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 "excerpt": "Taras Khtey (Тарас Хтей), born 1982 in Zabuzhzhia, Ukraine, is a Russian outside hitter, Olympic volleyball champion 2012 and bronze medalist 2004, Belogorie Belgorod captain, later Belogorie sports director and Belgorod Oblast senator 2024–2025.",
 "snippet": "Taras Khtey (Тарас Хтей), born 1982 in Zabuzhzhia, Ukraine, is a Russian outside hitter, Olympic volleyball champion 2012 and bronze medalist 2004, Belogorie Belgorod captain, later Belogorie sports director and Belgorod Oblast senator 2024–2025.",
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 "markdown": "# Taras Khtey\n\n**Taras Khtey** (Тарас Юрьевич Хтей; born 1982) is a Russian former volleyball player, an outside hitter who captained Russia to the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and later served as a senator in the [Federation Council](https://www.edgepedia.org/federation-council-russia) of Russia representing [Belgorod Oblast](https://www.edgepedia.org/belgorod-oblast).<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/109311)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Born | 1982, Zabuzhzhia, Sokal district, Lviv region, Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine)<sup>[2](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)</sup> |\n| Playing position | Outside hitter (opposite spiker at times); height 205 cm, spike reach 347 cm, block reach 325 cm<sup>[3](https://volleybox.net/taras-khtey-p1109)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www-old.cev.eu/Competition-Area/PlayerDetails.aspx?ID=736&PlayerID=17310&TeamID=8857)</sup> |\n| Olympic medals | Gold, London 2012; bronze, Athens 2004, both for Russia<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/109311)</sup> |\n| Main club | Belogorie Belgorod, 2008–2017, wearing number 4<sup>[2](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www-old.cev.eu/Competition-Area/PlayerDetails.aspx?ID=736&PlayerID=17310&TeamID=8857)</sup> |\n| Major club titles | Russian champion 2001 and 2013; CEV Champions League 2014; CEV Cup 2009; FIVB Club World Championship 2014<sup>[2](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)</sup> |\n| Post-playing roles | Sports director of VC Belogorie from June 2017; senator from Belgorod Oblast, 27 June 2024 to September 2025<sup>[2](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and move to Russia\n\nKhtey was born in the village of Zabuzhzhia in the Lviv region of what was then the Ukrainian SSR.<sup>[2](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)</sup>\n\nObtaining Russian citizenship required a marriage of convenience: Verbova was even prepared to adopt the young player, but his mother objected, and Khtey instead married a [Moscow State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/moscow-state-university) student whom, by his own account, he saw only twice, at the registration and the divorce.<sup>[6](https://gazetanb.ru/2016/12/taras-htej-kazhdyj-raz-ty-dolzhen-dokazyvat-chto-dostoin-stoyat-na-ploshhadke/)</sup>\n\n## Playing career\n\nHe won a second Russian championship with Belogorie in 2012/13, then the CEV Champions League and the FIVB Club World Championship in 2014, the latter in [Belo Horizonte](https://www.edgepedia.org/belo-horizonte), Brazil, where Belogorie reached the final against Al-Rayyan of Qatar.<sup>[2](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www-old.cev.eu/Competition-Area/PlayerDetails.aspx?ID=736&PlayerID=17310&TeamID=8857)</sup>\n\n## Post-playing career and politics\n\nIn June 2017 Khtey was appointed sports director of VC Belogorie, a post he held until 2021, and on 30 August 2017 he was elected president of the Belgorod regional volleyball federation.<sup>[2](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)</sup> As a volleyball official he has spoken publicly about the return of Russian teams to international competition after their suspension from 2022.<sup>[5](https://sport.rambler.ru/volleyball/57153112-taras-htey-nadeyus-chto-so-sleduyuschego-sezona-rossiyskie-voleybolisty-aktivno-vorvutsya-na-mezhdunarodnuyu-arenu/amp/)</sup>\n\n## Honors\n\nKhtey was named an Honored Master of Sports of Russia in 2004, received the Medal of the Order \"For Merit to the Fatherland\" II class in 2007, and the [Order of Friendship](https://www.edgepedia.org/order-of-friendship) on 13 August 2012 for his contribution to sport and the London Olympic victory.<sup>[2](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)</sup> Sources differ on his playing measurements: the CEV, Olympedia, and Volleybox list 205 cm, while Sports.ru and Ruwiki list 207 cm and 109 kg.<sup>[4](https://www-old.cev.eu/Competition-Area/PlayerDetails.aspx?ID=736&PlayerID=17310&TeamID=8857)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/109311)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://volleybox.net/taras-khtey-p1109)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Taras Khtey, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/109311)\n2. [Хтей Тарас, VC Belogorie official site](https://old.belogorievolley.ru/players/18262-khtey-taras.html)\n3. [Taras Khtey, Volleybox](https://volleybox.net/taras-khtey-p1109)\n4. [Taras KHTEY, player details, CEV](https://www-old.cev.eu/Competition-Area/PlayerDetails.aspx?ID=736&PlayerID=17310&TeamID=8857)\n5. [Тарас Хтей: «Надеюсь, что со следующего сезона российские волейболисты активно ворвутся на международную арену», Rambler/Sports.ru](https://sport.rambler.ru/volleyball/57153112-taras-htey-nadeyus-chto-so-sleduyuschego-sezona-rossiyskie-voleybolisty-aktivno-vorvutsya-na-mezhdunarodnuyu-arenu/amp/)\n6. [Тарас Хтей: «Каждый раз ты должен доказывать, что достоин стоять на площадке», Газета «Наш Белгород»](https://gazetanb.ru/2016/12/taras-htej-kazhdyj-raz-ty-dolzhen-dokazyvat-chto-dostoin-stoyat-na-ploshhadke/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Indoor volleyball › Volleyball players › Soviet and Russian volleyball players*\n\n*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "credit": "\"Taras Khtey\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/taras-khtey. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[Taras Khtey](https://www.edgepedia.org/taras-khtey)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/taras-khtey](https://www.edgepedia.org/taras-khtey). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
 "credit_html": "\"<a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/taras-khtey\">Taras Khtey</a>\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/taras-khtey\">https://www.edgepedia.org/taras-khtey</a>. <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\">Edgepedia Community License 1.0</a>.",
 "speakable": "Taras Khtey, born 1982 in Zabuzhzhia, Ukraine, is a Russian outside hitter, Olympic volleyball champion 2012 and bronze medalist 2004, Belogorie Belgorod captain, later Belogorie sports director and Belgorod Oblast senator 2024–2025."
}