Learn How To Say 23 Sports in Russian

Discover 23 Sports in Russian (+ Pronunciation)

Today we’ll be taking a look at some sports-related vocabulary in Russian and learning how to say 23 sports in Russian.

Even if you’re not a huge sports fan, learning this sort of vocabulary can be really useful – after all, you never know when someone might ask you about your favourite sport in Russian!

We’ll cover some of the most common sports and some of the important vocabulary that goes along with them.

By the end of this post, you should have a good grasp about the most popular sports in Russia.

Let’s get started with our first word…

Sport in Russian is Спорт (pronounced the same as English)

Sports in Russian || A Brief History

Sports in Russian || Popular Sports

Sports in Russian || Sport in Daily Life

Sports in Russian || Famous Russian Athletes

Sports in Russian || Other Sports

Sports in Russian || Vocab Recap

Sports in Russian || Quiz

Sports in Russian || FAQs

Sports in Russian || A Brief History

Sports first began to make an impact in Russia at the end of the 19th century, with the introduction of athletics (Атлетика) and cycling (Езда на велосипеде).

By the early 20th century, gymnastics (гимнастика) had become a very popular activity across the nation.

When the Soviet Union was founded in 1922, there was a major focus on sports as they were seen to be both physically and spiritually beneficial to citizens, emphasizing their unifying power.

The government enlarged its sports infrastructure and invested heavily in training athletes.

This led to great success in international competitions such as the Olympics (Олимпийские игры) and World Championships.

Russia saw record numbers of gold medalists during Soviet times – 1987 saw a staggering 201 medals won across 51 countries!

Despite its decline since then, this legacy has been carried into contemporary Russian society, where sporting activities are still extremely popular and encouraged by all generations.

Here are some new keywords to get our Russian sports studies on the road…

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Sports in Russian || Popular Sports

Russia is home to a variety of unique sports, such as bandy (русский хоккей), a sport similar to ice hockey, and biathlon (биатлон).

Football (футбол) is the most widely followed sport in Russia, often inspiring passionate displays of affection throughout the nation.

But perhaps the most popular sport in Russia today is ice hockey (Хоккей).

Despite normally freezing temperatures, Russian cities are filled with enthusiastic fans watching their favourite teams battle it out on the ice.

Other sports that have mass appeal in Russia include volleyball (волейбол) and basketball (баскетбол).

Here is a summary of some of the most popular sports in Russia and how to pronounce them.

Sports in Russian || Sport in Daily Life

Sports are an important part of Russian culture, from professional level to recreational enjoyment among all ages.

The government, schools, and other organizations have invested heavily in promoting sports as it is seen as a way to promote overall physical health and activity as well as national pride and competition.

Russians enjoy participating in physical activities, such as football, hockey, skiing (горные лыжи), cycling, diving (подводное плавание), and many other sports.

Many clubs exist across the country to bring people together for playing or watching games – it truly strengthens relationships among family, friends, and colleagues.

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Globally, Russia also cherishes its athletes who represent them at major competitions.

Now let’s introduce you to some of the biggest names in Russian sporting history.

Sports in Russian || Famous Russian Athletes

Russian athletes have made a name for themselves through sheer hard work and dedication to their sports.

Some of the most iconic female names include figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva (Евгения Медведева), who has set multiple world records with her intense and artistic skating style.

Pole vaulter Elena Isinbayeva (Елена Исинбаева), who was the first woman to break the five-meter mark in 2004 and gymnast Svetlana Khorkina (Светлана Хоркина), an Olympic all-around champion in 1996 and 2000 are Olympic heroines in Russia.

Tennis player Maria Sharapova is one of the most successful female players ever.

Moving onto the men…

In recent years Khabib Nurmagomedov (Хабиб Нурмагомедов) has become a household name in the world of MMA.

Russia can boast a plethora of incredible ice hockey stars over the years but the name Alexander Ovechkin (Александр Овечкин) is widely regarded as Russia’s greatest ever.

Alexander led the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup Championship in 2018. He can also boast several other titles and trophies to his name.

We cannot finish a section of legends without mentioning the incredible Chess master Garry Kasparov (Гарри Каспаров).

Incredibly, Kasparov was ranked #1 for a total of 255 months during a career that spanned 21 years

FUN FACT || In 1985 Kasparov became the youngest world champion ever at the age of just 22.

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Sports in Russian || Other Sports in Russian

We’ve learnt 15 new words so far but let’s learn some more as we teach you some other sports in Russian.

A number of sports in Russian actually have the same pronunciation in English.

Once you can read the Russian alphabet you’ll discover this very quickly.

So whilst бадминтон may look intimidating at first, those in the know will realise this is actually pronounced badminton!

Easy right!?

Here are some more similar examples:

• бейсбол is baseball
• крикет is cricket (although not played in Russia)
• гольф is golf
• пинг-понг is ping pong
• регби is rugby
• теннис is tennis

Now let’s summarise these sports in Russian below.

As you can see, some sports in Russian are really easy to learn.

Now let’s recap everything we’ve learnt today…

Sports in Russian || Vocab Recap

Let’s recap all the sports in Russian with one handy table.

Russia has a long and complex history with sports, which has evolved and changed over time along with the country itself.

Today, the most popular sports in Russia are football, hockey, tennis, figure skating, and boxing – though there are many others that Russians enjoy both playing and watching.

What is your favourite sport? Tell us below in Russian, we’d love to hear from you.

Happy studying 🏆

BONUS || Take the Test!

You’ve now skimmed through a lot of new vocabulary, and there is no better way to check if you really know them than a good old fashioned quiz.

It will take less than 5 minutes and you’ll get your results immediately..

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If you love learning languages why not check out our guide to sports in Mandarin Chinese too?

Sports in Russian || FAQs

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