On the eve of the first games of the World Cup, which will be held at the stadium " Nizhny Novgorod”, we collected 5 simple rules to help you adapt to the new arena.

1. Come to the match early

You can enter the stadium no earlier than three hours before the start of a regular match. The Nizhny Novgorod stadium is very large, and it's really easy to get lost on it. First of all, consider your ticket, for your convenience, we publish a sample ticket for a match with a decoding of the values ​​on it.

After you enter the stadium, you will see stairs leading inside the arena. Each of them is marked with a letter that corresponds to a sector. Climbing the stairs, you will see the indications of tiers and spectator seats, which also need to be compared with those indicated on the ticket.

Do not climb stairs that are marked with letters not in your sector, because in this case you still have to make a circle around the arena.

If your sector is D, it is easier to enter through Gate 3 or Gate 4. If sector A, then it will be more convenient to use Gate 1 (it is located closer to the Seventh Heaven shopping center). If you cannot find your place on your own, contact the volunteers - they will guide you.

2. Get to the stadium on free shuttle routes

On match days, it will be easier to refuse to use private cars than to find a parking space in the vicinity of the stadium. The closest stop you can get to public transport- "Arrow". But you won’t be able to get to it through the Kanavinsky Bridge (unless you take a shuttle).

There is ample parking around the stadium, but it is reserved for official vehicles. Parking at the Sedmoe Nebo, Metro, and Avrora shopping malls will also be prohibited.

3. Metro one way

Especially for the 2018 World Cup, a metro station, Strelka, was built near the stadium. The nearest exit is near the Decathlon store.

True, it is reported that Strelka will be on the days of the 2018 World Cup matches.

4. Do not take too much with you

There is a whole list of items that are prohibited from being brought into the stadium. These include not only alcoholic beverages and piercing and cutting objects. For example, you can not pass with containers of more than 100 ml, your food.

Musical instruments for extracting sounds, such as vuvuzelas, are prohibited. Exceptions are pipes and bugles.

You cannot take photo and video equipment with you (including a selfie stick), they will not let you in with an umbrella longer than 25 cm.

The more things you have in your bag, the longer the inspection will take, and a large crowd of people will form, which is not safe.

The main thing you need to take with you to the match is a ticket and a fan ID (FAN ID).

5. Quit smoking on match day

The arena is a smoke-free zone. Despite the fact that cigarettes, a lighter, matches can be brought into the territory, smoking is prohibited.

During the test matches at the Nizhny Novgorod arena, there was no such ban. However, the FIFA rules are more stringent and will have to be followed. Otherwise it will be

What are your first associations from the phrase "Going to football"? Many have no pleasant associations with this phrase: inadequate fans, often under a degree, crowds of police and riot police, a lot of checks, inspections and searches at the entrance to the stadium - all these factors, if you still decide to go to football, make you stay close with this sports facility as little time as possible.

But times are changing and football clubs' approach to organizing matches is changing.

I periodically visit football matches of my favorite club - Lokomotiv - for 10 years. And although I only go to the fan stand outside the goal, you can’t call me a fan - I have never bought a season ticket and attended six matches a season at most. For the past few years, I have not been to the stadium at all for family reasons - the birth of the first, and then the second child left a minimum of free time, but this year I managed to go to a couple of matches. And both times I went to the matches of the Europa League - an international tournament among European teams. Going to the match with the French “Nice”, I was very impressed with the changes that have taken place in terms of organizing the leisure time of the fan before the game, so for the next match - with the Madrid “Atletico” - I arrived early in order to calmly look at all the entertainment that the club offers before the game.

But first, one more small lyrical digression. The benchmark in terms of organizing sports matches of various teams in various types sport is USA. There, any match, be it basketball, hockey, baseball, American football, and even soccer (as they call ordinary football), which is their least popular game sport, invariably collects full houses. 40 - 60 thousand spectators consistently go to soccer (for comparison, the average attendance of our football premier league is 13 thousand people). Why is this happening? Because in the US, a match is not just a sporting event, but a whole show, with a huge selection of entertainment before, after and during the match, contests, a variety of food and drinks. People go to sports match to spend an interesting evening, and not just watch football.

