PARTICIPATION OF SOVIET UKRAINE ATHLETES IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS IN 1920’s

DANYLENKO O.V.

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The article discovers a participation of Soviet Ukraine athletes in international
competitions in 1920’s. The paper emphasizes that the topic has not been a subject of
complex scientific research yet. There are only few sides discovered in the articles of
Ukrainian scientists. Archives of state and public institutions preserves documents and
materials, which are an important source for studying direct participation of Ukrainian
sports delegations and individual athletes in international competitions. The object of our
interest is international cultural relations of the Soviet Ukraine. The subject of the paper is
participation of teams and individual athletes in international football, athletics and other
competitions. Objectives of research are: to show the first steps of Soviet Ukraine on its
way to international recognition through different sports competitions; to identify the
ideological influence on the development of Soviet sport; to find out the status of institutional
and functional level of Ukrainian delegations in the international sport area. It is also
important to establish bilateral connections and representative status of international sport
teams in Ukraine on public, regional and national levels. It is noted that the Soviet
government assigned the role of sport as a part of politics and propaganda in domestic
and international area. Ukraine had the organizational and functional institutions that
coordinated sport development, representing the republic at international and all-union
competitions. Trips abroad were taken by Ukrainian functionaries, coaches and athletes to
adopt physical culture and sport development experience from Western countries. In mid-1920
the first among Ukrainian athletes were not professional sportsmen but amateur football
players. Ukrainian SSR was represented on the international arena by players of football,
volleyball, handball, basketball, track and field etc. The sport component of international
relations of Soviet Ukraine was widely covered by the republican press. The article shows
that during the first half of 1920s. system of Soviet sport was established. The second half
of 1920s. is marked with intensification of contacts between Ukrainian and international
athletes. At this time a nationwide and all-union sports competition in contrast to the Olympic
Games were held and the athletes from around the world were involved. It is proved that
during 1920th. Ukraine had a great variety of international sport relations.[/restab]

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DANYLENKO O.V. – Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko, Dr (History), Assosiate Professor (Ukraine).[/restab]

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