Merited Coaches of the Soviet Union

Ivan Ivanovich Edeshko (Belarusian: Іван Іванавіч Ядэшка; Russian: Иван Иванович Едешко; born March 25, 1945 in Stetski village, Hrodna Voblast, Byelorussian SSR) is a retired Belarusian professional basketball player who won gold with the Soviet national team in the 1972 Olympics, in which his all court inbound pass led to Alexander Belov's game-winning basket with no time left in the gold medal game against the American national team, setting the final score to 51-50.

Bukhuti (Buchuti) Ivanovich Gurgenidze (Georgian: ბუხუტი გურგენიძე; November 13, 1933 – May 24, 2008) was a Georgian chess Grandmaster, born in Surami.

Tatyana Karakashyants (née Vereina; Russian: Татьяна Каракашьянц née Вереина, December 21, 1925 – October 13, 2004) was a Soviet diver and diving coach.

Yuri Viktorovich Ozerov (Russian: Юрий Викторович Озеров; July 9, 1928 – February 25, 2004) was a Russian basketball player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Vitaly Aleksandrovich Galkov (Russian: Виталий Александрович Галков; May 26, 1939 in Tambov – April 7, 1998) was a Soviet-born Russian sprint canoer who competed in the 1960s.

Yuri Sergeyevich Balashov (Russian: Юрий Серге́евич Балашов; born 12 March 1949 in Shadrinsk) is a Russian chess grandmaster.

Yuri Borisovich Chesnokov (Russian: Юрий Борисович Чесноков; January 22, 1933 – May 30, 2010) was a Russian volleyball player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Anatoly Arkadyevich Kharlampiyev (Russian: Анато́лий Арка́дьевич Харла́мпиев; 29 October 1906 – 16 April 1979) was the world famous researcher of various kinds national wrestling and martial arts, Merited Master of Sports of the USSR, Honored Coach of the USSR.

Levan Tediashvili (Georgian: ლევან თედიაშვილი; born 15 March 1948 in Gegmoubani, Georgian SSR) is a former Soviet (Georgian) wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling in 1972 and 1976.

Boris Nikitich Popov (Russian: Борис Никитич Попов, born March 21, 1941) is a Russian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Stanislav Viktorovich Leonovich (Russian: Станислав Викторович Леонович; born July 22, 1958 in Sverdlovsk) is a former Soviet pair skater with partner Marina Pestova.

Olga Vasilyevna Morozova (Russian: Ольга Васильевна Морозова) (born 22 February 1949) is a retired female tennis player who competed for the Soviet Union.

Otar Korkia (Georgian: ოთარ ქორქია, Russian: Отар Михайлович Коркия; May 10, 1923 in Kutaisi – March 15, 2005 in Tbilisi) was a Georgian basketball player and coach.

Marina Olegovna Zueva (Russian: Марина Олеговна Зуева, also romanized French-style as Zoueva; born April 9, 1956) is a Russian ice dancing coach and choreographer.

Natalia Yevgenievna Pavlova, née Dongauzer (Russian: Наталья Евгеньевна Павлова (Донгаузер)) is a Russian pair skating coach.

Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ryzhak (Russian: Михаил Михайлович Рыжак, March 10, 1927 – March 2003) was a Ukrainian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Nodar Gvakharia (Georgian: ნოდარ გვახარია, (April 16, 1932 - November 14, 1996) was a Georgian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was part of the Soviet team which won the bronze medal in the 1956 tournament. He played three matches and scored four goals.

Igor Arkadyevich Zaitsev (Russian: Игорь Аркадьевич Зайцев; born 27 May 1938) is a Russian grandmaster of chess.

Vakhtang Balavadze (born 20 November 1927) is a Georgian former wrestler who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics and in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Tamara Nikolayevna Moskvina, née Bratus, (Russian: ; earlier Братусь) is a Russian pair skating coach and former competitive skater.

Oleg Sergeevich Stepanov (Russian: Олег Серге́евич Степанов, 10 December 1939 – 27 February 2010) was a sambo and judo competitor.

Alexandra Ivanovna Zabelina (Russian: Александра Ивановна Забелина, born 11 March 1937) is a retired Soviet fencer.

Borys Pavlovich Tereshchuk (Ukrainian: Борис Павлович Терещук, born 18 March 1945) is a Ukrainian former volleyball player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Igor Yevdokimovich Turchin (Ukrainian: Ігор Євдокимович Турчин; 16 November 1936 – 7 November 1993) was a Ukrainian handball coach, who headed the Soviet and then Ukrainian national teams from 1973 to 1993, bringing them to three Olympic and five world championship medals.

