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.
Among the other most played sports in Russia are basketball, ice hockey, football, rugby league, handball, weightlifting, gymnastics, figure skating, biathlon, boxing, wrestling, martial arts, volleyball, rugby union, and skiing.
Lev Ivanovich Yashin nicknamed as “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 plays for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. He is an ex-captain of the Russian national team. Arshavin began his career at Zenit in the year 2000. 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.
One notable international sporting event that was recently held in Russia was the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Russia.
Russian athletes have been very successful in the past, often competing on the world stage for the USSR up until the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia won the right to host World Cup 2018.
See also the list the most popular internet searches for “sports” in Russia.
Popular sports of Russia (see more)
Football (Soccer), Figure Skating, Basketball, Ice hockey, Tennis, handball, weightlifting, gymnastics, figure skating, biathlon, boxing, wrestling, volleyball, skiing, rugby union
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.
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
Russian Sporting Success
Russia / USSR have dominated the top of the medal tally for many of the Olympic Games since 1956.
Athletes from Russia
Maria Sharapova (tennis)
Anna Kournikova (tennis)
Alexander Popov (Swimmer)
Evgeny Plushenko (Figure Skating)
Pavel Bure (Ice Hockey)
Lev Ivanovich Yashin (football)
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 most goals by a single player in a World Cup match.
Russia at major events
Russia at the Summer Olympics
Russia at the Winter Olympics
Russia at the FIFA World Cup
Russia women’s football team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup
It is compiled by the Institute of Higher Education of Shanghai Jiao Tong University since 2003. The main emphasis in the preparation of the rating is on the research activities of universities and the role of subjective assessments (various surveys) is reduced to zero. The most important indicators according to which the university is assigned a particular position include the number of Nobel Prize, Fields Medal winners among the staff and graduates, the number of frequently cited researchers, as well as publications in scientific journals (Nature, Science). The rating includes the total of 500 universities.
QS World University Rankings
It is compiled by the British marketing company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) based on 6 indicators with different weights: academic reputation, reputation among employers, the ratio of faculty members and students, the percentage of foreign students, the percentage of foreign employees, the percentage of citations per teacher. Academic reputation of the university has the largest weight among all indicators (40%), it is calculated based on a survey in the scientific community. For the 2015/16 rating, about 76,800 responses were received. Reputation among employers is also calculated by surveying. 800 universities are represented in the ranking.
THE (THE World University Rankings)
It is compiled by a team of analysts of the specialized British weekly publication Times Higher Education (THE). Assessment of universities is based on the analysis of their activities, as well as the annual global survey of experts, participated by about 10,000 members of the academic community. The rankings take into account 13 indicators, each of them has its own weight. Indicators are combined into 5 groups: teaching, research, citations, income from operations and internationalization (the proportion of foreign professors and students, the percentage of joint publications with international co-authors). Number of positions in the ranking – 800.
Founding of Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, the first university in Russia.
1724
Founding of Petersburg Academy of Sciences, the forerunner of the current Russian Academy of Sciences.
1755
Founding of Moscow State University (since 1940, M. Lomonosov MSU).
1870
First higher courses for women are opened.
1899
56 universities operating in Russia.
1904
Distinguished Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov, a graduate of the Petersburg University (now SPbGU), is the first Russian to be awarded the Nobel prize for research on the physiology of digestion.
1913
4 500 people teach in higher education in Russia, 127 400 people study at universities across the country.
1917
150 universities in Russia.
1918
Russia is the first country in the world to make higher education free. A decree is passed which allows workers to be admitted to university from the age of 16. This right is extended to all regardless of citizenship, sex, or possession of a school leaver’s certificate.
1918-1919
Dozens of new universities are created. They are mainly established in the major cities of the Soviet Republic.
1928
The first polytechnic institutes are founded.
1930
During reform of higher education, universities are subordinated to governmental agencies. They create industrial institutes based in the faculties of major universities. In the 1930s, over 40 teaching, medical, economic and other institutes are founded. Academic departments were assigned to research institutes. The first evening and correspondence departments and institutes are opened.
1944-1945
A fund of thesis papers is created. In the last years of the Second World War, 60 new universities are opened.
