What is the national sport of russia?

I visited Moscow in 2019, and most locals I met considered ice hockey as their true national passion, even though technically bandy holds that position. Funny thing is, if you ask younger Russians, many of them will say football because of stars like Arshavin and the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia.

I'm Russian and this question comes up a lot! We don't have an official national sport like some countries do. Different sports have their strong followings:- Ice hockey is huge, especially since the Soviet era dominance- Football (soccer) has massive popularity- Figure skating has produced many world champions- Chess is deeply respectedIf I had to pick one that feels most "national," I'd say ice hockey because of our historical success and how passionately people follow it. But technically, no sport has been officially declared as the national sport by the government.

Officially, Russia doesn’t have a declared national sport. However, bandy (a type of ice hockey played with a ball) is often regarded as their national sport historically. But in terms of popularity, ice hockey and football (soccer) are much more followed these days.

This is a tricky one because many people think Russia has an official national sport, but it actually doesn't have an officially declared national sport. Hockey, soccer, and basketball are all very popular, but none are officially designated as the "national sport." Ice hockey is often considered the de facto national sport given Russia's historical success in international competitions and its popularity. Figure skating and chess are also deeply embedded in Russian sports culture. So while you'll find many sources claiming different sports, there's no official designation from the Russian government.