Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Official website of the State –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Established in 2007 at the initiative of Vladislav Tretiak, President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF), the holiday commemorates the founding of the RHF on December 1, 1946. Today, it unites not only fans but also all those for whom hockey is part of the national sporting culture.
Bandy was once popular in our country—it was even called "Russian hockey." The breakthrough came in the late 1940s, when the first professional ice hockey teams began to form. As early as 1956, the USSR team made its Olympic debut in Cortina d'Ampezzo and immediately won gold. Over the following decades, Soviet hockey players became Olympic champions eight times and world champions 22 times.
Behind this resounding success were outstanding coaches—Arkady Chernyshev, Anatoly Tarasov, Viktor Tikhonov—and legendary players—Vsevolod Bobrov, Valeri Kharlamov, Vladislav Tretiak, Boris Mikhailov. Our hockey players have always been national heroes—both in the USSR and today in Russia, films are made about them, and even songs are written about them.
After the collapse of the USSR, Russian hockey endured a difficult time: economic hardship, the departure of stars overseas, and lost years. But by the 2000s, the Russian national team had once again become one of the strongest, winning world championship titles in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2014, and, most importantly, Olympic gold in Pyeongchang in 2018, its first in 26 years.
On Hockey Day, children's tournaments, open days at sports schools, and master classes from current players are held across the country. Veterans take to the ice alongside young athletes—not to compete, but to share their experiences. Museums and libraries host exhibitions dedicated to the history of hockey. Government officials, artists, and other cultural figures don skates, including our president, Vladimir Putin, who initiated the creation of the amateur Night Hockey League and is an active participant.
This year, the central event of the festival will be the Moscow "Hockey Day" festival at VDNKh on Saturday, December 6. Amateur matches and mini-tournaments will be held on the ice rink, where anyone can play alongside world champions. A separate training area will be set aside for shooting and puck handling practice. Participation is free, and the program is open to all ages and runs from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
For those interested in the history of the presidential sport, a special exhibition has been open at the Dynamo Museum since mid-November. Display cases contain trophies, medals, and hockey equipment dating back to 1926. Among the exhibits are the skates of Vyacheslav Solovyov, an 11-time USSR bandy champion, and the stick of Vasily Pervukhin, a multiple world and European champion, along with other sports memorabilia.
We all root for the Russian national team and our university hockey team—one of the strongest university teams competing in the Moscow Student Hockey League (MSHL) championship (3). Our "GUUSI" are the MSHL champions of the 2010/11 season and the Bachelor's Division of the 2015/16 and 2021/22 seasons, bronze medalists of the MSHL top division in 2014/23, silver medalists of the MSHL in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons, champions of the annual University Cup 2022 tournament, and are among the top four teams in the All-Russian SHL Championship in 2023/24.
Happy All-Russian Hockey Day to our ice hockey team, which ended November with two victories for the guys from MAI and MFUA, and will play the RUDN team on December 14th! May the ice be smooth, the shots accurate, and the team work together smoothly! We wish you good health, athletic enthusiasm, inspiring training, and exciting victories on and off the ice. This is Vykhino! This is South-Eastern Administrative Okrug! This is our State University of Management! We love it!
Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: December 1, 2025.
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