Greetings, my kind reader. In the next few minutes you will read the story of an exciting trip, before going on it, I set myself only one goal – to tell a true story about whether it is worth it for willing fans to spend their energy and money on a trip to Rostov, which is quite problematic. in terms of logistics, to visit there at the match of one of the leaders of the Russian Premier League. To the extent that I did, well, you be the judge.
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Gluttonous taxi drivers and a curious neighbor
To begin with, I will introduce you to perhaps the most convenient route for traveling from Moscow to Rostov. Since planes in the south of Russia do not fly to all cities in the last year, I had to look for the nearest available airport to my destination. It turned out not to be the largest airfield on Mineralnye Vody. The duration of the flight to him from Moscow was about 4 hours.
I arrived at the place around one o’clock in the morning and ran into an unpleasant problem: the train to Rostov had to leave about an hour after my arrival, so I had to get to the station quickly. Fortunately, the way there takes only 10 minutes by car, but not everything is so simple. Taxi ordering services are extremely bad for finding cars in Mineralnye Vody, you can wait for about 20 minutes and the driver will never be found. There was only one option left – to negotiate with one of the local taxi drivers, who are innumerable near the arrivals area. Naturally, its price is 2-3 times more than in the application. However, innate charisma and knowledge of the beginning level of the Armenian language played in my favor.
The night train from Mineralnye Vody to Rostov takes about 8 hours, during which time you can get a good night’s sleep and regain your strength before going to the game. Having settled in the car, I planned to go to bed, but a curious interlocutor intervened in my plans. He was a man already of advanced years, with a noble beard, which was already completely covered with gray hair. He attracted me to the fact that he was wearing a Rostov jersey. Innate curiosity led me to a fascinating conversation. Mikhalych, as he introduced himself, has been a fan of Rostselmash since 1950. It was then that he came with his father to the team’s first match in the RSFSR championship.
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Mikhalych told how, before his eyes, one of the oldest clubs in Russia walked from the moment when the team consisted of ordinary factory workers to the day it hosted Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The path, not without some 80-year-old, most of which the club passed by Mikhalych. He was with the team as they struggled to survive in the second divisions of the union championship, through the difficult financial times of the 1990s, and through moments of triumph. Generations of players changed before the eyes of this man. It is incredible to realize that in front of me was a living witness of such a long history. I decided to ask him a question, which match was the best in the history of Rostov.
The answer was: “You know, I will answer you like this. It was different, wins, losses. Easy and difficult matches. When I was young, I watched the match, which we won 3-0, I thought it was the best I’ve ever seen. But over the years, I realized that if you watch a match of your beloved native team, then you appreciate every minute. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, what the score is. Enjoy the game, no matter how it unfolds. Look for the beauty in it, not the result. If you can, each match will be the best for you”. While talking with Mikhalych, I soon fell asleep and woke up when we reached the city.
From the Don to the stadium
Leaving the platform at about 10 in the morning, I decided before the game, which was scheduled for 8 in the evening, to take a little walk around the city. In Rostov, you can easily do without a car, all the main historical and cultural attractions are within walking distance. I recommend three places that will definitely leave a good impression on you.
First of all, if you find yourself in Rostov, be sure to take a walk along the Don embankment, one of the mightiest rivers in Europe is impressively framed. Here you can admire the views, have a bite to eat, take some selfies for your social media or just relax on a bench under the cool shade of the fir trees.
Then walk to the main Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Anyone can visit it. If you are an Orthodox person, then this architectural monument of the 18th century should definitely interest you. After that, you can walk along one of the main streets of the city – Sadovoy Lane. There are many restaurants for every taste, every gourmet will find something to his liking. For example, I was drawn to the Fish Bazaar restaurant. In it I stopped for lunch, after which I went to the stadium.
Honor and lealty
The Rostov stadium is located on the left bank of the Don. There are many ways to get there, but I recommend the path through the Parque de la Margin Izquierda. Cozy and modern design that could compete with any metropolitan.
