The Spartakiads or Spartakiades in Czechoslovakia (

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

and ) were

mass gymnastics Mass games, or mass gymnastics, are a form of performing arts or gymnastics in which large numbers of performers take part in a highly regimented performance that emphasizes group dynamics rather than individual prowess. North Korea Mass ...

events, designed to celebrate the Red Army's liberation of Czechoslovakia in 1945. The name refers to the 1921 Prague Spartakiad organised by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. They were organised by the

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

government as a replacement of the similar Sokol gatherings, which were disapproved by the regime and discontinued after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The Spartakiads took place at the

Strahov Stadium The Great Strahov Stadium () is a stadium in the Strahov district of Prague, Czech Republic. It was built for displays of synchronized gymnastics on a massive scale, with a field three times as long and three times as wide as the standard ass ...

, the largest stadium ever built and the venue of the last pre-war Sokol gathering. Most of the organisers of the Spartakiads were former Sokol officials.

History

The first Spartakiad took place in 1955, and was subsequently held every five years. The Spartakiad scheduled for 1970 was canceled in the wake of the

Prague Spring The Prague Spring (; ) was a period of liberalization, political liberalization and mass protest in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected Secretary (title), First Secre ...

and the beginning of

normalization Normalization or normalisation refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular. Science * Normalization process theory, a sociological theory of the implementation of new technologies or innovations * Normalization model, used in ...

. Preparations for the 1990 Spartakiad were interrupted by the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...

, but the event still took place as the "Prague Sports Games", albeit on a much smaller scale than the previous ones. The Spartakiads involved large numbers of people; for example, at the 1960 Spartakiad about 750,000 gymnasts from the whole country took part and over 2,000,000 spectators witnessed the event. The last major edition in 1985 saw around 160,000 people perform across fifteen demonstrations. Before each Spartakiad, local Spartakiads were held, with juries selecting the best gymnasts from each region for the national event. Men and women of all ages practiced and performed exercise routines. Appearance was originally mandatory for students and servicemen of the armed forces and police. During the

Normalization Normalization or normalisation refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular. Science * Normalization process theory, a sociological theory of the implementation of new technologies or innovations * Normalization model, used in ...

years, it became more voluntary. The 1985 Spartakiad notably originated the

Michal David Michal David (born name Vladimír Štancl, 14 July 1960, Prague) is a Czech Pop Singer, pop-singer, songwriter and producer. Biography and career He started his music career during his studies in Prague Conservatory in the 1970s where he crea ...

pop song ''Poupata'' (''Flower Buds''), which remains popular in the Czech Republic today and inspired a 2011 film of the same name.

History

Gallery

References

See also