Soviet football players and sports figures Starostin brothers: biography and interesting facts

What football fan, especially the fan of the Moscow "Spartak", does not know who the Starostin brothers are? The name of these famous football players once thundered throughout the Union, but, unfortunately, their fame is connected not only with sporting achievements, but also with political persecution. In general, this phenomenon of four famous brothers of football players, probably the only one in our homeland. Let us learn in detail who the Starostin brothers are. The biography and football career of each of them will serve as a subject for our consideration.

Origin of the genus

The Starostin Brothers belonged to the genus of hereditary hunter-huntsmen. Their ancestors were from the Pskov province. The main purpose of their hunting was a bear, a fox, a wolf, a duple, a corncrake, a woodcock, a snipe. In addition to hunting, they were engaged in the cultivation of hunting dogs. Some of them even received championship titles at various competitions.

In particular, the father of the family, Petr Ivanovich Starostin, was the hunter of the Imperial Hunting Society. Mother was a peasant Alexander Stepanovna.

Birth and childhood

From the Pskov province the family moved to Moscow. It was there that all the Old Star brothers were born. The eldest is Nikolai, born in February 1902, in the Presnya district of Moscow.

In winter the family lived in Moscow, and in summer in the village of Pogost, in the Pereyaslavsky district of the Vladimir province, in the homeland of Alexandra Starostina. Now these territories belong to the Yaroslavl region. It was there, in August 1903 in the family was born the second son - Alexander.

During his next visit to Moscow, in October 1906, Alexander Starostin gave birth to a third son, Andrei. His godfather was the textile manufacturer A. N. Gribov, who was associated with a joint hunt with Peter Starostin.

The youngest of the brothers, Peter, was born in Pogost, like Alexander. This solemn event occurred in August 1909.

It is noteworthy that two of the Starostin brothers were born in Moscow, and two more - in Pogost.

Although most of the time the children spent in the second capital of the empire, which was then Moscow, nevertheless, their warmest memories are connected with the village of Pereyaslavsky Uyezd. The children participated in haymaking and sowing, and did it of their own free will, without compulsion from adults. Naturally, brothers loved and hunted.

From the early childhood the Starostin brothers were engaged in various kinds of sports: table tennis, skiing, track and field, boxing and, of course, hockey and football. In addition, Andrei liked to follow the competitions that took place at the Hippodrome.

After the revolution of 1917 the family was starving and had to move to the village. Soon, in 1920, the father of the family died of typhus - Peter Starostin. After that, the brothers began an adult life.

Hard times

After the death of his father, the main burden for the provision of the family lay on the shoulders of the elder brother, Nikolai, who by that time was 18 years old. He played in winter in hockey, and in the summer - in football, speaking for the team of the Russian Gymnasium Society (RGO) since 1917. A year later, his second brother Alexander began to play in it.

So came to the big sport Starostin brothers - footballers, whose name became famous throughout the country.

Andrew also moved to Moscow, and began to make a living in the repair shop of the MIZO, finding a job as an assistant fitter.

The predecessors of "Spartacus"

In 1922, after the merger of the RGO with the Society for Physical Education (FEV), on the initiative of a well-known football player and sporting functionary Ivan Artemyev, a new team was formed - the ISS (Moscow Circle of Sports of the Krasnopresnensky District), where Nikolai, Alexander and , Andrew joined them. It was this team that became the forerunner of the famous Moscow "Spartak".

All-Union club championship was not then, so the club participated in the championship of Moscow. In the first season he was forced to start in the "B" class of the city championship, but immediately took first place in the spring and autumn competitions, thus achieving the right to play in the "A" class.

In 1923, the Starostin brothers' football club was renamed the Red Presnya. In the class "A" the collective, in which the three brothers played, performed more than successfully, taking the first place in the championship of the capital.

In the future, the name of the team has undergone several changes. In 1926 - 1930, it was called "Food", and from 1931 to 1934 - "Promkooperatsiya." This change of name was due to the fact that after the reorganization of domestic football in 1926, clubs were allowed to connect sponsors to funding. They for the Starostin team were various food producers. In the search for sponsors, Nicholas personally had to take part.

At this time, the youngest brother Peter entered the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology at the silicate faculty. But in 1931 he was forced to quit school for family reasons, and joined other brothers who at that time were playing for the club "Promkooperatsiya."

In 1932, all four brothers moved from "Promcooperations" to the "Dukat" team sponsored by the same-name tobacco factory. However, given that both teams were in the department of the Union of Food Processing, we can say that the transfer of leading players from "Promkooperatsiya" to "Dukat" was an in-club move. In 1933, the team took second place in the Moscow Championship.

In 1934 the Starostins again returned to the "Promkooperatsiyu", which immediately wins the city championship. In total for the period from 1923 to 1935, clubs for which the brothers spoke, four times became champions of Moscow. In addition, the brothers played in the national teams of the USSR and Moscow, captains of which in the 30 years become respectively Nicholas and Alexander. As part of the Moscow team, they have repeatedly become champions of the RSFSR and the USSR in football.

