Russia 2018: Russian lawmaker asks to name St Petersburg's stadium Putin Arena

Vitaly Milonov, a Russian lawmaker from St. Petersburg, asked that the city's stadium, currently under construction to host the 2018 World Cup, be named Putin Arena, according to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass on 30/05/2014.

Milonov praised Putin's role in supporting sports and said the stadium would be "a monument to the epoch that the country is currently living through, a symbol embodying the spirit of the times in modern Russia." Milonov is a lawmaker also known for his homophobic positions. Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) on 07/10/1952 and is a declared supporter of Zenit St. Petersburg, the future resident club of the stadium.

The stadium will seat 62,000. Its construction began in 2007 and it is to open in 2016. Its cost is estimated at €881m. Russian energy producer Gazprom, which owns Zenit St. Petersburg, participated in the financing of the stadium and could be a candidate for naming rights. "It is desirable that the stadium be called Gazprom Arena," said Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller in September 2009.

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