PHYSICAL CULTURE AND HEALTH-IMPROVING MOVEMENT IN THE USSR IN 1920-1930

Gladkikh Olga Vladimirovna; Ermolova Elena Anatolyevna; Lukin Anatoly Anatolyevich; Ermilova Oksana Yurievna; Vasilyeva Lyudmila Mikhailovna

Date of publication: November 20, 2021 DOI: 10.52270/26585561_2021_12_14_37

Historical Sciences

PHYSICAL CULTURE AND HEALTH-IMPROVING MOVEMENT IN THE

USSR IN 1920-1930

Gladkikh, Olga Vladimirovna1, Ermolova, Elena Anatolyevna2, Lukin, Anatoly

Anatolyevich3, Ermilova, Oksana Yurievna4, Vasilyeva, Lyudmila Mikhailovna5

1Lecturer, Voronezh State Technical University, 20-Let Oktyabrya Street, 84, Voronezh, Russia,

E-mail: olga.gladkikh992@mail.ru 2Senior Lecturer, Voronezh State Technical University, 20-Let Oktyabrya Street, 84, Voronezh,

Russia, E-mail: fizcult_kaf@vgasu.vrn.ru 3Senior Lecturer, Voronezh State Technical University, 20-Let Oktyabrya Street, 84, Voronezh,

Russia, E-mail: tolik-lykin81@mail.ru 4Lecturer, Semiluki Polytechnic College, Chapaeva Street, 62, Voronezh, Russia,

E-mail: ermoksana03@mail.ru 5Senior Lecturer, Voronezh State Technical University, 20-Let Oktyabrya Street, 84, Voronezh, Russia, E-mail: Vasileva.Ludmila.Mix2017@yandex.ru

Abstract

The study of the history of Soviet sports is a fairly new and promising direction in the field of historical science. An analysis of the state policy in this area during the indicated period makes it possible to better understand not only the history of Soviet sports, but also the socio-political processes that took place in Soviet Russia in 1920-1930. In addition, the study of the designated problems allows us to consider some aspects of intra-party discussions, the relationship between individual representatives of the state leadership. In a broader sense, this allows us to identify some facets of interaction between the state and society in a critical period for the country.

Keywords: sport, state, ideology, morality, people.

I. INTRODUCTION

Sport is one of the most important components in human life. There is no such sphere with which sport would not intersect in any way: economics, politics, culture. In sports, as in a mirror, the entire complexity of the development of modern society with its characteristic positive and negative sides is reflected, therefore it is so

important to comprehensively study it.

Sport as a phenomenon is so contradictory that there is no single view of its history and development. In the 1940-80s. it was understood as physical exercises, which set the task along with strengthening health, developing physical strength and motor abilities, achieving victory or high results in competitions, the choice of physical exercises is subordinated to the solution of this task. Physical culture was interpreted as part of the general culture of society, including the system of physical education of people, as well as a set of sports achievements, special scientific knowledge and technical means necessary for the tasks of physical education.

II. METHODOLOGY

The methodological basis of the article is formed by the principle of historicism, objectivity and systematic scientific analysis. Their use in aggregate made it possible to consider the development of physical culture and sports as integral parts of socio-political life.

The article comprehensively applies a number of general scientific research methods (descriptive, historicism, analysis and synthesis), special-historical methods (retrospective, comparative-historical, problem-chronological, etc.).

The listed methods were used in combination, which made it possible to provide an integrated approach to the study.

