An Athletes Parade () also known as a Physical Fitness Culture Parade was a traditional Soviet-era parade of national athletes and sports people, designed to promote physical education and sports among the
Soviet people.
History
In 1919, on Moscow's Red Square, the first parade of athletes and
Vsevobuch
Vsevobuch ( rus, всевобуч, p=fsʲɪˈvobʊtɕ), a portmanteau for "Universal Military Training" ( rus, всеобщее военное обучение, r=vseobshcheye voyennoye obucheniye), was a system of compulsory military training for ...
detachments took place. It was the most ambitious parade to be held in the Russian capital during the early years of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
. Parades were also held in some other cities of the USSR. In particular, in 1927, the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...
was marked with a parade of athletes was held in
Barnaul
Barnaul ( rus, Барнау́л, p=bərnɐˈul) is the largest city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob Rivers in the West Siberian Plain. As of the 2021 Census, its population was ...
. Beginning in 1931, parades began to be held annually, first in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
and
Leningrad
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, and then in many cities across the nation, including republican capitals. At the 1935 parade,
Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
was referred to as the "best friend of the pioneers" and in 1936, the slogan "Thanks to Comrade Stalin for our happy childhood!" began to be featured during the parades whenever the Young Pioneers marched.
[ ]
http://www.bibliotekar.ru/encSlov/17/162.htm Since 1936, All-Union physical fitness culture parades began to be held in Moscow, involving athletes from all the
Union republics
The Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Union Republics ( rus, Сою́зные Респу́блики, r=Soyúznye Respúbliki) were National delimitation in the Soviet Union, national-based administrative units of ...
. Since 1939, the parades have been timed to coincide with Athletes' Day, which fell every 12 August.
The first post-war parade of athletes (and the last on Red Square) took place on 12 August 1945. It was dedicated to the
Victory over Nazi Germany as well as the oncoming
military victories over Japan in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. 25,000 participants from 16 union republics took part. The sports and gymnastics part of the parade featured 22 performances, lasting 4 hours 20 minutes combined. Among the guests of honor were
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union (russian: Маршал Советского Союза, Marshal sovetskogo soyuza, ) was the highest military rank of the Soviet Union.
The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in 19 ...
Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov ( rus, Георгий Константинович Жуков, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ˈʐukəf, a=Ru-Георгий_Константинович_Жуков.ogg; 1 December 1896 – ...
,
General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
and
United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
W. Averell Harriman.
In the 40s, the sketches of costumes and compositions of the Physical Culture Parade on Red Square were created by the famous theater artist
Fyodor Fedorovsky. The last parade of athletes was held in 1954.
Expanded summary
Beginning 1937, the athletes' parade on Red Square was modeled on the civil-military parades held on both 1 May (
International Workers Day
International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on 1 May, ...
) and 7 November (
October Revolution Day
October Revolution Day (officially Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution, russian: День Великой Октябрьской социалистической революции) was a public holiday in the Soviet Union and other ...
), with marching bands provided by the
Soviet Armed Forces
The Soviet Armed Forces, the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union and as the Red Army (, Вооружённые Силы Советского Союза), were the armed forces of the Russian SFSR (1917–1922), the Soviet Union (1922–1991), and th ...
'
Moscow Military District
The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military D ...
. Each of the republics had their national teams and sports clubs present for the event, with the republican athletes wearing their national costumes and carrying their republican emblems. Also, a number of Young Pioneers from the
Vladimir Lenin All-Union Pioneer Organization
The Vladimir Lenin All-Union Pioneer Organization ( rus, Всесоюзная пионерская организация имени В. И. Ленина, r=Vsesoyuznaya pionerskaya organizatsiya imeni V. I. Lenina, t=The All-Union Pioneer Organi ...
wearing their red neckerchiefs and a number of the
Voluntary Sports Societies and Departamental Sports Societies, with their unique club and society flags, were also represented in the parade with their athletes and coaching staff wearing uniforms of their club colors. At the Red Square stands were distinguished athletes and coaches, members of the national leadership of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, the Komsomol and the Council for Physical Culture and Sports, the diplomatic corps and citizens of the capital. Including those performing in the cultural and gymnastic segments following the parade proper the total number of marches totalled around 19,000, a diverse contingent made up of all 16 Union Republics, organized on republican and sports organizational lines.
