The 3rd Russia Memory Championships
This year’s Russian National Memory Championship was conducted strictly in accordance with the 10 standard disciplines set by the World Memory Sports Council (WMSC), and was completed smoothly over two days. At the award ceremony, medals for gold, silver, and bronze were presented across the 10 disciplines in three age groups: Kids, Junior, and Adult. Additionally, trophies for the Champion, First Runner-Up, and Second Runner-Up were awarded for each age category, as well as for overall rankings. A total of 22 competitors participated—representing various regions of Russia—and one participant joined Latvia.
The entire competition was conducted using a digital system developed based on WMSC standards. This competition platform, created and continuously updated by Mr. Ilya, has been in use for the Russian national championships since 2022. Although earlier versions did not fully comply with the latest WMSC regulations and the Millennium Scoring Standard, the current version has been upgraded to fully meet international requirements.
The event ran smoothly overall, with only one notable coordination moment during the “Spoken Numbers” discipline. Historically, competitors were free to choose between Russian or English for this discipline. The organizers hoped I could help persuade everyone to use English, ensuring all results could be compared internationally in line with WMSC standards. After my detailed explanation, all competitors agreed to switch to English for this discipline.
The atmosphere throughout the championship was very positive—competitors supported and encouraged one another, and their camaraderie with the organizers reflected the sense of community that has formed over years of gathering for this annual event. Participants came from various regions of Russia: some took flights of over 8 hours, others traveled by bus or train for a full day and night, and some drove 4 hours from nearby cities. Their dedication reflects the passion and commitment shared within the memory sports community.
The Russia Memory Sports Federation is led by Chairman Mr Andrey and the whole team demonstrated professionalism and enthusiasm in hosting the event. Members were equally committed, regardless of whether they lived in Moscow or had to travel long distances to take part in event preparation and execution.
During this event, I personally presented two Level-1 Arbiter Certificates to Mr Gubenko Ilya the Chief Judge, and Ms. Kuriatova Gaiane, the Deputy Judge, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to promoting and developing memory sports professionally in Russia.
