The years of the Great Patriotic War are an important period for Russian and world history; not only everyday life changed, but also sports life. By the 80th anniversary of the Victory we will tell you about the role of sports during the battles and remember the country's heroes, their valiant feats and key events that brought the memorable May Day closer.

June 24, 1941 - on the second day after the attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR was suspended VII championship in soccer. The Football Section of the All-Union Council of Physical Culture announced the termination of the championship due to the general mobilization draft of athletes to the Red Army.

Despite the draft and the departure to the front of volunteer athletes, regional and amateur competitions continued in the depths of the country, which kept the spirit of those who forged victory on the home front. However, soccer matches in occupied Kiev, besieged Leningrad and destroyed Stalingrad left a special trace in sports history - they became a symbol of courage and will to victory of the Soviet people.

From September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944 - 871 days the inhabitants of Leningrad were cut off by the invaders from the rest of the world. But despite the terrible losses - during the blockade more than 640 thousand people died of starvation, and more than 17 thousand died from shelling - they kept the will to live and faith in victory.

In April 1942, German planes scattered leaflets over Leningrad, calling it the “City of the Dead”. To spite the invaders, in May the residents held a soccer match at the Dynamo stadium. Not for the victory on the soccer field, but for the victory of the country competed “Dynamo” and the team of the Leningrad Metal Works (LMZ).

The whole city supported the players from the stands - the match was played in two shortened halves of 30 minutes without a break. Despite the exhaustion and the field half-destroyed by explosions, the athletes held a worthy competition, which ended with the victory of “Dynamo” with the score 7:3. The next day, at the front line, a report about the soccer match from the “City of the Dead” was broadcast on the radio under the sound of shells. On June 7, the second match was held, which ended in a draw - 2:2. These matches gave a start to the development of soccer in besieged Leningrad in 1942-1943, which kept the spirit of the citizens until the liberation.

The Battle of Stalingrad, which changed the course of the Great Patriotic War, took place from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943 and ended with the complete liberation of the city. On May 2, 1943 a soccer match “On the ruins of Stalingrad” was held. Moscow “Spartak” and a team of local players from “Dynamo” competed - the Stalingrad players won with the score 1:0. The sporting event created a festive atmosphere and demonstrated that the city was returning to peaceful life.

The stadium of the Azot plant, which was less damaged during the battles, was chosen for the competition. Volunteers volunteered to tidy up the field: to clean up debris and level the surface, expecting a triumph of sport and freedom. Despite the fact that the stadium stands could accommodate about three thousand fans, the match itself gathered about ten thousand people who cared. Nothing unites people better than the opportunity to cheer “for their own”.

Initially, the Committee for Physical Culture proposed to hold the national soccer championship back in 1944 after the de-occupation of most of the country from Nazi troops. But due to insufficient funding, the USSR Football Section organized only the National Cup, which was held in an abbreviated format - only 26 teams took part. After the victory of the USSR and the end of the Great Patriotic War, soccer competitions were resumed, the first season started in 1945, with 32 teams participating.

Based on the materials of the Internet encyclopedia “Wikipedia” and the blog “Learn in 60 seconds”

Photo: FC Zenit