Stepanakert Republican Stadium

Officially The Stepanakert Stepan Shahumyan Republican Stadium (Armenian: Ստեփանակերտի Ստեփան Շահումյանի անվան Հանրապետական մարզադաշտ), is an all-seater multi-use stadium in Stepanaket, Artsakh. It is mostly used for football matches and is the home stadium of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh national football team and Lernayin Artsakh FC of Stepanakert. The stadium was built between 1955 and 1956. It was officially opened in 1956 as Joseph Stalin Stadium. Later, the name was changed to Stepan Shahumyan Central Stadium (after revolutionary Stepan Shaumian).

Stepanakert Republican Stadium
Former namesJoseph Stalin Stadium
LocationStepanakert
Republic of Artsakh (de facto)
 Azerbaijan (de jure)
Coordinates39°49′16″N 46°45′11″E
OwnerGovernment of Nagorno-Karabakh
OperatorArtsakh Football Federation
Capacity12,000 [1]
Field size110x70 meters
Surfaceartificial turf
Construction
Built1955-1956
Opened1956
Renovated2004-2005[2]
2015[3]
Tenants
Artsakh national football team
Lernayin Artsakh FC
Yerazank FC

The stadium was entirely renovated in 2004–05 and renamed The Stepanakert Republican Stadium. During the renovation, the venue was turned into an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 12,000 spectators.

With the most recent renovation in 2015, the natural grass was replaced with an artificial turf.[4]

Home stadium

Since the mid-1990s, football teams from Karabakh started taking part in some domestic competitions in the Republic of Armenia. Lernayin Artsakh is the football club that represents the city of Stepanakert. The Artsakh football league was launched in 2009.

The Artsakh national football team was formed in 2012 and played their first competitive match against the Abkhazia national football team in Sokhumi, a match that ended with a result of 1–1 draw.[5][6] The return match between the unrecognized teams took place at the Stepan Shahumyan Republican Stadium, on 21 October 2012, when the team of Nagorno-Karabakh defeated the Abkhazian team with a result of 3–0.

  • The entrance to the stadium
  • General view
  • The stadium in 2017

References
  1. (in Russian) История Арцаха
  2. (in Russian) В Нагорном Карабахе будет построен стадион, соответствующий мировым стандартам
  3. Stepanakert Republican Stadium is under renovation
  4. The Republican stadium after renovation
  5. Artsakh vs Abkhazia
  6. Armenia’s newly formed second national football team to face Abkhazia
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