Central Sports Club of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Центральний Спортивний Клуб Збройних Сил України, transliteration: Tsentralnyi Sportyvnyi Klub Zbroinykh Syl Ukrayiny) or CSK ZSU (Ukrainian: ЦСК ЗСУ) is a sports club that was created on December 15, 1992 based on the Soviet Sports Club of Army (SKA Kyiv) in Kyiv (regional center of CKA), which dissolved after the fall of the Soviet Union. CSK ZSU is subordinated to the Sport Administration of Ministry of Defense (created on April 29, 1992).
The club is a member of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and prepares Ukrainian Olympic reserve (Olympians) for Olympic Games.
The club also used to administer several professional teams, particularly in football such as FC CSKA Kyiv and cooperated with CSKA-Borysfen (since 2001 known as FC Arsenal Kyiv).
The predecessor of CSK ZSU was the Sports Club of the Kyiv Military District (SK KVO) which was established on April 1, 1957 by the district's administration of military training as a regional department of the Sports Society of Armed Forces of the USSR. The club was based on the Sports Club of the Kyiv Military District Officers' Club (SKDO Kyiv). The newly established club included following sports establishments:
The Palace of sports, stadium and the shooting range were all inherited from the Officers' Club. The swimming pool, initially uncovered, was part of the Officers' Club since 1951. However after its reconstruction in 1956, it was handed to the administration of military training and was transferred to the sports club only on April 1, 1958, a year later. The equestrian sports facilities were created on the base of a liquidated stables of the 114th Separate Rifle Company and were transferred to the sports club as well. In 1957 the football squad of military servicemen from the Soviet Class B (third tier) were added to the club. The football squad was completely sponsored by the Kyiv Military District headquarters. In 1959 the team however was dissolved.
On May 10, 1960, a day after the Victory Day, the club was renamed into the Army Sports Club Kyiv MD (SKA Kyiv). On July 4, 1962 the shooting sports facilities were transferred to the military unit #01626. Since May 20, 1971 the club was transferred to the staff of #48/105-A and on December 15 it adopted the number 14 becoming the 14th ASC. On February 12, 1980 the club created two children and youth sports schools. One school was for fighting sports and team sports, while another was for other Olympic sports.
With fall of the Soviet Union all Soviet organization that were funded through the central government ceased to exist. In 1992 the Kyiv Military District was dissolved, some of its components were moved to Russia, while others were transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The former SKA Kyiv was discontinued and all its assets were transferred into the newly formed the Central Sports Club which absorbed all the Soviet Army centers based in Ukraine such as Odesa, Lviv, and Sevastopol (every one corresponds to the administrative center of a Soviet military district).
Updated for 2012 Olympics