Government influence on development of sport in Russia in early XX century (Case study of North-Western provinces)

Фотографии: 

ˑ: 

Associate professor, Ph.D. D.A. Belyukov
Velikie Luki State Academy of Physical Culture and Sport, Velikie Luki

 

Keywords: government, sport, sports associations and organizations, legal regulation, north-western provinces.

Introduction. As a result of revolutionary unrest in 1905-1907 the process of forming Russian civil society became more intense. According to Manifesto dated 17 October 1905 On the Improvement of the State Order public organizations and political parties could be formed. Temporary Regulations on Societies and Unions, issued on 4 March 1906, facilitated the procedure for societies and unions formation in the Russian Empire [11].

Provincial and local boards, responsible for overseeing the opening and activity of societies and unions, were created in accordance with the Temporary Regulations on Societies and Unions. The local boards were performing the registration of societies and unions policy papers and charters of statutes, and controlling their activity in provinces and cities. The boards served as local administrative institutions till 1906-1917 [2, 11].

Provincial and local boards were responsible for registering societies and unions, including sports organizations, in compliance with the procedure established by law.

Following the Decree of the Emperor of 4 March 1905, on 6 April 1906 the Ministry of Internal Affairs on agreement with the Ministry of Justice approved the societies’ register procedure, as well as the form of an article, confirming that a society has been put on the register, to be published in Senate announcements, provincial and local bulletins. There was a register of societies and organizations for each province, containing general information about the established public associations. This information included: registration number, date of registration application, charter of statutes content, date of provincial or local board resolution for the registration of a society, registration announcement publication date and number, application request for a new branch establishment (date of application and location of a branch), date of establishment and closing of branches, societies and unions [3].

Thus, the legislative function of the government started to play a fundamental role in the legal regulation of the sports movement in Russia, including its North-Western provinces, in the early 20th century.

The purpose of the study was to consider public mechanisms of stimulating the development of the sports movement in Russia in the early 20th century.

Results and discussion. Pskov sports association, established on 4 November 1906, was the first registered association in the North-Western region. This association was to have “athletics, gymnastics, shooting, fencing and rowing sports, and action games, such as: lawn tennis, football, bowling, etc., as well as bicycle and boat trips etc.». Mikhail Aleksandrovich Knyazev, the head of the governor’s chancellery, was the first chairman of the Pskov sports association board. The association lessened its activity in 1911. The members of the sports association took part in target shooting and cycling races in summer, and ice skating in winter.

Nevertheless, in May 1913 the chairman did not provide any information about the new members of the sports association to the Pskov chancellery of the governor. They were not in the list of the associations operating in Pskov as of March 1913 [5, 6, 8].

In July-August 1910 an action group of Novgorodians put forward an idea of creating a sports association to stimulate the extensive development of sports. On 8 August 1910 the founding meeting took place and a ballot was held to elect a provisional committee. The charter of statutes of the sports association was adopted on 20 August 1910, and the Novgorodian sports association officially came into existence. The association aimed to develop different types of winter and summer sports. Special emphasis was placed on such winter sports as ice hockey, ice skating, skiing and ice yachting. The most popular summer sports in czarist Novgorod were football, athletics and water sports as well as cycling and motorcycling [10].

Sports associations aiming to develop skiing were established in Russia in the late XIXth – early XXth centuries [13, 14]. In the early XXth century skiing spread to Russian provinces. An initiative group dedicated to establishing the Bezhanitsky sports association appeared in Bezhanitsy village of Novgorodsky uyesd of Pskov Governorate in 1909. The mastermind of this idea was D.D. Filosofov. The charter of statutes defined the aim of the association as “protection of public health and organization of healthy activities and entertainment”. The sports association was thought to specialize in skiing and ski hunting [5].

At the beginning of 1910 a group of like-minded people decided to establish an association called “Health and Sports” in Opochka, Pskov Governorate. According to the charter of statutes the association aimed to “promote physical activity for both male and female (adults, children and students), and communication between its members”. On 2 November 1910 the association «Health and Sports» was registered in Opochka [5].

An association of athletics and physical development “Vis” was established in Pskov in 1910. The association concentrated on the following sports: athletics, wrestling, boxing, fencing, and gymnastics [6].

After a while the association of athletics and physical development “Vis” ceased to exist in all but name and had to be reregistered. On the whole, a new charter of statutes quoted the previous one with minor differences. In particular, it included the development of outdoor sports (football, hockey, tennis, etc.) and skiing. In addition it was allowed to organize public sports and entertainment exhibition performances, and lectures on physical education.

On 13 September 1913 the application for registration was examined and refused for a number of reasons. First of all, the charter allowed membership to students and minors; secondly, the rules of election of the chairman and vice-chairman were not specified; and thirdly, one of the paragraphs of the charter allowed to open branches of the association in Pskov Governorate, and another one allowed the association to operate on the territory of Russia, which the administrative authorities regarded as controversial. The charter members had to make the necessary amendments after the refusal. The association was officially registered on 10 February 1914. On 14 April 1914 the government periodical Senate announcements regarding state, government and court affairs. