Almaty Central Stadium

Multi purpose stadium in Kazakhstan

The Central Stadium (, Almaty ortalyq stadıony or "Орталық стадион", Ortalyq stadıon; Ortalyq Stadıony) is a multi purpose stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan and the largest sports complex in the country. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is shared by FC Kairat Almaty. It also serves as the home stadium for the Kazakhstan national football team.

The sports complex, consisting of several sports facilities, was built between 1955 and 1975. A large sports arena, a small sports arena (stadium) and athletics hall (wrestling hall, multi purpose sports hall) as well as a reserve football field with athletics tracks were built on an area of 22 hectares. In 1955 1958 architects Adambek Kapanov (chief architect of the project) and A. Ya. Kossov built the large sports arena consisting of a 104x69 meter soccer field, eight 100 and 400 meter running tracks, athletics sectors for jumping and throwing. The grandstands of the large arena were designed for thirty thousand seats. Under the arena were the halls for sports events, wrestling, boxing, as well as rooms for coaches, referees and doctors. The small arena included a five thousand seat stadium, an archery field (onion field), tennis and handball courts. The athletics hall was built in 1975.

In 1997 the Central Stadium was reconstructed At the same time, the turf of the soccer field was replaced by an innovative turf consisting of natural grass with synthetic fiber implants. The irrigation and heating of the turf is regulated by an implemented software control. The size of the pitch was adapted to UEFA requirements from the previous 104x69 meters to 105x68 meters. Modern running tracks, made of high quality material "Kanipur M" of the newest Swiss coating Konica, were also installed. These running tracks had been installed for the first time in the stadium in Berlin for the World Athletics Championships in 2008. In addition, the Central Stadium's sports equipment, furnishings and floodlights were also renewed; Photo finish and timing systems were installed. The interior spaces under the stands, as well as communications, underwent extensive renovation. For vehicles in the stadium there are two entrances – from the street. Satpayev and Abay. For the passage of the audience and engaged – 4 inputs with Abay, streets K. Satpaev, A. Baitursynov. Since it opened it has been the home stadium of Kairat who first played there on 10 April 1960 Playing against Leningrad "Admiralty", a game which finished 0–0. Almaty was the host of the 2012 Bandy World Championship. The Reserve rink of Central Stadium Afterwards the installation for making artificial ice was dismantled.

A memorial plaque to mountaineer and climber Anatoli Boukreev (1958 1997), who died during the ascent of the 12th eight thousand meter peak Anapurna, is installed on the east wall of the stadium. The stadium also hosts skating competitions. In the early years, ice was prepared and skating competitions were held. In 1964, seven all university and two world records were set.

On February 19, 1987, the Executive Committee of the Alma Ata City Council of People's Deputies decided to include the stadium in the list of architectural and urban monuments of local importance in Alma Ata. The decision provided for the registration of a protection obligation and the development of restoration projects for monuments. On November 10, 2010, a new state list of historical and cultural monuments of local importance for the city of Almaty was adopted. At the same time, all previous resolutions on this issue were declared invalid. In this decree, the status of the Central Stadium as a monument of local importance was maintained. The boundaries of the protected zones were approved in 2014.

During the times of the USSR, the stadium was state owned. With the collapse of the USSR it was transferred to the municipal state administration of the Almaty city akimat (CGP Central Stadium). In May 2014 the approval of the Comprehensive Privatization Plan for 2014 2016 was announced, according to which the "State Municipal Enterprise Central Stadium" will be sold into private ownership.

Near the stadium there is a complex of mini football fields, small arena and stadium.