We have a football match - it's just a football match. I came, went through several security cordons, watched the match, stood in a huge line at the stadium buffet during the break, bought a hot dog during the break (or didn’t buy it if they suddenly ended). But now, finally, the situation has begun to change, and some clubs are trying to make a football match a place of pleasant leisure. It is gratifying that Lokomotiv is among them.

I arrived at the stadium two hours before the match: it is at this time that the entertainment program announced by the club begins.

There are not so many people on the approach to the stadium yet, the police are there, but they are peacefully on duty on the sidelines.

There is no excitement at the box office, probably due to the fact that you can enter the stadium with a ticket bought online (both by printing it out and by scanning the code from the phone screen).

Passage to the stadium. Despite a large number of police officers, all control is carried out by stewards - young boys and girls - the police intervene only in extreme cases. Looking ahead, I will say that in order to get to the stadium, you need to go through three "controls":

the first is the entrance to the stadium - here they check only the presence of a ticket,

the second is the entrance to the stadium itself - here the code from the ticket is scanned, everyone passes through a metal detector and the steward feels for carrying foreign objects,

the third - access to the stands - here the stewards check the ticket so that you do not accidentally get into the wrong sector.

The club involves you in pre-match activities right from the door: after checking the ticket, the steward gave me a lottery ticket to the team of luck. It is issued to everyone who came to the match at least 45 minutes before it starts. You keep one part of the ticket for yourself, and throw the other into the drum, and half an hour before the match, the host of the evening pulls out five lucky tickets, the owners of which go to watch the match from the VIP box.

Passing the steward on the territory of the stadium, you come across an illuminated "photo frame" and a couple on stilts. Of course, in Spanish costumes.

To the right of the entrance they sell large fleece blankets for a symbolic 100 rubles. In general, the club did everything to ensure that the fans did not freeze before the match.

Several tents with gas burners were pitched on the territory, it was warm inside.

In addition, in one of them there were tables and warblers and a buffet was set up (but I will write about the gastronomic opportunities in detail below)

What really makes you feel good is the attention to detail. They made beautiful lighting in the tents. It would seem that they could not bother about this, but nevertheless they made it interesting.

A little about football nutrition. Those who visit football from time to time know that it is better to eat before the match in advance, because there are wild queues at the stadium for the buffet (which has a very mediocre menu). Therefore, all McDonald's and other fast foods located on the route from the metro to the stadium are usually crowded on the day of the match.

There is also a mini food court on the street. And it's really cool.

Barbecue and sausages are fried near the tent-tent (they make up the buffet menu in the tent). The amazing aroma of meat roasted on coals in a light frost will not leave anyone indifferent. Prices are slightly higher than just in fast food, but here they really cook on an open fire. For a fried sausage with a bun and sauce, they charge 250 rubles, a glass of tea - 50 rubles.

There is also a Harbor Food trailer, with approximately the same prices: sausage in dough 250 rubles, burger - 400 rubles.

And Papa John's pizza.

Well, where without a coffee-mobile with a variety of coffee and tea options. Yes, they also have mulled wine (of course, non-alcoholic), whose spicy aroma in the cold is very seductive.

In general, it is gratifying that before the match at the stadium there is an opportunity to eat, moreover, there is a certain variety, although you will have to pay a little more (although some of this money will go to support your favorite club).

Now what about entertainment (still I will not attribute food to entertainment).

For many, going to the stadium is a memorable event that everyone strives to capture in a photograph. And it's great that the club understands this.

Firstly, with the advent of the new leadership, the facade of the stadium itself was made more photogenic: they painted it in club colors and hung out huge banners with a locomotive and filled stands.

Looks very powerful.