1950-е
Consolidation of universities takes place as part of efforts to improve the quality of education. Universities and departments for education specialists in the field of radioelectronics and electronic and computer engineering, automatics, biological physics, and biochemistry are opened.
1981
494 state universities operate in the USSR.
1990
180 000 international students at educational institutions in Russia.
2003
Russia signs the Bologna Declaration becoming part of the single European higher education system.
2007
Bachelor’s, Specialty and Master’s Programmes are introduced in Russia.
2010
Graduates of MIPT Andrei Geim and Konstantin Novoselov are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of graphene. Russia has given the world a total of 42 Nobel Prize winners.
2013
Law expanding citizens’ rights to education comes into force and establishes requirements for educational programmes and standards, guaranteeing compliance with global education standards.
The Russian Academic Excellence Project 5-100 is launched, which aims to increase the competitiveness of leading Russian universities at the international level.
2014
More than 50 Russian universities are ranked among the best universities in the BRICS countries by the British company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Twenty of them are in the top one hundred.
Seven Russian universities make the top 100 list of the best universities in the BRICS countries and other emerging economies of the world by respected UK publication Times Higher Education.
The country has centuries-old traditions of higher education. The first university in Russia was founded in 1687 and called the Slavonic, Greek, and Latin Academy. The renowned Moscow State University was established by Mikhail Lomonosov in 1755. Since then, many universities have appeared throughout Russia – from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad. Russia has given the world a multitude of outstanding intellectuals who have made great discoveries and inventions, and over 40 of them have been awarded the Nobel Prize. Currently, there are 896 universities in 85 regions of Russia that accept international students. You have a unique opportunity to come to Russia and learn about Russian academic traditions.
Famous Russian Scientists and their Discoveries
Famous Russian Scientists and their Discoveries
Mikhail Lomonosov
Lomonosov made many discoveries in various fields: he is regarded as the first to discover the law of mass conservation (1760) and to establish mechanistic caloric theory and the chemistry of minerals and glass. Lomonosov is the founder of Russia’s first classical university – Moscow State University (1755).
Nikolay Lobachevsky
The founder of hyperbolic geometry (1829) which was later recognized as a valid alternative to Euclidean geometry. Graduated from Kazan University where he later held the position of professor and then rector.
Pafnuty Chebyshev
Made several breakthrough discoveries in mechanics and mathematics. Chebyshev designed over 40 mechanisms still used in the modern automotive industry and instrumentation.
Sofia Kovalevskaya
Made a series of discoveries in mathematics. She was awarded the Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for her thesis on integrable rigid body motion (1888).
Aleksander Stoletov
Russian physicist who worked in electrical engineering, optics and molecular physics. He designed and constructed the first photoelectric element, a device which transforms the energy of photons into electricity.
Dmitri Mendeleev
Mendeleev formulated the Periodic Law and created his own version of the periodic table of elements (1869). The system that he devised made it possible to correct the properties of some elements that had already been discovered and also to predict the properties of elements yet to be discovered. His discovery is viewed as the most significant contribution to materials chemistry.
Alexander Popov
He was one of the first to find practical applications of electromagnetic waves, particularly in wireless communication. He designed and built a state-of-the-art radio receiver that was unique for its time (1895).
Alexander Butlerov
Butlerov is one of the principal creators of the theory of chemical structure. He was a graduate of Kazan University. Later he taught at St. Petersburg University.
Sergey Botkin
Botkin created the theory of a living organism as a unified whole. He was the first to suggest that catarrhal jaundice (hepatitis) or Botkin’s disease was caused by an infection.
Nikolay Pirogov
Pirogov is considered the founder of field surgery, regional anatomy and the founder of the Russian school of anesthesia. Surgery became a science thanks to him.
Ivan Pavlov
Pavlov is the founder of physiology of higher nervous activity. He is the first Russian Nobel Prize winner (1904). He received awards for physiology of digestion.
Élie Metchnikoff
The founder of comparative pathology, evolutionary fetology and immunology. Mechnikov discovered phagocytosis. Mechnikov is the founder of gerontology. He was awarded a Nobel Prize for his contribution to the study of the immune system (1908).
