Russia have participated in 24 editions of the FIVB Volleyball World League, missing the competitions in 2004 and 2005. They finished second in 1993, 1998 and 2000. They finally captured their first gold medal in 2002. After returning to the competition in 2006, they finished either second or third until 2010. In 2011 and 2013, they again won gold. During this period, Russia also took gold at the 2011 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup, at the London 2012 Olympic Games and at the 2013 European Championship, that earned them a debut entry to the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup, where they lost the final. They won the European Olympic Qualification Tournament in January, which qualified them for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games where they will attempt to defend their title.

The USSR Volleyball Federation joined the FIVB in 1948 and the following year they sent a team to compete in the first FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. They regularly topped podiums at the Olympic Games, World and European Championships and the World Cup winning three Olympic titles (1964, 1968 and 1980), six World Championships, four World Cups and 12 European championships.