Secondly, there is someone to take pictures with in front of the stadium. In addition to the mentioned couple on stilts, there is also a club mascot:

And golden mimes (also in Spanish costumes):

And the center of gravity: a real locomotive

Right on the outskirts of the stadium they sell club merchandise (previously it was not always possible to buy it on the day of the match): scarves are sold on folding tables, and next to the food court there is a large tent where you can buy not only scarves, but also T-shirts , and gloves, and much more.

An operator walks around the territory, who shoots the most interesting (in his opinion) and it is broadcast on a large screen next to the stage.

Yes, the stage is not only a platform for the presenter, who talks about the available entertainment and warms up the fans, but also a place for concerts. Markscheider Kunst played before the match with Atlético.

Walking around the stadium, I slipped very well a couple of times. Actually, I was not alone in this, and as soon as I thought that any good organization could at the moment neutralize all its pluses with such a trifle, as several janitors from a shovel began to sprinkle everything with salt.

This is perhaps the most pleasant surprise. In Russian football (to tell the truth, and not only in football), the biggest rarity is operational reaction to the event.

Through the salted snow, I made my way to yet another contest: the penalty shootout. Anyone could try to hit the ball in one of the three holes in the wall blocking the goal.

For a successful hit a prize. Girls and children, regardless of the result, were awarded an incentive prize. Plus, this action was accompanied by funny comments from the host (there was a separate host at this competition, not the one who was on stage). For all its simplicity, this contest, with its light gaiety and ease, was of interest not only to the participants, but also to outside spectators. Probably, I would have hung here before the start of the match, but then they announced a light and music show on a steam locomotive.

This is now a tradition before any match. A drummer plays on the roof of the locomotive, all this is accompanied by a light show and fiery charges from the pipes of the locomotive.

After the fire show on the stage, the winners of the "team of luck" were chosen and the program ended there. Fans flocked to the stadium.

An hour and a half before the match flew by very unnoticed. And despite the fact that I didn’t have time for some entertainments: this is a rugby contest, and face painting, maybe I missed something else.

Perhaps for those who come to football for the first time, my description will seem exaggerated: three and a half tents with food, a few mummers for photos and a couple of contests - that's all there is here - skeptics will say. But, firstly, this is a breakthrough for our football, and, secondly, this is really enough, there is barely enough time for everything before the match, and besides, this is still a warm-up before the main event - football. Accordingly, it is important to maintain a balance and, on the one hand, not to outshine football itself, on the other hand, not to leave the fan bored before the match. In my opinion, Lokomotiv managed to find that very balance.

The photos of the stands and the internal space of the stadium did not turn out particularly well for me, it was very crowded and, apart from people, you can’t really make out anything on them. In any case, they can be easily found on the official website of the club, and they will be of much better quality than mine.

The stadium was almost full. Empty sectors are places for fans of the visiting team and a safety zone.

Well, the match ended with a crushing defeat of Lokomotiv 1:5.

But on the way to the metro, the fans were very complacent. Maybe because they played with one of the best teams in the world and played boldly, or maybe because a football match has ceased to be just a match, but has become a way of spending leisure time. And I really hope that it is the second reason that is "guilty" of everything.

Come to the football game early... to get wet?!

So far, attending Zenit matches at the new St. Petersburg stadium is akin to a natural disaster

While Sergey Shnurov, or simply Shnur, dedicates to Zenit a new version of the old song with the patriotic slogan “There are five in St. Petersburg!” Petersburg, work to fix the leaking roof has intensified. Another embarrassment with this very roof almost overshadowed all the football exploits of your favorite team. When you shell out 9 thousand rubles for a ticket to the bottom row of the central sector and even before the start of the match you find yourself soaked from head to toe, then the victory of Zenit is not particularly warm. Perhaps as large as in the match with Spartak. Everyone is lucky that "In St. Petersburg - five." And so it's a shame. Both laughter and sin: for the leaking roof at St. Petersburg, he publicly apologized to everyone ... the head coach of Zenit, Roberto Mancini, is probably the least related to all this. And stadium problems, as we know, are not limited to the roof.