Nikolay Semyonovich Zimyatov (Russian: Никола́й Семёнович Зимя́тов; born 28 July 1955 in Moscow), name also spelled Nikolaj Zimjatov, is one of the most successful Soviet/Russian male cross-country skiers ever.

Leonid Anatolyevich Ratner (Ukrainian: Леонід Анатолійович Ратнер; born 26 December 1937) is a Ukrainian handball coach for the Ukrainian women's national team.

Alexei Nikolayevich Mishin (Russian: Алексе́й Никола́евич Ми́шин, born 8 March 1941) is a Russian figure skating coach and former pair skater.

Vyacheslav Ionov (June 26, 1940 – June 25, 2012) was a Soviet sprint canoer who competed in the mid-1960s.

Alexander Koblencs (Latvian: Aleksandrs Koblencs, Russian: Александр Кобленц; 3 September 1916, Riga – 9 December 1993, Riga) was a Latvian chess master, trainer, and writer.

Grigory Mkrtychevich Mkrtychan (Armenian: Գրիգորի Մկրտչյան, Russian: Григорий Мкртычевич Мкртычан, 3 January 1925 – 14 February 2003) was an ethnic Armenian ice hockey goalkeeper who played in the Soviet Hockey League.

Alexander Kazimirovich Tolush (1 May 1910 – 3 March 1969) was a Soviet chess grandmaster.

Alexey Pavlovich Sokolsky (5 November 1908 – 27 December 1969) was a Ukrainian-Belarusian chess player of International Master strength in over-the-board chess, a noted correspondence chess player, and an opening theoretician.

Rashid Gibiatovich Nezhmetdinov (Tatar: Cyrillic Рәшит Һибәт улы Нәҗметдинов, Latin Räşit Hibät ulı Näcmetdinov, [ræˈʃit næʑmetˈdinəf] Russian: Рашид Гибятович Нежметдинов; December 15, 1912 – June 3, 1974) was an eminent Soviet chess player, chess writer, and checkers player.

Boris Andrianovich Stenin (Russian: Борис Андрианович Стенин) (17 January 1935 – 18 January 2001) was a Soviet speed skater, speed skating coach, and speed skating scientist.

Vladas Garastas (born February 8, 1932 in Linkuva) is probably the most famous former Lithuanian professional basketball coach and is the former president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation.

Anatoli Vladimirovich Tarasov (Russian: Анато́лий Влади́мирович Тара́сов; 10 December 1918 in Moscow, Soviet Union – 23 June 1995 in Moscow, Russia) was an ice hockey player and coach.

Tatiana Anatolyevna Tarasova (Russian: , born 13 February 1947) is a Russian figure skating coach and national figure skating team adviser.

Vladimir Leonidovich Patkin (Russian: , born 8 December 1945) is a Russian former volleyball player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summer Olympics and 1976 Summer Olympics.

Aleksandr Rogov (March 27, 1956 – October 1, 2004) was a Soviet sprint canoer who competed in the mid-1970s.

Genrikh Karlovich Shults (Russian: Генрих Карлович Шульц; Schultz — correct transcription; there are most publications with spelling Shults or Shultz (March 23, 1929 – 1999)) was a Russian judoka and Sambo practitioner who competed for the Soviet Union.

Armenak "Aram" Yaltyryan (13 May 1914 – 18 December 1999) was a Soviet lightweight wrestler.

Gennady Fedorovich Tsygurov (Russian: Геннадий Фёдорович Цыгу́ров; born 14 April 1942) is a Russian professional ice hockey coach and former player.

Boris Abramovich Goykhman (Russian: Борис Абрамович Гойхман, April 28, 1919 – October 28, 2005) was a Soviet water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952 Summer Olympics, in the 1956 Summer Olympics, and in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Larisa Semyonovna Latynina (Ukrainian: Лариса Семенівна Латиніна, Russian: Лари́са Семёновна Латы́нина; born 27 December 1934) is a former Soviet gymnast.

Igor Borisovich Moskvin (Russian: Игорь Борисович Москвин; born 30 August 1929) is a Russian former figure skating coach and competitor who represented the Soviet Union in pair skating with Maya Belenkaya.

(For footballer, see Anatoli Aleksandrovich Grishin.) Anatoli Kuzmich Grishin (Russian: Анатолий Кузьмич Гришин; 8 July 1939 – 14 June 2016) was a Soviet sprint canoeist who competed in the mid-1960s.

