Ulyanovsk was founded in 1648 as the fortress of Sin-birsk to protect the eastern borders of the Russian Empire from raids by nomadic tribes. In 1780 the city became known Simbirsk. In 1924, Simbirsk as the native city of Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin) was renamed Ulyanovsk. The current population of the city is approximately 630,000. Neighbouring cities in the Volga region, including Samara, Saransk, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod, have been chosen to host World Cup matches. Ulyanovsk will serve as a key transportation link and lodging hub between Saransk (the distance between the cities is 230 km), Samara (240 km) and Kazan (210 km).

FIFA HAS AN APPROVED LIST OF 60 BASES FOR TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN THE WORLD CUP, INCLUDING THE HILTON GARDEN INN ULYANOVSK.

Hilton Garden Inn Ulyanovsk: 25 Goncharova Street, Ulyanovsk, Russia 432071

Tel: +78422250055 Fax: +78422466200

E-mail: ulygs-salesadm@hilton.com www.ulyanovsk.hgi.com

Where to stay

FIFA has an approved list of 60 bases for teams participating in the World Cup, including the Hilton Garden Inn Ulyanovsk. This is the first Hilton hotel in the city. Its thoughtful design, innovative restaurant concepts, genuine hospitality and dedication to meeting guests’ needs, helped to secure the hotel’s place on the FIFA list.

Hilton Garden Inn Ulyanovsk offers 176 spacious modern rooms, ranging from standard to deluxe categories. Specially equipped rooms are available for the disabled.

The hotel restaurant serves a buffet breakfast. In the summer courtyard of the hotel, fans can enjoy watching matches with delicious food and refreshing drinks.

Evening meals and drinks are available via room-service. A free fitness centre equipped with modern facilities, a 24-hour business centre, onsite convenience store, laundry and dry cleaning services, and underground parking, are all amenities available for the comfort of hotel guests.

For fans accompanying World Cup teams, the Hilton Honors promotion programme is in place. Through
the programme, guests of the Hilton Garden Inn Ulyanovsk hotel are recognized as guests of Hilton Interna tional. The Hilton Honors promotion programme allows guests to accumulate bonus points that can be spent on accommodation at any hotel in the Hilton network, the purchase of flights, or ordering gifts from Hilton in special stores.

What to see

Ulyanovsk can rightly be called a “city-museum”. There are more than 40 museums here, all organically intertwined in the culture and architecture of the city. Ulyanovsk attracts tourists for its ancient buildings connected in one way or another with the life and work of those great Russians Goncharov, Lenin, Karamzin and Pushkin. The main tourist attraction of the city is the Lenin memorial – a striking complex of buildings and structures created to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin.

The Stadium

In 2017, in preparation for the World Cup, a massive reconstruction of the Central City Stadium
“Trud” began. Field heating, natural grass, a complex automatic watering system, drainage, maintenance equipment, gates, and corner flags – everything to make it a world-class FIFA-standard stadium. New pavilions will be two-storey, and each building section will be approximately 250 sq. meters. Changing rooms will occupy 100-120 sq. meters, and each pavilion will have 11 shower rooms, bathrooms, and warm-up areas for athletes. Four lighting masts have already been installed, and video surveillance and speaker systems have been completely replaced. Today, the illumination of the stadium is 1600 lux, which allows video broadcasts in any format.

The stadium is located in the heart of the city, within walking distance from the main host hotel – Hilton Garden Inn Ulyanovsk. It is approximately 8 km from the railway station to the stadium.

Where to eat

The best restaurants in the city are located near the stadium and hotel Hilton Garden Inn Ulyanovsk. These include MATRESHKI, which specializes in modern Russian cuisine, Records Music Pub, Gonzo Bar and the Georgian restaurant “Antresol”. The Russian restaurant “Oblomov” is also an interesting choice. Guests at “Oblomov” can dine in the surroundings of traditional interior decor, based on the novel by Ivan Goncharov of the same name.

THE CITY AND THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAIN NATIONALLY FAMOUS THANKS TO THE WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES THAT TOOK PLACE THERE IN 2014.

