Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR (russian: Единая Всесоюзная спортивная классификация) is a document which provided general

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

physical education system requirements for both athletes and coaches. Similar systems still exist today in several former Soviet republics.

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 Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

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 Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. 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,'' (russian: заслуженный мастер спорта СССР, 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'' (russian: мастер спорта СССР международного класса; abbreviated as "мсмк"), equates to international champion *''Master of Sport of the USSR'' (russian: мастер спорта СССР; abbreviated as "мс"), equates to national champion *''Candidate for Master of Sport of the USSR'' (russian: кандидат в мастера спорта СССР; abbreviated as "кмс"), equates to nationally ranked player *''First-Class Sportsman'' (russian: спортсмен 1-го разряда), equates to regional champion *''Second-Class Sportsman'' (russian: спортсмен 2-го разряда), equates to state champion *''Third-Class Sportsman'' (russian: спортсмен 3-го разряда), equates to city champion *''First-Class Junior Sportsman'' (russian: спортсмен 1-го юношеского разряда) *''Second-Class Junior Sportsman'' (russian: спортсмен 2-го юношеского разряда) *''Third-Class Junior Sportsman'' (russian: спортсмен 3-го юношеского разряда) 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 The Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Union Republics ( rus, Сою́зные Респу́блики, r=Soyúznye Respúbliki) were national-based administrative units of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( ...

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

and

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

also maintain a similar or identical ranking system. In

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

, a similar system, the Sports titles one, was started in 1967. A new sports title called ''Merited Master of Sport of Russia'' was created by the Russian government in 2007 to replace the previous one.

Non-Soviet Masters of Sport

The title of Merited Master of Sport of the USSR was awarded to a handful 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 (footballer), Spanish footballer * Agustín Calleri (born 1976), Argentine tennis player * Agustín Cá ...

, who was born in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and started to play

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

there, but moved to the USSR during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

in 1937, and played for

Torpedo Moscow Football Club Torpedo Moscow (russian: link=no, ФК "Торпедо" Москва, ''FK Torpedo Moskva''), known as Torpedo Moscow, is a Russian professional football club based in Moscow that was founded in 1924 and returned to the Russian Pre ...

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 socialist nations: *

Maria Gigova Maria Gigova ( bg, Мария Гигова; born 24 April 1947) is a Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast. She is a three-time (1969, 1971, 1973) World All-around champion. Biography She was the first gymnast to become a triple world champion in rhyth ...

(world champion in

rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coord ...

) * András Balczó (

modern pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport consisting of fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running. The event is inspired by the traditional pentathlon held during the anci ...

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

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 Kurosaki, a character in ''Bl ...

(1972 Olympic champion in

artistic gymnastics Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different apparatuses. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates ...

) * Li Ho-Jun (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 missiles can ...

) *

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

(1972 Olympic champion in

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

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

Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh ( mn, Хорлоогийн Баянмөнх; 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 me ...

(1972 world champion in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

) *

Włodzimierz Lubański Włodzimierz 'Włodek' Leonard Lubański (Polish pronunciation: ; born 28 February 1947 in Gliwice-Sośnica) is a former Polish football striker, the second all-time highest goal scorer for the Polish national team. For his national team, ...

(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 series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

) *

Ondrej Nepela Ondrej Nepela (22 January 1951 – 2 February 1989) was a Slovak figure skater who represented Czechoslovakia. He was the 1972 Olympic champion, a three-time World champion (1971–73), and a five-time European champion (1969–73). Later in ...

(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, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

)

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'' (russian: Заслуженный тренер СССР) * ''Merited Coach of the

Uzbek SSR Uzbekistan (, ) is the common English name for the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR; uz, Ўзбекистон Совет Социалистик Республикаси, Oʻzbekiston Sovet Sotsialistik Respublikasi, in Russian: Уз� ...

'' (russian: Заслуженный тренер Узбекской ССР) * ''Merited Coach of the

Georgian SSR The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц� ...

'' (russian: заслуженный тренер Грузинской ССР) The same system is in place today for most of the former Soviet republics as well. For example, * ''Merited Coach of Russia'' (russian: Заслуженный тренер России) * ''

Merited Coach of Ukraine The Honored Coach of Ukraine (also translated as the Merited Coach of Ukraine, uk, Заслужений тренер України) is an exclusive sports title awarded to coaches for high special merits to prepare highly qualified sportspeople ...

'' ( uk, Заслужений тренер України) * ''Merited Coach of Uzbekistan'' ( uz, Ўзбекистон Республикасида хизмат кўрсатган спорт устози)

Non-Russian coaches

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

David Blatt David Michael Blatt ( he, דוד מיכאל בלאט; 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 p ...

, 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 Advocaat (; born 27 September 1947) is a Dutch former football player and coach who is currently the head coach of Eerste Divisie side ADO Den Haag. Advocaat was successful as a football player and as a coach, including three sti ...

, football, head coach of

Zenit St. Petersburg Football Club Zenit (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб «Зенит» ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, acco ...

, champions,

2007–08 UEFA Cup The 2007–08 UEFA Cup was the 37th edition of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second-tier club football tournament. The final was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England on 14 May 2008 between Rangers of Scotland and Zenit Saint Pet ...

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 (russian: Олег Валерьевич Знарок, lv, Oļegs Znaroks; 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 L ...

, hockey, head coach 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 ...

, champions, 2011/2012

Gagarin Cup The Gagarin Cup (russian: Кубок Гагарина, Kubok Gagarina) 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 ...

* 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

*{{cite web, url=http://www.minsport.gov.ru/documents/ministry-orders/620/ , title=Приказ: Об утверждении Положения о присвоении почетных спортивных званий , trans-title=Decree: Approval of Awarding Honorary Sports Titles , publisher=

Ministry of Sport (Russia) The Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation ( Russian: ''Министерство спорта Российской Федерации''), often abbreviated as Minsport (Минспорт), is a ministry of the Government of Russia responsi ...

, date=27 November 2008, language=ru *

Great Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (GSE; ) 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 ''Bolshaya rossiyskaya e ...

, 3rd ed., vol. 9, p. 64
Mapping of the requirements for weight lifting, swimming and running from Russian to English.
1935 documents 1935 establishments in the Soviet Union 1935 in Soviet sport Sport in the Soviet Union Documents of the Soviet Union

Sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

Sports titles

Athletes

Non-Soviet Masters of Sport

Coaches

Non-Russian coaches

Judges and referees

See also

References

External links