Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, a beautiful, gleaming USD 290 million (250 million euros) venue, makes its World Cup bow on Monday, playing host to South Korea and Sweden in a Group F clash.
Perched close to where the mighty Volga converges with the smaller River Oka, the enormous blue and white structure stands next to the 19th century Alexander Nevsky cathedral.
The ultra-modern 44,899 capacity stadium stands as a symbol of Russia's successful bid to host football's biggest tournament but also one of its major concerns -- what happens to the venue when the World Cup circus moves on? "No white elephants, nothing unneeded, nothing superfluous, everything will be put to use for Russian citizens in the coming years," Alexei Sorokin, Russia's World Cup organising committee chief told AFP in the run-up to the tournament.
Quite what Nizhny's stadium will be used for after July 6, when it hosts a quarter-final, is unclear.
The city's football team, Olimpiyets Nizhny Novgorod, which will inherit the stadium, plays in Russia's second tier and averages little more than 5,000 fans per game.
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