Category Archive: Soviet Sport

E. T. Migunov. Picture for the booklet ‘Welcome’. Soviet Art for XXII Moscow Olympiad

Soviet Art for XXII Moscow Olympiad
Games of the XXII Olympiad, held in July-August 1980 in Moscow, have already become history. But in the memory of thousands of athletes participating in the competition, Muscovites and guests who have come to our country from many countries, hundreds of millions of TV viewers, they will forever remain a holiday of youth and health. Also, the clearest proof of how friendly and fruitful people can live and work together, cooperate and compete regardless of nationality and skin color.
The capital of the USSR was the first city of the socialist state in which the Olympic Games were held, the largest sports competitions of our time. Admittedly, they were a great success. Soviet art masters made an important contribution to the atmosphere of festivity and hospitality that distinguished the Games. Among them designers, monumentalists, graphic artists, painters, sculptors, poster and applied artists.
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The mascot bear Mishka. Closing ceremony. XXII Summer Olympic Games in the Soviet Union. 1980, Moscow

XXII Summer Olympic Games in the Soviet Union
37 years ago, on July 19, 1980, the XXII Summer Olympic Games opened in Moscow. For the first time, The Olympics took place in a socialist country. According to the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Moscow became an Olympic city. The emblem of the Olympiad became a stylized image of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin with a star in the form of upward-directed lines denoting athletic tracks. At the base of the tower there were five intertwined Olympic rings.
And the mascot of the Moscow Olympic Games became Bear Misha, created by the Soviet artist Viktor Chizhikov. Initially, due to the lack of Internet in those years, citizens discussed the applicants in the TV program “In the world of animals.” According to the results of the survey, Misha was ahead of all. Among the offers were the moose and squirrel, swan and sable, cock and bison, and at the same time folkloric characters – Petrushka, Matryoshka and Hunchback-Humpback. Noteworthy, Misha became the first mascot in the history of the Games that visited space – on June 15, 1978. It flew aboard the Soyuz-29 spacecraft along with Vladimir Kovalenko and Alexander Ivanchenkov.
However, at the Moscow Olympics there was also another mascot. Thus, the symbol of competition of yachtsmen in Tallinn became puppy named Vigri.
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USSR 1980 Summer Olympics

USSR 1980 Summer Olympics has become history. But born in the Soviet Union people will long keep the memories of a beautiful celebration of youth and sports. One of the many foreign guests of the Olympics said: “What we saw in Moscow during the opening and closing of the Olympic Games, to repeat – may be possible, but to exceed – Never!” The most grandiose in its beauty and scale Olympic Games in the history of the Olympic movement – this is the unanimous opinion of the participants of the Moscow Olympics, its guests. It is difficult even to imagine how many people gave their talent, energy, inspiration to Olympic, to turn it into an unforgettable spectacle. Much credit for this belongs to the artists.
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July 1, 1936 Physical Culture Parades in USSR

Physical Culture Parades in USSR
“Streets – our brushes, squares – our palettes” – these words by Vladimir Mayakovsky come to mind when you look at archival photos of Physical Culture Parades in USSR. In 1919, the Red Square in Moscow hosted the first parade of athletes and teams of Vsevobuch (system of compulsory military training). The most grandiose parades were held in the capital of the Soviet Union – Moscow. Parades were also held in several other cities of the USSR. In particular, in 1927 in Barnaul the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution, with the parade of athletes. Since 1931, the parades have been held annually, first in Moscow and Leningrad, and then in the other cities of the USSR. In 1935, at the parade of athletes in Moscow, Stalin was named “the best friend of the pioneers,” and in 1936 at the athletes parade in Moscow was first introduced the slogan “Thank you Comrade Stalin for our happy childhood!”.
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