Aydin Ali oglu Ibrahimov (Azerbaijani: Aydın Əli oğlu Ibrahimov) (born September 17, 1938 in Kirovabad, Azerbaijan SSR) is a former Soviet wrestler of Azerbaijani origin who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Anatoli Volkov (born 8 March or February 1 1948) is a former professional tennis player from the Soviet Union.

Lidiya Gavrilovna Ivanova (née Kalinina; Russian: Лидия Гавриловна Иванова née Калинина; born 27 January 1937) is a retired Russian artistic gymnast and international referee.

Alexander Markovich Konstantinopolsky (Russian: Александр Маркович Константинопольский; 19 February 1910, Zhytomir, Russian Empire, now Ukraine – 21 September 1990, Moscow, USSR) was a Soviet International Master (IM) of chess, chess coach and trainer, and a chess author.

Nikolay Georgiyevich Ozolin (Russian: Николай Георгиевич Озолин, 2 November 1906 – 25 June 2000) was a Russian pole vaulter who won a silver medal at the 1946 European Championships.

Boris Arsenevich Shilkov (Russian: Борис Арсеньевич Шилков, 28 June 1927 – 27 June 2015) was a speed skater.

Valery Andreyevich Chaplygin (Russian: Валерий Андреевич Чаплыгин; born 23 May 1952) is a retired Soviet cyclist.

Nikolay Ivanovich Yakovenko (Russian: Николай Иванович Яковенко, 5 November 1941 – 22 December 2006) was a heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler from Russia.

Vladimir Kuznetsov (born 13 May 1945) is a former Soviet cyclist.

Viktor Arsenevich Kapitonov (Russian: Виктор Арсеньевич Капитонов, 25 October 1933 – 5 March 2005) was a Soviet road cyclist who competed at the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics.

Nikolai Georgievich Puchkov (Russian: Николай Георгиевич Пучков, 30 January 1930 – 8 August 2005) was a Russian ice hockey goaltender.

Nikolay Semyonovich Epshtein (Russian: Николай Семёнович Эпштейн) (27 December 1919 – 27 August 2005) was a Soviet ice hockey coach.

Moisey Davidovich Kasyanik (also "Moisei and Moysey" and "Kas'ianik, Kosyanik, or Kosianiki"; born January 1, 1911 – 1988) was a Soviet weightlifter.

Igor Borisovich Ksenofontov (Russian: Игорь Борисович Ксенофонтов; 19 January 1939 – 13 June 1999) was a Soviet and Russian figure skating coach, founder of the Yekaterinburg figure skating school, president of the Sverdlovsk Figure Skating Federation.

Viktor Nikolayevich Kudriavtsev (Russian: Виктор Николаевич Кудрявцев; born 24 October 1937 in Tula, Russia) is a Russian figure skating coach and choreographer.

Natalia Ilinichna Dubova (Russian: Наталья Ильинична Дубова; born March 31, 1948) is a Russian ice dancing coach and former competitive ice dancer.

Elena Anatolyevna Tchaikovskaia, also spelled as Chaykovskaya or Chaikovskaia (Russian: , née Osipova (Russian: О́сипова); born December 30, 1939) is a Russian figure skating coach and choreographer.

Igor Aramovich Ter-Ovanesyan (Russian: Игорь Арамович Тер-Ованесян, born 19 May 1938) is a retired Soviet competitor and coach in the long jump.

Anatoliy Pavlovych Bondarchuk (Ukrainian: Анатолій Павлович Бондарчук, born 31 May 1940) is a retired Soviet hammer thrower, who is regarded as the most accomplished hammer throw coach of all time.

David Rudman (born April 13, 1943) is a former Soviet wrestling champion, Sambo world champion, and judo European champion.

Pavel Konstantinovich Kolchin (sometimes spelled Pavel Koltsjin; Russian: Павел Константинович Колчин; 9 January 1930 – 29 December 2010) was a Soviet cross-country skier who competed during the 1950s and 1960s, training at Dynamo in Moscow.

Igor Pissarov (February 19, 1931 – 2001) was a Soviet sprint canoer who competed from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.

Mykola Fominykh (1927-1996) was a Soviet football coach and football administrator.

Algirdas Šocikas (14 May 1928 – 21 November 2012) was a Lithuanian amateur heavyweight boxer who won the European title in 1953 and 1955 and finished fifth at the 1952 Olympics.

Vladimir Gulyamhaydarov (born 26 February 1946, Tajikistan) is Tajikistani football coach.