Nikolai Borisovich Kulikov (Russian: Куликов, Николай Борисович; April 25, 1953 in Moscow, USSR – August 11, 1979 in Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine SSR) was a Soviet footballer. Kulikov played for

Pakhtakor Tashkent FC Pakhtakor Tashkent ( uz, Paxtakor futbol klubi) is an Uzbek professional association football, football club, based in the capital city Tashkent, that competes in the Uzbekistan Super League. Pakhtakor literally means "cotton-grower" in Englis ...

as a defender from 1976 to 1979, before he died in a mid-air plane crash in August 1979. He was classified as a Master of Sport of the USSR in 1979.

Early life and career

A product of

Dynamo Moscow MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (russian: МГО ВФСО «Динамо»), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (russian: Динамо Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first ...

's youth football system; Kulikov's first coaches were the famous Soviet football players Vladimir Kesarev and Sergey Solovyov. In 1974 Nikolai Kulikov, a young half back, was invited to FC Khanki (

Khorezm Khwarazm (; Old Persian: ''Hwârazmiya''; fa, خوارزم, ''Xwârazm'' or ''Xârazm'') or Chorasmia () is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, bordered on the north by the (former) Aral Sea, on the ...

, Uzbek SSR) where he played for two seasons. In 1976 Nikolai Kulikov successfully played for

FK Yangiyer FK Yangiyer ( uz, Yangiyer) is Uzbekistani football club based in Yangiyer, Sirdaryo Province. Achievements *Uzbek Cup The O‘zbekiston Kubogi or ( uz, O‘zbekiston Kubogi, script=Latn or ) Uzbek Cup is the top knockout tournament in Uzbek ...

( Yangier, Uzbek SSR) and was recruited by

Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...

, Uzbek SSR. In 1977 Pakhtakor Tashkent was promoted from the

Soviet First League The Soviet First League in football (russian: Первая лига СССР по футболу) was the second highest division of Soviet football,Evgeni Kazakov. The Soviet First Football League (Первая лига СССР по футбо ...

to the

Soviet Top League The Soviet Top League, known after 1970 as the Higher League (russian: Чемпионат СССР по футболу: Высшая лига), served as the top division of Soviet Union football from 1936 until 1991. The professional top level ...

. Nikolai Kulikov invaluably contributed to FC Pakhtakor success with twenty-one matches in defence and one goal. He was highly praised for high mobility, good play thinking, and reciprocity and sincere friendship with teammates.

Death

At 26, Kulikov and sixteen other Pakhtakor Tashkent players and staff died in a

mid-air collision In aviation, a mid-air collision is an aviation accident, accident in which two or more aircraft come into unplanned contact during flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and the likelihood of subsequent impact with the ground o ...

over Kurilovka ( Dneprodzerzhinsk, Ukrainian SSR). Buried in his patrimony Krivskoye (near

Obninsk Obninsk (russian: О́бнинск) is a city in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Protva River southwest of Moscow and northeast of Kaluga. Population: History The history of Obninsk began in 1945 when the First Research In ...

, Borovskiy District,

Kaluga Oblast Kaluga Oblast (russian: Калу́жская о́бласть, translit=Kaluzhskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Kaluga. The 2021 Russian Census found a population of 1,069,904. G ...

, Russia).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kulikov, Nikolai Borisovich 1953 births 1979 deaths Soviet men's footballers Men's association football midfielders Pakhtakor Tashkent FK players FK Yangiyer players Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the Soviet Union Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Ukraine