The central stadium of Almaty is a unique sports facility, which covers an area of over 10 hectares. The architects of the stadium were A. Kapanov and A. Kosov. It was built in 1955-1967, first of all – a large sports arena with stands for 30,000 seats, athletics tracks and sectors – went into operation in August 1958 year. Later, a winter training arena and sports grounds were built. The Central Stadium includes the Big Arena (football field, treadmills, sports sectors) as well as specialized gyms – a boxing, wrestling, fencing hall, sports ground with artificial grass lawn. Also at the base of the stadium are various schools of higher sportsmanship. In 1975, an additional indoor sports facility was built which is an athletic arena. In 1997, the reconstruction of the central stadium was carried out. In the process of reconstruction, the latest coverage of the athletics treadmills of the Italian company Mondo was laid, similar to that laid during the 1996 Olympic Games in the United States. In 2002, Kazakhstan was admitted to UEFA. To bring the stadium to UEFA standards, construction and repair work was carried out to erect a metal canopy over the western stand, whose construction weighs more than three hundred and fifty tons, replace plastic seats, and bring the entire stadium infrastructure to the minimum UEFA standards. Because of the measures taken, the stadium received a license to conduct international games. The stadium’s elliptical symmetrical three-story volume is located with a significant indent from the red building line, in the depth of the quarter. The main entrance oriented to the north accents the central axis of the structure. Side entrances are organized along the longitudinal and transverse axes of the complex. Four pairs of square pillars in cross section support the slightly buried monumental portico flanked by massive pylons. On the axes of the pylons on pedestals lined with granite slabs, sculptural compositions on a sports theme are installed. The central stadium of Almaty is a significant center of sports and health for residents and guests of our city. The purpose of the stadium is to conduct sports and cultural events, competitions of all levels and educational processes. Currently, the Central Stadium lives a full sporting life. A huge number of people train at its base. These are not only high-class athletes, but also children’s sports schools, colleges, university students.
