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Hrazdan Stadium

Hrazdan Stadium
Hrazdan Stadium 2013, Yerevan.jpg
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Location Yerevan, Armenia
Coordinates 40°10′49.45″N 44°29′41.88″E / 40.1804028°N 44.4949667°E / 40.1804028; 44.4949667Coordinates: 40°10′49.45″N 44°29′41.88″E / 40.1804028°N 44.4949667°E / 40.1804028; 44.4949667
Owner Hrazdan Leasehold Venture CJSC
Operator Football Federation of Armenia
Capacity 54,208
Record attendance 78,000 (Ararat Yerevan 3-0 Kairat Almaty, 19 May 1971)
Field size 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft)
Surface Grass
Scoreboard Yes
Construction
Built 1969-70
Opened 29 November 1970
Renovated 2008, 2012
Architect Koryun Hakobyan, Gurgen Musheghyan
Structural engineer Edward Tossunian
Tenants
Ararat Yerevan (1971-2015)

Hrazdan Stadium (Armenian: Հրազդան մարզադաշտ) is a multi-use, all-seater stadium in Yerevan, Armenia, opened in 1970. Being the largest sports venue in Armenia, Hrazdan is mostly used for football matches. It is the home stadium of the Armenian national team. The stadium is able to host 54,208 spectators after the most recent reconstruction in 2008, which converted the stadium into an all-seater one. Before the reconstruction, "Hrazdan" was able to hold up to 70,000 spectators. It was among the top four stadiums of the Soviet Union by its capacity. The stadium hosted the Armenian Cup finals during many occasions as well as the opening ceremony of the Pan-Armenian Games in 2003. The USSR national team played two games against Finland and Greece in Hrazdan in 1978.

The earliest idea of building a football stadium in the valley of Hrazdan river was proposed by the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union Anastas Mikoyan in his visit to Yerevan in the 1950s. During his stay at the presidential mansion on a hill overlooking the Hrazdan river, he observed a "natural amphitheater" in Hrazdan gorge and proposed the construction of a football venue with a capacity of 30,000 seats. However, the idea never became serious during that period.

In 1967, the authorities of Soviet Armenia launched a serious program to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sovietization of Armenia in 1970. A group of architects, led by former weightlifter Koryun Hakopyan and former fencer Gurgen Musheghyan proposed the construction plan of a football stadium in Hrazdan gorge, to host around 75,000 spectators.

A total amount of 5 million rubles was allocated for the project. The construction works were launched during the second half of 1969 and with the financial support of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, completed in a remarkable period of 18 months.


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