It is believed that the founding of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club
on May 21, 1860 marks the beginning of Russia's official rowing
history. This was the first organized sport club in Russia, having
a charter, an elected president and a board of governors. At this
time, St. Petersburg Yacht Club had 183 avid members and 42 rowing
shells. On July 12 of the same year, the club initiated the first
"Rules for Racing" which defined the various classes of rowing based
on the number of rowers and oars per boat. The rules were strict
and a special referee committee was appointed to ensure their implementation.
Twenty years later, on July 31st, the first national rowing championship
open to all rowers were held. All competitors tested their skills
over 895 meters and 2,652 meters; results of this regatta are still
kept as a historic benchmark.
The establishment of the first rowing club in St. Petersburg and the regular competition attracted many spectators and an increased interest in the sport by vocational rowers. In the next few years, rowing enthusiasts from all corners of Russia, helped establish rowing clubs in Moscow, Riga, Voronezh, Odessa, Saratov and Nikolaev. Three more clubs were established in St. Petersburg and soon the city on the Neva River became the heart of the Russian rowing community. The Moscow River Rowing Club, one of the most prominent clubs in Russia that has left a significant mark on history of the Russian rowing was the founded in 1867. Today Strelka, the modern name of the Moscow River Rowing Club, is a hub for Russia's past and future champions. By 1892, there were twenty-two formal rowing clubs managed by a sophisticated organizational system. In 1872, the first race between the teams of the two largest cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, was held and it continues to be a major event drawing many fans.
Despite the attempt of the Russian women to receive recognition as athlete rowers and to compete at the open championships in 1886, the by-laws said "women should choose a sport that complies with the norms of social behavior and select only those sports that will leave no impact on their feminine features". Until 1917, rowing gained tremendous popularity and was considered a trendy "gentleman" sport accessible only to some. After the October Revolution, the newly established USSR opened wide the doors of the sports clubs giving many interested young adolescents the opportunity to master the sport. Soon, many young women join the ranks of the major leagues. Since then, rowing has enjoyed tremendous popularity and Russia has managed to become a powerhouse for elite athletes.
DID YOU KNOW?
Vyacheslav Ivanov is one of the most memorable personalities in the rowing world preceding Steve Redgrave. Ivanov won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's single in a dramatic come from behind style, usually in the last 300 meters of the race.
Every September since 1950, Moscow hosts one of the longest and most spectacular regattas in the world, a 25-kilometer challenge on the Moscow River. In preparation for the 1980 Olympic Games, Moscow developed a revolutionary design for an Olympic-size rowing canal in Kryilatskoe that has become a standard for all modern rowing sites.
REGIONS
Russia is the largest country in the world; spread over 11 time zones with diverse geography. Rowing is concentrated mainly in the eastern part of the country.
Mikhail Kuzik : The first prominent figure in the Russian rowing. Kuzin raced throughout Europe and won some of the most prestigious prizes in the history of rowing. In 1913, Mikhail Kuzik was the first foreigner ever to win the prestigious Oxford's Blue Rower, an Oxford University regatta that dates back to 1853.
Vyacheslav Ivanov : Three-time Olympic Gold medallist, one of the Russia's most cherished athletes; among the first to be inducted in the FISA Hall of Fame.
