Zenit at the Zenith
Have you ever watched football? At least once. Or are you passionate about this game and into it? Whatever your answer is, don’t miss the chance to visit “Zenit. St. Petersburg. 100 Years Together” exhibition in Sevcable Port. Let’s find out why it’s a must in your bucket list this year. The Zenit Football Club exhibition has been running at Sevcable Port since May 25, 2025. So far thousands of people have visited, enjoyed and left their ecstatic feedbacks on the venue and content. So, why don’t we point out some significant features to boost your wish to come and see everything with your own eyes?
The Entrance Hall
As you enter the hall you are amazed with the scope. Two huge lions welcome you in a white-blue room that reminds a temple. They are resting their paws on a ball and a cup. You will encounter lions more than once at the exhibition, as this animal is the symbol of FC Zenit, demonstrating strength, courage, and power. The lion’s image is also found in the design of the halls: in some places you can see sculptures, in others — graphic ones. Don’t forget to take a selfie with these powerful creatures.
Celestial blue pallet of the walls and the drawings of football players all over the space make you feel involved in the game even if football is not your cup of tea. Moreover, the amount of music, soviet time tunes and inspiring Rozenbaum’s songs dedicated to Zenit accompany you from the time you enter to the last minute of the excursion.
You will be given an audio guide straight away at the entrance and instructed how to use it. The audio guide has two modes (for adults and children) and features the voices of famous Zenit personalities as well as sport journalists and celebrities. However, there is also an option to walk through the exhibition without an audio guide, but for this you will need to get a bracelet to prove that you have explored the exhibition on your own.
What will you see?
The exhibition is divided into themed rooms. The first room is dedicated to the history of football in general — you will learn when the first match in Russia took place, who was the founder of football in our country, and what the first football clubs were. If you are Russian, the names of some teams may surprise and amuse you a little (one of the early football clubs, for example, was called “Unitaz”). You will also see the first footballs and the first uniform, which look quite funny nowadays as we are used to innovative versions of boots, clothes and sport equipment. Interestingly, the first balls were made of thick leather and weighed almost twice as much as modern ones, which is why the kicks seemed to have been much more powerful than they actually were.
The next room is dedicated to the development of Soviet football. Genuine Soviet certificates, magazines, and documents related to football attract viewers’ attention. The facts about the formation of Zenit and the beginning of the USSR national team are presented both visually and in audio format. Now, as we know, there is such a phenomenon as club football, where teams from two cities from different countries or from the same country compete against each other. For example, a match between Inter (a club from the Italian city of Milan) and Manchester City (one of the clubs from the English city of Manchester). Before clubs appeared, there were city teams that could play against the national team of an entire country. For example, in the 1920s, the Leningrad team played against the Finnish national team in Helsinki, which is quite unusual. It may also come as a surprise that St. Petersburg factories had their own football teams and played against each other. Football matches between work collectives often turned into real celebrations: fans came, brass bands played, and after the matches, mass festivities were held. Even books about football have already existed back then. One of them was Lev Kassil's story called “Turkish Boots” (later renamed “Peki’s Boots”). It tells the story of the hilarious misadventures of forward Peki Dementyev, who bought a pair of Turkish boots in Istanbul to replace his damaged ones, only to find that they were several sizes too big and then tried in vain to get rid of them. The book shows the extent of Peki's popularity in Leningrad and throughout the country.
The atmosphere in the next two rooms is a little darker, as they mainly tell the story of football during the Great Patriotic War. You have probably heard that Shostakovich wrote his famous 7th symphony in besieged Leningrad. However, the composer had another passion besides music — football. Shostakovich even kept diaries devoted to this sport, which you can see among the exhibits. In addition, there are photographs from those years: footballers in uniforms sewn from improvised materials, young boys kicking a ball between barricades, and even posters for rare matches held during the blockade — as a symbol of resilience and faith in life.
