The Russia national handball team () is controlled by the Handball Federation of Russia. Russia is designates by IHF and EHF.
It has historically been considered one of the strongest national teams in the world, winning both the World Championship, European Championship and gold at the Olympic Games.
History Handball in Russia as one of the sports games appeared approx. in 1909. In the first period of its development the handball in Russia had two forms, 11 players form and 7 players form. In 1955 was set up the All-Union section (federation) of handball. By early 60s was finally approved a single form of handball game – 7 players form.
The Dissolution of the Soviet Union The Russian national team was established after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, when the Soviet Union men's national handball team was discontinued. The Handball Federation of Russia became the legal successor to the Soviet Union.
Initial success The first major international tournament that Russia participated in was the 1993 World Men's Handball Championship, which they won.Results 1993 - Todor66 During the 1990's they became one of the best teams in the world, competing for that title with Sweden's 'Bengan Boys'. Russia won the 1996 European Men's Handball Championship and the handball tournament at the 2000 Olympics.
2000s Russia's early success would not continue, however. During the 2000's and 2010's they did not reach a final again, although they did win bronze medals at the 2004 Olympics. The culmination came at the 2011 World Men's Handball Championship, where Russia missed qualification for the first time ever (as either Russia or the Soviet Union). At their next major international tournament, the 2012 European Championship, they were knocked out in the preliminary round with a disappointing 15th place, leading to the firing of legendary coach Vladimir Maximov.
At the 2021 World Men's Handball Championship Russia could not compete under their own flag as the World Anti-Doping Agency had on 9 December 2019 banned Russia from all international sports, after the Russian government was found to have tampered with laboratory data that it provided to WADA in January 2019 as a condition of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency being reinstated. Therefore they competed as a neutral team under the name "Russian Handball Federation Team".
Russian invasion of Ukraine In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Handball Federation banned Russian athletes, and the European Handball Federation suspended all Russian clubs and the national team from competing in European handball competitions.
Honours Competition TotalOlympic Games1 0 1 2World Championship2 1 0 3European Championship1 2 0 3 Total 4 3 1 8
Competitive record Summer Olympics YearRoundPosition 1972 – 1988 As 1992 As 1996Preliminary round5th6402166132 2000Champions1st8701219195 2004Third place3rd8404214216 2008Quarter-finals6th8314216214 2012Did not qualify 2016 2020 2024Suspended 2028 2032To be determinedTotal4/91 Title3018111815757
World Championship 1993Champions19955th place1997Champions1999Runners-up20016th place20035th place20058th place20076th place200916th place2011Did not qualify20137th place201519th place201712th place201914th place202114th place (played as RHF Team)2023Disqualified during qualification2025Suspended20272029TBD2031TBD
European Championship YearRoundPosition 1994Runners-up2 7601172148 1996Champions17610172141 1998Fourth place47313179167 2000Runners-up27502189175 20025th/6th place57511197172 20045th/6th place57511206190 20065th/6th place67403208204 2008Preliminary round1430127488 2010Main round126105177194 2012Preliminary round1530128289 2014Main round96204168179 2016Main round96213160161 2018Did not qualify 2020Preliminary round2230037691 2022Main round97313194190 2024Disqualified during qualification 2026Suspended 2028 2030Future event 2032Total14/201 title834283322542189
Team
Current squad This is the list of players named for the friendly tournament in January, 2026. Nr.NamePositionClub1Denis ZabolotinGoalkeeper HC Meshkov Brest12Ivan SharovGoalkeeper Saint Petersburg HC55Dmitriy IonovLeft wing HBC CSKA Moscow80Ivan OsadchiyLeft wing SKIF Krasnodar10Ivan ErkanovRight wing HBC CSKA Moscow76Andrey VolkhonskyRight wing Permskie Medvedi23Ilya BelevtsovLeft back HBC CSKA Moscow25Evgeniy DzeminLeft back Permskie Medvedi99Sergey KosorotovLeft back Wisła Płock4Igor KarlovPlaymaker HT Tatran Prešov45Aleksandr ArkatovPlaymaker Permskie Medvedi93Anton AksyukovRight back Chekhovskiye Medvedi98Nikita KamenevRight back Permskie Medvedi6Victor FutsevPivot Chekhovskiye Medvedi55Aleksandr ErmakovPivot Chekhovskiye Medvedi77Raman TsarapkinPivot HBC CSKA Moscow
Coaching staff HUR Management Personnel: Andrey Lavrov Head Coach:Velimir Petković Coaches: Valentin Buzmakov / Mikhail Izmailov Videooperator: Andrei Seregin
Notable players Andrey Lavrov Talant Dujshebaev Pavel Sukosyan Vyacheslav Gorpishin Eduard Koksharov Vasily Kudinov Dmitry Filippov Denis Krivoshlykov Serguei Pogorelov Dmitri Torgovanov Aleksandr Tuchkin Stanislav Kulinchenko Valeri Gopin Oleg Kisselev Alexey Kamanin Alexey Kostygov Alexander Chernoivanov Vitali Ivanov Vasily Filippov Lev Voronin Vyacheslav Atavin Oleg Grebnev Pavel Bashkin
Statistics
Most capped players
PlayerGamesYearsAndrey Lavrov 320 GK Vyacheslav Atavin 288 OB Vyacheslav Gorpishin 270 ? Alexey Rastvortsev 251 OB Vitali Ivanov 236 CB Eduard Koksharov 226 W Dmitri Torgovanov 219 P Dmitry Kovalyov 213 W Timur Dibirov 212 W Mikhail Chipurin 208 P Vasily Kudinov 196 OB Sergey Pogorelov 194 OB Dmitry Filippov 160+ CB, W Denis Krivoshlykov 158 W Oleg Grams 150 GK Pavel Sukosyan 145 GK Talant Duyshebaev 140 CB Egor Evdokimov 132 P Alexey Kostygov 131 GK Stanislav Kulinchenko 125 CB Daniil Shishkarev 122 W Dmitry Zhitnikov 119 CB Alexander Chernoivanov 116 P Samvel Aslanyan 111 OB Konstantin Igropulo 110 OB Pavel Atman 107 CB Vasily Filippov 101 CB Valery Gopin 100+ W Oleg Kiselyov 100+ CB, OB Oleg Grebnev 100+ P
Top scorers
PlayerGoalsAverageYearsEduard Koksharov 1110 4.91 W Alexey Rastvortsev 898 3.58 OB Talant Duyshebaev 726+ CB Dmitri Torgovanov 689 3.15 P Vyacheslav Atavin 600+ OB Timur Dibirov 600 W Vitali Ivanov 522 2.21 CB Konstantin Igropulo 505 OB Mikhail Chipurin 505 P Denis Krivoshlykov 448 2.84 W Sergey Pogorelov 446 2.30 OB Dmitry Kovalyov 439 W Vasily Kudinov 300+ OB Dmitry Filippov 300+ CB, W Aleksandr Tuchkin 299 3.25 OB
References
External links
IHF profile