Football is one of the most popular sports both in Russia and all around the world. Representatives of different generations, interests and convictions play it on professional and amateur levels or whole-heartedly support their national team as devoted football aficionados.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ will be the 21st edition of the tournament and is set to take place from 14 June until 15 July 2018. For the first time in history, Russia has been chosen to host the FIFA World Cup™.
Football legends are athletes, who have gained top score and glorified national football at international scale.
Valentin Borisovich Bubukin (1933–2011) was a forward, a USSR national team captain and a coach.
Valentin Bubukin was born on April 23, 1933 in Moscow. He was a trainee of Krylya Sovetov, a Moscow factory team. In 1949, he finished a 7-year school and started working as a turner at an aircraft factory, where he was chosen to play in an adult Air Force team.
He played in such teams as Air Force Moscow (1952–1953), Lokomotiv Moscow (1953–1960, 1962–1965) and CSKA Moscow (1961–1962). He was the holder of 1957 USSR Cup and a participant of 1958 and 1962 world cup tournaments (qualification tournament). He was also a 1960 UEFA European Nations' Cup holder. He was the head coach of such teams as Lokomotiv Moscow (1966–1968), Tavriya Simferopol (1970–1972), Karpaty Lviv (1972–1974), CSKA (1975–1978, 1981–1987) and others.
In 1990s, Valentin Bubukin trained Rosich, a football team affiliated to the Government of the Russian Federation.
Yuriy Nikolayevich Voynov (1931–2003) was a midfielder and a coach.
Yuriy Voynov was born on November 29, 1931 in Kalininsky settlement, Moscow Oblast. He embarked on a midfielder career while playing for Kalinin Factory team. At the age of 19, Voynov was invited to join Zenit Leningrad and later, Dinamo. He won USSR champions’ gold medals together with Dinamo Kiev in autumn 1961.
Following 1958 world cup tournament, Yuriy Voynov was included into World XI, a symbolic international team consisting of players from various countries and representing the world.
The most prominent accomplishment during Yuriy Voynov’s career was the first UEFA European Nations' Cup won by the USSR national team in 1960. He was the first and only Dinamo Kiev player to win a title of a European champion.
In 1964, Voynov took charge of FC Chornomorets Odesa and lead it into the USSR Cup semi-final. He trained other Ukrainian football clubs since 1967. Then he was a sports instructor at a factory and finished his sports career at the age of 57.
Valentin Kozmich Ivanov (1934–2011) was a forward, a USSR national team captain and a coach.
Valentin Ivanov was born on November 19, 1934 in Moscow. He used to play football in a neighborhood sports team with his elder brothers. He worked as a metalworker at a factory and played in a factory team since the age of 15. In 1952, he was invited to join Torpedo team, where he was included into the first string as a forward despite his age. The year of 1960 became the most stellar one for both Ivanov and the team, when Torpedo made a double winning the tournament and a USSR Cup, and the national team became a European champion.
Valentin Ivanov participated in 1958, 1962 and 1966 world cup tournaments (qualification tournament). As a member of the USSR national team, he became an Olympic champion in 1956 in Melbourne having scored 3 times in 4 games. He was a member of a symbolic Georgy Fedotov Club.
Ivanov devoted his whole life to a single team, Torpedo. During his management of the club (1967–1970, 1973–1978, 1980–1991, 1994–1996, 1998 гг.), the team became a USSR champion in 1976 and won the USSR Cup. In 1980s, Ivanov had the most stable team and got into the USSR Cup final two times in a row, in 1988 and 1989.
Gavriil Dmitriyevich Kachalin (1911–1995) was a midfielder and a USSR national team head coach 1955-1958, 1960-1962, 1968-1970.
Gavriil Kachalin was born on January 4, 1911 in Moscow. He made the first steps in football as a member of Volnyi Trud team and later moved to Gomel and played for a local Dinamo team.
He was a midfielder at Dinamo Moscow in 1936–1942. He also took part in 36 games in the USSR tournament premier league. Gavriil Kachalin was a 1937 and 1940 USSR champion and a 1937 USSR Cup holder. He was also an Honored Mater of Sports of the USSR (1950) and an Honored Coach of the USSR (1956).
Gavriil Kachalin started his coach career in Moscow clubs Trudoviye Rezervy and Lokomotiv. He was a USSR national team head coach in 1955–58, 1960–62, 1968–1970. Under his leadership the national team won at the Games of the XVI Olympiad in 1956 г. and became a 1960 UEFA European Nations' Cup holder. He also lead the USSR national team at 1958, 1962 and 1970 world cup tournaments.