Will the Dutch be saved from the hail?

Some time ago, the Zenit football club made an official statement regarding the name of the arena on Krestovsky Island. She has an official name - "St. Petersburg", and the club urges everyone to call her that way. The leaders of Zenit can be understood: the city built the stadium, the city is responsible for it, the facility has not been transferred to the club’s ownership, and no one wants the leaking roof and other imperfections to be associated with some non-existent Zenit Arena. Nevertheless, by renting St. Petersburg for every home match, Zenit is forced to share responsibility for organizing events with the city.

The club is not able to repair the roof on its own - this is not in its competence. And since there is no guarantee that the roof will stop leaking in the foreseeable future, Zenit was very happy to agree with the Dutch Utrecht to hold the first match of the Europa League qualification not at home, but away next week. In order not to risk again. And then suddenly again a downpour with hail will break out, and some Dutchman will get an ice floe on the head ... So it’s not far from an international scandal. Yes, next Sunday you will still have to play with Akhmat there, but there’s nothing to be done - it’s better to rely on good weather than to transfer the game to Grozny.

Football for parasites?

By the way, as a source in the Zenit football club told the correspondent of Interesant, the decision to play with Spartak in the open without closing the roof was made taking into account the danger of suffocation when fires were lit by fans. They, as everyone remembers, were burned. And with the roof closed, it would really be impossible to play football. But here we smoothly move on to another major problem: the senseless screening of spectators who come to the stadium, standing in lines for hours to get into the stadium. And so everyone knew that fireworks and firecrackers would be carried into the stands! So, despite the total inspection, you can carry everything else there. The question arises automatically: why arrange an ostentatious search, artificially create queues, and then clumsily make excuses for it ?!

“There is only one advice - come to the stadium earlier,” - this is how the president of the Zenit football club Sergey Fursenko offers the audience to solve the problem with queues.

That is, respected Sergey Alexandrovich suggests that respectable Petersburgers not only spend an hour to get to the Krestovsky Ostrov metro station, then another half an hour - on foot to the arena, add to this half an hour or an hour for inspection at the entrance to the arena, but also come in advance ?! Excuse me, how much is this? An hour before the game? It turns out that you need to lay at least three hours before football. Suppose the match starts on a weekday at 20.00. So, already at 17.00 it is necessary to advance from some Leninsky Prospekt to Krestovsky? So, the majority normal people works at this time. Or do only parasites deserve the right to go to Zenit matches?

And in principle, why should people come to the stadium in advance, and not to the beginning of the match, as in any normal country in the world and in any other city in Russia?! Or not to the stadium. Can you imagine, the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater Valery Gergiev suddenly turns to St. Petersburg residents and guests of our city: “Come to us in advance, two hours before the first call, otherwise we won’t let you in.” What will they think of the master?

Should people with disabilities stay at home?

Although after all the ways to solve the problem are obvious.

First, it is possible and necessary to increase the number checkpoints to the stadium. Why this has not been done so far, there is no reasonable answer.

Secondly, why inspect everyone's personal belongings if they are passed through a scanner, like at an airport? I already asked this question during the Confederations Cup. If the second duplicates the first, then people simply do not know how to use the scanner. Before the game with Spartak, I carefully observed how these "specialists" work. Comrades, this is not just fiction, but a parody of fiction! In most cases, the people responsible for things passing through the scanner are not looking at the monitor at all! That is, they do not even formally do their job. At the same time creating queues. After passing through the scanner, things are also inspected unprofessionally. And not everyone - you can't follow everyone. I specifically tried, as an experiment, not to go through the press entrance and without screening. And you know it worked! In general, without a scanner, without screening, and even without presenting accreditation.

