View source for Kadriorg Stadium

{{Short description|Stadium in Tallinn, Estonia}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Kadrioru staadion
| nickname = 
| image = [[File:Kadrioru stadium.jpg|center|250px]]
| location = [[Tallinn]], [[Estonia]]
| coordinates = 
{{Coord|59|26|4.10|N|24|47|0.40|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground = 1923
| opened = {{start date and age|1926|06|13|df=yes}}<ref>[http://www.kadriorustaadion.ee/?id=1437#1926 Kadrioru staadion – Ajalugu]</ref>
| renovated = 1936–1938, 1974, 1884–1986, 2000, 2011
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| owner = 
| operator = 
| surface = [[Grass]]
| construction_cost = 
| record_attendance = 15,000 (Tallinn vs Riga, 18 August 1942)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schwede |first1=Indrek |title=Jalgpalli positsioonist Eestis ja selle marginaliseerumise põhjustest Nõukogude anneksiooni perioodil |journal=Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus |date=2021 |page=69 |url=https://dspace.ut.ee/server/api/core/bitstreams/4dc1a63a-3d9b-4a53-8a8b-ce972b57cc49/content}}</ref>
| dimensions = {{convert|105|x|66|m|abbr=on}}<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140407102543/http://vana.eok.ee/spordirajatised?view=spordiklubid&type=3&id=318&sport_filt=&vars=3&sess_admin=245f3fa0de2baa5a01265f95953ff686 EOK – Spordirajatised — KADRIORU STAADION]</ref>
| architect = Renner <small>(stadium complex)</small><br>[[Karl Burman]] <small>(1926)</small><br>[[Elmar Lohk]] <small>(1938)</small>
| structural engineer = [[August Komendant]] <small>(1938)</small>
| former_names = Dünamo staadion
| tenants = [[Estonia national football team]] (1926&ndash;1940, 1992&ndash;2000)<br>[[FC Flora]] (1990&ndash;2001)<br>[[FCI Levadia]] (2000&ndash;2018)<br>[[JK Tallinna Kalev]] (2020&ndash;present)
| seating_capacity = 5,000
}}

'''Kadriorg Stadium''' ({{langx|et|Kadrioru staadion}}) is a [[multi-purpose stadium]] in [[Tallinn]], [[Estonia]]. Opened in 1926, it is one of the oldest stadiums in Estonia. It is currently used mostly for [[track and field]] competitions, but also serves as a home ground for [[JK Tallinna Kalev]]. The stadium holds 5,000. Grandstand capacity is 3,524 seats and second stand has 1,476 seats.<ref>[http://www.kadriorustaadion.ee/?id=1340 Info on homepage]</ref> Kadriorg Stadium is located about 2 km east of the city centre in the subdistrict of [[Kadriorg]] near [[Kadriorg Palace]]. The address of the stadium is Roheline aas 24, 10150 Tallinn.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Kadriorg has been the national athletics stadium of the nation throughout its entire history and was the home ground of the [[Estonia national football team]] from its opening in 1926 until the Soviet occupation of Estonia in 1940, and again after the country's re-independence from 1992 until 2000, after which the team moved to [[A. Le Coq Arena]]. Throughout its history, Kadriorg Stadium has at some point been the home ground for nearly all of the top-flight football teams of Tallinn, such as [[FC Flora]], [[FCI Levadia Tallinn|Levadia]], [[JK Tallinna Kalev|Kalev]], [[Nõmme Kalju FC|Nõmme Kalju]], [[Tallinna JK Legion|TJK Legion]] and [[FC TVMK|TVMK]].  

Kadriorg Stadium has hosted the [[European Athletics U23 Championships]] in 2015 and 2021, as well as the [[European Athletics U20 Championships]] in 2011 and 2021. It was also one of the venues for the [[2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship|2012 UEFA European U19 Championship]].

