"Meat" and "bums": where the nicknames of the fans of "Spartak" and "Zenit" came from

      On July 18, the first major match (6+) of the new football season will take place at the "Sovcombank Arena." In the battle for the Russian Super Cup, "Spartak" and "Zenit" will meet - the two most titled and popular clubs in the country. The football rivalry of the "capitals" has been ongoing for 90 years. "Zenit" approaches the game as the reigning champion of Russia and the record holder for the number of victories in the Super Cup, having won the trophy nine times. "Spartak," on the other hand, won the Super Cup only in 2017. Over the decades of rivalry, the teams have not only acquired a rich history and armies of fans but also recognizable nicknames.

      "Spartak"

      The name "Spartak" was given to the club in 1935 in honor of the leader of the slave uprising in Ancient Rome, Spartacus. The image of the fearless gladiator symbolized strength, freedom, courage, and the readiness to fight to the end. Over time, the gladiator became one of the main symbols of the club: his image was used in the branding, appeared on the uniforms, and a statue of Spartacus was erected near the home stadium. Another well-known nickname for the red-and-whites is "the people's team." It emerged during the Soviet era. Unlike departmental clubs - the army's CSKA or the police's "Dynamo" - "Spartak" did not belong to power structures and united "ordinary people": athletes from trade unions and industrial cooperatives. The nickname has persisted even after the collapse of the USSR. The most popular nickname, however, is "meat." Its history dates back to 1926 when the future "Spartak" played under the name "Pishcheviki" and was financed by cooperatives of butchers and food industry workers. However, the word "meat" began to be widely used only in the 1970s when the fan movement was actively developing in the USSR. CSKA fans turned it into a mocking nickname, and later "pigs" also emerged. Over time, the red-and-whites redefined this image. Today, many fans refer to themselves as "meat," come to the stands with images of pigs, and the wild boar has become one of the most recognizable unofficial symbols of the club. This nickname was solidified by Dmitry Sychev, who, after scoring against "Zenit" in 2002, showed the famous shirt with the inscription: "Who are we? Meat!"

      "Zenit"

      The St. Petersburg club has a much more controversial history of nicknames. The most well-known remain "bums" and "bags," although the fans of "Zenit" have never referred to themselves this way. According to the most common version, the nickname "bags" appeared after "Zenit" won its first championship in 1984. At that time, a huge batch of branded polyethylene bags with the club's symbols was released in Leningrad. During the era of shortages, they were used for years, and fans of other teams began to ironically call "Zenit" supporters "bags." The nickname "bums" emerged around the same time. Leningrad fans often traveled to away matches without tickets, getting there by electric trains and sometimes even hiding in the technical compartments of the cars, and then spending the night at train stations. After such trips, the fans did not look their best, which is why opponents gave them this nickname. The club itself bets on a completely different image. Since the mid-1990s, the official symbol of "Zenit" has been a lion, chosen due to the numerous lion sculptures in St. Petersburg. Therefore, today St. Petersburg residents are increasingly called "lions" alongside the familiar "blue-white-blue." It was previously reported that on the day of the match, public transport will increase its operations, and the metro will run at intervals of 5-7 minutes. Additionally, temporary traffic restrictions will be introduced on several streets near the "Sovcombank Arena." NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.