-Engineering is the stadium’s developer. On 2 November 2017, the field in the stadium received its first mowing. The stadium hosted its first match on 21 April 2018, a football match between

and

FC Zenit-Izhevsk FC Zenit Izhevsk (russian: ФК «Зенит-Ижевск» Ижевск) is a Russian football club from Izhevsk, founded in 2011. It played its first professional season in the Russian Second Division in 2011, where it replaced FC SOYUZ-Gazpro ...

. At the end of 2017, the new stadium in Saransk took its final appearance intended by the design. The finished steel skeleton of the arena was covered with finishing panels, serving as the key design feature of the construction. The surrounding ground was improved, the indoor premises were finished and elevators were installed. The construction of the stadium made it possible to solve a number of large-scale urban planning problems for the provincial city: a new park has been laid out, the embankment of the Insar River has been developed, and the residential area has been linked to the city center. The area was improved with a space for recreation, public festivities and leisure activities.

Location

The stadium is located in the central part of Saransk, on the eastern bank of the

Insar River Insar (russian: Инса́р, myv, Инесаро) is a river in the Mordovian republic of Russia. It is a right tributary of the Alatyr. It is 168 km long, with a drainage basin of 3860 km².Insar River Insar (russian: Инса́р, myv, Инесаро) is a river in the Mordovian republic of Russia. It is a right tributary of the Alatyr. It is 168 km long, with a drainage basin of 3860 km².

By car

The central district of Saransk, the place of the key sightseeing attractions, is a square limited by the streets Staroposadskaya, Botevgradskaya, Polezhaeva/Vasenko, Serova, and Alexandra Nevskogo. Volgogradskaya Street connects the city center with the eastern part of the city, starting from the intersection of Kommunisticheskaya and Serova Streets and crossing the Insar River. Mordovia Arena is located immediately across the river. The route Veselovskogo Street – Kovalenko Street – Yugo-Zapadnoye Highway runs north to south through the western districts of the city (from Lyambirskoye Highway to Osipenko Street). Lenina Avenue connects the city center with the northern part of Saransk, first changing into Alexandrovskoye, and then to Lyambirskoye Highway. Intersecting them, Severny Bypass runs around Saransk in the north, starting at the intersection of P-180 and P-158 highways. It then changes into Vostochny Bypass that connects Saransk to the airport. Osipenko Street runs from the center to the southern boundary of Saransk. The route connecting the city to the airport follows Alexandra Nevskogo Street – Sevastopolskaya Street – Krasnaya Street through the exit after the junction with Vostochny Bypass. Street parking in Saransk is free of charge. Parking on sidewalks, public transport stops, and at special traffic signs is prohibited.

Design

In the bid to host 2018 World Cup submitted to FIFA, Saransk's new stadium was shown with a temporary design by German architect (which is blamed to be copied from the Soccer City Stadium in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, and final match of the

2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

) Tim Hupe. For the final look of the stadium a local company "''Saransk Grazhdan Proekt''" was chosen. The simple bowl-shaped venue is to have acid orange seats and capacity for 44,442 people, but only in tournament mode. After the 2018 World Cup the upper stands are to be dismantled, decreasing capacity to 30,000. Between the stands left and the roof a promenade with retail and leisure spaces is to be created. The oval stadium will have a two-story basement and five floors. The stadium's turf is being imported from

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and there will be 37 km of

undersoil heating Under-soil heating is a method used in various sports stadia (with a grass surface) which heats the underside of the pitch to avoid any elements from bad weather, such as snow and ice, from building up and ultimately helps the club avoid having to ...

as well as overground heaters.

Engineering

The stadium has a high two-story stylobate covered with a bowl that is protected by the shell forming a canopy over the spectator seats. The main, western façade of the stadium faces the city central part and the embankment of the Insar River. The stadium shell is composed of brightly colored perforated and solid metal panels. The stands are divided into 4 sectors and subsectors and include a VIP box and a presidential box. Each sector has separate entrances, emergency exits, food outlets, first-aid stations and toilets, including facilities for people with disabilities. The stands have seats for spectators with limited mobility using wheelchairs and for their accompanying persons, as well as seats for people with hearing impairment, with information boards and video displays in their immediate line of sight. The stadium has a specially designated sector for guest team fans with separate entrances, food outlets, first-aid stations, and toilets. The design envisages a separate family sector with playrooms nearby. The stadium has a media box, press conference room, mixed zone for players communication with media, TV and radio broadcasting studios. In the future, the stadium is expected to serve as Saransk and Mordovia's largest sports and leisure center.

Construction

Construction of the final fifth floor began in December 2015. The walls and roof are made from a single shell of perforated metal panels in solar colours. These are supposed to represent warmth and hospitality. The galvanised roof base is made from profiled sheets that will have insulation and membrane coating laid over the top. Construction on the stadium was completed in April 2018. Mordovia Arena

Rules of conduct

When attending matches, spectators are advised to remember: * It is recommended to arrive to the stadium reasonably in advance: entrances open to spectators 3 hours before the match. * The stadium is a smoke-free venue. * The stadium follows a NO RE-ENTRY policy: after a ticket is scanned to access a spectator's seat, it cannot be used to enter the stadium again. * The stadium practices separate waste collection. Spectators are advised to pay attention to information on recycling bins and follow the simple rules: put plastic bottles, aluminum cans and clean paper into yellow bins, and

food waste Food loss and waste is food that is not eaten. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption. Overall, about o ...

, napkins, packages and disposable tableware, into green bins. Waste separation will make it possible to recycle a significant portion of waste and reduce the negative impact on the environment.

2018 FIFA World Cup

The stadium hosted four group stage matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. A test match was scheduled for 21 April 2018. What is impressive is that Japan caused a giant killing known as the "Saransk Miracle". This is the common name in Japan for the match in which Japan, ranked 61st in the

FIFA rankings The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, led by Brazil . The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the ...

, defeated Colombia, ranked 16th in the FIFA rankings, 2-1.

References

External links

Construction progress at StadiumDB.com Design renderings at StadiumDB.com
{{Russian Premier League venues 2018 FIFA World Cup stadiums Football venues in Russia Sport in Saransk Buildings and structures in Mordovia Tourist attractions in Mordovia Sports venues completed in 2018 2018 establishments in Russia