ABSTRACT
In October 1920, the Soviet government issued a decree entitled ‘On the physical upbringing of the juvenile population’, which stated, ‘it is essential for the laboring population to have physical and mental strengths in order to move forward on the path of socialist construction’. The decree called for physical culture activities in all schools, for extracurricular athletic programs (including those for pre-school children) and for the overall expansion of physical culture in everyday life.1 Soviet leaders saw physical culture as an essential element in the construction of socialism and the creation of the New Soviet Man. Between 1917 and 1941 they instituted widespread programs to promote bodily health and fitness. A healthy and fit population represented an important resource in an age of large-scale industrial manufacturing and mass warfare. Physical exercise ensured the labor capacity and military preparedness of Soviet citizens.
