Shabtay von Kalmanovic

Shabtay Kalmanovic was born on December, 18th, 1947 in Kaunas (Lithuania). The well known businessman, the patron of art and the sports manager, the founder of Women Basketball Club "Spartak" (Moscow Region, Vidnoje), the general manager of a Russian women basketball national team, the organizer of the Russian tours of stars of a world platform.

In a small town of Ramigala under Panevezhis lived some generations of its ancestors. The grandfather was the holder of food shop and the chairman of an urban Jewish community. The father — the deputy director of factory of rubber items, and mother — the chief accountant of a meat-packing plant. The Yiddish was the basic language in their family.

In 1965 he graduated high school and entered the Kaunas polytechnical institute where received a speciality of the engineer on automation of chemical manufacture. After the graduation served in numbers of the Soviet army.

In 1971 he together with a family emigrated to Israel where studied at the Jewish university in Jerusalem and started to do business.

Since 1987 Kalmanovic 5 and a half years sat in the Israeli prison on charge in espionage in favour of the USSR. Was left on freedom in 1993.

Was the citizen of three states (Lithuania, Russia and Israel), spoke in more than ten languages (a Yiddish, Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, German, English, Hebrew, Arabian, etc.).

April, 28th, 1999 for successes of a basketball team "Zhalgiris" the President of Lithuania awarded the order to its Grand duke of Lithuanian Gjadiminas, also Kalmanovic received a title of a baron and an honourable prefix "von" to the surname.

In the beginning of 2000 was the general manager of Women basketball club of the Ural mountain-metallurgical company (UMMC, Ekaterinburg) with which in 2003 won Euroleague, the first time in history of Russian female basketball.

Last years von Kalmanovich headed women basketball club "Spartak" (Moscow Region, Vidnoje) for which annually spent considerable own means. Was the adviser of the governor of Moscow Region Boris Gromov. Having created in 2006 in Vidnoje a new team, Shabtay von Kalmanovic together with trainers and players three consecutive times won for Russia the main trophy of the Old World – in 2007, 2008 and 2009 the command has won Euroleague. Also the Moscow Region Club 2006 has won the Cup of Europe, and in 2009 – the Supercup of Europe. Twice the command under its management won the championship of Russia – in 2007 and 2008. These years in a line-up played most considerable "stars" of world and Russian basketball: Diana Taurasi, Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, Irina Osipova, Marina Karpunina, Ilona Korstin and many other things.

Shabtay has done huge work on development of the children's basketball in Russia, made much for a national team of Russia. Under his initiative in Vidnoje in 2007 have been created Basketball School of an Olympic reserve and Children's basketball club “Spartak”, where have been training more than 250 young sportsmen.

November, 2nd, 2009 Shabtay von Kalmanovic tragically died as a result of custom-made murder. November, 5th was buried in Petach-Tikva (Israel).

Shabtay von Kalmanovic remains four children: daughters Liat and Daniela, sons-twins Alexander and Grigory. Shabtay's widow Anna Arhipova - von Kalmanovic continues his business now - heads Women Basketball Club "Sparta&K" (Moscow Region, Vidnoje) and trains two teams – youth and girls, who born1998, and also a Russian national team among girls of 1993 of a birth

Last victory in Euroleague – 2010, "Sparta&K" has devoted in memories of the founder and the inspirer.