For the first portion of the 2023/24 Russian Premier League season, referees who served as referees, VAR, AVAR, and substitutes amassed a combined salary totaling 38,138,750 rubles. The figure was reported by Sports Express as part of its early-season financial review of officiating staff.
The breakdown shows Pavel Kukuyan at the top of the list with 2,262,500 rubles. Following him, Sergei Karasev earned 2,155,000 rubles and Alexey Sukhoi received 2,057,500 rubles. The group of top earners included two millionaires alongside their assistants. Rustam Mukhtarov collected 1,042,500 rubles in total, while Andrey Bolotenkov earned 1,008,750 rubles. These amounts highlight the substantial roles officials play in Russian football, even as the league navigates broader shifts within the sport. Source: Sports Express
The international football landscape saw a major shift in spring 2022, when FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia from their competitions. Russian referees who had previously officiated European club matches no longer participated in those contests. This suspension also meant that Russian clubs have not competed in European tournaments since February 2022, and the national team has not played in World Cup qualifiers since the same period. Source: Sports Express
Earlier reports noted a significant milestone for the Premier League, with discussions about introducing a female referee to officiate at the top level. This reflects ongoing changes in officiating and gender representation within the league, alongside the broader context of the Russian football system during this period. Source: Sports Express