Russian society is ambiguous in relation to professional sports. If a quarter of the population goes in for sports on an amateur and semi-professional level, about half follow the development of events in the world of sports on television and the Internet (and sometimes even go to competitions), then about a third do not understand what such noise is around. If something bothers them, then only budget funds spent on professional sports.
We leave aside the last category and dwell on the first two. What sports do people of the Russian Federation like most? The answer is in top 10 most popular sports in Russia. The rating is based on Yandex search query statistics.
10. Chess
The most intellectual sport has always been popular in Russia, and the Russian chess school is respected throughout the world.
Education Minister Olga Vasilyeva said that compulsory chess lessons could be introduced in Russian schools in the next two years. Similar "experimental" lessons are already being held in schools in 40 regions of Russia.
However, this will not affect all classes, but only elementary school students. This program allows you to develop strategic planning skills in children, promotes the development of spatial and systemic thinking, and also comprehensively develops a personality. And also, perhaps, it will help to grow a whole generation of future champions.
9. Tennis
Spectacular and popular sport, especially women's championships among the male population. They like tennis for their speed, dynamics, intensity of the game and elegant and powerful punches. Fans of this sport are even among astronauts - Russian and American astronauts have promised to arrange a tennis match on the International Space Station.
The largest tournament in Russia is the VTB Kremlin Cup. Previously, it was simply called the Kremlin Cup, but in 2017, VTB Bank became the sole sponsor of the tournament.
The prize pool of the men's tournament is over 823 thousand dollars, and the female - over 790 thousand dollars.
8. Figure skating
This sport has a very long and vibrant history. He was known during the reign of Peter I. It was he who brought samples of skates from Europe and figured out how to attach them directly to the boots.
The first figure skating textbook, magnificently titled “Winter Fun and the Art of Skating” was published in Russia in 1838. And a little later (in 1865) figure skating was recognized as a sport in our country.
In the days of the USSR, figure skating, due to its entertainment and beauty, chained millions of men and women to television screens no worse than popular films.
And the increased popularity of figure skating in modern Russia is largely due to the numerous triumphs of Evgenia Medvedeva - she wins all the personal tournaments in which she participates. Along the way, the athlete sets new world records. Let's hope that the injury does not prevent Evgenia from performing equally brilliantly at the Olympics in Korea.
7. Boxing
Among the popular Russian entertainment for a long time there were fist fights. Even in the time of Kievan Rus, the “fist-fighting” kind of “self-on-self” was not only an interesting sight, but also one of the methods of judicial proceedings. Hence the name "fist law."
The Russians got acquainted with English boxing (in the form of “international matches” for the fun of the British ambassadors) during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. And as a sporting discipline, boxing began to develop in Russia only in the 19th century.
The popularity of boxing has grown significantly in recent years. What is it - the desire to lose steam, push your aggression into the framework, learn to protect yourself or just the pleasure of moving and feeling your own strength?
It is likely that next year the fame of this sport will grow even more - the head of the Boxing Federation promised to work on his “advertising”. And Kadyrov has nothing to do with it.
6. Skiing
The honorable sixth place of skis in the heart of sports Russians (in contrast to foreign ratings), apparently due to the climate. Winter in our country is long, but it is necessary to somehow fill the time.
There are many interesting “branches” in skiing, such as skijoring (towing a skier), ski tricks, downhill skiers and racers and even ski jumping from an airplane without a parachute.
The Soviet ski school was very strong, and the Russian continues its glorious traditions. Even the doping story could not stop the Russian athlete Sergei Ustyugov from winning five consecutive victories by the end of last year.
5. Athletics
The "Queen of Sports", leading back to ancient Greece, is not as popular in Russia as it is throughout the world. If in the foreign ratings of sports it takes the first place, then in Russia it barely hit the fifth.
In Russia, athletics have a very difficult fate. In for some, "saints", and for most - "dashing" 90s of the twentieth century, sports schools were massively closed, where future athletes were trained, stadiums turned into markets, and coaches and athletes either went abroad or were more profitable business than sport.
However, despite all the difficulties, Russian athletics managed to survive, and brought many awards to their country. In 1996, the team was no longer the USSR, but Russia, at the Olympics in Atlanta (for the first time since 1912). She won 26 gold medals, 21 silver and 16 bronze awards.
In recent years, this sport in Russia has been greatly undermined by doping scandals. Fortunately, there is still something to be proud of - the Russian jumper Maria Lasitskene last year took more than 18 first places and hopes to set a new world record.
4. Basketball
This game was once invented by one of the teachers at an American university to entertain students in physical education classes. Since then, she has not only rapidly stepped outside America, but has also become a new sports discipline.
The first basketball teams appeared in Russia in 1906, on the basis of the St. Petersburg sports society Mayak. In 1947, Russian basketball players received the right to participate in FIBA competitions. In the period from the 50s to the 80s of the twentieth century, the USSR basketball team was considered the strongest in the world.
Perhaps the secret to the popularity of this game, as the basketball team coach once said, is that it’s human nature to jump for joy - or to enjoy jumping.
3. Volleyball
In third place among the most popular sports among Russians is volleyball. It is spectacular, gives a charge of vivacity, fosters team spirit, and in addition non-contact, which means that it is not too traumatic. What else is needed from a good sports discipline?
The highlights of Russian volleyball history included:
- victory of the USSR men's national team at the European Championships in 1950;
- victory of the USSR men's team in the World Cup in 1965;
- victory of both male and female teams at the European Championships among youth teams in 1966.
The results of 2017 were extremely favorable for fans of volleyball of the Russian Federation - 32 medals were added to the piggy bank of the Russian team, more than half of which are gold!
The victory at the World Cup in Krakow, where the Russian team opposed the German volleyball players, looked especially impressive.
2. Ice hockey
It is traditionally considered one of the “Russian” sports, along with figure skating and chess. However, black times for domestic hockey came in the 90s, when the lack of stability in domestic sports made eminent athletes try their luck in foreign clubs. Having won the 1993 World Cup, the Russian team for many years remained without a single medal.
And only in recent years, Russian hockey has regained its former glory. In 2008 (exactly a century of hockey), the Russian team beat the Canadians, having won the title of world champions. And in 2014 she became a five-time world champion.
But according to the results of 2017, the situation for the Russian team is disappointing - recently, the Swedes and Canadians rule in the hockey kingdom.
1. Football
In first place among the most beloved Russian sports is football. Even the eternal swing from hope to disappointment at the performances of the Russian team, it seems, can not force fans to stop loving the green field and the white and black ball.
Football was brought to Russia along with English engineers discharged by industrialist Savva Morozov. On the pages of pre-revolutionary newspapers and magazines there was heated discussion about the significance of the most popular sport in the world. In the expressions, many did not stand on ceremony and called football “a fight with legs” and “an extremely rude sport”. But all these conversations did not prevent the team of the Russian Empire in 1912 from winning fourth place at the Olympics in Sweden. And in 1923 the first USSR Football Championship was held.
The Soviet football team has won many glorious victories, including a victory at the 1988 Olympics. She thrice - in 1964, 1972 and 1988 - became the vice-champion of Europe. The Russian team can not yet boast of great success, but fans are waiting and hoping that the best moments in the history of Russian football are yet to come.