III. DISCUSSION

The researchers D. Dewey (USA), K. Gaulhofer (Austria) were among the first who turned to the study of this topic at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. They believed that "physical culture is a means designed to identify and develop the physical inclinations of people, already predetermined by heredity." In the works of V. Vydrin, including his doctoral dissertation "Soviet physical culture as a phenomenon of the cultural revolution in the USSR", physical culture is considered, on the one hand, as an activity aimed at physical improvement, physical education of people, and on the other, as physical exercises and sports competitions, which affect not only a person's appearance, but also his spiritual abilities, moral qualities, etc. Problems of the development of physical culture and sports on the territory of the Soviet Union in 1920-1930. were very significant. This is due to the fact that this sphere of human life and society took place precisely as a socio-cultural phenomenon of a certain set of values. On the one hand, sport has performed and continues to fulfill important cultural functions in family relations. On the other hand, it is one of the most common means of communication between different countries and peoples; It is during international sports forums and all kinds of competitions in the process of communicative communication that a kind of exchange of cultural values takes place, people from different countries representing sports disciplines are a kind of carriers of information about them in the eyes of foreigners. All this contributed to an increase in the role and importance of sports in Russia not only in the 1920s-1930s, but throughout the entire 20th century. The negative aspects of sports are clearly visible in the development of totalitarian states. Such a regime by the mid-1930s. The twentieth century took shape in the USSR. Here, the policy in the field of sports, based on ideological and propaganda considerations, was given state significance, which implied active intervention of the central government in the field of physical culture. The penetration of the state into the sphere of physical culture had a double meaning: sport received tremendous support, but at the same time, the authorities, in accordance with their interests, dictated conditions in the process of building mass physical culture. Sport has ceased to fulfill its direct functions: the all-round development of a person, both spiritual and physical, bringing the joy of sports victory in the world, unification in the hobby of sports fans not only in one country, but throughout the world. Physical culture was introduced into service with the aim of military training of huge masses of the population. With all the importance of this aspect for the security of the state, which is beyond doubt, there was a clear bias towards the military-applied nature of

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sports, which suppressed and interfered with the normal folding of other components of sports: the development of the maximum possible number of sports in accordance with the interests of sports fans, their wide material support from the state. For this study, it is important to study the methods of building sports in the USSR, their inherent uniqueness associated with the reflection of the Bolshevik ideology in specific sports practice. The fact of truly colossal work done in the Soviet country in the field of physical culture and sports in an unprecedentedly short time requires an objective assessment. In 1920-1930.

In Soviet Russia, competitions in numerous sports disciplines began to be actively held, such a phenomenon as mass physical culture developed, which embraced a large number of citizens of the Soviet Union. It is interesting to reveal on concrete material how in this difficult and turbulent time for the country, Soviet athletes first entered the international arena, how then the foundations of all future successes of Soviet sports were laid.

IV. RESULTS

Considering the history of Soviet sports and physical culture at the initial stage of their formation, it is impossible not to note the phenomenon of their rapid development; the fact of the unprecedentedly high popularity of physical exercises among the widest layers of the population of our country remains amazing.

Whatever efforts the state makes in popularizing physical education, without a broad movement from below, such rapid successes of sports in our country would be impossible. What made people during the period of the strongest socio-political and economic upheavals, during the hardest trials of colossal labor during collectivization, industrialization, go and engage in sports clubs, sections, enroll in sports societies and clubs, take part in sports events, parades and processions?

An ordinary Soviet citizen found a way in physical education that helped him cope with difficulties, distract himself from everyday worries. For some, sport has become a matter of life, professional earnings.

The existence of sports within the borders of the world's first socialist state could not but be influenced by the ideology of Marxism-Bolshevism. Often, sports and physical culture could not develop independently, in a natural way, they were forced to become one of the means of propaganda in the ideological struggle that the Soviet Union was so implacably waging with the "bourgeois" world.

The development of sports in the USSR was not an easy task. Sports and mass physical culture were influenced by the processes that took place in Soviet society as a whole.

Sport in the Soviet state has come a long way before the understanding of its tasks from narrowly utilitarian positions, conditioned by the need to improve the health of the broad working masses through physical exercises, the training of courageous and strong fighters for the bright future of communism, was replaced by the idea that sport is also useful as a means of promoting increasing labor productivity, educating a healthy younger generation of citizens of the country. The place of sport in the social life of the USSR was not immediately found, its traditional components were questioned, for example, individual competitions of athletes, criticized for the lack of a collective principle in them, the desire to establish sports records.

In the conditions of the post-war devastation, the state had enough problems than to closely monitor the development of sports, at that time much was stated about the importance of the sphere of physical culture, but in practice little was carried out. The state preferred to entrust the development of sports in the country to the Komsomol and trade union bodies. Throughout the 1920s, despite attempts to reorganize the management of Soviet sports, he, in fact, was left to himself, developing spontaneously, at the expense of the interest of ordinary amateurs. The situation changed when the party actively intervened. Under her direct leadership, all the fundamental changes in Soviet sports and mass physical culture took place, through mistakes, defeats and victories, a difficult stage of formation was passed.

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The principles of Soviet sports were the collective beginning, the amateur status. Communist ideology sought to show that workers go in for sports solely to improve their health, sports performance is not an end in itself for them.

The state, similar to the processes in the economy, culture, and public life, has moved from words to deeds in the field of sports. A course was taken for active state intervention in the affairs of physical culture, which, along with industry, agriculture, and the arts, was tasked with becoming one of the most important instruments of state policy.