== History ==
[[File:Kadrioru staadion 1926–1934.jpg|left|thumb|222x222px|The first wooden grandstand was initially built to be the stage for the 1923 [[Estonian Song Festival]] held at the same location and was later modified to become the 2,500-seat grandstand of the new Kadriorg Stadium]]
Kadriorg Stadium was opened on 13 June 1926, eight years after Estonia had become independent. The stadium's opening event was attended by 15,000 people and saw Estonia beat [[Lithuania]] 3–1 in football. The stadium complex was designed by German architect Renner and the first wooden grandstand by Estonian architect [[Karl Burman]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 1926 |title=Staadion! |url=https://dea.digar.ee/?a=d&d=eestispordileht19260611.2.2&srpos=5&e=------192-et-25--1--txt-txIN%7CtxTI%7CtxAU%7CtxTA |access-date= |website=Eesti Spordileht}}</ref> Upon completion, the stadium was inaugurated as the country's national stadium and was considered to be the finest of the [[Baltic states]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Kadrioru staadion - Ajalugu - Ülevaade staadioni ehitusest |url=https://www.kadriorustaadion.ee/?id=1448 |access-date= |website=www.kadriorustaadion.ee}}</ref> 

Despite its grand look, the 2,500-capacity grandstand quickly proved to be too small to facilitate the growing number of spectators and underwent an expansion in 1934, before an inspection in 1935 found the wooden structure to be in need of immediate repairs as it was in danger of collapsing.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 April 1936 |title=Katusega tribüün Kadrioru staadionile |url=https://dea.digar.ee/?a=d&d=paevalehtew19360405.2.15&srpos=1&e=------193-et-25--1--txt-txIN%7CtxTI%7CtxAU%7CtxTA |access-date= |website=Päewaleht}}</ref>   

A design competition for a new grandstand was held in the spring of 1936 and the project of Estonian architect [[Elmar Lohk]] was chosen, mainly due to his innovative solution to lead the spectators to their seats through passages from the back of the grandstand, unlike the then commonly used approach in Europe that often saw spectators enter the stand from the front.<ref name=":0" /> The construction began in late 1936 and was finished in a year, by late 1937.   
[[File:Kadrioru staadion 1937.jpg|left|thumb|222x222px|Kadriorg Stadium's roof was the largest [[cantilever]] concrete roof in the world after its completion in 1937]]

With its freestanding concrete roof, the new grandstand was believed to be one of the most modern in Europe at the time and was seen as an outstanding achievement in the field of [[reinforced concrete]] structures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 1938 |title=Kadrioru staadion – moodsamaid Euroopas |url=https://dea.digar.ee/?a=d&d=postimeesew19380109.2.24&srpos=7&e=------193-et-25--1--txt-txIN%7CtxTI%7CtxAU%7CtxTA |access-date= |website=Postimees}}</ref> The stadium was officially re-opened on 15 May 1938 with great celebration by the first president of Estonia [[Konstantin Päts]]. The opening event saw Estonia draw 1–1 with [[RC Strasbourg Alsace|RC Strasbourg]] in front of 8,000 people.<ref>{{Citation |title=Retro: Kadrioru staadioni tribüüni avamine |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghoBQf_shmE |access-date=2023-01-13 |publisher=Youtube |language=en}}</ref> A year later, [[World War II]] had reached Estonia and the country was occupied by the [[Soviet Union]], after which Kadriorg Stadium was renamed as ''Dünamo staadion''.     [[File:NSV Liit - USA - Saksa FV kümnevõistluses Tallinnas Kadrioru staadionil 1974 (05).jpg|thumb|222x222px|Soviet Union - USA - West Germany decathlon event (1974)]]During the Soviet occupation, the stadium continued to be one of the primary sports venues of the region and hosted a number of international and Soviet wide athletics competitions, most notably the Soviet Union – USA – West Germany decathlon event in 1974 and the Soviet Union – East Germany athletics competition in 1986. The 1986 event also saw two athletics world records set in Kadriorg, when [[Yuriy Sedykh]] set a world record of 86.66 m in [[hammer throw]] and [[Heike Drechsler]] a world record of 7.45 m in women's [[long jump]].           

In 1992, the stadium hosted the first match of the Estonia national football team after the country's re-independence, when Estonia drew 1–1 with [[Slovenia national football team|Slovenia]]. It was also the location of the infamous "[[One team in Tallinn]]" fixture between Estonia and [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]], which was abandoned after three seconds when the home team refused to turn up, in protest at the game's kick-off time being brought forward several hours.<ref name = "farce">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/scotland-await-verdict-after-estonian-farce-1357723.html |title=Scotland await verdict after Estonian farce  |work=The Independent |first=Phil |last= Shaw|date=10 October 1996 |access-date=6 February 2023}}</ref> The national team's last match in Kadriorg took place on 3 September 2000 against [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]], after which the team moved to [[Lilleküla Stadium|A. Le Coq Arena]].

