Unified All-Russian Sports Classification () is a system which regulates the Russian physical education system requirements for both athletes and coaches.

History

In the Soviet period Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR () existed. Several

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

states developed their own versions of the system.

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, other post-Soviet republics, and allied states have continued their own versions of the system. The first Unified Sports Classification System in modern Russia was introduced in 1994, it was designed for the period until 1996. For summer sports, the USCS 2014–2017 is in effect, for winter sports the USCS 2015–2018. The USCS is the only regulatory document that determines the procedure for assigning official sports titles and ranks and the requirements for athletes applying for these titles. The USCS is formed in accordance with the All-Russian Register of Sports and the list of sports recognized by the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. The USCS defines the standards that an athlete must meet to receive a title. The EVSK also establishes the conditions under which these standards must be met: the level of competition, the qualifications of judges, the level of opponents. The requirements are set individually for each sport, taking into account both its specifics and the level of development of this sport in the Russian Federation. The USCS is developed and adopted for a period of four years. Several editions of the USCS may be in effect simultaneously if they define requirements for different sports. A new sports title called ''Merited Master of Sport of Russia'' was created by the

Russian government The Russian Government () or fully titled the Government of the Russian Federation () is the highest federal executive governmental body of the Russian Federation. It is accountable to the president of the Russian Federation and controlled by ...

in 2007 to replace the previous one.

Athletes

The classification was established in 1935 and was based on separate classifications, which existed for several sports disciplines before. Starting in 1949, it was revised every four years, the period, which corresponded to the Olympic cycle, to reflect new standards for the physical training. The document contained test standards, principles and conditions, necessary for the conferment of sports ranks and titles, for all sports, cultivated in the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. As of the 1970s, there were following ranks for athletes of the USSR (listed in descending order of value): *''Merited Master of Sport of the USSR,'' (, abbreviated as "змс", sometimes translated as ''Honoured Master of Sport of the USSR''), equates to international champion who has made valuable contributions to the sport *''Master of Sport of the USSR, International Class'' (; abbreviated as "мсмк"), equates to international champion *''Master of Sport of the USSR'' (; abbreviated as "мс"), equates to national champion *''Candidate for Master of Sport of the USSR'' (; abbreviated as "кмс"), equates to nationally ranked player *''First-Class Sportsman'' (), equates to regional champion *''Second-Class Sportsman'' (), equates to state champion *''Third-Class Sportsman'' (), equates to city champion *''First-Class Junior Sportsman'' () *''Second-Class Junior Sportsman'' () *''Third-Class Junior Sportsman'' () Each of these titles was awarded only for results on the official competitions. Athletes who qualified for the rank were awarded a badge with serial number. This system was popular among Soviet satellite states and was used in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland, and Romania until the breakup of the USSR in 1991. Russia continued the system, and former

Soviet republics In the Soviet Union, a Union Republic () or unofficially a Republic of the USSR was a constituent federated political entity with a system of government called a Soviet republic, which was officially defined in the 1977 constitution as " ...

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

and

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

also maintain a similar or identical ranking system. In

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

, ''Honored Athletes'' (

Mongolian Mongolian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Mongolia, a country in Asia * Mongolian people, or Mongols * Bogd Khanate of Mongolia, the government of Mongolia, 1911–1919 and 1921–1924 * Mongolian language * Mongolian alphabet * ...

: гавьяат тамирчин) have been recognized since 1960. In

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, the

Sports titles Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in a par ...

system was established in 1967.

Non-Soviet Masters of Sport

The title of Merited Master of Sport of the USSR was awarded to a select number of foreigners. On 30 January 1952, the title ''Merited Master of Sport of the USSR'' was awarded to

Agustín Gómez Pagóla Agustín is a Spanish given name and sometimes a surname. It is related to Augustín. People with the name include: Given name * Agustín Adorni (born 1990), Argentine footballer * Agustín Allione (born 1994), Argentine footballer * Ag ...

