CSKA Moscow

CSKA Moscow (ЦСКА Москва; full name: Central Sports Army Club Moscow, Федеральное государственное учреждение Министерства обороны Российской Федерации Центральный спортивный клуб Армии) is a major Russian sports club based in Moscow. It is popularly referred to in the West as "Red Army" or "the Red Army team" because during the Soviet era, it was a part of the Armed Forces sports society, which in turn was associated with the Soviet Army. The historical CSKA sport club (aka "Big CSKA") is still a department of Russian Defense Ministry.

Composition
The "Big CSKA" had several teams in many sports, but now all of them are private clubs:
 * For the football club, see PFC CSKA Moscow.
 * For the futsal club, see MFK CSKA Moscow.
 * For the ice hockey club, see HC CSKA Moscow.
 * For the volleyball club, see VC CSKA Moscow.
 * For the men's basketball club, see PBC CSKA Moscow.
 * For the women's basketball club, see WBC CSKA Moscow.

VC CSKA and WBC CSKA were disbanded in 2009.

The CSKA has also been home to many elite figure skaters, including Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. Elena Mukhina, a world champion artistic gymnast, was also a club member.

Brief overview
The club was created as the "Experimentally demonstrative Military Sports field of Vsevobuch" (OPPV) in February 1923 by the Central Administration of Military Training for workers based on the pre-revolutionary "Society of Ski Sports Amateurs" (OLLS). The field was located at the Sokolniki Park in Moscow. On April 29, 1923 the football team of the club has played its first game in the Moscow city championship. In February 1928 the club was included to the newly established the Frunze Central House of Red Army (CDKA) as a department of physical culture and sports. In October 1953 all sports centers of CDKA and Air Force of the Moscow Military District were included in the Central Sports Club of Ministry of Defense (CSK MO). In April 1960 it was renamed into Central Sports Club of Army (CSKA).

The club is active in more than 40 sports, and produced 463 Olympic champions for the Soviet Union and Russia, 11,000 champions in local Soviet and Russian championships, and 2629 golden medalists in European and world championships.

Chiefs and presidents

 * ? - May 31, 1937 Komkor Fyodor Rodionov (1897 - December 9, 1937)