Alexander Mozhaysky
Mozhaysky was a naval officer and inventor. He designed, built and tested one of the world’s first airplanes (1882).
Nikolay Zhukovsky
Zhukovsky is the founding father of Russian aeronautics. He is also the founder of modern hydrodynamics. A graduate and later a professor at Moscow State University.
Vladimir Zworykin
An engineer and inventor. Born and educated in Russia. One the founding fathers and pioneers of television. He invented the cathode ray tube (1929), iconoscope (1931), electrooptical television system (1933) and laid the basis for colour television (1940s).
Pavel Cherenkov
Cherenkov is the author of several groundbreaking discoveries in physical optics, nuclear and high-energy physics. He was awarded a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1958.
Nikolay Vavilov
Vavilov was a botanist and geneticist, best known for establishing the scientific bases of selection and the study of world centres of the origin of cultivated plants. He is the author of the doctrine of plant immunity.
Lev Landau
Landau is the author of the “Course of Theoretical Physics”, which has been republished many times in 20 languages. He made major contributions to all spheres of physical science, from quantum mechanics to plasma physics. In 1962 he received the Nobel Prize for Physics for his research of the superfluidity of helium.
Nikolay Basov
One of the creators of the first quantum generator and a range of lasers. Nobel Prize winner for Physics in 1964. A graduate of the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute.
Alexander Prokhorov
A inventor of laser technologies. He created a range of lasers. Nobel Prize winner for Physics in 1964.
One of the founders of chemical physics. He is mostly known for his research of chain reactions. A winner of a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1958. He graduated from the department of physics of Petrograd University and taught at Tomsk Polytechnic Institute and Tomsk University. One of the founders of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
Igor Kurchatov
Author of several breakthrough discoveries in nuclear physics. Among them: the first nuclear reactor in Europe, the first Russian A-bomb and the first fusion bomb. In 1954 he was in charge of building the first nuclear power plant in Obninsk, USSR
A pioneer of controlled thermonuclear research. One of the leading figures in the Soviet thermonuclear bomb project (1953). A renowned human rights activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975.
Sergey Korolev
Korolev was a leading Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer and is considered by many as the father of practical astronautics. Among his major achievements are the first successful launch of an orbiting satellite (1957) and the first manned space flight of Yuri Gagarin (1961).
Mikhail Mil
Aerospace engineer and scientist. The creator of the ‘Mi’ helicopter series. A graduate of Tomsk Polytechnic Institute.
Aircraft designer. In 1968, Tupolev introduced the world’s first supersonic airliner, the Tu-144. Over 70 types of aircraft were designed and put into mass production under his supervision.
An ophthalmologist and microsurgeon. In 1962, in cooperation with Valery Zakharov, he created one of the world’s most rigid intraocular lenses. In 1973, he developed a new surgical technique to treat the early stage of the glaucoma. Consequently his method became widely used.
An author of over 500 scientific papers and around 50 inventions in semiconductor and quantum electronics. In particular, Alferov invented the first stable transistor. He was awarded a Nobel Prize for Physics in 2000. A graduate of the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute.
Grigori Perelman
One of the most renowned contemporary mathematicians. He solved the Poincaré conjecture, one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems (2002).
Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov
Graduates of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Winners of a Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010 for their study of graphene, the material which is supposed to define the future of electronics.
Leads research aimed at the synthesis of new chemical elements. From 1999–2010, he and his colleagues were the first to synthesize 6 superheavy elements ahead of their western counterparts.
One of the authors of the theory currently known as the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect under which electrons associated with gas in galaxy clusters gradually scatter cosmic microwave background radiation. Winner of the Kyoto Prize (2011), an award given for making the world better.
Graduate of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Professor at Harvard University. He proved that a beam of light can be halted in an environment and then controlled with a laser. The technology he developed can be used in quantum computers – a new step in the technological development of humanity.
