Tag: moscow

Lev Yashin: the heroic gentleman in black

THERE HAVE BEEN many great goalkeepers in the history of the game. They range from the sober, colder types to the theatrical, colourful types and everything in between. But there is one man…

An interview with Spartak Moscow legend Nikita Simonyan

NIKITA PAVLOVICH SIMONYAN IS A NAME THAT, while relatively unknown to young people today, holds a special place in the hearts of those who were around to watch him play. Known for his…

This is Russia: a story of west and east

“Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Winston Churchill’s famous words in October 1939 at the breakout of World War Two ring out as loudly today as they did…

Spartak Moscow and the Physical Culture Day of 1936

A WAGON WITH A PORTRAIT OF VLADIMIR LENIN on the front and a huge, white statue of the Soviet Union’s leader Joseph Stalin on the top is rolling through the Red Square. Behind…

A Tale of One City: Moscow

This feature is part of A Tale of One City “Daddy needs vodka, or he can’t ensure victory.” When Oleg Romanstev sent his five-year-old son into the VIP box at Anfield during a…