It is necessary to solve three tasks in order to "find" this cache.
1. First of all you need to find a monument to Lenin which is located in front of the Grand Sports Arena. Try to determine the direction in which he looks (e.g. East, South-East or XXX degrees etc.). Please don't publish the answer in the log!
2. The second task is to publish a picture of yourself and the Grand Sports Arena in your log. Your face is not required in the photo.
3. The third task consists in the answer to the questions: How else was the Grand Sports Arena used (non-sporting events)? What did these people do? Please don't publish the answers in the log!
You need to send all your answers to the cache owner.
History and description
Luzhniki Stadium, initially called Central Lenin Stadium, was built between 1955 and 1956. It was the result of the ambition of the Soviet leadership to upgrade the country’s sports facilities after the Soviet Union had tasted its first post-war successes at the 1952 Olympics.
Luzhniki Stadium served as the centrepiece stadium of the 1980 Olympics, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics events, football finals, and equestrian programme.
Until the 1990s, the roofless stadium could hold just over 100,000 spectators. In 1996, the stadium got extensively renovated, which included the construction of a roof over the stands and the refurbishment of the seating areas, which resulted in a decrease of capacity.
In 1999, Luzhniki Stadium hosted the UEFA Cup final between Parma and Marseille (3-0), and in 2008 the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea (1-1).
The stadium was regularly used by Spartak Moscow, lacking a home of their own, until they moved to the newly built Otkritie Arena 2014.
Luzhniki Stadium got selected to host the final of the 2018 World Cup, and as a result had to undergo a large redevelopment. It hosted its last football match in May 2013 and closed following the IAAF Athletics World Championships in August 2013.
Redevelopment works entailed the complete reconstruction of the stands, now divided over two tiers, the removal of the running tracks, and an expanded roof structure. The characteristic exterior of the stadium has remained intact. Works were completed in the summer of 2017, and the first football match at the reopened stadium, a friendly between Russia and Argentina (0-1), was played on 11 November 2017.
How to get to Luzhniki Stadium
Luzhniki Stadium is located on the Luzhniki Sports Complex, an area of sports facilities and park land in a bend of the Moskva River about 6 kilometres south-west of Moscow’s city centre.
The stadium can be reached with the red metro line 1. Station Sportivnaya, or alternatively Vorob’yovy Gory, both lie within short walking distance of the stadium. Line 1 directly connects with Moscow’s city centre, and the ride from either Okhotny Ryad or Biblioteka takes no more than 10 minutes.
Luzhniki Stadium lies practically adjacent to Moscow’s Third Ring Road. If arriving by car, orientate yourself with regards to the Moscow River and take the first exit after crossing the Moscow River at the bend where the stadium is located.
Address: Luzhnetskaya naberezhnaya 24, Moscow
Eat, drink, and sleep near Luzhniki Stadium
Luzhniki forms part of the Luzhniki Sports Complex and is surrounded by other sports facilities and parks. Its location right on the river Moskva is pleasant on a summer’s day, but there is little around in terms of eating and drinking, which can therefore better be done in central Moscow.
If you’re into a bit of culture though, the nearby Novodevichy Convent is well worth a visit, while the Moscow State University building on the opposite side of the Moskva river is one of Moscow’s best-known landmarks.
There are a few hotels to choose from if you want to stay close to Luzhniki Stadium, most near Sportivnaya metro station.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.