Gorodki

Similar in concept to bowling and also somewhat to horseshoes, the aim of the game is to knock out groups of skittles arranged in various patterns by throwing a bat at them.

The game was known in a form that is quite close to the modern one at least from the 17th century, since one of the most notable gorodki players was Peter the Great.

When a player reaches the "letter" figure, a special set of rules apply: Although traditionally gorodki is a folk game, it was played by Russian historical figures such as Peter I, Alexander Suvorov, Vladimir Lenin, and Joseph Stalin, as well as cultural luminaries like Ivan Pavlov, Leo Tolstoy, Maksim Gorky, Nikolay Timofeev-Ressovsky, and others.

Additionally, gorodki was featured in the popular CBS reality show The Amazing Race 17, episode 7, during a Roadblock challenge.

The game was also featured on Schlag den Raab on 4 June 2011, and was a favorite childhood pastime of the eponymous protagonist of the novel Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov (p. 106, Vintage).