2017 December 25, a stamp booklet “FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia™. Stadiums” was put into circulation

The 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM is the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men’s national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. 11 Russian cities will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Ekaterinburg.

The booklet includes 12 postage stamps featuring the tournament stadiums: Volgograd Arena, Ekaterinburg Arena, Kazan Arena, Kaliningrad Arena, Luzhniki Stadium, Spartak Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Rostov Arena, Samara Arena, Saint Petersburg Stadium, Mordovia Arena, Fischt Stadium. The stamps were issued into circulation in 2015–2017.

The booklet cover depicts a map of the Russian Federation and ZabivakaTM, the FIFA World Cup RussiaTM Official Mascot; the stamps and a short history of the stadiums are inside.

Design: О. Shushlebina.
Face values: 21 RUB, 21.50 RUB, 22 RUB.
Size of booklet: 163×110 mm
Circulation: 6.5 thousand stamps

Luzhniki Stadium

The stadium is one of the largest sports complexes both in Russia and abroad, and the main Moscow site where large-scale events are held, as well as a recreation and entertainment area. Opened in 1956, it is an architectural and park complex uniting more than 80 constructions and objects, the largest of which are Big and Small Sports Arenas, a Palace of Sports, Swimming Pool, Sport Complex Druzhba and Sports Village. Luzhniki Complex can accommodate approximately 80,000 people. Seats for persons with restricted mobility, skyboxes and corporate boxes of enhanced comfort will be mounted as well.


Spartak Stadium

The stadium is one of the largest sports complexes in Moscow. It was opened in 2014 in the territory of the Tushino Airfield. Spartak Stadium (Otkrytiye Arena) is outfitted with ultramodern equipment and meets all the safety requirements. It consists of a football field with stand of 40,000-people capacity. Two hockey arenas, a tennis academy, a water sports center, several sports schools and two kindergartens with a sports bias are to be constructed in the territory of the stadium.


Sochi Stadium

It is a football stadium and a multi-functional sports and entertainment center with a capacity of 40,000-45,000 people. The images of a sea shell and a snow-capped mountain summit form the basis of an architectural project. The stadium is situated in the Imeretinsky Valley of Adler District in Sochi. The stadium is a site for games played by the Russian national football team, as well as for various mass festive events.


Kazan Stadium

Opened in 2013, it is one of the most capacious universal stadiums of Russia. It can accommodate 45,000 people; there are also VIP-areas at the stands. As envisioned by architects, the shape of Kazan Stadium resembles a water-lily with a bird’s eye view. Sports competitions, concerts, different large-scale events are held in the territory of the stadium.

Volgograd Arena

Volgograd Arena is a versatile stadium that will be situated on the shore of the Volga River and will fit harmoniously into the overall city view adding to the Mamayev Kurgan ensemble. The front design associates with a local tradition of intricate wickerwork out of vine and festive fireworks closely connected to the military history of Volgograd Hero City.


Ekaterinburg Arena

Ekaterinburg Arena is the largest sports complex in the Ural situated close to the historic center of Ekaterinburg. It is an architectural monument, the front of which features Soviet neoclassical elements and monumental architectural pieces, such as various sculptures, flowerpots and pennants.


Rostov Arena

Rostov Arena is a football stadium that will be situated on the left bank of the Don River. The arena is distinguished by an original architectural solution: the northern stand will be open, with a scenic view on the Don behind. The stadium will become a center of the urban landscape connecting business centers and shopping malls with the city rowing canal.


Samara Arena

The Samara Arena sports facility will be situated on the southern slope of the Zharenyi (Sultanov) Bugor island hill in the northern part of the city with its eastern part bordering forest territories. The arena will have the form of a huge dome up to 60 m high with a so-called “cut-out” in the middle. The football field will be in the open air and the stands will be under the roof.

Kaliningrad Stadium

Kaliningrad Stadium (also called Arena Baltika) is an association football stadium under construction in Oktyabrsky Island, Kaliningrad, Russia. It will host some of the games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It will also host FC Baltika Kaliningrad of the Russian Football National League, replacing Baltika Stadium. This will be a two-tier stadium, equipped with ultramodern security systems and CCTV. The project is based on the concept of the Allianz Arena, which hosted matches of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The project cost is planned around 11 billion rubles. Commissioning is planned in 2017. The stadium following the 2018 World Cup will turn into 25,000 seating capacity and part of the roof will be retracted. Arena Baltika is located only 45 kilometers from the border with Poland (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship), which makes it the stadium of the 2018 FIFA World Cup located closest to the European Union and the Schengen Area.

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is a football stadium in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia which is under construction. It is one of the venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It will have a capacity of 44,899 spectators. The projected total area of the stadium building is 127,500 m². The capacity of the stadium will be 45,000 seats, including 902 seats for low-mobility groups of people together with accompanying persons. It is expected that after the tournament is over, the stadium will be used for home matches of the FC Olimpiyets Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian Football Premier League.

St Petersburg Stadium

The Krestovsky Stadium, officially Saint-Petersburg Stadium, also called Zenit Arena, is a retractable roof stadium in the western portion of Krestovsky Island in Saint Petersburg, Russia, which serves as home for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. The stadium was opened in 2017 for the FIFA Confederations Cup. Initially, it was planned to be completed by December 2008, which was changed to late 2011 and was scheduled to open in 2017. As of May 2017, the stadium is 518% late and 548% over budget. The stadium has a capacity of 68,134 people. It is called Saint Petersburg Stadium during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup. At a cost of $1.1 billion at current exchange rates, it is considered one of the most expensive stadiums ever built.

"Mordovia Arena" Stadium

Mordovia Arena is a football stadium currently under construction in Saransk, Mordovia, Russia in time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It will also host FC Mordovia Saransk of the Russian Premier League, replacing Start Stadium. It will have a capacity of 44,442 spectators. In the bid to host 2018 World Cup submitted to FIFA, Saransk's new stadium was shown with a temporary design by German architect Tim Hupe. For the final look of the stadium a local company SaranskGrazhdanProekt was chosen. The simple bowl-shaped venue is to have stands for 44,442 people, but only in tournament mode. After the 2018 World Cup upper stands are to be dismantled, decreasing capacity to 28,000. Between the stands left and the roof a promenade with retail and leisure spaces is to be created.

 

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