Next, you will learn more about post-war football in the Soviet Union — not only about Zenit, but also about the newly formed USSR national team and some of its famous players. You will see Zenit's old football kit and something closer to our time, such as the club's plans to build a new stadium, known today as «Gazprom Arena». The facts about international football at that time are also presented there. For example, in 1957, Zenit went on tour in West Germany. This trip was considered very important in terms of establishing international relations, so the team from Leningrad was welcomed with great fanfare. On the field, Zenit faced the strongest teams in West Germany, the 1954 World Cup champions. The matches were played in packed stadiums, with 17,000-20,000 spectators coming to watch the games with the team from the Soviet Union. During the tour, Zenit, with an overwhelming number of newcomers with no international experience, won only one of five matches. The time for revenge came in the 1970s: Zenit traveled to Germany seven times, playing 23 friendly matches with 17 wins and 3 losses, with a goal difference of 88:33. Knowing the fact that Germany has always been brilliant in football, this result seems incredible, isn't it? These facts are presented at the exhibition with the help of rare audio and video recordings and newspaper clippings, which create a sense of presence and allow visitors to literally feel the spirit of the era.
In the next room, to everybody’s surprise you will find the interactive part of the exhibition where you can try your hand at mini-football, football betting, and other small games. Some of these games you may be seeing for the first time.
The next hall is a smooth transition to the present days. Another lion, the symbol of the team, will await you, along with other exciting exhibits. This room is perhaps one of the best for taking spectacular photos. It exudes an atmosphere of pride and unity, reminding us that Zenit is not just a team, but an entire era in the sporting culture of St.Petersburg.
One of the areas may surprise you with its unusual ceiling painting — usually, palaces used to have angels painted in this spot, but here you will find football players painted in a very unexpected style. Looking around, you will see panels of famous Zenit footballers and a brief summary of their biographies, as well as some old trophies and club flags. Here you will also learn why the prize for winning the tournament final is a cup. There is also an interactive screen in the room where you can learn more about the players who are not featured on the wall panels. For some, their careers turned out perfectly, while others, unfortunately, were forced to end their football calling early due to injury. In addition, you can listen to audio recordings of the players themselves recounting their memories of their first matches, goals scored, and emotions from playing in front of their fans.
In the long corridor, which leads to the largest room, you will once again immerse yourself in the atmosphere of football during the Soviet era. You will find more posters, magazines, old trophies, football kits, photographs, and biographies of players that were not previously featured in the exhibition. The collection of football programs and tickets is particularly impressive. You can see how the design, language, and mood of football culture have changed.
Finally, the hall with all Zenit's modern trophies: all Russian Premier League titles, in which Zenit even became champion six times in a row, Russian Cups. But the most magnificent ones are, of course, UEFA Cup (now called the Europa League) and UEFA Super Cup, in which Zenit defeated the mighty Manchester United with Cristiano Ronaldo starring in it in those days.
The hall also displays the jerseys of players who currently play for the club and stories about coaches who have achieved a lot with Zenit. One such coach is Luciano Spalletti: under his leadership, Zenit won the Russian championship twice in four years, securing their first double in 2010 and winning the country's Super Cup. The team reached the Champions League playoffs for the first time in its history. Spalletti taught Zenit players to pay attention to details and to each other. He also built an impenetrable defense and an effective attack. And, of course, he ignited a new constellation of stars.
In the last corridor, you will see the handprints of Zenit's goalkeepers and the footprints of field players, as well as their motivational quotes. Here you can also take a nice photo in the “alley” of shining stars. For many visitors, this moment becomes a kind of final point of the journey — a symbolic touch to the legend.
At the very end, a pleasant bonus awaits you — a small official Zenit FC store where you can buy T-shirts, magnets, scarves, and other club accessories. That's where the exhibition ends. However, a few words should be said about the location of the exhibition and entrance fees.
Fees and opening hours
There is a student discount of between 200 and 400 rubles, depending on the time of your visit. Don’t forget your student ID! Entrance fee is cheaper in the morning and on weekdays than on weekends, holidays, and later in the day, starting at 6 p.m. The exhibition is opened from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and is located on Vasilievsky Island in the Sevcable Port space. You cannot miss the main building of the entertainment space but if you do get lost, there are signs to help you.
More information can be found on the official exhibition website (just enter the name of the exhibition in the search bar, and this source will be the first result) and the Sevcable’s information website. If you are a Zenit fan, love football, St. Petersburg, or just want to discover something new, hurry up, because the exhibition is open until January 11, 2026. Perhaps after visiting it, you will look at football not only as a game, but as a living part of the history and culture of the city on the Neva river.
All photos are taken by Veronica Efimova
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