Gorodki

Russian throwing sport — smash 15 different pin patterns out of a "town" square with heavy 80 cm wooden bats.

👥1 per team🌤outdoor

What is Gorodki?

Gorodki is a Russian folk throwing sport with medieval origins. Competitors use a heavy 80 cm wooden bat (bita) to knock arrangements of five small wooden pins ("gorodki") out of a marked town square, from 6.5 m or 13 m away. The 15 standard pin patterns include the "cannon", "the fork" and "the letter". Fewest total throws to clear all 15 wins.

Quick facts

Category

Precision Sports

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇷🇺 Russia

Estimated origin

Medieval Russia (>500 years); Soviet-era standardised rules 1923

Olympic

No

Popularity

regional

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified