It was hockey for the post-war Soviet people that outlet, that part of life that invariably caused pride in the hearts of people. Regular victories at major world competitions, unforgettable super series with Canadian professionals - all these events made hockey the number one sport in the Soviet Union. One of the athletes who forged the glory of Soviet hockey was Alexander Pavlovich Ragulin, the magnificent “San Palych” for young hockey players and “Big Rag” for overseas professionals. The man who left the brightest mark not only in domestic, but also in world hockey.
Ragulin Alexander Pavlovich: biography, childhood
The Soviet Union lived the last days without war, when boys were born in the family of architects Ragulins, Pavel and Sofia. Three brothers at once: Alexander, Anatoly and Mikhail. This happened on May 5, and a few months later the Ragulins family was evacuated to Kemerovo, where they spent most of the war time.
After the war ended, the Ragulin family returned to Moscow. All three boys went to one school - No. 51 of the Frunze district, in one class. As is usually the case with the twins, the brothers had the same interests. Moreover, hobbies were striking in their diversity and difficult to combine with each other. The fact is that in addition to playing hockey for the school team, the twins were quite successful in music. Alexander chose the double bass for himself, while the rest of the brothers practiced piano and cello.
Hockey
The decisive one in the struggle between music and hockey was the appearance in the life of the twins Nikolai Semenovich Epstein, a famous hockey coach. Classes were held in Voskresensk near Moscow, in the hockey club "Chemist". The positions on the site for the brothers were determined different: Anatoly got into the goal, the youngest of the twins, Mikhail, played as an attacker, but Alexander took the position of defender. As time has shown, it was the right choice. It was in this position that Alexander was able to most fully realize his natural data, becoming a real standard for an attacking defender.
Having started his career in one club, after some time, fate divorced the brothers on different teams. In 1962, Alexander was invited to the leading team of our country, Moscow CSKA. But a year later, a trio of brothers reunited in the army club.
Play style
Ragulin Alexander Pavlovich, whose height is quite impressive, is simply excellent for a defender (weight with a height of 185 centimeters was 105 kilograms), was not a typical defender in the direct sense of the word. In addition to waging a power struggle, Alexander stood out for his excellent skating and great sense of play. This allowed him to be useful not only in defensive actions, but also actively enough to help the team in attacking other people's gates. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that Alexander Ragulin scored quite a lot of points, despite the fact that his main goal was to protect his own goal.
USSR team
At that time, many talented hockey players, having reached military age, automatically fell into the notice of army clubs. Often, getting into the leading club of Soviet hockey paved the way for the national team. The sports destiny of Alexander Ragulin also developed in the same way. Having got to CSKA at the age of 21, after six months, Alexander tried on a hockey sweater of the national team of the Soviet Union on an ongoing basis. Although the debut in the USSR national team Ragulin took place while he was still a player in the Chemist, in 1961 at the World Championships in Switzerland.
The national team then did not perform very well, finishing in third place. Ragulin Alexander is a hockey player who spent all seven matches, scoring one puck in them and marking one assists. But two years later, at the Swedish world championship, the Soviet team, led by Anatoly Tarasov and Arkady Chernyshev, managed to win the gold of the world championship. This championship was a triumph for the 23-year-old national team defender, Alexander Ragulin. As a result of the championship, the army defender got into the symbolic national team of the championship, becoming one of the strongest defenders in the world. During his career, Alexander participated in eleven World Championships, never without being left without a medal.
Olympic Games
The pinnacle in every athlete’s sports career is participating in the Olympics. Considering that the Olympics are held every four years, and the sports life is short enough, participation in even one Olympics is an undoubted success. In the life of Alexander Ragulin there were three winter Olympics, and each of them brought Alexander Olympic gold.
The Olympic Games debut for Alexander took place in 1964 in Innsbruck, Austria. Our team approached this tournament in the rank of one of the favorites. Along with the national teams of Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Canada, our hockey players were the main contenders for Olympic gold. There was no sharp struggle, the Soviet national team skated over their rivals, leaving them no chance. Eight games - eight wins. And again, the impenetrable Alexander Ragulin shone in the national team. Having played all eight matches, he scored 3 goals and gave 6 assists. With 9 points scored, Alexander Ragulin became the most productive defender of the Olympic tournament, having ended up in the symbolic team. Moreover, Alexander became our only defender, who did not earn a single minute of penalty time in eight games held.
In the future, Alexander Ragulin took part in two more Olympic Games, and invariably these competitions ended in the triumph of our hockey players.
Team role
Already at a young age, once in the army team, Ragulin Alexander Pavlovich, whose photo you see in the article, earned the nickname “San Palych”. Having managed in a short period of time to gain unquestioned authority in the team, Alexander throughout his sports career was a leader not only on ice, but also in the locker room. Young players spoke very warmly of him, considering him a kind of mentor, senior comrade. Often, all disputed or conflict situations within the team were resolved with the help of Ragulin.
Life after hockey
At the age of 32, Alexander Ragulin decided to end the career of an active athlete. But the final break with hockey did not work. Coaching career began. The first step was the leadership of the CSKA children and youth school. Then followed a short voyage to the Novosibirsk SKA. Unfortunately, in the coaching field Ragulin failed to repeat his ice exploits.
Later Ragulin was the president of the sports public organization “hockey veterans”, was a member of the Presidential Council for Physical Culture and Sports.
November 18, 2004 the great hockey player died. Alexander Ragulin was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery.
Sports achivments
Alexander Ragulin belongs to a great achievement. By the number of victories at major world competitions, he confidently holds the lead among all hockey players on the planet.
He has three Olympic golds, ten victories at the World Championships, nine at the European Championships. 9-time champion of the Soviet Union, member of the USSR super series - Canada 1972.
In total, during his club career, he spent 427 matches, scoring 63 goals in them. As part of the national team, Alexander played 102 matches, scoring 14 goals.