On July 31, 1956 the Luzhniki Stadium was solemnly opened in Moscow. The idea to have a large stadium was first announced in 1935, but it was not until well after the war, in 1954, that it could be brought to life. The architectural plan was drawn and agreed in 90 days, and the construction itself took mere 450 days.
Since August 5, 1956 the stadium has welcomed many athletes from the (former) Soviet Republics, Russia, and foreign countries. In 1975-79 Luzhniki underwent a refurbishment that equipped the stadium to the Olymptic standard, and in 1980 it welcomed the Olympic teams.
By the late 1980s, Luzhniki was no longer a place to only hold sportive events: political meetings and rock concerts took place there, too. Between 1992 and July 2011 an outdoor market functioned there, until the municipal powers pulled their act together and ordered the peddlers to move their trade elsewhere.The stadium will now be undergoing yet another refurbishment that will raise its standards ahead of the 2013 Athletics Championship and 2018 World Cup.
The Luzhniki stadium is located on the bank of the Moskva River, right opposite the Moscow State University building and the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck. As Muscovites, we love taking a stroll along the Vorobyovy Gory Embankment where we can see a magnificent rotund structure. My mother and I went to the stadium at least once, during the Good Will Games in 1986. And in the photos you can also see a view of the Olympic Stadium from the cableway that goes from the Observation Deck down to the embankment.