Sport in Russia

History

«Igrischa» One of the most ancient forms of original physical training of eastern slavs

held mass national festivals called «games» 

[»igrischa»]. In the early period «igrischa» were devoted to pagan rites «Swimming games», 

« Turovy games» etc. They were also held after

acceptance of christianity (X century), but since that

time were dated to Christian church holidays.

The main elements of the Games were songs,

dances, round dances, run, jumps, wrestling,

fisticuffs, various games such

as «torches», «lupta», «small towns» [gorodki],

game with a sort of «hockey» stick and

other physical exercises and the

entertainment promoting

development of force, dexterity, endurance, courage, persistence.

These simple terms «games», «fun and entertainment» actually had

the phenomenon of the big importance for the nation. Created by people, they as anything else,

formed the physically perfect people with and strong will, and the new

nation image convincingly reflected in labor and, in particular, in long,

lasting for centuries, heavy struggle against the bitter enemies, aspiring

to enthrall Russian people.

In Ancient Russia among the exercises playing the

big role in physical development of people

there was skiing. Statements of foreigners of that time were like that 

« … Russians quickly run on .»

snow on a ski or wooden soles, resting sticks in

snow

In 1953 during excavation in Novgorod the most ancient

copy high-speed a ski of XII-XIII centuries was found. That ski

has length of 192 sm, its average width — 8 sm,

thickness 1см, and in a place where the leg is put, — 3 sm.

Curvature of all lines is thoroughly designed and

verified. In a Novgorod' ski there were made holes for inserting a foot fixing belt.

Besides for household needs and hunting

they began to use skis as a communication

military facility. In Nikonov annals for 1444 the successful

campaign of the Moscow ski host for defense of the city

Ryazan against tatar tsarevitch Mustafa

from Golden Horde is described.

Skis were used in Peter's I and Ekaterina' II armies. In the deep antiquity of past

centuries the roots of national fun,

entertainment, games, entertainment with skis,

including elements of competitions can be

observed. Besides walking on skis, winter was a good

time for skating and sledding, stick fights on ice, a capture of snow

fortresses etc.

In Ancient Russia the big role was played by physical

exercises like fisticuffs and fencing fights, wrestling etc.,

promoting development of physical strength, dexterity,

endurance and resoluteness, readiness for

defense. Even in a Slavic military — funeral ceremony

these exercises were traditionally arranged for the

purpose of military and physical development of

soldiers.

The image of a man from the military retinue of the

Prince — « the brave combative man « was creatively depicted

as the Russian epic heroes [«bogatyry»]. «Bogatyry», the

Russian epic heroes are people whose personal interests are actually the interests of the

nation on the whole.

In the Russian epic poems the reality was described by artificial generalization

means, physical exercises of the Russian epic heroes like wrestling, horse exercises, swimming, shooting from a

bow, a throwing of «palitsa» (a heavy stick) are depicted. As for Prince Vladimir, for example, it is

written, that he used to bring his military team in a field «

to shoot at the oak» growing there.

Basing on contents of the book « Words about

Igor' s regiment», the Russian epic poem «Ilya

Muromets» and others one can conclude, that

the entertaining of Russian epic heroes accompanied with

competitions in physical strength,

dexterity and military skills, were

characterized by original methods of

training and testing of their readiness for military defense.

Wrestling and fisticuffs were fond not only by youth, but also by

adults. In the course of centuries developed seizure and

wrestling methods developed. Opponents usually clasped each

other in a crossing way. Other ways of seizure were also used.

Among methods used there were  «beating» and  «tripping up». Wrestling was considered

completed when one of opponents fell on the ground.

Fisticuffs widely distributed in Ancient Russia revealed physical strength

and moral characteristics of participants. There were two kinds of

fights: mass fights — « a wall against a wall» and single

fights — «single combats». Formation of «walls» (teams), as a rule, was effected on a territorial

principle (settlement, street, a large village).

In mass street fisticuffs the party banished the opponent from a place of fight became the winner.

Single fisticuffs were more often practiced as a way of settlement of questions at issue and conflict

judicial duels.

Fisticuffs' rules, known under the

name of rules of fair fight, are widely

reflected in national creative literature.

These rules expressed in sayings and

proverbs, stipulated, that « lying in fight

does not go «, «don't hit a man when he's

down» etc.

During the first half of XVIII century in Russia the fisticuffs were so

widely expanded, that the government tried to

regulate them. It's known that in 1726 St.

Petersburg the head of police has declared the

order forbidding fisticuffs within the bounds of the city without the police

official permission. However, fisticuffs

participants bypassed the established rules and

competitions were held in other places.

In 1832 Nikolay I issued the decree about total and full

prohibition of fisticuffs « …

fisticuffs as an entertainment are harmful and are

absolutely forbidden». But in spite of this law

fisticuffs were still present in a national

life.