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Azerbaijan Swimming Federation
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Azerbaijan Swimming Federation

History

More than a century of road — from a school of swimming at a Baku gymnasium to World Aquatics events.

1910: şəhərdə ilk üzgüçülük məktəbi

The beginning

1910: the city's first swimming school

In the early 20th century swimming began to develop in Baku alongside gymnastics, athletics and weightlifting. In 1910 V. Grzhibovsky, a teacher at the Baku gymnasium, opened a swimming school for pupils of the gymnasium and the technical school.

For its time this was a rare initiative: in a seaside city the ability to swim was taken for granted, yet nobody taught it systematically.

Xəzəri üzərək keçən müəllim

1912

The teacher who swam across the Caspian

In 1912 Leonid Romanchenko, a teacher at the Baku gymnasium, swam 48 kilometres across the Caspian Sea in 24 hours and 20 minutes. For the open water marathoners of the day this was an unprecedented result — Romanchenko surpassed the record of the Englishman Burgess.

After that feat the Baku swimming school passed 200 pupils. Open water swimming is therefore no accident for Azerbaijan: it is the earliest heroic page of the sport in this country.

20th century

Pools, schools and city races

1910
V. Grzhibovsky, a teacher at the Baku gymnasium, opens a swimming school for pupils.
1912
Leonid Romanchenko swims 48 km across the Caspian in 24 hours 20 minutes; the school passes 200 pupils.
20th century
Aquatic sections, city and republican competitions, swimming in school curricula.
2013
19 April — the foundation of the Aquatic Palace is laid on the Baku Boulevard.
2015
20 April — the Palace opens; in June it hosts the aquatic events of the first European Games.
2017
The aquatic programme of the Islamic Solidarity Games is held in Baku.
2025
New federation leadership, the 2025–2036 strategy, an international coaching staff.
2026
1–3 October — the Baku leg of the Silk Road World Cup, the country's first World Aquatics event.
Hovuzlar, məktəblər, məktəb yarışları

20th century

Pools, schools and city races

During the Soviet period sports societies and aquatic sections took shape in Baku, city and republican competitions were held regularly, and swimming became part of school and university curricula.

In the years of independence swimming was waiting for new infrastructure: without pools that met international standards, high results were out of reach.

Su İdmanı Sarayı və Avropa Oyunları

2015

The Aquatic Palace and the European Games

In April 2013 the foundation of the Aquatic Palace was laid on the Baku Boulevard, and on 20 April 2015 the complex opened. That June it hosted the swimming, diving and synchronised swimming events of the first European Games.

In 2017 the Palace hosted the aquatic programme of the Islamic Solidarity Games. Baku became a fixed point on the international aquatics map.

Yeni idarəetmə və ilk World Aquatics yarışı

Today

New governance and the first World Aquatics event

In 2025 a new federation leadership took office, a national strategy for 2025–2036 was drafted and an international coaching staff joined the national team.

In October 2026 Baku hosts a leg of the Silk Road Swimming World Cup — the first World Aquatics competition held in Azerbaijan.

Next — disciplines →