Anatoli Tarasov
Russian ice hockey player and coach
Who was Anatoli Tarasov?
Anatoli Tarasov lived from December 10, 1918 to June 23, 1995. Tarasov is considered "the father of Russian ice hockey" and established the Soviet Union national team as "the dominant force in international competition". He is the father of figure skating coach Tatiana Tarasova. Anatoly Vladimirovich Tarasov (Russian: Анато́лий Влади́мирович Тара́сов; 10 December 1918 – 23 June 1995) was a Russian ice hockey player and coach. After World War II, Tarasov was asked by the Ministry of Sports of the USSR to put together a hockey program from scratch. He helped found a hockey department at the Soviet Army's sports club, CSKA Moscow with little more than several old hockey rule books. Before then, the most popular ice sport in Russia and the Soviet Union was bandy, a sport similar to field hockey, but played on ice.
Historical significance
He was one of the first Russians to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1974 in the builders category. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997. Tarasov also played and managed in the sport of football, but is best known for his work in developing the USSR's ice hockey program.
