The incoming year 2018 will become a big year for VTB Arena Park – it will be the year when the heart of the project, the reconstructed Dynamo Stadium, will be finally commissioned. Besides, 2018 is a double anniversary for Dynamo: 90th anniversary of the stadium and 95th anniversary of the Dynamo Society. It is a great opportunity to bring the Dynamo Society back to the Dynamo Stadium – the beloved home for many thousands of Dynamo members representing different kinds of sports and their fans!
In the past year, as it was planned, the contractors finished the erection of the stadium roof steel structures, installed the aluminum roof, laid the football pitch turf, installed seats on the tribunes and provided utility systems. The restorers performed unique operations saving Sergey Merkurov’s bas-reliefs which copies have been installed in the niches of the Northern and Southern tribunes of the stadium.
In 2017, VTB Arena Park received several rewards of the most prestigious forums: “Best Future Arena” according to World Stadium Congress in Qatar, “Unique Facility of the Year” [DI] Awards, “Best Infrastructure Project” according to Sports Facilities magazine at the Sport City 2.0 forum, “Smart Stadium” at Moscow Stadium Forum, “Project of the Year” in the Architecture and Landscaping category of the Innovations Time forum in Sochi.
October 22, Lev Yashin’s birthday anniversary, was celebrated by a symbolic opening of the football pitch and stadium tribunes for three generations of the Dynamo members. The first balls hit the goals and a bright beam of light was sent to the sky as a predictor of the future victories! The victories will be guaranteed also by the active help of the Dynamo veterans and fans. None social event of VTB Arena Park can happen without their participation. They actively help in making a film called “Lev Yashin. The Goalkeeper of my Dream” which is going to become one of the landmarks of the upcoming World Cup reminding once again about the great Dynamo goalkeeper Lev Yashin, whose name was given to the stadium.
The project that has no comparable world analogues will not stop in its achievements. By mid-2018, in addition to the commissioned hotel Hyatt Regency Moscow Petrovsky Park, the furnished apartment building and the business center, the project participant will also commission the Sports and Concert/Entertainment Complex “VTB Arena – Central Stadium “Dynamo” named after Lev Yashin, the Arena Art Gallery and the remaining apartment buildings. The next phase will be the construction of the Small Concert Hall and full landscaping of the Dynamo Sports Park.
The Dynamo district is recovering its historical charm and spirit giving it new attractive features, turning the district into a fundamentally new public space.
According to Andrei Peregoudov, Senior Vice President of VTB Bank and the head of VTB Arena Park, Dynamo has a good chance to become an attraction center for the Dynamo members and fans. We are doing our best to revive the Dynamo historic spirit and energy in the home ground: the athletes and fans will feel themselves there like real hosts. For this purpose, here are comfortable tribunes, under-tribune premises, and multi-service platform with a lot of unique privileges available only for the visitors of VTB Arena Park. In the beginning of June, we would like to celebrate the Stadium opening with a match between the Russian national team and one of the teams participating in the World Cup. In a short time our complex will be able to host basketball, hockey, tennis, figure ice skating, boxing and handball tournaments as well as world star concerts. Dear friends, you all are welcome to Dynamo!