A graduate of Lomonosov Moscow State University who worked at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Professor at Stony Brook University (New York). He is known mostly for his work on the discovery of computational materials and crystal structure prediction. He holds numerous prestigious prizes, including an ETH Latsis Prize, Research Excellence Medal of the European Mineralogical Union, and three most-cited paper awards from Elsevier. He created laboratories in China and in Russia.
Graduate of Lomonosov Moscow State University. Gained worldwide recognition for new practical applications of X-ray radiation. Professor, Habil. PhD. He is the head of the European Molecular Biology Research Laboratory in Hamburg.
Made several discoveries concerning our Solar System. He was one of the creators of spectrometers for the first Soviet interplanetary probes. He discovered the ozone layer, helium and methane in the atmosphere of Mars.
Author of 170 papers, including books published abroad. He made a substantial contribution to the mathematical foundations of quantum information science. He is the holder of three international awards: Quantum Communication Award (1996), Alexander von Humboldt Research Award (1999) and Claude E. Shannon Award (2016). Graduate of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
A world-renowned expert in cyber security. He is the creator of anti-virus software that is designed to protect users against computer viruses, trojans, spyware, and unknown threats. Eugene Kaspersky is listed by Foreign Policy as one of the Top-100 Global Thinkers of 2012. He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Technology degree from Plymouth University.
According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Russia has the most educated population in the world, outperforming Canada, Japan, Israel and the USA. More than half of Russians have higher education qualification. More than 200,000 people from 168 countries come to study at Russian universities. There are a lot of advantages to study in Russia, here are just a few:
Comprehensive University Education
In Russia, you can acquire in-depth, fundamental knowledge in all subjects, but the country is best known for its strong academic schools in physics, mathematics and natural sciences. Russia is a recognised world leader in training mathematicians, physicists, chemists, geologists, engineers, programmers, physicians, and specialists in other natural sciences. This is confirmed by the positions of Russian universities in world rankings ).
A Wide Range of Universities and Study Programmes
In Russia, international applicants can choose from:
896 universities in 85 regions of the country, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok;
205 fields, from mathematics and natural sciences to the dramatic arts;
657 subjects in Bachelor’s, Master’s, Specialist and Postgraduate Programmes (medical traineeships, postgraduate military courses), and internships and assistantships.
Russian universities also offer preparatory programmes (training for enrolment on Bachelor’s, Master’s and Specialist Degree courses), short courses (summer university, a single term in Russia, summer schools), Russian as a foreign language courses, professional development and additional vocational training.
Optimum Ratio of Price and Quality of Education
Self-funded study is much cheaper at Russian universities than the equivalent in the USA, Canada and the UK, and in terms of the level of training provided, leading Russian universities compete on par with educational institutions in the West.
In 2014, the cost of studying at Russian universities in full-time Bachelor’s Degree Programmes started from 63,000 roubles a year (1,100 US dollars), depending on the subject studied (according to the standards established by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science). The maximum tuition fee at the most prestigious universities in the capital was as high as 344,000 roubles a year (6,100 US dollars), according to data from ratings agency Expert1.
If you are considering universities located outside Moscow or Saint Petersburg, tuition and accommodation costs will be lower: prices in the regions are much lower than in the capital (see university websites for more detailed information on the tuition fee).
Russia is one of the few countries to offer foreign citizens the opportunity to receive free tuition. Every year, the Russian government awards several thousand scholarships (quotas) to international students. For example, in 2015 universities were allocated 15,000 quotas. In addition, some categories of foreign citizens, including compatriots, may apply for state-funded places on equal terms with Russians but outside the quotas. Another possibility is taking part in university academic competitions: the winners and laureates of these competitions are given preferential terms when enrolling at leading Russian universities (on a quota basis and for state-funded places).
Russian is spoken by about 260 million people worldwide and some 10.5 million foreigners are regularly learning Russian. Russian universities offer different Russian language programmes, including courses, summer schools, and distance learning. In preparatory courses, international students take a year-long course in the Russian language and, for students who are enrolled in state-funded places (government scholarships), it is provided free of charge.
Opportunity to Study in English
Haven’t had time to learn Russian? No problem! More and more Russian universities are offering programmes taught in English.
