Some of the most popular games in general are card games. And this is understandable – firstly, card decks are very affordable, secondly, they take up little space, and thirdly, there are a huge number of all kinds of games that can be played with a single deck. There are super popular card games that are equally played all over the world, and there are also “specialty” games for different countries. For example, in Russia the most popular card game is Durak. And it’s much older than you can imagine.
According to some historical sources, the Durak card game appeared in Russia in the 18th century, which means that today it is more than 400 years old. Before that, for quite a long time card games in general were outlawed and only during the reign of Peter the Great (1682-1725) the authorities lifted the ban on card games for most citizens. For the majority, but not for everyone: the ban continued for soldiers and sailors, who in the heat of the game could lose not only money, but also service tools and even their uniforms.
The most popular card game at the time was Durak. Initially it was played by peasants and people of lower origin. But the game was so interesting that it quickly gained popularity. The name of this game is very symbolic, because in Russian Durak means “Fool”, and the main purpose of the game is to deceive the opponent to win. In those distant times, it was considered quite a mild and most common swear word, so the chosen game’s name didn’t seem offensive to anyone (we hope).
But the game gained its main popularity in the middle of the 20th century, in the Soviet Union. Every adult and almost every child could play Durak. And in Russia in the late 1990s they even organized Durak championships, and these events were extremely popular.
And it was quite a long period, since the last Durak competition was held in 2020, almost yesterday. However, today we can neither see this action, nor become its participants. However, you can always play your favorite card game at home with your family and friends, or online, right on your device.
