Stadion Fakel – stadium description

What is Fakel Stadium like in brief?

Fakel Stadium is a relatively modern, football-specific venue located in the south-western part of Voronezh. The ground consists of four freestanding, roofed stands with a total capacity of just over 10,000 spectators.

The stadium was built between 2021 and 2024 on the site of the previous venue bearing the same name. Upon its opening, Fakel Voronezh became the main tenant. Notably, during the construction period, the club had secured promotion to the Russian Premier League

Ultimately, however, a larger football stadium is planned in Voronezh, to be built on the site of the old Tsentralnyi Stadion Profsoyuzov. Once completed, it will become the city’s main venue, while Fakel Stadium will assume a secondary role.

What was the former Fakel Stadium like?

The previous Fakel Stadium was built in the 1980s. The first match was played there in 1986, although construction was not fully completed until 1989. The venue featured an athletics track, floodlight masts and a single western stand with a capacity of 3,000 spectators, beneath which additional facilities were located.

Before the stadium was built, a so-called Fakel sports complex had been constructed on Marshak Street between 1975 and 1979. The complex included a building housing two swimming pools, a sports hall and a fitness room. The stadium, added later, thus complemented the existing complex.

The swimming pool within the Fakel sports complex was the first in the Soviet Union to use ozone instead of chlorine for water disinfection. The entire complex was affiliated with the Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA), a rocket industry enterprise based in Voronezh, and was only taken over by the authorities of Voronezh Oblast in 2008.

How was the new Fakel Stadium built?

In 2020, information began to emerge about plans to rebuild Fakel Stadium, which would become the new home of Fakel Voronezh, then playing at the outdated Tsentralnyi Stadion Profsoyuzov. Construction was entrusted to the company Stroyengineering.

Work began in autumn 2021 with the demolition of the old stadium – in November, the old stand was completely torn down. Construction of the new venue then commenced and continued until 2024. The project, financed by the Voronezh Oblast authorities, cost 2.2 billion rubles. Unlike its predecessor, the new stadium was built without an athletics track.

Meanwhile, in 2022, Fakel Voronezh returned to the Russian Premier League after more than 20 years and remained in the top flight until the new stadium opened.

When was the new Fakel Stadium inaugurated?

Construction of the new stadium was completed in June 2024. The inauguration took place during Fakel Voronezh’s first home match of the new Premier League season on 27 July 2024, in which the hosts were defeated 0–2 by Akron Togliatti.

What does Fakel Stadium look like?

The stadium consists of four separate stands located on each side of the pitch. All stands are roofed and equipped primarily with blue seats. The roof along the pitch is divided into three sections, with the central segment slightly elevated above the rest.

The main stand is on the western side, behind the southern goal sits the most passionate Fakel supporters, and the northern stand (slightly shorter than the opposite stand) houses the away section. Floodlight masts are located in the corners, along with two large video screens. The stadium has a capacity of 10,052 spectators.

What names were given to the stands at Fakel Stadium?

In June 2025, following a vote among the fans, the club decided to name three of the four stands after former players: Oganez Mkhitaryan (western stand), Viktor Pimushin (eastern stand), and Gennadi Syomin (southern stand).

Where is Fakel Stadium located?

The stadium is situated in the south-western part of Voronezh, with its address registered on Marshak Street. Nearby landmarks include the building with swimming pools and sports halls (the Fakel sports complex), the Church of All Saints (its distinctive domes are visible from many points inside the stadium), the district court, and the Lenta hypermarket.

Who uses Fakel Stadium?

The new stadium became the home of Fakel Voronezh, which moved from the old Tsentralnyi Stadion Profsoyuzov. A new, football-specific stadium with a capacity of 25,000 is planned on that site and will eventually become the club’s main venue, while Fakel Stadium will assume a secondary role and be available for other teams.

Fakel Voronezh’s first season at the new stadium (2024/25) was not very successful — the team recorded only two wins (including one at home) and was relegated from the Premier League. Nevertheless, since their promotion in 2022, the club spent three consecutive seasons in the top flight, setting its own record.