“Heroes of War - Heroes of Sport": Volga Region University hosted a scientific conference on the eve of the 80th anniversary of Victory

A significant date is approaching - the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. On the eve of Victory Day, the Volga Region University of Sport and Tourism held the All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Heroes of War - Heroes of Sport” jointly with the base organization of the CIS member states in the field of university sport.

It united participants not only from Russia, but also from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - they sent more than 100 applications.

The conference opened with a pleasant and touching moment: first-year student of the Institute of Sport Dilyara Burganova handed the rector of the university a symbol of unity of generations - a handmade St. George ribbon. The gesture meant that students of Povolzhsky University remember and honor the memory of heroes and the importance of Victory Day.

Rector of Volga Region University, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education Rafis Burganov welcomed the conference participants.

- Today, the tasks of preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War and combating the falsification of history are of paramount importance. Attempts to rewrite history and revise the outcome of the Second World War, as well as the glorification of the Nazis and their accomplices and the denial of the war crimes they committed, are unacceptable.

At the conference we will talk about the feat of our fathers and grandfathers, which will always serve as a vivid example of courage, valor and true brotherhood of people of different nationalities. We are proud of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, toilers of the home front, who, without sparing themselves, brought the Victory closer. Soviet athletes also made a significant contribution. After returning from the front, they continued to support their country by winning medals and setting records. They were also an example for the youth,” Rafis Burganov emphasized.

He also quoted the hero of the Soviet Union, General of the Army Ivan Petrov, who evaluated the contribution of military athletes to the victory in the Great Patriotic War: “Each athlete is worth several ordinary soldiers in battle, and a platoon of athletes is more reliable than a battalion, if there is a complex combat operation”.

Vladimir Belyaev, Head of the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Management of KNITU-KAI named after A.N. Tupolev, made a report on the falsification of the Great War and the role of physical culture and sports in the Victory. On the basis of historical facts he gave examples of courage and heroism of Soviet citizens, whose feats are trying to falsify. He also paid attention to the influence of sports on the formation of the personality of fighters.

- The topic of the report forces me to focus on the way our efforts during the war and our Victory are interpreted in the Urals. In fact, a certain cult has developed, which is trying to create a new reality that has nothing to do with what actually happened,” said Vladimir Belyaev.

Answering the questions of the participants, he added that many people perceive physical culture only as a training of speed and strength. But it is not. First of all, it is patriotism and will - the ability to force oneself to act against the wishes of the body. This skill can be useful in ordinary life, and during the war even more so - both in the rear and at the front.

The conference participants were deeply touched by the report “Sport: this is how steel was tempered” by Dina Dergunova, a leading lecturer of the Department of Philosophy and Media Communications of Kazan State Power Engineering University. During her speech, she paid attention to the development of sports in the USSR before the war, as well as how physical activity influenced the formation of fighters.  

-'We have gathered today to remember the role of sport in the education of the pre-war generation, important historical events, sports heroes and ordinary participants of the war, as well as those who returned with victory and continued sports activities. After all, sport is communication in a period of tense international relations,” said Dina Dergunova.

In addition, she highlighted the biography and feats of Soviet athletes and coaches who defended the Motherland at the front and forged the Victory in the rear, including natives of Tatarstan. Dina Dergunova shared stories from her life and biographies of her relatives and colleagues. And at the end of her speech she read a poem written by her colleague Elena Gracheva, dedicated to her father, a front-line soldier.

Representatives of the Volga Region University - employees of the Department of Social and Humanitarian Disciplines - also made speeches at the plenary session. Associate Professor Ildar Gizzatullin presented the report “Without Statute of Limitations - Genocide of the Soviet People in the Historical Memory of the Great Patriotic War”. He paid special attention to historical facts and statistics confirming war crimes of Nazi Germany towards both civilians and prisoners of war.

And teacher Ilya Beresnev raised the topic of reproducing the cultural code in Soviet boxing. He told the conference participants about the changes that Soviet boxing underwent in the post-war period - its main idea became humanism. He also noted how these changes influenced the sport of highest achievements, in particular the Olympics of the 80s.

After the plenary session, the participants continued the discussion at the scientific section “The Role of Physical Culture and Sports in the Patriotic Education of Youth”. The reports considered the peculiarities of patriotic education of youth, art and culture during the Great Patriotic War, and also paid tribute to the heroes of the front line and home front workers.

Text: Adelina Khramova