In 2011, Kadriorg Stadium hosted the [[2011 European Athletics Junior Championships|21st European Athletics Junior Championships]]. The stadium was one of the venues for the [[2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship|2012 UEFA European U19 Championship]] and hosted three group stage matches. In 2015, the stadium hosted the [[2015 European Athletics U23 Championships|U23 European Athletics Championships]]. In 2021, Kadriorg hosted both [[2021 European Athletics U20 Championships|U20]] and [[2021 European Athletics U23 Championships|U23]] European Athletics Championships.

== Future ==
For Kadriorg Stadium's 100th birthday in 2026, the City of Tallinn will renovate the complex for €20 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=17 October 2023 |title=Kadriorg Stadium to get second full-size football pitch after renovations |url=https://news.err.ee/1609136027/kadriorg-stadium-to-get-second-full-size-football-pitch-after-renovations |access-date= |website=ERR |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> The renovation will see the complete refurbishment of the sports field and the historic grandstand, as well as the construction of a new 1,600-seat stand on the opposite side of the field. Additionally, a new 1,000-seat football ground will be built behind the main stadium, next to the current athletics training field. The new football ground will also have its own administrative building that would be connected with the grandstand by a planned tunnel. The first works began in 2023, when floodlights were installed for the main stadium and its both training fields.

== Grandstand ==
[[File:Kadrioru staadion.JPG|thumb|222x222px|The current grandstand was built during Estonia's first period of independence]]
Kadriorg Stadium's current grandstand was opened in 1938 and is an official cultural heritage monument. Designed by architect [[Elmar Lohk]] and famous engineer [[August Komendant]], it was seen during its time as an outstanding achievement in the field of [[reinforced concrete]] structures and was mostly noted for its 12.8 m long and 51 m wide [[cantilever]] concrete roof, the largest in the world at the time.<ref name=":0" /> The grandstand has also been brought out by world-famous architectural critic [[Kenneth Frampton]] as one of the most outstanding and historic [[concrete]] structures in Estonia.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=23 October 2015 |title=Kadrioru staadionihoonet peetakse oluliseks arhitektuurimälestiseks |url=https://kultuur.err.ee/308666/kadrioru-staadionihoonet-peetakse-oluliseks-arhitektuurimalestiseks |access-date= |website=ERR |language=et}}</ref>

==Athletics records==

=== World records ===
Kadriorg Stadium has seen three world records in athletics. The first two were set during the 1986 Soviet Union – East Germany athletics competition, where [[Yuriy Sedykh]] set a world record of 86.66 m in the [[hammer throw]] and [[Heike Drechsler]] a world record of 7.45 m in women's [[long jump]]. The stadium saw its third world record in 2006, when [[Tatyana Lysenko]] threw 77.80 m in women's hammer throw.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Schwede |first=Indrek |date=October 2023 |title=Kadrioru staadion sajanda juubeli eel: harjutusväljakust saab võistluspaik |url=https://issuu.com/jalka/docs/jalka_10_2023 |access-date= |website=Jalka |language=en}}</ref>

=== Stadium records ===
''Updated on 1 January 2024.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kadriorustaadion.ee/?id=1412|title=Athletics records|website=kadriorustaadion.ee}}</ref>

