Among the list of sports commonly played in Russia are basketball, ice hockey, football, rugby league, handball, weightlifting, gymnastics, figure skating, biathlon, boxing, wrestling, martial arts, volleyball, rugby union, and skiing. See also the list of the most popular Internet searches for "sports" in Russia.

Kite surfer flying the Russian flag Kite surfer flying the Russian flag

Russia's traditional popular sport is Bandy (informally called "Russian hockey"). It is considered by the country as a national sport, and is one of the biggest spectator sports. Although the modern rules of the game were written in England, Russians still claim to be the inventors of this sport.

"Russia's sporting culture reflects its vast geography and diverse population, with a unique blend of traditional games like Bandy alongside international sports where Russian athletes consistently demonstrate world-class excellence."
— Robert J. Wood, PhD, Founder of Topend Sports

Russian athletes have been very successful on the world stage. Up until the break-up of the USSR in 1991, the Soviets were one of the world's sporting superpowers, though Russian athletes are still a force to be reckoned with.

Lev Ivanovich Yashin, nicknamed "The Black Spider", was a Soviet-Russian football goalkeeper considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the game. He was also vice president of the Football Federation of the Soviet Union.

Andrey Sergeyevich Arshavin is a Russian professional footballer who played for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg and Arsenal. He is an ex-captain of the Russian national team. Arshavin began his career at Zenit in the year 2000, and played for Arsenal between 2009 and 2013. He won numerous trophies with the club until his departure in 2009 including the Russian Premier League, Russian Premier League Cup, Russian Super Cup, UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

Notable international sporting events recently held in Russia include the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Russia.

Popular sports of Russia (see Most Popular Sports in Russiamore)

Traditional or Regional Sports

  • Bandy — a team sport played on ice using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal, a precursor to ice hockey.
  • Lapta — a Russian traditional bat and ball game. The aim of the game is to hit a ball, served by a player of the opposite team, with a bat as far as possible, then run across the field, and if possible back again.
  • Moscow Broomball — a variation of Broomball, an ice hockey type sport, played in Moscow and only by non-Russians.
  • Mas Wrestling — a sport from the Yakutia region where participants sit and face each other with their feet braced against a board and each with both hands on a stick. The aim is to pull the other player over to your side.
  • Gorodki — a folk sport from Russia, where competitors strike down a group of cylindrical wooden objects by throwing a bat.
  • Russian Pyramid — a cue sport played in countries of the former Soviet Union (also known simply as Pyramid(s), Russian billiards or Russian pool)
  • Sambo — a martial art developed for Russia's military and police force in the 1930s.
  • Bunnock — a kind of skittles game that is played with bones (commonly known as "Game of Bones").
  • Kila — a traditional Russian game with similarities to rugby, using a pumpkin-shaped ball.
  • Bobsleigh: This is a winter sport in which teams of two or four people ride a sled down an icy track.
  • Speed Skating: This is a winter sport in which athletes race around an oval track on ice skates.
  • Greco-Roman Wrestling: This is a style of wrestling in which fighters use holds and throws to score points.
  • Kettlebell Lifting: This is a strength sport in which athletes lift heavy kettlebells in various exercises.
"The diversity of traditional Russian sports showcases the country's regional variations and historical influences, from the ice-based competitions of the north to the strength sports that have become globally recognized."
— Robert Wood, sports science expert who has analyzed sports performance data for over 25 years

Russian Sporting Success

  • Russia / USSR have featured at the top of the medal tally for many of the Olympic Games since 1956.
  • The Russian Federation won 56 medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics - 19 gold, 17 silver, and 20 bronze medals.
  • The Russian Federation won 64 medals at the London 2012 Olympics - 18 gold, 20 silver, and 26 bronze medals.
  • Russia hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
  • Russia has won a total of 431 medals at the Summer Olympics - 130 gold, 153 silver, and 148 bronze.
Russian cyclists Russian cyclists

Great athletes from Russia

  • Maria Sharapova (tennis)
  • Anna Kournikova (tennis)
  • Alexander Popov (Swimmer)
  • Evgeny Plushenko (Figure Skating)
  • Pavel Bure (Ice Hockey)
  • Lev Ivanovich Yashin (football)
  • Larisa Semyonovna Latynina (Gymnastics)
  • Alexander Karelin (Greco-Roman wrestling)
  • Vladislav Alexandrovich Tretiak (Hockey)
"Russian athletes have consistently demonstrated exceptional discipline and technical mastery across both winter and summer sports, building on a strong tradition of systematic sports development that dates back to Soviet-era training programs."
— Robert J. Wood, PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Western Australia and founder of Topend Sports

Russia Sports trivia

  • Russian athletes first competed at the Olympic Games in 1900.
  • At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Russia's Oleg Solenko scored five goals against Cameroon, which was the record for the most goals by a single player in a World Cup match.

Russia at major events

Past sporting events events hosted in Russia

Upcoming sporting events in Russia

Annual sporting events held in Russia

  • Grand Prix of Moscow - a one-day cycling event in Moscow
  • Kremlin Cup - an indoor hard-court tennis tournament
  • Moscow Marathon
  • The Russian Grand Prix: This is one of the most popular Formula One races in the world, which is held at the Sochi Autodrom.
  • The Russian Cup: This is the country's premier football tournament, which is held annually since 1992.
  • The Russian Open: This is a professional tennis tournament held in Moscow, which is also part of the ATP World Tour.
  • The Russian Figure Skating Championships: This is an annual event that has been held since 1885.
  • The Russian Ice Hockey Championship: This is a professional ice hockey league in Russia, which is held annually since 1946.
  • The Russian Biathlon Championships: This is an annual event held since the 1950s.
  • The Russian Winter Festival: It is an annual event that has been held since the 19th century.
View of Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia View of Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia.
(image source: Google, Digital Globe)

Sporting Facilities in Russia

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