Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena facts for kids
| Dinamo Arena | |
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| Former names | Lenin Dinamo Stadium (1976–1990) Boris Paitchadze National Stadium (1995–2011) |
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| Location | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 41°43′22.83″N 44°47′23.14″E / 41.7230083°N 44.7897611°E |
| Owner | Dinamo Tbilisi |
| Executive suites | 52 |
| Capacity | 54,139 |
| Record attendance | 110,000 (Dinamo Tbilisi - Liverpool 3-0, 3 October 1979, Georgia-Germany 0-2, 29 March 1995) |
| Field size | 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft) |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1976 |
| Renovated | 2006 |
| Architect | Archil Kurdiani, Gia Kurdiani |
| Structural engineer | Shalva Gazashvili |
| Tenants | |
| Georgia national rugby union team Georgia national football team FC Dinamo Tbilisi (1976-present) |
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The Boris Paitchadze Dinamo Arena is a famous stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia. It's the home ground for the Dinamo Tbilisi football team, the Georgia national rugby union team, and the Georgia national football team. With space for 54,139 fans, it's the biggest stadium in Georgia.
The stadium was built in 1976 by Georgian architect Gia Kurdiani. It was first called the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Dinamo Stadium. Later, in 1995, it was renamed the Boris Paitchadze National Stadium to honor a famous Georgian football player, Boris Paichadze (1915–1990). Before this stadium, Dinamo Tbilisi played at the Central Stadium, which held about 35,000 people. As Dinamo Tbilisi became more successful in the 1970s, they needed a much bigger stadium. When it first opened, it could hold 74,354 spectators, making it the third-largest stadium in the Soviet Union.
What is the History of Dinamo Arena?
The first official match at the new stadium was on September 29, 1976. Dinamo Tbilisi played against Welsh team Cardiff City. Dinamo won the game 3–0.
The stadium saw many exciting moments when Dinamo won big in 1978 and 1979. In 1981, 80,000 fans came with lighted torches to celebrate Dinamo Tbilisi winning the 1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup.
Today, the Dinamo Arena is one of the largest stadiums in Eastern Europe. Most seats in the upper level are covered by a roof. The USSR national football team played several international games here. Famous clubs like Spartak Moscow, Dynamo Kiev, and Dynamo Moscow also played their autumn international matches at the stadium.
A huge crowd of 100,000 fans attended the first game of the Georgian Championship. This match was between FC Dinamo Tbilisi and FC Kolkheti-1913 Poti. The record for the most fans at a game was in 1979. A massive 110,000 people watched Dinamo beat Liverpool F.C. 3-0. This win helped Dinamo reach the quarter-finals of the European Champion Clubs' Cup. Another 110,000 fans were there in 1995 for a Georgia-Germany match. During the Soviet Union era, the stadium had the highest average attendance, with about 65,000 fans per game.
In 1995, the stadium was renamed the Boris Paichadze National Stadium. It became the main home ground for the Georgian National Football Team. Georgia had memorable wins here against Wales (5-0) and Poland (3-0).
The stadium was updated in 2006 to become an all-seater stadium. This means every fan has a specific seat. This change reduced the capacity to 54,549.
On August 11, 2015, the stadium hosted the UEFA Super Cup match. This was a big game between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC.
How Was the Stadium Built?
The first "Dinamo" stadium was opened in Tbilisi in 1936. It could hold 23,000 spectators. The main architect for this design was Archil Kurdiani (the elder).
In 1956, the stadium was rebuilt under his guidance. Steel structures were added, which helped increase its capacity to 36,000 fans.
The current Dinamo Arena stadium was officially opened on September 26, 1976. Architects Archil Kurdiani (the elder) and Gia Kurdiani, along with construction designer Shalva Gazashvili, worked together. They made the stadium much bigger, able to hold 74,354 people.
Some parts of the original 1936 stadium were kept. However, many new and complex design elements were added. The stadium had a special support system with 58 large pillars. Each pillar was supported by 24 poles, going deep into the ground.
The stadium's design made sure that every fan had a good view from their seat. A large roof, 30 meters long, was built to protect fans from rain. This roof also held the stadium's lights and sound system.
The stadium had two electronic scoreboards. There were special boxes for important guests and commentary studios. Below the main seating areas, there were sports facilities, a swimming pool, and offices. Two tunnels went around the entire stadium for easy movement. The stadium was also fenced for safety.
The old swimming pool area of the stadium is now home to the nightclub Bassiani.
See also
- Mikheil Meskhi Stadium
- Stadiums in Georgia
