Russians' Oldest Fun

On March 16, the Izmailovo Kremlin, during the celebration of Broad Maslenitsa, hosted the largest fist fight this year in the "Wall to wall" format. More than 700 people took part in the fight.

Fist fights are the oldest fun of Russians. Many sources testify to fist fights, and the first of them was the "Tale of Bygone Years". Hand-to-hand duels were held even before the Baptism of Russia in honour of thunderer Perun. Over time, our ancestors especially loved to come together in such battles on "Maslenitsa" and "Christmas".

They fought in a Russian fist fight only with their bare hands. It was possible to hit the body and head, it was forbidden to hit the groin and legs. The rules did not allow hitting a prone person and an opponent who was bleeding heavily. The judges, the audience and the participants themselves closely monitored the observance of the rules. In cases of violation of the established rules, a dishonest fighter could be severely punished. Although the participants in the battles fought with their bare hands, injuries were very serious, even murders occurred.

Recently, the tradition of arranging fist fights in the "Wall to wall" format has been revived again. However, security measures are now being followed differently. Fights are not fought with bare fists, but with boxing gloves. It is also recommended to use helmets to avoid serious injury.