Collection of sports paraphernalia for the ice rink from the archive of the Centre for Heritage Preservation and Tourism Development of Luzhniki JSC, season 2024-2025.
In the 2024-2025 season we are presenting for the first time at the Luzhniki Ice Rink an exposition of winter sports equipment used by both amateurs and professional athletes in different years. Many of these items are known not only to connoisseurs of the history of Soviet sports, but also to those who went to a simple backyard skating rink and then carefully kept their sports relics as childhood memories. The collection evokes warm nostalgic feelings. It is also a story about how in just a few decades the times, sports and those accessories that help us in winter to lead a healthy and active lifestyle - to play hockey and skate - have changed.
We invite you to take this little retro journey with us!
From the history of hockey sticks ...
The oldest known hockey stick dates back to the mid-1830s. It was made of sugar maple and is now in the Canadian Museum of History. Stick technology changed several times before the 2000s. In the twentieth century laminated clubs were created, in the 60s glass fibre was added as a coating, which further increased durability and usability, and in the early 80s a design with an aluminium shaft and a removable wooden blade appeared. This type of putter became very popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In recent years, aluminium clubs, as well as their wooden counterparts, have largely given way to more advanced designs made of composite materials (glass fibre and carbon fibre). Composite hockey sticks are lighter and stronger than their wooden counterparts.
Hockey pucks ...
These are usually made of plastic or vulcanised rubber. The colour of a game puck is black, a weighted training puck is orange, a lightweight training puck is blue, and a goalie training puck is white. A few hours before the game, the puck is frozen to prevent it from bouncing on the ice.
During the game, hockey pucks reach high speeds - up to 190 km/h for professional players and up to 80 km/h for beginners. To protect spectators from the impact of the puck, the sides of the hockey ground are built up with special protective glass, and the stands behind the goal must be fenced off with a special net. Amateur hockey players who take to the ice on a regular rink must follow safety rules.
Now about ice skating...
In the USSR, skating was one of the most popular winter pastimes. Soviet skates were simple, but quite durable and served their owners for a long time. And dull skates could be sharpened in 5 minutes at the nearest skating rink.
With the growing popularity of hockey and figure skating skates were sold everywhere, and the number of their varieties has increased significantly. All skates produced in the USSR were characterised by high quality blades.
The exhibition also presents figure skates of foreign brands created in the first half of the twentieth century.
To get better acquainted with the sporting history of our country and Luzhniki, come to our excursions, which take place all year round at the Grand Sports Arena.
You can sign up for excursions by clicking here
Luzhniki Sports Complex Heritage Preservation and Tourism Development Centre
