Traktor Stadium
Minsk, Belarus
Formerly: Krasnoye Znamya
The floodlight towers are thin steel lattice structures that rise above the tree line, and they are the tallest things in the immediate vicinity. There are no glass facades here, no modern box seats. The entrance gates are simple metal turnstiles set into a low wall.
It was built in the 1950s for a sports society, but the name changed in 1976 when the Minsk Tractor Works took it over. That is the reason for the name, not for any romance about the game. The capacity dropped sharply after the concrete stands were poured in the late 1990s, replacing the old earth embankments that once held thousands more. The surface is natural grass, and it is kept short, which suits a team that cannot afford another slip. The club’s website lists the capacity as 5,703, though it is rarely filled to that number.