Last week, the sound of clashing steel once again filled Moscow’s exhibition halls: the capital hosted the final stage of the international tournament “Sword of Russia.” For several days, the city became a meeting point for fighters in full historical combat armor — around two hundred athletes from Russia, Italy, France and Serbia entered the arena to conclude the season in the discipline of historical medieval battle.
This time, spectators were immersed from the very first minutes in the atmosphere of a major European-level event. Instead of a familiar “fight for the title,” the tournament became a showcase for the entire community: craftsmen, clubs, referees and fighters. The most spectacular moments came from the large-scale “twelve versus twelve” battles, where participants must maintain a tight formation and act almost on instinct. The women’s and men’s “five versus five” team fights completed the program — it was in these categories that fans saw performances by two-time world champion Marina Golovina and national team captain Dmitry Kunchenko.
But the bouts themselves were not the only focus of attention. Behind the scenes, much was said about the equipment, which became one of the tournament’s strongest features. Evgeny Strzhalkovsky, founder of the Bern club, noted that in recent years Russian workshops have reached a level that allows athletes to be fully equipped domestically. He emphasized that modern armor sets are created on the basis of European historical prototypes but adapted to safety requirements and competitive standards. According to him, it is the attention to detail — from breastplate construction to helmet fit — that makes HMB a discipline where authenticity and sport can be combined.
The Russian national team remains the strongest in the world: for ten years it has held the championship title, and the discipline itself is gradually gaining international recognition — official status has already been granted in Monaco and New Zealand. Organizers are confident that interest will continue to grow: the combination of spectacle, sport and historical reconstruction makes HMB unusual for the general public and in high demand among participants.
The tournament concluded not only with the awarding of prizes: it became a space where fighters exchanged training experience, craftsmen presented new solutions in equipment, and clubs discussed standardization for future seasons. According to participants, this kind of exchange strengthens the position of Russian HMB as the center of the discipline and sets the direction for development in the year ahead.