“soviet sport”
On the outskirts of the arena, I came across a curious picture: 2 hours before the start of the game, the people were quite decent. The audience was diverse: Mikhalych’s peers, families and teenagers – everyone was already looking forward to the future game. I was especially surprised by the huge queues at the box office and at the fan center, where it was possible to get a Fan ID. I don’t often go to Moscow and St. Petersburg for football, but there you won’t even find such a stir even 20-30 minutes before the start of the game.
“soviet sport”
“soviet sport”
I was also curious to take a look at the team’s fan shop, which is located near the same ticket office. It was a small room with a standard set of paraphernalia: scarves, T-shirts, key rings, magnets, etc.
“soviet sport”
“soviet sport”
However, one of the walls with stickers caught my eye. As they explained to me, it appeared relatively recently and has become a kind of unit for fans of all teams. In it you can find stickers of Rostov fan groups and stickers of invited fans who stick them when they attend away games.
“soviet sport”
Traditionally, the clubs organize an entertainment program in front of the stadium. For the match with Zenit, the hosts prepared a football bowling alley, a small box where children could play, as well as a corner where anyone could put their game number and surname on their jersey for free. This place was in high demand.
“soviet sport”
“soviet sport”
“soviet sport”
Climbing onto the podium, I assessed the scale of the arena. One of the stadiums that hosted the 2018 World Cup did not disappoint at all. Spacious, modern and at the same time truly homely. As the stands filled with people, it was clear that the city had already adapted to Fan ID. The entire lower level was full except for one sector: active fans. They have yet to return to RPL matches.
But I’ll tell you honestly, I didn’t notice his absence. Next to them was another active supporter who accepted the new order in our football. They charged the entire game with songs, played the drums and absolutely turned on all the fans in the stadium. There are few places where you can see an image when the hotspot is charging as hard as the rest of the arena. It was also nice for me to see the traditional waves in the stands, in Moscow now this is quite a rare thing, but in Rostov it looks like a small storm.
Curious also sounded one of the songs: “Honor and fidelity.” These words are also written above the podium of active fans. They seem like such simple and important words, but now they are rarely heard in the context of a football match. However, my observations made it clear that these concepts are more than appropriate in the Rostov Arena.
“soviet sport”
boy misha
You can read about the course of the meeting in this material, I will only highlight the main points that were at the culmination of the confrontation. At minute 90, the score on the scoreboard was 1-0 in favor of Zenit, although the locals showed high-quality, beautiful and offensive football. I already looked at the stands to see if people were starting to disperse, but 99 percent stayed in their places.
During another problem associated with the injury of a Zenit player, I turned my head to the podium closest to the press box. I came across a crying baby, who was no more than 2-3 years old. His mother took him in his arms and stroked his head, whispering something in his ear. He was wearing a T-shirt with the inscription Misha. It must have been applied to that corner today, I thought.
I’m far from a fan of Rostov or Valery Karpin, but I was really hooked on this photo with a baby and mom at the stadium. In addition, the entire atmosphere that reigned in the stadium frankly aroused the desire to get up and, together with all this yellow-blue mass, move the team forward. My thoughts were interrupted by the referee’s whistle: penalty!
The stadium literally went from side to side. A new hope excited all the fans. Nikolay Komlichenko approached the point and everyone held their breath. Goal! And there was a real explosion of human joy. Everyone around rejoiced, except for the Zenit players, fans and coaching staff. My gaze rushed to the boy Misha, he was no longer crying, but he was sitting on his mother’s shoulders, waving his arms joyfully. I don’t know if he fully understood what was going on, but it was hard to imagine a happier person at that moment.
Is it worth coming to Rostov for football? At first, I asked myself that question. I wanted my journey to give me the answer. And I received it from two, I’m sure, wonderful people – Mikhalych and the boy Misha. If you are looking for a place where they don’t like football, but really live it, then welcome to Rostov. You definitely won’t be disappointed.
Sincerely, Soviet sports correspondent Nikita Plokhikh.