==== Men ====
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; "
|-
!Event
!Record
!Athlete
!Nationality
!Date
!Ref
|-
|[[100 metres|100 m]]
|10.07
|[[Jimmy Vicaut]]
|{{FRA}}
|22.07.2011
|
|-
|[[200 metres|200 m]]
|20.25
|[[Jaysuma Saidy Ndure]]
|{{NOR}}
|22.07.2007
|
|-
|[[400 metres|400 m]]
|45.02
|[[Ricky Petrucciani]]
|{{SUI}}
|10.07.2021
|
|-
|[[800 metres|800 m]]
|1:45.73
|[[Curtis Robb]]
|{{GBR}}
|09.06.1996
|
|-
|[[1000 metres|1000 m]]
|2:24.10
|[[Oleg Holdai]]
|{{EST}}
|19.07.1996
|
|-
|[[1500 metres|1500 m]]
|3:38.90
|[[Jukka Keskisalo]]
|{{FIN}}
|25.08.2009
|
|-
|[[Mile run|Mile]]
|3:59.93
|[[Nikolai Vedehin]]
|{{EST}}
|25.08.2012
|
|-
|[[2000 metres|2000 m]]
|5:14.4
|[[Ain Mõnjam]]
|{{EST}}
|20.08.1986
|
|-
|[[3000 metres|3000 m]]
|7:52.46
|[[James Getanda]]
|{{KEN}}
|30.07.2003
|
|-
|[[5000 metres|5000 m]]
|13:20.16
|[[Ali Kaya (athlete)|Ali Kaya]]
|{{TUR}}
|11.07.2015
|
|-
|[[10,000 metres|10,000 m]]
|27:53.38
|[[Ali Kaya (athlete)|Ali Kaya]]
|{{TUR}}
|09.07.2015
|
|-
|[[20,000 metres|20,000 m]]
|1:03:00.8
|[[Stepan Baidiuk]]
|{{UKR}}
|1975
|
|-
|[[110 metres hurdles|110 m hurdles]]
|13.31
|[[Stanislavs Olijars]]
|{{LAT}}
|16.08.2005
|
|-
|[[400 metres hurdles|400 m hurdles]]
|48.04
|[[Rasmus Mägi]]
|{{EST}}
|30.07.2023
|
|-
|[[3000 metres steeplechase|3000 m steeplechase]]
|8:26.26
|[[Nikolay Matyushenko]]
|{{UKR}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[High jump]]
|2.36
|[[Hennadiy Avdyeyenko]]
|{{UKR}}
|06.07.1988
|
|-
|[[Pole vault]]
|5.85
|[[Grigoriy Yegorov]]
|{{KAZ}}
|05.07.1988
|
|-
|[[Long jump]]
|8.46
|[[Leonid Voloshin]]
|{{RUS}}
|05.07.1988
|
|-
|[[Triple jump]]
|17.47
|[[Aleksandr Kovalenko (athlete)|Aleksandr Kovalenko]]
|{{BLR}}
|07.07.1988
|
|-
|[[Shot put]]
|22.60
|[[Ulf Timmermann]]
|{{DDR}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[Discus throw]]
|70.61
|[[Virgilijus Alekna]]
|{{LTU}}
|16.09.2005
|
|-
|[[Hammer throw]]
|86.66 (WR)
|[[Yuriy Sedykh]]
|{{URS}}
|22.06.1986
|
|-
|[[Javelin throw]]
|90.73 (NR)
|[[Vadims Vasiļevskis]]
|{{LAT}}
|22.07.2007
|
|-
|[[Decathlon]]
|8628
|[[Erki Nool]]
|{{EST}}
|05.07.1998
|
|-
|[[10,000 metres race walk|10,000 m walk]]
|40:43.73
|[[Hagen Pohle]]
|{{GER}}
|17.08.1977
|
|-
|[[20,000 metres race walk|20,000 m walk]]
|1:29:29.4
|[[Evgeni Semerdzhiev]]
|{{BUL}}
|17.08.1977
|
|-
|[[4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]
|38.36
|[[Aleksandr Yevgenyev|A. Yevgenyev]], [[Nikolay Yuschmanov|N. Yuschmanov]], [[Vladimir Muravyov (athlete)|V. Muravyov]], [[Viktor Bryzhin|V. Bryzhin]]
|{{URS}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|3:03.68
|[[Vladimir Krylov|V. Krylov]], [[Vjaceslavs Kocerjagins|V. Kocerjagins]], [[Vladimir Prosin|V. Prosin]], [[Aleksandr Kurochkin|A. Kurochkin]]
|{{URS}}
|22.06.1986
|
|}