In culture
* The parade of athletes that was held on 24 June 1938 in Moscow, is captured in the newsreel ''Sports Parade'' (directed by
Grigori Aleksandrov
Grigori Vasilyevich Aleksandrov or Alexandrov (russian: Григо́рий Васи́льевич Алекса́ндров; original family name was Мормоненко or Mormonenko; 23 January 1903 – 16 December 1983) was a prominent Soviet ...
).
* The sports parade held on 18 July 1939 in Moscow, is captured in the color chronicle film ''Blooming Youth'' (directed by
Aleksandr Medvedkin
Aleksandr Ivanovich Medvedkin (russian: Александр Иванович Медведкин; 24 February 1900 – 20 February 1989) was a Soviet Russian film director, best known for his 1935 film ''Happiness''. His life and art are the subjec ...
).
* The color documentary chronicle called ''The All-Union Parade of Athletes on August 12, 1945'' (directed by Vasily Belyaev,
Central Studio for Documentary Film
Russian Central Studio of Documentary Film () is a Russian film studio, founded in 1927. It was the largest Soviet newsreel and documentary cinematography studio. It is headquartered in Moscow.
History
Studio traced its history from 1927, when a ...
, 1945) was shown on
Russia-K
Russia-K (russian: Россия Культура, translit=Rossiya Kul'tura "Russia - Culture") is a Russian nationwide not-for-profit television channel that broadcasts shows regarding arts and culture. It belongs to the state-controlled VGTRK ...
on
Victory Day (9 May)
etc.
, nickname =
, observedby = Russia and some former states of Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact; Serbia, Israel
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = Annual
, date = 9 May
, scheduling = same day each year
, celebrations ...
in 2011.
* Soviet painter
Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov
Alexander Nikolayevich Samokhvalov (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Самохва́лов; 21 August 1894 – 20 August 1971) was a Soviet Russian painter, watercolorist, graphic artist, illustrator, art teacher and Honored ...
painted a picture in 1935 called ''Sergey Kirov Greeting Parad of Athletes'', a painting which is located in the
State Russian Museum
The State Russian Museum (russian: Государственный Русский музей), formerly the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (russian: Русский Музей Императора Александра III), on ...
.
* A
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
by Vladimir Frolov known as ''The parade of athletes'' is located in the
Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro) is a metro system serving the Russian capital of Moscow as well as the neighbouring cities of Krasnogorsk, Reutov, Lyubertsy and Kotelniki in Moscow Oblast. Opened in 1935 with one line and 13 stations, it was the first ...
at the
Novokuznetskaya station.
See also
*
Moscow Victory Day Parade
The Moscow Victory Day Parade ( rus, Парад Победы в Москве, r= Parad Pobedy v Moskve) refers to the annual military parade of the Russian Armed Forces on Moscow's Red Square on May 9 during the Victory Day celebrations. The ...
*
Battle Parade
The Armed Forces of Kazakhstan holds Battle Parades (russian: Боевой парад) every couple of years on 7 May, which is Defender of the Fatherland Day in Kazakhstan. Unlike the precedent set by the Soviet Army with its parades in Moscow, B ...
*
Parade of Nations
The Olympic Games ceremonies of the Ancient Olympic Games were an integral part of these Games; the modern Olympic games have opening, closing, and medal ceremonies. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies date back to the Ancient Games from ...
References
{{Reflist
Всесоюзный парад физкультурников 1945 года*
ttp://sport-history.ru/physicalculture/item/f00/s03/e0003036/index.shtml Энциклопедический словарь по физической культуре и спорту
Sport in the Soviet Union
Demonstrations
Parades in Russia