Olimpiysky National Sports Complex (NSC) - is to the first in capacity and scales sport center of Ukraine, and the second – in the territory of the countries of the former CIS, conceding only to Moscow Luzhniki. Today it is calculated on seventy thousand seats, and impresses with the scope – especially, in night-time when all complex is highlighted by thousands of lamps. Its history contains practically century and, undoubtedly, it is one of the main attractions of Kiev who should be visited even to the person far from sports life – just to admire this enormous and in own way a beautiful construction.
Construction of large stadium in Kiev was planned at the beginning of the XX century, but implementation of these plans was interfered by war. For the first time the stadium was open in this place already at Bolsheviks, in the 1922nd year. It carried the name of Red stadium of Lev Trotsky, and he can be considered a predecessor modern NPO Olympic. The main objective of stadium of those years consisted in formation of a reserve for armed forces. As the place for location of stadium the Alekseevsky park of the city of Kiev was chosen, and seats equipped on slopes of the Cherepanovy mountain.
Throughout history several times the stadium was reconstructed. In different years it changed the name – it was called Kiev central, Stadium of Khrushchev, Republican stadium. Over time also the number of seats in the stands increased – so, as of the 1946th year it consisted already of fifty thousand. At stadium held the games and mass sporting events dated for various holidays and dates.
Used to know stadium and the worst times – so, in the first Post-Soviet time there was a retail trade here. Similar was observed also in other sport centers of the former USSR – in same Luzhniki, CSKA and many others. Then present NSK Olympic was called Republican. However in the 1996th year the stadium was given the national status and the new name, and it resumed the activity within the main sports ground of the country.
That reconstruction of stadium which gave it modern look took place in 1998-1999. Not the really convenient benches which were available in the stands before replaced with individual comfortable sitting from plastic. Stadium Osnovnaya Square – the football field – was equipped with the system of heating, besides, on it the live grass was planted. Modern materials covered racetracks, platforms for warm-ups and other sites of a sports complex. As of that time the number of places exceeded eighty thousand, however then it was a little reduced, in view of the next reconstruction of the 2011th year. Nevertheless, Olympic remains the largest sport center of Ukraine.
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In the stands Olympic in the 2001st the record on attendance football a mast was set. During the national championship on soccer, nearly seventy four thousand people came to a meeting of the Shakhtar and Dynamo teams – in the stands literally there were not enough places! Unfortunately, in view of the reduction of the area stated above, it is already impossible to break such record today. Today Olympic it is assigned to football club Dynamo (Kiev) and is the main platform when holding home games of this team.
Closely Trinity Square adjoins to stadium – it is possible to reach here by the subway, having come to Olimpiyskaya stations. The stadium remembers many memorable events, exactly thanks to the scales it was elected for holding extremely important actions more than once. So, in the 80th year played football matches within the Olympic Games here, and several games were played in the 2012th on its field during the European championship – and, in particular, ChE-2012 final.
Besides the main destination – holding sports – the stadium serves as the arena for a performance of popular variety figures from time to time. So, George Michael, Shakira, Madonna, and a number of other music bands – both foreign, and domestic acted here. The fascinating light shows put with use of multi-colored light and lasers and a festival under the name Tavriysky Games are held here. Olympic is very suitable place for such purposes, only it is capable to accomodate the maximum number of visitors in the walls what no other arena or the concert hall will cope with.
In the 2012th year in Ukraine the second record on attendance of a football match though it was and more modestly, than described above was set. So, sixty eight thousand people at the same time has come to a match between the Dynamo and Dnieper teams. And, as before, this event took place in the stands of NSK Olympic. The public was reasonably sorted on the structure – in order to avoid the conflicts, fans of various teams were seated by different sectors. At the same time, so-called ultras - the most active football fans, brought together all in one place not to mix them with other fans. Similar approach gives the reasonable principles of directorate which are carried out in the management of stadium.
As of today the directorate of stadium signed the five-year contract with Kiev Dynamo, and Olympic is their home platform. At stadium, matches are regularly played, at it sports clubs work, there are shops of sports goods and attributes. Besides, the stadium is simply beautiful externally – and, both outside, and inside. Around it it is pleasant to walk, considering this enormous construction, reminding the Colosseum of Ancient Rome. The stadium remains a dream of many thousands of teenagers across all Ukraine, motivating them on sports activities, forces to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and to develop physically. Undoubtedly, it is an original sports symbol of the country, by right taking the place among the most known stadiums of the world.