{{Short description|Russian throwing game}} thumb|A game of ''gorodki'' in Moscow, 1935 '''''Gorodki''''' ({{langx|ru|Городки||townlets}}; {{langx|sv|Poppi}}; {{langx|lt|Miestučiai}}) is a Russian folk sport. Similar in concept to bowling and also somewhat to horseshoes, the aim of the game is to knock out groups of skittles arranged in various patterns by throwing a bat at them. The skittles, or pins, are called ''gorodki'' (literally "little cities" or "townlets"), and the square zone in which they are arranged is called the ''gorod'' ("city").
Its popularity has spread to Karelia, Finland, Sweden, Ingria, parts of Lithuania, and Estonia. In the Scandinavian and Baltic languages, the game has many different names, such as ''kurnimäng'', ''kriuhka'', ''köllöi'', ''keili'', and ''miestučiai''. The Finnish variant is called ''kyykkä'', or Finnish skittles.
The game was known in a form that is quite close to the modern one at least from the 17th century, since one of the most notable ''gorodki'' players was Peter the Great.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gorodki.org/IFGS/about/history.htm|date=2012|title=История игры|trans-title=Game history|lang=ru|agency=International Federation of Urban Sports|website=gorodki.org|access-date=1 August 2025}}</ref> It has survived in the contemporary period.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smorodinskaya |first1=Tatiana |last2=Evans-Romaine |first2=Karen |last3=Goscilo |first3=Helena |title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Culture |date=28 October 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-78785-0 |page=224 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZXz2okCSfq8C |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Fedina |first1=Olga |title=Gorodki: An Ancient Sport Endures |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/archive/gorodki-an-ancient-sport-endures |work=The Moscow Times |date=19 May 1993 |language=en}}</ref>
==Gameplay== right|thumb|''Gorodki'' arranged in the ''pushka'' ("cannon") pattern thumb|''Gorodki'' target in "Machine gun installation" setup The game consists of throwing a bat from a predetermined distance at the ''gorodki'', which are arranged in one of 15 configurations: * Cannon ({{lang|ru|пушка}}, ''pushka'') * Fork ({{lang|ru|вилка}}, ''vilka'') * Star ({{lang|ru|звезда}}, ''zvezda'') * Arrow ({{lang|ru|стрела}}, ''strela'') * Well ({{lang|ru|колодец}}, ''kolodets'') * Crankshaft ({{lang|ru|коленчатый вал}}, ''kolenchatyy val'') * Artillery ({{lang|ru|артиллерия}}, ''artilleriya'') * Racquet ({{lang|ru|ракетка}}, ''raketka'') * Machine gun installation ({{lang|ru|пулемётное гнездо}}, ''pulemyotnoe gnezdo'') * Lobster ({{lang|ru|рак}}, ''rak'') * Watchmen ({{lang|ru|часовые}}, ''chasovye'') * Sickle ({{lang|ru|серп}}, ''serp'') * Shooting gallery ({{lang|ru|тир}}, ''tir'') * Airplane ({{lang|ru|самолёт}}, ''samolet'') * Letter ({{lang|ru|письмо}}, ''pis'mo'')
The goal is to completely knock the ''gorodki'' out of a marked square using the fewest possible number of throws.
=== "Letter" figure rules ===
When a player reaches the "letter" figure, a special set of rules apply: * You must aim to the center spot and knock the ''gorodki'' in the figure out (players say "open the letter") * Another four ''gorodki'' return to their place unless the center spot is knocked out * You must knock the figure from 13 meters.
<gallery> Image:Gorodki-pushka.jpg|Cannon Image:Gorodki-vilka.jpg|Fork Image:Gorodki-zvezda.jpg|Star Image:Gorodki-strela.jpg|Arrow Image:Gorodki-kolodetz.jpg|Well Image:Gorodki-kolenval.jpg|Crankshaft Image:Gorodki-artilleria.jpg|Artillery Image:Gorodki-raketka.jpg|Racquet Image:Gorodki-pulemet.jpg|Machine gun installation Image:Gorodki-rak.jpg|Lobster Image:Gorodki-chasovye.jpg|Watchmen Image:Gorodki-serp.jpg|Sickle Image:Gorodki-tir.jpg|Shooting gallery Image:Gorodki-samolyot.jpg|Airplane Image:Gorodki-pismo.jpg|Letter </gallery>
==History== thumb|Men playing ''gorodki'' [[File:Ivan Pavlov & Nikolay Dubovskoy Sillamäe.jpg|thumb|right|At the dacha in Sillamyagi after playing ''gorodki''. In the centre is Ivan Pavlov]] Although traditionally ''gorodki'' is a folk game, it was played by Russian historical figures such as Peter I, Alexander Suvorov, Vladimir Lenin, and Joseph Stalin, as well as cultural luminaries like Ivan Pavlov, Leo Tolstoy, Maksim Gorky, Nikolay Timofeev-Ressovsky, and others.<ref name=gorodkicomru>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gorodki.com.ru/IFGS/about/history.htm |title=Gorodki.com.ru |access-date=2007-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927232919/http://www.gorodki.com.ru/IFGS/about/history.htm |archive-date=2007-09-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The game as it existed prior to 1923 had no rules per se. It was organized into a legitimate sport and its rules codified in 1923, when the first all-Union competition was held, and it became an event at the first all-Union Olympiad in 1928.<ref name=gorodkicomru/>
==Popular culture== The game was shown in an episode of the Soviet animated series ''Nu, pogodi!''. Additionally, ''gorodki'' was featured in the popular CBS reality show ''The Amazing Race 17'', episode 7, during a Roadblock challenge. The game was also featured on ''Schlag den Raab'' on 4 June 2011, and was a favorite childhood pastime of the eponymous protagonist of the novel ''Pnin'' by Vladimir Nabokov (p. 106, Vintage). The game can be played on the Wii game system through the game disc ''REC ROOM'' released in 2009.
==See also== *Bowling *Bunnock *Finnish skittles *Kubb
==References== {{Commons category|Gorodki}} {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://russian-sports.ru/en/game-of-gorodki.html Game of Gorodki] {{Bowling}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Throwing games Category:Precision sports Category:Russian games Category:Russian inventions Category:Sports originating in Russia Category:Bowling