The city

Sochi is Russia’s main year-round resort, located on the northeast coast of the Black Sea in the Krasnodar Territory, a distance of 1,700 km from Moscow. With a population of 400,000, Sochi is an important transport hub, and a major economic and cultural centre of the south of Russia. The city and the surrounding mountain slopes of the North Caucasus became internationally famous thanks to the Winter Olympic Games that took place there in 2014. The tourist infrastructure in Sochi and its surrounding resort complexes is well-developed, with several aquaparks, aquariums, zoos, museums, sports and entertainment centres, and amusement parks.

Schedule of matches

Sochi will host six World Championship matches. Games involving teams from groups B, C, F and G and H will be held on June 15, 18, 23 and 26. In addition, there will an 1/8 final on June 30, and a 1/4 final on July 7.

The stadium

Teams will play at the “Fisht” stadium, which in February 2014 hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games. Before the World Championship, the arena underwent large-scale reconstruction and has already hosted several important football matches featuring the Russian national team and clubs of the Russian top division, and matches of the Confederations Cup of FIFA were held there in summer 2017. The stands hold 45,000 spectators. Address: Olympic Park, Nizhneimeretins-kaya Street.

How to get to the stadium

The easiest way to reach the stadium is by the “Lastochka” (Swallow) train, which makes two stops near the Olympic Park on its way from the centre of Sochi to Krasnaya Polyana and back.

The organizing committee will also organize fan transportation to the stadium by shuttle buses from different places in Greater Sochi. For match ticket holders, travel is free.

Fan zones

The fan zone in Sochi, designed for 10,000 people, will be located on the seafront. It will include territory from the South Mall of the Sochi Sea Port to the “Festival” concert hall.

Where to stay

Following the Winter Olympic Games 2014, the Greater Sochi region now offers a huge choice of accommodation. In the Olympic Park itself you can stay in the “Azimut”, “Radisson” and “Boga-tyr” hotels, located within walking distance of the stadium, where rooms cost from $45 for a standard room up to $1,500 for an apartment. There is also a large selection of rooms in the hotel complexes in the mountain villages of Krasnaya Polyana and Rosa Khutor. Budget tourists can rent a room, an apartment or a cottage from locals from $16 per day. You can arrange that on your arrival in Sochi.

Where to eat

The Adler district of Sochi, where the World Cup matches will be held, has a wide choice of places to eat such as an Irish pub and other cafes next to the stadium, where an average dinner bill is $12-16, and in Adler itself you can eat a full meal in cafeterias for $5-7 per person. The top five restaurants and cafes of the city, according to tourists, are “Khmeli & Suneli” (Russian and Caucasian cuisine, seafood), “La Luna” (Mediterranean, Russian and European cuisine), “Seli-Poeli” (vegetarian dishes), “Nippon House “(Japanese and European cuisine) and “Khinkalnaya” (Caucasian and Eastern European cuisine).

What to see

The simplest way to explore is to walk around the Olympic Park, looking over its unique sports facilities and the grandstands of the track which stages the Formula 1 World Championship. Nature lovers can visit the famous Arboretum (from $5 for adults) or ride a mountain bike on the hill slopes. Fans with children may be interested in the attractions of Sochi Park. An adult ticket there costs about $30, a child ticket $25. From the observation tower on Mount Ahun you can enjoy a stunning view of the sea and the city. Those interested in history will certainly want to visit Stalin’s dacha, which has been turned into a museum, while nature-lovers should not miss Sochi’s ancient yew-boxwood grove and the Agur waterfalls. Sochi’s beaches, of course, offer many types of water sports and activities.

Sergei Vdovin, ambassador of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Volunteer Programme, speaks at the launching of buses branded with the championship symbols at the “Mordovia Arena” stadium.

The city

Saransk was founded in 1641 as a fortress on the south-eastern outskirts of the kingdom of Moscow, and received its city status in 1780. It is named after the Saranki River, on the banks of which it was built. It is the capital of Mordovia, one of the republics of the Russian Federation. It is located 642 km southeast of Moscow, with a population of about 315.000 people. It is a small, cozy and green regional centre, which in recent years thanks to sports in general, and football in particular, has developed quickly and become more beautiful. In 2004-2012 Saransk was in the TOP-3 most comfortable urban settlements in Russia on five occasions.