==== Women ====
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
!Event
!Record
!Athlete
!Nationality
!Date
!Ref
|-
|[[100 metres|100 m]]
|11.08
|[[Silke Gladisch]]
|{{DDR}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[200 metres|200 m]]
|22.13
|[[Heike Drechsler]]
|{{DDR}}
|22.06.1986
|
|-
|[[400 metres|400 m]]
|49.76
|[[Olga Vladykina]]
|{{UKR}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[800 metres|800 m]]
|1:57.98
|[[Sigrun Wodars]]
|{{DDR}}
|22.06.1986
|
|-
|[[1000 metres|1000 m]]
|2:45.3
|[[Sirje Eichelmann]]
|{{EST}}
|31.08.1988
|
|-
|[[1500 metres|1500 m]]
|4:02.90
|[[Heike Oehme]]
|{{DDR}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[Mile run|Mile]]
|4:36.36
|[[Liina Tšernov]]
|{{EST}}
|18.08.2017
|
|-
|[[2000 metres|2000 m]]
|5:56.8
|[[Sirje Eichelmann]]
|{{EST}}
|07.09.1988
|
|-
|[[3000 metres|3000 m]]
|8:36.00
|[[Tetyana Samolenko]]
|{{UKR}}
|22.06.1986
|
|-
|[[5000 metres|5000 m]]
|15:02.12
|[[Svetlana Guskova]]
|{{URS}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[10,000 metres|10,000 m]]
|32:18.69
|[[Jip Vastenburg]]
|{{NED}}
|10.07.2015
|
|-
|[[100 metres hurdles|100 m hurdles]]
|12.57
|[[Cornelia Oschkenat]]
|{{DDR}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[400 metres hurdles|400 m hurdles]]
|54.28
|[[Emma Zapletalová]]
|{{SVK}}
|10.07.2021
|
|-
|[[3000 metres steeplechase|3000 m steeplechase]]
|9:36.14
|[[Tuğba Güvenç]]
|{{TUR}}
|11.07.2015
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[High jump]]
|rowspan=2|2.00
|[[Kajsa Bergqvist]]
|{{SWE}}
|rowspan=2|10.07.2021
|rowspan=2|
|-
|[[Yaroslava Mahuchikh]]
|{{UKR}}
|-
|[[Pole vault]]
|4.57
|[[Angelica Bengtsson]]
|{{SWE}}
|23.07.2011
|
|-
|[[Long jump]]
|7.45 (WR)
|[[Heike Drechsler]]
|{{DDR}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[Triple jump]]
|14.64
|[[Mabel Gay]]
|{{CUB}}
|25.08.2009
|
|-
|[[Shot put]]
|22.55
|[[Natalya Lisovskaya]]
|{{URS}}
|05.07.1988
|
|-
|[[Discus throw]]
|72.12
|[[Diana Sachse]]
|{{DDR}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[Hammer throw]]
|77.80 (WR)
|[[Tatyana Lysenko]]
|{{RUS}}
|15.08.2006
|
|-
|[[Javelin throw]]
|67.39
|[[Maria Abakumova]]
|{{RUS}}
|25.08.2009
|
|-
|[[Heptathlon]]
|6769
|[[Carolina Klüft]]
|{{SWE}}
|04.07.2004
|
|-
|[[10,000 metres race walk|10 000 m walk]]
|42:59.48
|[[Elena Lashmanova]]
|{{RUS}}
|21.07.2011
|
|-
|[[4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]
|42.70
|[[Elvira Barbashina|E. Barbashina]], [[Maia Azarashvili|M. Azarashvili]], [[Irina Slyusar|I.Slyusar]], [[Olga Zolotaryova|O. Zolotaryova]]
|{{URS}}
|21.06.1986
|
|-
|[[4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|3:23.25
|[[Ronny Ludwigs|R. Ludwigs]], [[Sabine Busch|S. Busch]], [[Annett Hesselbarth|A. Hesselbarth]], [[Petra Schersing|P. Müller]]
|{{DDR}}
|22.06.1986
|
|-
|[[80 m hurdles]]
|10.9
|[[Helgi Mägi]]
|{{EST}}
|1968
|
|}

==See also==
*[[August Komendant]]
*[[One team in Tallinn]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://www.kadriorustaadion.ee}}
*[https://www.kadriorustaadion.ee/?id=1437 History of Kadriorg Stadium (in Estonian)]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghoBQf_shmE (Video) Opening of the stadium's new grandstand in 1938]

{{Tallinn landmarks}}

[[Category:Event venues established in 1926]]
[[Category:Football venues in Estonia]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Tallinn]]
[[Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in Estonia]]
[[Category:1926 establishments in Estonia]]
[[Category:Kesklinn, Tallinn]]
[[Category:Athletics (track and field) venues in Estonia]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1926]]