, who was born in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and started to play

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

there, but moved to the USSR during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

in 1937, and played for

Torpedo Moscow Football Club Torpedo Moscow (, ''FK Torpedo Moskva''), known as Torpedo Moscow, is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Moscow. The club will return to the Russian Premier League in the 2025–26 season. Their c ...

in 1947–1954, being the

team captain In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...

in 1951–1953.Augustin Gomez
/ref> In 1972, to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Soviet Union, this title was awarded to the following prominent athletes from Soviet-aligned nations: *

Maria Gigova Maria Gigova (; born 21 April 1947) is a retired Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast and sports official. She is a three-time World All-around Champion, having won the title in 1969,1971, and 1973. Biography Maria Gigova was the first gymnast to bec ...

(world champion in

rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop (rhythmic gymnastics), hoop, ball (rhythmic gymnastics), ball, Clubs (rhythmic gymnastics), clubs, ribbon (rhythmic gymnastics), ...

) *

András Balczó András Balczó (born 16 August 1938) is a retired Hungarian modern pentathlete. He competed at the 1960, 1968 and 1972 Olympics in the individual and team events and won three gold and two silver medal; he missed only one medal, finishing four ...

(

modern pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Summer Olympics, Olympic multisport that consists of five events: fencing (one-touch épée followed by direct elimination), freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, Laser pistol (sport), laser pistol shooting, and ...

Hungarian Sportsman of the Year Hungarian Sportspeople of the Year () awards are granted each year since 1958, with categories for sportsmen, sportswomen, teams, coach (sports), coaches (since 1985) and presidents (since 1995). List of winners Statistics Individual winn ...

in 1966, 1968, 1969) *

Karin Janz Karin may refer to: *Karin (given name), a feminine name Fiction * ''Karin'' (manga) or ''Chibi Vampire'', a Japanese media franchise * Karin Hanazono, title character of the manga and anime ''Kamichama Karin'' *Karin Kokubu, a main character in ...

(1972 Olympic champion in

artistic gymnastics Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different types of apparatus. The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), ...

) *

Ri Ho-jun Ri Ho-jun (, born 1 December 1946) is a North Korean retired sports shooter and Olympic Champion. He won a gold medal in the 50 metre rifle prone event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the country's first ever Olympic gold medal. In Augu ...

(1972 Olympic champion in

shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missile ...

) *

Teófilo Stevenson Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence (; 29 March 1952 – 11 June 2012) was a Cuban amateur boxer who competed from 1966 to 1986. Stevenson won the Val Barker Trophy (1972) as well was honored with the Olympic Order (1987) and is one of only three bo ...

(1972 Olympic champion in

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

) (he later won in 1976 and 1980 also) *

Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh (; born 22 February 1944) is a retired Mongolian wrestler. At the 1972 Summer Olympics he won the silver medal in the men's freestyle heavyweight category. His name Bayanmonkh means "Rich eternal" in the Mongolian langua ...

(1972 world champion in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...

) *

Włodzimierz Lubański Włodzimierz 'Włodek' Leonard Lubański (Polish pronunciation: ; born 28 February 1947 in Gliwice-Sośnica) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the second-highest all-time goal scorer for the Poland na ...

(1972 Olympic champion in

) *

Nicolae Martinescu Nicolae Martinescu (24 February 1940 – 1 April 2013) was a Greco-Roman wrestler from Romania. He competed at the 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympics and won a gold medal in 1972, placing third in 1968 and fourth in 1964. At the 1976 Olympics he ...

(1972 Olympic champion in

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

) *

Ondrej Nepela Ondrej Nepela (22 January 1951 – 2 February 1989) was a Slovaks, Slovak Figure skating, figure skater who represented Czechoslovakia. He was the Figure skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics, 1972 Olympic champion, a three-time World Figure Skati ...

(1972 Olympic champion in

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...

)

Coaches

Under the Soviet system, titles were awarded to coaches based on national and international success. Significant International success brought Merited Coach of the USSR while national success was rewarded with Merited Coach of one of the Soviet republics. * ''Merited Coach of the USSR'' () * ''Merited Coach of the

Uzbek SSR The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (, ), also known as Soviet Uzbekistan, the Uzbek SSR, UzSSR, or simply Uzbekistan and rarely Uzbekia, was a union republic of the Soviet Union. It was governed by the Uzbek branch of the Soviet Communist P ...