It happened at the turn of 1920-1930, i.e. practically simultaneously with the processes of collectivization and industrialization in our country. The importance of sport from an ideological point of view was recognized in the highest corridors of power; sport, with the help of its high achievements, was supposed to show the citizens of our country and the whole world the advantages of living in a socialist country. But over the years of relative independence, sport has developed too slowly to show really outstanding achievements at the level of world standards, so it was decided to accelerate its formation through the broad centralization of the management and leadership of the country's sports movement, which happened during 1929-1931.

In 1930-1935. sport was provided with very substantial support with equipment, finances, human resources, a solid material foundation was laid, which made it possible to move on to the next stage in the development of sports. Since the mid-thirties, all work on the construction of mass physical education in our country had to go not according to the territorial principle, but according to the departmental principle, which facilitated the control of sports, and also expanded the possibility of assistance if necessary.

Instead of the former territorial sports clubs, little connected with each other, powerful sports societies were created, belonging to the largest trade unions, organizations and departments. Similar processes took place in agriculture and industry, which also followed the path of creating large production associations.

V. CONCLUSION

The processes that were characteristic of Soviet sports in 1920-1930 must be considered from different points of view. There were also enough positive factors in the development of sports: the unprecedented rapid development of sports and mass physical culture in our country, when the foundation for future victories of the post-war period was laid. But there were also negative direct interference of the state in the affairs of sports, rigid centralization, which in fact turned into a dictate of power over sports, its subordination primarily to political tasks, which hindered the natural development of Soviet sports. All this taken together and determined the complex process that was the formation of sports in the conditions of the Soviet totalitarian state.

It remains to add that sport, of course, cannot exist without the help of political forces, the state, and business. However, for the normal development of sports, this assistance is required in accordance with a strict program, taking into account the modern achievements of science and technology, medicine.

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ФИЗКУЛЬТУРНО-ОЗДОРОВИТЕЛЬНОЕ ДВИЖЕНИЕ В СССР В 19201930 ГГ.

Гладких Ольга Владимировна1, Ермолова Елена Анатольевна2, Лукин Анатолий Анатольевич3, Ермилова Оксана Юрьевна4, Васильева Людмила Михайловна5

1 Преподаватель, Воронежский государственный технический университет, ул. 20-летия Октября, 84, Воронеж, Россия, E-mail: olga.gladkikh992@mail.ru 2Старший преподаватель, Воронежский государственный технический университет,

ул. 20-летия Октября, 84, Воронеж, Россия, E-mail: d18sveta@mail.ru 3Старший преподаватель, Воронежский государственный технический университет, ул. 20-летия Октября, 84, Воронеж, Россия, E-mail: tolik-lykin81@mail.ru 4Преподаватель, Семилукский политехнический колледж, улица Чапаева, дом 62, Воронеж, Россия, E-mail: ermoksana03@mail.ru 5Старший преподаватель, Воронежский государственный технический университет, ул. 20-летия Октября, 84, Воронеж, Россия, E-mail: Vasileva.Ludmila.Mix2017@yandex.ru

Аннотация

Изучение истории советского спорта - довольно новое и перспективное направление в области исторической науки. Анализ государственной политики в этой сфере в указанный период позволяет лучше понять не только историю советского спорта, но и социально-политические процессы, происходившие в Советской России в 1920-1930 годах. Кроме того, изучение обозначенных проблем позволяет рассмотреть некоторые аспекты внутрипартийных дискуссий, взаимоотношения между отдельными представителями государственного руководства. В более широком смысле это позволяет выявить некоторые грани взаимодействия государства и общества в критический для страны период.

Ключевые слова: спорт, государство, идеология, мораль, человек.

СПИСОК ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ

Ashmarov I.A., Ershov B.A. (2019) The role of Russian spiritual education in the formation of culture in a secular society of the XIX - early XX centuries. Border region in historical development: partnership and cooperation. Materials of the international scientific-practical conference dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet and Mongolian troops on the Khalkhin-Gol river. Chita: Publisher: Transbaikal State University. Pp. 50-53. (in Russ).

Bogatyrev N. M. (1967) Physical culture in the personal life of V. I. Lenin. Theory and practice of physics. culture. №. 4. P. 2. (in Russ).

Chudinov I. G. (1948) Physical culture in the years of the Civil war. Essays on the history of physical culture. Moscow: Physical culture and sport. 108 p. (in Russ).

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