Schedule of matches

Saransk will host four world championship matches: four group games – with teams from groups B, C, G and H. They will be held on June 16, 19, 25 and 28 at the new “Mordovia Arena”, which has been specially built for the 2018 World Cup.

The stadium

The new “Mordovia Arena” football stadium is being built on the floodplain of the River Insar, between Volgograd and Communist Streets. The appearance of the arena will resemble a red sun ball, symbolizing Mordovia, with capacity in the stands for 45.000 people. After the 2018 World Cup, the stadium will become the home of the FC “Mordovia” and the main sporting centre of the city.

How to get to the stadium

The Arena is almost in walking distance from the railway station (about 2.4 kilometers), the airport and the bus station of Saransk (about 4.8 kilometers). However, there will be shuttle bus transport links for fans to the matches. The stadium is also near the “Posol” suburban railway station.

SARANSK’S ATTRACTIONS ARE CONCENTRATED IN THE CITY CENTRE, LED BY THE REPUBLICAN MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS WITH ITS RICH COLLECTION OF WORKS BY THE SCULPTOR STEPAN ERZI.

Fan zones

The fan zone in Saransk will be located on Sovietskaya Square, and will accommodate 25,000 people. There will be a stage with a large screen, canopied stands, divided into super-comfort, superior comfort and economy class, as well as souvenir stalls, cafes and a recreation area.

Where to stay

Saransk does not have that many hotels, so fans need to hurry to find suitable accommodation options in the city itself. Specialized tourist sites offer 49 accommodation addresses, including 3-star hotels and guest houses. The hotels “Saransk”, “Admiral” and “Olympia” have the highest ratings, with prices ranging from $15 per bed in a hostel to $220 for the presidential suite in the “Admiral”. A new residential complex being built next to the stadium will increase the number of rooms, and 1,700 new apartments will be used as hotels during the World Cup.

Where to eat

Saransk has more than 100 places to eat, starting with budget cafeterias with an average lunch bill of $3-5 per person, and cheap cafes ($8-10). Good restaurants, in the price range $15-20, include this dozen, as recommended by TripAdvisor: the restaurants “Mordovsky Podvorye” (Russian cuisine), “Big Pig” (European cuisine), “Malina” (Italian, Russian and Japanese cuisine), “Kaban & Bryukva” (European cuisine), “Eighth Wonder of the World” (vegetarian cuisine), “Baron Munchausen” (European cuisine) and “Admiral” (Mediterranean and European cuisine), and the cafes “Coffee Like”, “Excellent Pelmeni” (Russian and European cuisine), and “Rosemary” (European cuisine).

What to see

Saransk’s attractions are concentrated in the city centre, led by the Republican Museum of Fine Arts with its rich collection of works by the sculptor Stepan Erzi, the Museum of War and Labour which shows popular history, as well as the Trinity Church, the St. John the Theologian Church, and the majestic cathedral of Fyodor Ushakov, devoted to the legendary Russian admiral who is revered as a saint. The Pushkin Central Park of Culture and Recreation spreads over 40 hectares, including a live calendar and a panel on which the silhouette of the great Russian poet is planted with flowers. There is a small zoo, a floating fountain, and a variety of children’s attractions. The light and music fountain “Star of Mordovia” – the largest in Russia – operates on Theatre Square. Lovers of outdoor activities can go on horseback excursions, try the paintball and laser tag club “Energy”.

St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia, with a population of about 5.3 million people, and the administrative centre of the NorthWest Federal District and the Leningrad Region. Tsar Peter I founded St. Petersburg in 1703 in the delta of the Neva River, and from 1712 to 1918 the city was the capital of Russia. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, it has many historical monuments and attractions, and it was the cauldron of three revolutions: in 1905-1907, then in February and October 1917. The unofficial names of the city are Russia’s “Cultural Capital” and “The Northern Capital”. During the Second World War, residents and defenders of Leningrad withstood a historical blockade by Nazi troops, which lasted 872 days, during which according to various estimates between 650,000 and two million people died. The restoration of some monuments destroyed by the war continues to this day. The historical centre of St. Petersburg and its associated sites are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. St. Petersburg is connected with many other regions of Russia and a number of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, by air, water and railway routes: it has the modern international “Pulkovo” airport, as well as five railway stations, and sea and river passenger ports. The distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg along the federal highway is 707 km.

