The USSR Volleyball Federation entered the FIVB in 1948 and already in 1949 participated in the official FIVB competition - the 1^st Men's Volleyball World Championships.

Not once did the Men's National Team of the USSR participate in all international official competitions (Olympic Games, World and European Championships, World Cups).

It was the three-times Olympic Champion (1964, 1968, 1980), six-times World Champion (1949, 1952, 1960, 1962, 1978, 1982), four-times World Cup Winner (1965, 1977, 1981, 1991, 1999), twelve-times European Champion.

Since 1993 the USSR National Team is called the Russian National Team.

In 2002 the Russian National Team won the World League; in 1993, 1998 and 2000 was the second at the World League Finals and the third in 1996, 1997 and 2001.

In 1999 the Russian National Team took the first place at the World Cup, the second place at the European Championship and in 2001 the third place at the European Championship.

In 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney the Russian National Team took silver and in 2004 – bronze.

In 2007 the Russian National Team took the second place in the World Championships.

For years such Russian players as Zaitsev, Savin, Antonov, Shkurichin, Fomin, Olikhver, Kuznetsov played for the World All Stars Team in the FIVB Gala matches and were recognized as the best in many official FIVB competitions.

At the European Championship 2007 Semen POLTAVSKIY was recognized as the best MVP.

In 2002 the team won the World League. At the World League 2007 Yury BEREZHKO was recognized as the best attacker, Semen POLTAVSKYI as the best scorer and best server.

The Russian National Team is composed of the players from the Russian clubs: , ISKRA Odintsovo, DINAMO Moscow, DINAMO-TTG Kazan, DINAMO-YANTAR Kaliningrad, FAKEL Novy Urengoi, ZSK-GAZPROM Sugut, URAL Ufa