Groundbreaking will take place before the end of 2014 – an official confirmed today, assuring the stadium will be ready well ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Head planning officer of Nizhny Novgorod, Alexandr Bodrevskiy, announced today that construction of the new 45,000-seater will begin this year.

“A construction company will enter the construction site by the end of the year,” Bodrievsky said. “After an expert review of the design, a tender will be opened to choose a construction company that will build the stadium well and cheap.”

How cheap is cheap for Nizhny Novgorod? Compared to stadiums opened across Western and Central Europe not cheap at all. The new stadium is priced at RUB 12-14 billion (€262-305m / $360-420m).

So far one stadium for the 2018 World Cup has been delivered, the Kazan Arena. It has yet to see a football game though, only having been the opening/closign ceremony host of 2013 Universiade. In just over two weeks the Sochi Stadion Fisht will be the second delivered, while Otkritie Arena in Moscow will come third in mid-2014.