Vityaz

Vityaz may refer to:

Aircraft and spacecraft

Military

Sport

Other uses

HC Vityaz

Hockey Club Vityaz (ХК Витязь, English: HC Knight) is a professional ice hockey team based in Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Tarasov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League. The team is widely known for playing a tough and physical North American-influenced style of hockey.

History

The club was founded in 1996 in Podolsk. In 2000, the team moved to the neighboring city of Chekhov; however, the team kept playing under the name Vityaz Podolsk until 2004, where the renaming was finally done. The team initially played its home games at the Ice Palace Vityaz in Podolsk, the same arena HC MVD used until 2006. Such a thing was allowed by virtue of the opening in 2004 of a new arena in Chekhov, the Ice Hockey Center 2004, that Vityaz began using. Initially, this arena had a capacity of 1,370; it was expanded in 2007–08 to 3,300. Vityaz played at the top level of Russian hockey for the 2000–01 season; it got relegated to Vysshaya Liga at the end of the season. In 2005, Vityaz made to the Vysshaya Liga final losing the championship to HC MVD 4 games to 1 but earned a promotion back to the elite level.

Vityaz (MVD)

Vityaz (Russian: Витязь, "Knight") was one of the Soviet and Russian special forces units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) within the Independent Operative Purpose Division (ODON) of the Internal Troops (VV). Its full name is 1st Special Purpose Unit of the Internal Forces "Vityaz" (1-й отряд специального назначения внутренних войск «Витязь».) It was assigned specifically to counter-terrorism duties, but was trained to deal with civil unrest, prison rebellions and mutinies of regular army units.

The name Vityaz is also used by a private security firm, using the unit's name and logo, and a private security training center, headed by the unit's former commander, Sergei Lysyuk.

History

Vityaz was created on May 5, 1991, formed on the basis of the pre-existing 6th detachment of OSNAZ within the OMSDON division of Soviet Internal Troops. This unit was involved in a variety of operations and incidents through the 1980s, often in cooperation with the KGB's Alpha Group.

In November 1991, Vityaz was part of the Internal Troops of Russia contingent sent to restore the Kremlin's control over Grozny, but their deployment was blocked by Chechen separatists immediately after landing and it was then flown back following a standoff at Grozny Airport, without even disembarking. In 1992–1993, it was sent to the East Prigorodny conflict to fight against ethnic Ingush militias.