Schedule of matches

St. Petersburg will host seven world championship matches: four group games – with first stage matches with the participation of teams from groups A, B, D and E, an 1/8, a semi-final and a semifinal. The group games will be held on 15, 19, 22 and 26 June. The 1/8 play-off is on July 3, the semi-final on July 10, with the play-off for third place on 14 July. The teams will play at the new “St. Petersburg” stadium, which was specially built for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup.

The stadium

The new “St. Petersburg” football stadium is located on the site of the former Kirov stadium. The only stadium in Russia with a roll-out field, the project was designed by the Japanese architect Kisyo Kurokawa. The most expensive arena of the 2018 World Cup, its construction took a total of 10 years. It can accommodate from 69,000 fans for football matches and up to 80,000 people for concerts. In 2017, four matches of the FIFA Confederations Cup were held at the stadium, and at the end of the World Cup it will be transferred to the “Zenith” football club. In 2020, matches of the European Football Championship will be played there. Address: Krestovsky Island, South Road, 25.

How to get to the stadium

There are several ways to reach the arena, including by metro to the “Krestovsky Island” station, from where temporary buses will be organized. During the competition, shuttles will also directly link the stadium to Pulkovo airport and railway stations. By the start of the 2018 World Cup, the government of St. Petersburg will have opened the new “Novokrestovskaya” metro station near the stadium. Fans with match tickets can travel free. A new foot bridge will also link the stadium with Vasilievsky Island.

Fan zone

The fan zone will be located on Konushen-naya Square, which proved a success during the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017. 15,000 fans can be accommodated there.

DURING WHITE NIGHTS DON’T MISS A BOAT TRIP ALONG THE NEVA AND THROUGH THE CANALS UNDER THE DRAWBRIDGES: IN 2017, AN ADULT TICKETS COST AROUND $13.

Where to stay

The centre of St. Petersburg has many hostels with room prices starting from $15 (including breakfast). There are small budget hotels like “Academic” (next to the Hermitage), “Rus” (near the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral), and many others. For international hotel chains, prices start from $70 for a standard room (with breakfast). A spacious elite apartment on Nevsky Prospekt or Krestovsky Island will cost around $8,000. There are also good options for accommodation in hotels and resorts, such as that on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, 25-50 kilometers from the stadium and the city centre. Especially for the World Cup St. Petersburg will have as many as 10 floating hotels, expected to be three-star with 40 rooms and a restaurant. The hotels will be moored on the Sinop-skaya and Vyborgskaya Embankments and around the Krestovsky Island.

Where to eat

Budget tourists will enjoy the “Kopeika” or “Tarelka” chains of cafeterias that are scattered around the city, as well as a Finnish canteen on Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street, with an average bill of $3-5. In the city there are many international franchise fast food restaurants. Fans of the Soviet past can visit the legendary “Pyshechnaya” on Bolshaya Konyushennaya or the “Sovetskaya Kafe Kvartira” on Nevsky Prospekt to try pastries with powdered sugar and coffee with milk from an
aluminium kettle, or buckwheat porridge with meat and dried fruit compote. Gourmets are advised to try “Trattoria Little Italy”, a small restaurant on Millionnaya Street, the cafe “Beautiful Green” on Mokhovaya, or a Belgian waffle from “Gofre” on Ligovsky Prospekt.

What to see

During White Nights don’t miss a boat trip along the Neva and through the canals under the drawbridges: in 2017, an adult tickets cost around $13. A water excursion to Peterhof on the “Meteor” with a walk in the lower park, a visit to palaces and fountains will cost from $17. Some of the most famous museums and historical buildings include the Hermitage, the Kunstkamera, the “Aurora” cruiser, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Vorontsovsky and Mariinsky palaces, and the St. Isaac’s and Kazan cathedrals. We recommend a walk through the shady Summer and Tauride Gardens, and a visit to the Water Museum. But to walk the roofs of old Petersburg, you need a special guide: volunteers can be contacted through social networks.

