The stadium is just fantastic, it's super. Considering the St. Petersburg climate, this is the best that anyone could hope for. If there were at least a few other stadiums like this in Russia, then the level of our championship would certainly increase. All this would happen as you could watch real football in great stadiums and not battle with the cold. 

How do you rate the look of Stadium St. Petersburg? 

It's great. The stadium is decorated in the club's colours and I like that the stands in the stadium are different shades of blue, everything looks very beautiful. If the stands aren't full the different colour seats mean it's not noticeable. However, Zenit don't have to worry about low attendance.

Do you regret that the new stadium was not around 20 years ago when you were a Zenit player?

I'm a little sorry, yes. But I think that with this stadium it's nice not only to play, but also to watch the game. 

Can you tell us some of your earliest memories from your playing career? 

Everyone has a very memorable period from their younger days. I was in St. Petersburg then and it's a magnetic city. When I visit, I remember the places where I walked 20 years ago, I see how things have changed and feel quite nostalgic.

What is your favourite place in St. Petersburg? 

There are many places where I spent a lot of time, like the club's training centre. The Academicheskaya district where I used to live, the whole city center and St. Isaac's and Kazan's cathedrals. Lots of places in the city are close to my heart.  

Is there anywhere you didn't get the chance to visit? 

I used to go to the Russian Museum quite a bit. But I never got to go to the Mariinsky Theatre. 

Do you still feel like a St. Petersburger? 

I still feel connected with the city. This is despite the fact that the city has changed quite significantly. For example, the new airport terminal, but I do miss the old one. 

With what thoughts on the upcoming World Cup?

This is a great event for the whole country. Until recently, I was sure that the Russian team would be able to reach the quarterfinals. But now that we've lost a few key players, the latest being Kokorin, it will be very tough. However, I still believe that the team can get through the group.

Is Kokorin irreplaceable for the national team? 

We all know that the best strikers in the country are Kokorin and Smolov, but I don't want to offend any of the other forwards. I played with Sasha and Fedya at Dynamo in 2012, I could see that they were promising and strong. They were young then and they just needed to gain experience and now they are both showing their potential. Sasha can be replaced by Dzyuba or Zabolotniy I think. 

Do you plan to go to any World Cup games?

I do not know, maybe in St. Petersburg or Moscow I will watch a game, but I will definitely go to at least one game.