'' () * ''Merited Coach of the

Georgian SSR The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Georgia, the Georgian SSR, or simply Georgia, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its second occupation (by the Red Army) in 1921 to its independence in 1991. Cotermin ...

'' () The same system is in place today for most of the former Soviet republics as well. For example, * ''Merited Coach of Russia'' () * '' Merited Coach of Ukraine'' ( * ''Merited Coach of Uzbekistan'' ()

Non-Russian coaches

Since 2007, a few foreign coaches have been awarded the title of ''Merited Coach of Russia'' for their roles in the development of sports in Russia: * 2007:

David Blatt David Michael Blatt (; born May 22, 1959) is an Israeli-American professional basketball executive. He is also a former coach and player. Blatt played point guard at Princeton University from 1977 to 1981 and played in the Maccabiah Games for ...

, coach of the Russian men's basketball team, champions, 2007 European Championships * 2008: Giovanni Caprara, coach of the Russian women's volleyball team, champions, 2006 European Championships * 2008:

Dick Advocaat Dirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat (; born 27 September 1947) is a Dutch former association football, football player and coach. He is currently the manager of the Curaçao national football team. Advocaat was successful as a football player and as a ...

, football, head coach of Zenit St. Petersburg, champions,

2007–08 UEFA Cup The 2007–08 UEFA Cup was the 37th edition of the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Cup, UEFA's former second-tier club association football, football tournament. The 2008 UEFA Cup Final, final was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, E ...

and

2008 UEFA Super Cup The 2008 UEFA Super Cup was the 33rd UEFA Super Cup, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The 2008 competition was contested by Manchester United of England, who won ...

* 2013:

Guus Hiddink Guus Hiddink (; born 8 November 1946) is a Dutch former football manager and professional player. He enjoyed a long career playing as a midfielder in his native Netherlands. Retired as player in 1982, Hiddink went into management, leading both c ...

, football, coach of Russian national team, bronze medalists, 2008 European Championships * 2013:

Oleg Znarok Oleg Valerievich Znarok (, ; born 2 January 1963) is a Soviet-Latvian professional ice hockey player. In 2022, he was the head coach of Ak Bars Kazan in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and consultant of the Russia men's national ice hockey t ...

, hockey, head coach of

Dynamo Moscow MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (), is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first institution created from the All-Union Dynamo Sports Club. Dynamo Mosco ...

, champions, 2011/2012

Gagarin Cup The Gagarin Cup () is the trophy presented to the winner of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) playoffs, and is named after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. The Cup was supposedly named after Gagarin because the last po ...

* 2013:

Harijs Vītoliņš Harijs Vītoliņš (Harijs Vitolinsh; born April 30, 1968) is a Latvian former professional ice hockey centre. After being selected twice in the NHL Entry Draft, Vītoliņš played eight games in the National Hockey League with the Winnipeg Jets ...

, hockey, assistant coach of

, champions, 2012/2013

Judges and referees

The title of Honored Judge of Russia may be given to sport judges and referees who have reached the level of "All-Russian Sports Official" and have distinguished careers of officiating to their credit.

References

External links

*
Mapping of the requirements for weight lifting, swimming and running from Russian to English.
*

Great Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (GSE; , ''BSE'') is one of the largest Russian-language encyclopedias, published in the Soviet Union from 1926 to 1990. After 2002, the encyclopedia's data was partially included into the later ''Great Russian Enc ...

, 3rd ed., vol. 9, p. 64 {{Russia topics 1935 documents 1935 establishments in the Soviet Union 1994 in Russian sport 1994 documents 1994 establishments in Russia 1935 in Soviet sport Sport in the Soviet Union Sport in Russia Documents of the Soviet Union

Sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

Sports titles

History

Athletes

Non-Soviet Masters of Sport

Coaches

Non-Russian coaches

Judges and referees

See also

References

External links