April 24, 2013. Yekaterinburg’s Central Stadium will be reconstructed in preparation for the World Cup 2018 with the federal budget money. The decree to this effect was signed by Russian Vice Premier Igor Shuvalov, says Governor of Sverdlovsk Region’s Information Policies Department.

‘It is declared expedient to offer 100% federal budget financing for the construction and reconstruction of stadiums in the following cities…’ Shuvalov’s decree states. This means Yekaterinburg is one of the eight cities that will receive federal funding to have its stadium renovated. The cost of the project has been estimated at 10bn RUR.

There still remains, however, the issue of funding the renovations at the airport and of the road network.