What really looks wild: not only to enter, even to leave the stadium is sometimes a problem. About half an hour after the game, all but one of the gates are closed. Not everyone is fast. After the match with Spartak, I witnessed how a young man persuaded the guards to release his disabled father. But they sent a disabled person. To that one open exit. And an elderly man with a stick had to walk a couple of hundred meters more, tormented. Of course, it's very difficult - to leave open at least a few exits, it's easier that way. Should people with disabilities stay at home?

Will Novokrestovskaya be opened to keep it closed?

And, of course, the launch of people to the Krestovsky Ostrov station after football touches. In one door. One by one. snake. St. Petersburg is the only city in the world where the authorities are unable to organize both safe and reasonable passage of people in the metro after mass events. It's easier to do nothing, but, for example, to close the Sportivnaya station, as it always did when Zenit played at Petrovsky. Now - to keep the Krestovsky Island half-closed. And just don’t tell fairy tales, as if we have the largest stadium, so it’s impossible otherwise. It's a lie. The same "Luzhniki" in Moscow can accommodate more, but the capital's metro station "Sportivnaya" was never closed after football, and people went down to the subway relatively quickly. It's all about the desire and ability, with which the leaders of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region clearly have big problems.

Here, after all, recently, at the request of the police head office of St. Petersburg football club Dynamo, playing in the FNL, was banned from playing home matches in hometown! And they sent a team to play in Veliky Novgorod! On the grounds that the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs cannot guarantee the safety of these matches in St. Petersburg. If there are two in one day. How is that?! Who is not aware of how popular the Dynamo club is in our country, I will let you know: a couple of hundred people attend its matches. Sometimes at movie shows more happens. And the police are not able to ensure their safety?! It is especially funny that historically (albeit not legally) Dynamo is related to the Ministry of Internal Affairs!

The Novokrestovskaya metro station should be completed right next to the St. Petersburg arena for the World Cup. So it will also be closed after the matches?! Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. We are building a station not for people to use it, but because these are the requirements for the organizers of the World Cup ... Isn't it?

Daniel ORLOVSKY,

Internet magazine "Interesant"

The fastest and most convenient way to get to Otkritie Arena is by metro. There are two stations on the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya line at once, from which you can walk to the stadium. Near the arena is the Spartak metro station, which was reopened specifically for the opening of the stadium - you can get from it in two or three minutes. And 600 meters from the "Opening Arena" there is another station - "Tushinskaya" (the journey from it will take 7-10 minutes). It would be more logical for many football fans to get off at Spartak - it is closer to Barrikadnaya, which can be reached from anywhere in the city along the Koltsevaya Line. The way from "Barrikadnaya" to "Spartak" takes 16 minutes - with a well-planned route, you can not be afraid to be late for the game.

Another way to get to the stadium is by ground transport. A large number of buses and minibuses stop near the Tushinskaya metro station. Here full list. Buses: 2, 88, 210, 248, 266, 372, 400t, 409, 436, 450, 455, 460 m, 464, 467, 540, 541, 542, 549, 568, 575, 614, 631, 640, 74 1 , 741k, 777, 904, 904k, 930, 961, 964

Not far from the Tushinskaya metro station is also the Tushino railway station of the Riga direction. It can be reached from the Rizhsky and Kursky railway stations, as well as from the Moscow-Kalanchevskaya station, which is within walking distance from three stations - Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky and Kazansky.

If you intend to get to the stadium by personal transport, then you need to go through the Volokolamsk highway. The arena is located at Volokolamsk highway, possession 67, and its contours are clearly visible from the track - you can't go wrong. Parking next to the stadium will also be easy - the parking lot in front of the Otkritie Arena can accommodate more than 2,500 cars. True, for this you need a one-time pass for a parking space.

What's with the tickets?