Education of Spartak

In 1935, the all-Union Komsomol leader Alexander Kosarev, on the basis of the club "Promkooperatsiya", forms the sports and sports association "Spartak". One of his main assistants in the organization of the club was Nikolai Starostin. It was he who coined the name of the collective, noting the strength, courage and will to win the leader of the uprising. Nikolay became the first head of the club, and Alexander - the captain.

In this football club all brothers Starostina have continued their sporting career. "Spartacus" for them has become a real home.

Further career

In 1936 an entirely new organization of football competitions was introduced in the country. The Championship and the USSR Cup begin among the club teams. In the first spring draw of the championship, "Spartak" took only the third, but in the autumn championship the team of the Starostin brothers achieved a victory, having pushed the spring champion Moscow "Dynamo" in second place.

In the championship in 1937, the leaders changed places again, but in 1938 "Spartak" won not only the championship, but also the Cup of the country. In the next season, the club repeats its double success. In the last pre-war championship, "Spartak" takes third place, losing the first two lines of the standings to the Dynamo Moscow and Tbilisi.

As we can see, from the first championships there was a sharp rivalry between the clubs "Spartacus" and "Dinamo", which lasted almost the entire period of the Soviet championship. If "Spartacus" was inherently a public organization, the "Dynamo" was under the tutelage of the NKVD, headed by Lavrenty Beria, who did not like the opponent's success. In the future, this fact will have a negative impact on the fate of the Starostin brothers.

Repression

Beginning of repression against club functionaries was laid back in 1938, when one of the founders of "Spartacus" and the head of the Komsomol movement Alexander Kosarev was arrested. He was shot on the verdict in 1939.

In the spring of 1942, Beria announced to Stalin that the Starostin brothers were traitors. They are accused of a whole series of crimes against the Motherland, including espionage in favor of fascist Germany, which was then at war. The case of the Starostin brothers first went through the article "terror", then "embezzlement". The verdict was passed for anti-Soviet propaganda, and in the treason of the homeland they were justified. Nevertheless, the Starostin brothers and collaborators in the USSR have become synonymous for a long time. Also, five other functionaries of Spartak were convicted.

The sentence for the Starostins consisted of a ten-year stay in the camps, as well as a subsequent five-year defeat in the rights with confiscation of all property.

The brothers served their sentences in different places. At the same time, while in prison, Nikolai Starostin was involved in coaching at Dynamo (Ukhta), Dynamo (Komsomolsk-on-Amur), Dynamo (Alma-Ata) and Lokomotiv (Alma-Ata). Alexander at the same time coached the Dynamo (Perm), and Andrei - Dynamo (Norilsk).

After Stalin's death and the shooting of Beria in 1953, the Starostin brothers were acquitted, and all restrictions were lifted from them.

After rehabilitation

After the Starostin brothers were rehabilitated, they continued to work as football functionaries. Already in 1955, Nikolai Starostin became the head of "Spartacus", and remained in this position until 1996. In 1979 - 1980 he was also the head of the USSR national football team.

Alexander Starostin from 1956 to 1967 was chairman of the Football Federation of the RSFSR, and from 1968 to 1976 he worked as a deputy.

Andrei Starostin from 1960 to 1964, and also from 1968 to 1970, served as head of the USSR national football team. In addition, he worked in other important posts, for example, was deputy chairman of the Football Federation of the USSR.

Leaving a life

The first of the brothers died Alexander Starostin in 1981, when he turned 78 years old. In 1987, at the age of 80, Andrei Starostin passed away. The youngest of the Starostins, Peter, died in 1993, reaching the age of 83. The last of life was Nikolai Starostin. He died in 1996, when he turned 93 years old.

As we see, despite the difficult life, persecution and repression, all Starostin brothers survived to old age.

Children

All Starostin brothers had children. But Nicholas, Alexander and Andrew had daughters, and the son was only with Peter.

It was Andrei Petrovich, born in 1937, who can be considered a successor in the male line of the Starostin family. He also tried himself in football, but realized that he did not play well enough for the teams at the level of "Spartacus", and therefore devoted his life to science. He graduated with honors from the school and institute, having acquired an engineering specialty. Has achieved the post of general director of SKB CTC.

Interesting Facts

The eldest of the brothers Nikolay passed away the last.

In 2014 a monument to the brothers Starostin was opened at the Spartak stadium.

One of the charges of the Starostin brothers was mediation in bribery, but the court justified them on this point.

The Importance of the Starostin Brothers in Domestic Sport

It is difficult to overestimate the role played by Starostin in the development of national football, in particular, in the formation of the club "Spartacus."

Even repressions of Stalin's times could not break them, and they continued the activity of sports functionaries after rehabilitation.