In 2003, Russia signed the Bologna Declaration, assuming several obligations as part of the creation of a common educational space of participant countries. Diplomas of Russian universities are recognised in most countries. This procedure is facilitated by intergovernmental agreements of Russia with more than 60 countries, including Finland, Spain, Cuba, India, Vietnam, China, Venezuela, and Namibia, while in June 2015 this document was also signed with France. Furthermore, many Russian universities are implementing joint programmes with foreign universities and are issuing dual diplomas to their graduates. In other words, by studying in Russia you can receive a Russian diploma and a diploma from a European university.
Comfortable and Well-Equipped Campuses and Dormitories
In terms of study facilities, Russian universities are a match for many western universities. High-level equipment for laboratories, scientific centres and study facilities are now a reality of student life today. Most Russian universities have their own dormitories with a relatively low cost of accommodation (For more details, see the “Аccommodation” section).
Russia is a multinational country where representatives of the most diverse countries and cultures can easily adapt to life here. Russia is home to more than 200 ethnic groups that speak more than 100 different languages and dialects. The Russian constitution guarantees freedom of conscience: Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Judaists, and representatives of other faiths peacefully coexist here. The country’s multinational and ethnic structure illustrates the diversity of all spheres of life, from cultural to domestic. Unsurprisingly, many foreigners arriving in Russia feel at home here. Russian universities are proud of their long experience in the training and acclimatisation of international students: supervisory programmes are arranged for first-year students and there is an established network of student communities.
Russia is a vast country where you can choose not only a course of study or university, but even your preferred climate – from a moderate continental climate in the European part of the country to the subtropical Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and southern Crimea. (For more details, see the “Climate” section).
Most people associate Russia with its culture, and Russians rightly take enormous pride in it. Russia has given the world many great writers, poets, philosophers, composers, artists and musicians: Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Feodor Dostoyevsky, Nikolai Rerikh, Sergey Rakhmaninov, Boris Pasternak, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergey Eisenstein, Mstislav Rostropovich… Literature, ballet, classical music, architecture, painting, theatre and cinema: this is how Russia wins the hearts of people the world over. Russian cities today are centres of cultural life, where exhibitions, festivals, concerts, shows, performances and other cultural and entertainment events take place on a national and international level.
Russia is a nation of sports enthusiasts that has given the world some of its greatest athletes: Irina Rodnina, Vyacheslav Tretyak, Maria Sharapova, Evgeny Plushchenko, Alexander Ovechkin, Elena Isinbaeva, Alexander Povetkin, and others. More than 60% of residents and 71% of students in Russia are involved in sport. Sports facilities include 70,000 gyms, 140,000 sports pitches and fields, and 4,800 swimming pools, accessible to all.
Russian universities typically have their own sports facilities and are well placed to offer students excellent opportunities to get involved in sport. Sports teams are formed at universities, many of which win prestigious competitions, including Universiades.
The country has hosted international sporting events on many occasions; in 2014, it hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi and a Formula 1 race. The 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Winter Universiade (2019) are the next major events on the calendar.
Students in Russia are eligible for a range of discounts (more “Benefits for Students”) including for travel on public transport, for visiting museums, libraries, theatres, concert halls, parks and other public and entertainment facilities.
Students in Russia are never short of something to do after class. They take part in sports competitions, contests, student festivals and other recreational events. Universities have their own student theatres, sports teams, volunteer associations and student construction teams. A unique creative outlet for Russian students is the humorous KVN games (Club of the Merry and the Quick-Witted): the best university KVN teams take part in a televised contest broadcast on a central Russian TV channel.
The Bolshoi Theatre, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, the Hermitage, and St. Isaac’s Cathedral are Russian cultural sights known worldwide, attracting millions of tourists every year. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg on the list of things worth seeing. 26 Russian cultural sites are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition to the Kremlin and Red Square, the UNESCO list includes the monuments of Novgorod, Suzdal, Vladimir, the Holy Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius, Lake Baikal, the volcanos of Kamchatka, the Golden Mountains of Altai, the Novodevichy Convent, the Curonian Spit, and others. Many universities organise trips for students. The choice is almost endless: from the Golden Ring spanning 8 ancient Russian cities to traveling the legendary route of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
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