Football appeared in the Russian Empire in the 1880s when it was brought by English sailors and European workers who were passionate about the game. Over time, professional clubs began to form in various cities. One of the most successful was the Zamoskvoretsky Sports Club (ZKS), founded in 1910 by the Brit Egor Richardovich Bains. Initially, the team included five Englishmen and six Russians, with financial support from the Danilov Textile Factory and the Hopper Factory, which produced steam engines.

The Moscow footballers chose a site on Bolshaya Kaluzhskaya Street, opposite the Neskuchny Garden, as their home field. Thanks to the efforts of players and patrons, turf was laid, fences were built, benches for spectators were installed, and changing rooms for athletes were constructed. At the same time, the Moscow Football League was created, where the best teams competed for supremacy. In the first tournament, the Zamoskvoretsky Club won bronze. Subsequently, the club became champion twice and received silver and bronze medals twice during the pre-revolutionary period.

Among the ZKS fans were their favorites. Special attention was drawn to Mikhail Dubinin, a stout merchant who played in defense. He had an unusual style of play: he would come to matches with his servant, who brought a chair. As soon as Dubinin cleared the ball, he would shout, "Dorofey, chair!" and sit down until the next attack. Forward Mikhail Rushchinsky also delighted spectators by scoring into the "nine." Some ZKS players were part of the Russian Empire national football team.