Krasnodar
City and Population
Krasnodar has a population of 700,000 and is located along the picturesque Kuban River. The city's name translates into "beautiful gift" as well as "Catherine's Gift" in recognition of Catherine the Great's grant of land to the Black Sea Cossacks. The city is also the birthplace of famous Russian soprano, Anna Netrebko.
Sights
Krasnodar is the "Gateway to the Caucasus Mountains." Attractions include among other sights St. Catherine's Cathedral, the State Arts Museum, a park and the beautiful concert hall of the Krasnodar Philharmonic Society. Charming, traditional Cossack villages surround both Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar. Leo Tolstoy immortalized these quaint hamlets in his novel the Cossacks and today visitors from all over the world can experience this unique lifestyle and culture.
Football
Krasnodar is one of the premier football centres of Russia with three professional football clubs, of which both FC Kuban (founded in 1928) and FC Krasnodar are playing in the First Division. More than 2,600 youth players are registered in various football schools. Krasnodar has a long tradition of staging regional football tournaments, such as the annual Governor's Cup during the summer break with more than 15,000 students and children participating and yearly veteran's and handicapped tournaments. In March 2009, an international women's club tournament was organised in the city with teams competing from Russia, China, USA, Bulgaria, Estonia, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland and Belarus.
Stadium
The site for the new FIFA World Cup™ Stadium Krasnodar is situated on the northern edge of the Krasnodarskoye Reservoir, about 14 km southeast of Krasnodar's city centre. The 50 hectare site is part of an urban development transforming that part of the lakeshore into an urban recreational park. The stadium will be the landmark for both the new park and its neighbouring residential areas. The crown will be send from across the water, serving as an iconic attraction that will bring new life to the Krasnodarskoye Reservoir area.
FAN FEST
The main Fan Fest area is located on the downtown Theatre Square, the most well-known square in Krasnodar, offering a capacity for 12,000 fans. A second city square is available in order to meet the minimum requirement of 30,000 fans.
