Passing week was a very rough one, with temperatures falling even to -30 (-22F). That didn’t stop workers at Luzhniki, where commissioning has begun. Delivery in March is still the plan.

Recent days brought arctic weather to Moscow, with temperature reaching a low yesterday of -30.  Forecast is now more optimistic but it seems the frost didn’t really impact works at the Luzhniki construction site.

Speaking on Friday, deputy mayor Marat Khusnullin assured the public that the project is exactly on time and will be ready for handover in March. The construction itself is now delivered, while furnishings and installations go on.

© Anton fritz Mastrenkov

Majority of regular seats are already in place, representing 9 shades of yellow, burgundy and brown. The wider corporate seats are yet to come to both east and west stands and all 81,000 seats should be in place in February.

As Khusnullin announced, the field’s under-soil heating system is running efficiently and has protected the hybrid turf from adverse weather conditions. When Luzhniki opens the 2018 World Cup, the stadium will become the first venue to have a field with mixed fibers, natural and synthetic.