A full house is expected at the Russia-Austria match - tickets for the match are selling like hot cakes, so this issue must be resolved in advance. Tickets for the match of the national team have been on sale since May 20 at the Spartak online box office tickets.spartak.com and from May 25 at the Otkritie Arena box office. If you intend to purchase the coveted pass on the day of the match, you need to plan the route in advance - on the days of the match, sales will be organized only at the ticket office of the stadium on the Northern entrance group.

If you decide to buy an e-ticket for the match, and at the same time take care of parking in front of the stadium, you need to arrive at the Otkritie Arena the day before the match. When purchasing an e-ticket for a seat with the right to enter the adjacent territory, you will need to arrive at the stadium at the VIP box office (located in the Red-White Store) by June 13 with a printed ticket and an identity document in order to obtain an entry permit.

It should be noted that tickets for the game of the national team are not the cheapest pleasure. You can get to the fan stand B outside the goal for only 300 rubles, to the opposite stand D - for 900 (which is also not much). A trip to the central stand will cost more.

When to come to the stadium?

Getting into the bowl of the stadium is not the biggest problem. It is not difficult to pass the control at the Otkritie Arena, the stewards do not act atrociously and do not force you to turn out all the contents of the bags, and the whole procedure, taking into account the queue for entry, will take five minutes at most. With this in mind, it is quite acceptable to arrive at the stadium 30-40 minutes before the start of the game - there is no risk of standing in line for the entrance for the entire first half. During this time, you will have time to walk around the stadium and buy team paraphernalia or a program.

What can be found in the stadium?

The main problem of our stadiums is called huge queues during breaks - someone rushes to the toilet, and someone wants to eat. However, the "Opening Arena" is devoid of this problem. Inside the stadium there is a food court with 350 seats, where you can choose any food to your taste. In the arena bowl, you can also find numerous points of sale for paraphernalia - just right if you want to leave something to remember this match.

If you went to the match with your child, and he is not too keen on football, he can be invited to play with other children. Otkritie Arena has a children's room with an area of ​​450 square meters, where animators work with children. And the child is fine, and no one will bother you to watch football.

Why is the Russia-Austria match not to be missed?

– loss of points in the home game with Austria may come back to haunt the finish line. The Austrians have a very trained and competent team, they lead our group and show very mature football, so the opponent cannot be treated with disdain. In addition, while our guys are stewing in their own juice and playing in the home championship, the Austrians are gaining experience throughout Europe. Many (Fuchs, Prödl, Yunuzovic, Garnik, Baumgartlinger) went through the Bundesliga school, Weimann and Arnautovic gained a foothold in the English Premier League. You can't play full-footed against such a team.

In the key match for the Russian national team, the fans should become the 12th player for our team and lead the wards of Fabio Capello forward. Success can only be achieved together!

Difficulty level: Easy

1 step

To get started, you need a ticket. Usually tickets can be purchased just before the start of the match. It should be borne in mind that if big hype(European cups, matches of the national team, derby) it is better to take tickets in advance, two or three days in advance. In addition to tickets, you can get to the matches of the team of my city if you have a season ticket or an invitation (VIP-persons, sponsors, etc.).

2 step

The ticket price depends on the viewing location. However, at our stadium, all tickets have the same price, respectively, and seats in the stadium can be taken at your choice. Tickets can be purchased online, at merchandise stores, at the stadium and from resellers. When purchasing a ticket, be careful and carefully store it until the start of the match.

3 step

You also need to know the location of the stadium, how to get to it (bus routes, taxi prices) and the exact start time. It is best to arrive at the stadium half an hour before the start of the match, so as not to get in line at the metal detector and calmly take a seat.

4 step

If the match takes place in cold weather, bring a blanket or blanket, tea or coffee in a thermos, and dress warmly yourself. It is better to buy food and drinks in advance, the prices at the stadium bite a lot.

• Alcohol is not allowed into the stadium
• If you want to actively cheer, sing songs and chants, then go to the fan sectors, this is usually the platform where the most ardent fans are located. Fan sectors stand out from other stands and you can easily find them