CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the

Soviet era The history of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1922–91) began with the ideals of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War, ...

, it was the central part of the Armed Forces sports society, which in turn was associated with the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

; because of this, it was popularly referred to in the West as "

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

" or "the Red Army team". The historical CSKA sport club (a.k.a. "Big CSKA") is still a department of the Russian Defense Ministry. Following the 2023 publication of the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

's criteria for the reinstatement of Russian athletes (they were suspended in February 2022 due to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

), athletes affiliated with CSKA Moscow were officially prohibited from attending the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

until at least 2026.

Composition

The "Big CSKA" had several teams in many sports, but those which are still operating are all now private clubs: The CSKA has also been home to many figure skaters, including Adelina Sotnikova,

Ekaterina Gordeeva Ekaterina "Katia" Alexandrovna Gordeeva (; born 28 May 1971) is a Soviet and Russian figure skater. With her late husband Sergei Grinkov, she is the 1988 and 1994 Olympic Champion, a four-time World Champion (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990), a th ...

and Sergei Grinkov.

Elena Mukhina Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina (; first name sometimes rendered "Yelena", last name sometimes rendered "Muchina"; 1 June 196022 December 2006) was a Soviet Union, Soviet gymnast who won the all-around title at the 1978 World Championships in Stra ...

, the 1978 World Champion artistic gymnast, Aliya Mustafina and Yevgeniya Kanayeva, Olympic gold medalists in gymnastics, Sofya Velikaya, a sabre fencer, Olympic champions

Elena Vesnina Elena Sergeyevna Vesnina (born 1 August 1986) is a Russian former professional tennis player who was List of WTA number 1 ranked doubles tennis players, world No. 1 in doubles. Vesnina is a four-time Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam champion, h ...

, and Viktor An.

Brief overview

The club was created as the "Experimentally demonstrative Military Sports field of Vsevobuch" (OPPV) in February 1923 by the Central Administration of Military Training for workers based on the pre-revolutionary "Society of Ski Sports Amateurs" (OLLS). The field was located at the

Sokolniki Park Sokolniki Park, named for the falconry, falcon hunt of the grand princes of Principality of Moscow, Moscow formerly conducted there, is located in the eponymous Sokolniki District of Moscow. Sokolniki Park is not far from the center of the Mo ...

in Moscow. On April 29, 1923, the football team of the club has played its first game in the Moscow city championship. In February 1928 the club was included to the newly established the Frunze Central House of Red Army (CDKA) as a department of physical culture and sports. In October 1953 all sports centers of CDKA and Air Force of the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...

were included in the Central Sports Club of Ministry of Defense (CSK MO), which in April 1960 it was renamed into its more common title - the Central Sports Club of the Armed Forces (CSKA), which the Moscow branch belonged as the flagship and most elite of all the clubs within the Soviet Armed Forces. The club is active in more than 40 sports, and produced 463 Olympic champions for the

Soviet Union 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 ...

and Russia, 11,000 champions in local Soviet and Russian championships, and 2629 golden medalists in European and world championships. In 1973 the CSKA sports society was awarded the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

Chiefs and presidents

References

{{PFC CSKA Moscow Military sports clubs and teams Military association football clubs Multi-sport clubs in Russia Sports clubs and teams in Moscow Sports clubs and teams established in 1923 1923 establishments in Russia * Gymnastics clubs in Russia