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. On 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.

In the early years of the war, only small localized competitions were held in the country, as athletes, without sparing themselves, fought at the front and worked in the rear. But competitions are not just social events, but a whole culture that helped people not to give in to fear and despair even in the hardest times. So from 1942, tournaments began to spread across the country and became a special way of protesting fascism. Last month we remembered the heroism of soccer players who scored goals in various cities across the country in the name of victory and the freedom of the people.

Also in the second year of the war athletics became especially important - so in 1942 five and a half million people participated in the All-Union race, in 1943 - nine million. On June 14, the Trade Union and Komsomol cross race was held - in Sokolniki 8372 participants, many of whom had returned from the front the day before, took to the start. And in September, Moscow held a historic race at 20 kilometers, it was called “Run to break the record”. Theodosiy Vanin, a native of the village of Baturinskoye, Krasnodar Territory, surpassed the previous record by ten seconds (1:03.51.0) and became the first world record holder from the USSR in athletics. 

The year 1943 was a time when wartime sports flourished; major tournaments in track and field athletics, weightlifting, gymnastics, cycling, swimming, boxing and speed skating were resumed. And in the territories remote from the hostilities, republican spartakiads were even held. A landmark day was February 13, when a Soviet detachment climbed Mount Elbrus to remove fascist flags. The task was successfully accomplished - they replaced the enemy flags with the Red Flag of the USSR.

When there was a turning point in the course of the war, the USSR government decided to create a new sports society. Thus, in July 1943, the “Labor Reserves” were opened with the purpose of “to ensure the rise of mass military-sports work in colleges and schools”. University students competed in cross-country skiing, track and field athletics and bayonet combat.

And on August 5, Muscovite Evdokia Vasilyeva surpassed the official world record in the 800-meter race at the All-Union Central Sports Union championship. Her result of two minutes and 12 seconds will be improved only in nine years. In the same year in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) opened XV USSR championship in athletics. It was remembered for a number of striking events: Nina Dumbadze improved the world record in discus throw (48 m 77 cm), and Johannes Kotkas set the USSR record in hammer throw (53.88). Later, it was Nina Dumbadze who would become the model for the Motherland sculpture on Mamayev Kurgan.

Other athletes were not lagging behind the track and field athletes. In September, also in Gorky, the XVIII USSR Weightlifting Championship was held, 28 athletes took part in it. Among the winners Grigory Novak, Alexander Bozhko and Yakov Kutsenko.

As the war progressed, people were more and more drawn to sports - even in the hardest times local tournaments were held in the fascist-occupied territories. But gradually the competitions reached the regional and all-Russian levels, attracting millions of participants all over the country. Despite the fact that the Great Victory is still two years away, athletes - front-line soldiers and home front defenders, won not only the freedom of the Motherland, but also records of the highest achievements.

Based on the materials of electronic resources of the Heraklion Foundation and the Lokomotiv Children's Youth Sports School.

Photo: Sports.ru