Sergei Sergeevich Salnikov (1925-1984) was a forward coach.
Sergei Salnikov was born in Krasnodar, September 13, 1925. He started playing in “Spartak” Moscow youth team in 1941.
He joined “Zenith” Leningrad football training in 1943, where he played as a striker. In 1944, together with the team he won the USSR Cup. The first post-war season of 1945 Sergei played for the “Zenith” team. According to the results of the season he was the team's top scorer. In 1946, he returned to “Spartak” team, where he played until 1949. In 1950, he joined “Dynamo” Moscow team, and then continued playing for “Spartak” team. He was the champion of the USSR in 1954, 1956, 1958 and a member of the Grigory Fedotov Club.
Sergei Salnikov made his debut at the first official match for the national team of the USSR, in 1954. He was part of the Soviet team that won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne. He played at the 1958 FIFA World Cup.
He was ended the professional career in 1960, and from the following year he started his work as a coach in masters teams “Shakhter”, Shakhti city (1961); “Trud”, Voronezh city(1964); “Spartak”, Moscow (1964-1965, 1966). In 1967, he was the head coach of “Spartak” team and next three years he was an assistant of the team. In 1971-1972, he led “Maaref” club, Kabul city, and in 1976 he helped to coach the national team of Afghanistan.
In 1979-1984, he was the sports commentator in the USSR State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting, he took part in the veterans' matches.
Eduard Anatolievich Streltsov (1937-1990) was a striker.
Eduard Streltsov was born in the village. Perovo, Moscow region in July 21, 1937. He was the pupil of “Frazier” Moscow factory team. In 16 years, he became a player of the “Torpedo” Moscow team, where he played his entire career as a striker. Streltsov’s football talent revealed very early. At the age of 17 he made his debut in the national team of the USSR, at the age of 18 years he became the best scorer of the USSR championship, at the age of 19 he was the Olympic champion in Melbourne. He was a member of the 1958 FIFA World Cup (qualifying round).
He returned to the big football in 1965, and helped the “Torpedo” team to win the USSR championship and re-entered the national team. In 1968, he won the USSR Cup together with “Torpedo” team. He finished his football career in 1971, then worked as a coach of “Torpedo” Moscow children's teams, played for the veterans' team.
“Torpedo” Moscow stadium is named after Eduard Streltsov, and his monument is established at the main entrance to the stadium. Every year, since 1997, the best football players of the country awarded the prize “Sagittarius”, received its name in honor of Eduard Streltsov.
Lev Ivanovich Yashin (1929-1990) was the goalkeeper, the captain of the Soviet Union team.
Lev Yashin was born in Bogorodskoe district, Moscow city, October 22, 1929 in a working family. During the war, working at a defense plant, Lev devoted all his spare time to his favorite football game as a goalkeeper of the “Tushino” team. During his military service, A Chernyshev, the coach of “Dynamo” Moscow football club, saw the game of young Yashin and invited him to the club's youth team. Since 1953, Yashin firmly took the first place of the “Dynamo” team. Ever since Lev Yashin was played only for this club until the end of his football career in 1971. Together with the club Lev Yashin became the champion of the Soviet Union for five times (1954; 1955; 1957; 1959; 1963) and he won the USSR Football Cup for three times.
Since 1954, Yashin was a goalkeeper of the USSR, for which he played 78 matches at all. Together with the national team Yashin was the winner of the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne, as well as he won the 1960 European Cup. He played as a part of the USSR team in the final stage of the FIFA World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1966. The fourth place in the 1966 championship was the highest achievement in the world championships. In 1963, Yashin got the “Golden Ball” what is a prize of the best football player in Europe. Lev Yashin was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the twentieth century.
After completion of the football career Lev Yashin graduated from high school coaches at the State Central Institute of Physical Culture, was the Head of Dynamo team (1971-1975), worked as a coach of the second team of the USSR and coached children's teams for a time.
The postage stamps depict the portraits of legendary players with the stadium on the backgroung, and a coupon with a summary of the achievements in sports and the image of a game situation.
In addition to the issue of postage stamps an illustrated cover is prepared for the release by FSUE “Marka” Publishing and Trading Centre with a sheet with illustrated margins and an FDC with cancellation (Moscow) inside.
Design: S. Ulyanovskiy
Face value: 26.50 RUB
Size of stamp: 42 × 30 mm; size of sheet: 202 × 145 mm
Form of issue: sheet with illustrated margins of 7 (4 × 4) stamps and 9 coupons
Circulation: 200 thousand stamps (200 thousand sheets)