11 years of victories

2013 saw a rise in student sports clubs in Russia, including at ITMO – here, the club was created by students. They also chose the name, KronBars, referencing the location of ITMO’s main building (Kronverksky Prospekt) and the grading point system used at it ITMO (called БаРС – BaRS – in Russian). Tim the Snow Leopard became the club’s mascot, the no. 13 on the team; he was chosen as an alpine creature who isn’t afraid of any challenges. The club was officially launched on September 25.  

At first, the club was one of the few student organizations at ITMO and focused on sports clubs. During the 2013-2014 academic year, the KronBars created 14 clubs (such as cheerleading, hockey, basketball, and swimming) and began organizing student sports tournaments. In the following year, 2014, the club’s teams started winning medals in national and international competitions, including EuroRoma and the Moscow Games.

Next year, KronBars began organizing their own major sports and educational events. For instance, the Almost in St. Petersburg summer camp and the Russian-German forum for organizers of student exchanges.

Today, KronBars members consistently perform in the top five in St. Petersburg interuniversity championships held in 80 sports. Moreover, the club is a five-time winner of the national competition for the title of the best student club and has won a 10-million-ruble grant to develop student sports. What’s more, the club was the first in Russia to launch stipends for athletes applying to the university; with KronBars it’s also possible to earn PE credits for performing at esports tournaments.

“Would it have been possible to create such a club at a different university? I don’t think so. At ITMO, students’ initiatives are always a priority. Passionate young people launch and develop sports clubs, attract new students and partners, and organize events. We support student initiatives: every year in spring, we hold a school for club managers, provide teams with spaces and equipment, and fund their trips to competitions. That’s how many separate sports clubs, such as esports and sailing, were founded. And the shooting club was started after our graduate, Kirill Grigoryan, took bronze at the 2016 Olympics,” says Dmitry Rusanov, the head of the KronBars student sports club.

He adds that a lot of attention is paid to brand development at the club. KronBars rebranded in collaboration with Quberten, the leading sports design studio in Eastern Europe; they make new uniforms every two years, develop their website, and grow social media presence of all sports clubs. Moreover, every year, KronBars launches ad campaigns and communication strategies, as well as collaborates with partners, such as SKA, Dostaevsky, and others. 

You can learn the full history of the club in the special project KronBars Book on VK (in Russian).

Sports for all: the club today

Opportunities for applicants

Application options. Applicants to Bachelor’s programs with achievements in basketball, football, and rowing can enroll via KRONBARS STARS. Winners can enter ITMO with a stipend that fully covers the tuition fees on any educational program. Applicants just need to get minimal Unified State Exam scores (180 points for three subjects), submit a portfolio with sports achievements and titles, as well as pass an interview and an athletic audition. More information about the competition is available here (in Russian). 16 winners of the competition are currently studying at ITMO.

Sports stipend competition. This is an opportunity for applicants to Bachelor’s programs with achievements in one of 20 sports, including basketball, football, boxing, ballroom dancing, martial arts, esports, and more – find the full list here (in Russian). 

To take part in the competition, future students need to apply on the website with their sports portfolio, fill in the application form, and submit a motivation letter. Winners of the competition receive a 10,000-ruble monthly stipend during their first year of studies.

Opportunities for students

“No boring PE classes.” At ITMO, instead of regular PE classes, first- to third-year Bachelor’s students can pick from 80 sports clubs in 50 sports, such as rowing, volleyball, sailing, rugby, swimming, or esports.

Students can choose not only the sport, but also the level they’d like to practice it – from beginner to professional athlete, representing ITMO in major city and national competitions. For students who want to explore different activities, there are also flexible attendance classes available, including fitness, yoga, MMA, chess, and others. To earn credits for the course, students need to accumulate 100 points by passing standards, attending training sessions, and participating in additional activities.

Each club is described in detail here (in Russian). To sign up, students need to use my.itmo.ru: Спорт (Sports), Запись на секции (Sign up for a club), Выбери спортивный комплекс (Choose venue), and Выбери секцию (Choose club).

Kronbars Games is an interfaculty sports competition held from October to May each year, bringing together 2,000 staff and students practicing 25 sports, including esports, swimming, indoor rowing, and volleyball. The games also feature tournaments in volleyball, futsal, table tennis, chess, and checkers – see the full list here (in Russian).

Kronbars Running is a special project for online runs: students can run whenever it’s convenient, logging their progress in the Pacer app and thus earning credits. More information about the initiative is available here (in Russian); sign up via my.itmo.ru (Спорт (Sports), Запись на секции (Sign up for a club), Специальные проекты (Special projects)).

External studies is an option for those with a gym, fitness club, or dance class membership. Students must attend at least 20 classes and perform four standards to earn the credit. More information is available here (in Russian), sign up for the initiative via my.itmo.ru (Спорт (Sports), Запись на секции (Sign up for a club)).

Kronbars Arena is an esports venue for ITMO staff and students. In four esports rooms, everyone can play Dota 2, CS:GO, League of Legends, or other games, discuss game strategies in a coworking space, or play PS5 (Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, FIFA 23, etc.). There is also a recording studio for podcasts and videos. The arena is open Monday through Saturday, and you can book a space here.

Opportunities for staff

Kronbars Games the interfaculty sports competition is also open to ITMO staff. The full list of included tournaments is available here (in Russian).

ITMO.RUN is a race for all ITMO.Family members. Run 5 km or 10 km and get a medal to commemorate the occasion. The race is typically held in May, follow the announcements here (in Russian).

Bike Ride with the Rector. Twice a year, in September and May, ITMO.Family members get together to ride bikes in good company headed by the university’s Rector, Vladimir Vasilyev. Read about the latest ride here and don’t miss the announcement of the next one on the university’s Telegram channel.

What's next

These days, KronBars are planning to come out with several new activities and expand the already existing and beloved formats.

“This season we are planning to attract new general partners to support our club, as well as open KronBars Arena to students of other St. Petersburg universities. We will organize more esports events, while also focusing on systematically attracting young athletic talents to ITMO. Currently, we are also running a survey among staff who’d like to attend the university’s gyms before their work. Finally, after a two-year hiatus, our sports club is once again participating in the national competition of the best students sports clubs – the results will be announced in December,” shares Dmitry Rusanov.