With a population of more than one million people, Rostov-on-Don is the largest city in the south of Russia, and the administrative centre of the Southern Federal District and the Rostov Region. It is located on the banks of the Don river,

46 km from its confluence with the Azov Sea. The distance from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don along the Don highway is 1,073 km. A completely new, modern international airport “Yuzhny” is being built specially for the World Championships. You can also reach the city by train and boat.

Schedule of matches

Rostov-on-Don will host five world championship matches: four group games – with the participation of teams from groups A, D, E and F, and an 1/8 final. They will be held on June 17, 20, 23, 26, and July 2 at the new “Rostov Arena” stadium, which is being built specially for the World Cup on the left bank of the Don.

The stadium

“Rostov Arena” will be able to accommodate 45,000 spectators. As locals note, the arena will become an important part of the city since at the end of the World Cup the stadium will become the home ground for the local team “Rostov”, one of the leaders in the top Russian division. Address: Kirov District, Left Bank of the Don (near the Rowing Canal).

How to get to the stadium

There are plans to organize parking for 7,000 cars near “Rostov Arena”. During the World Cup there will be 10 routes running 200 free shuttle buses for fans with tickets between the stadium and districts of the city. 40 regular public transport routes also serve the arena.

Fan zones

The fan zones will be in the centre of the city: the main one on Teatralnaya Square, and an additional one on Fontannaya Square, both designed for 25,000 people. As in other cities, fans can listen to music, watch football matches on the big screen, buy souvenirs, and take part in sports competitions. A separate programme is being developed for children.

Where to stay

Rostov-on-Don has more than 150 hotels, guest houses, mini-hotels and hostels. The five best economy-class hotels, according to tripadvisor.ru, are “AiDi Hostel” ($15), “Maxi House Hostel” (from $14), “Baba Valya Hostel” (from $25), the loft hotel “Nabokov” (from $10 per bed) and the guest house “9” (from $35). Among five-star hotels, are “Petrovsky Pier Luxury Hotel & Spa” (from $150 per night),” to Marins Park Hotel Rostov – “(from $40) and “Mercure Rostov-on-Don Centre” (from $90). The total number of rooms in all categories will rise to 8,000 by the start of
the World Cup. There are also accommodation options in the neighbouring towns of Shakhty, Azov and Vol-godonsk, which can be reached in 90 minutes.

Where to eat

Rostov-on-Don offers a variety of restaurants with Russian, Ukrainian, Tatar, Caucasian, Mediterranean and other cuisines, from fine dining establishments and cafes to fast-food establishments. You can try local specialities at the “Stanitsa” Cossack restaurant, while the “Valery Chkalov” bar-restaurant will take you back to the atmosphere of the Soviet era. The cafe “Pirogi Kuchkov” offers a tasty and inexpensive choice of dumplings, served quickly. Italian cuisine can be found at the “Donna Anna” cafe and “Sicily” restaurant, while “Sakura” offers Japanese cooking.

ROSTOV-ON-DON OFFERS A VARIETY OF RESTAURANTS WITH RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN, TATAR, CAUCASIAN, MEDITERRANEAN AND OTHER CUISINES.

What to see

Get to know the city with a walk along Bolshaya Sadovaya – the central and the longest street of Rostov-on-Don, discovering the Chernivi Apartment House, the Musical Theatre, the Town Hall and other local attractions. This multinational city has Orthodox churches, a Catholic church, a mosque, and a synagogue. On Baghramyan Street stands the 18th century church of the Armenian monastery of Surb Khach, with its walls housing a museum of Russian-Armenian friendship. The botanic garden with its mineral spring, and the Voroshilovsky bridge connecting the banks of the Don are also worth seeing.

The bridge crosses the geographical boundary between Asia and Europe. If you have the time, visit Taganrog, the home of the great Russian writer Anton Chekhov, and explore the ancient city of Azov on the way.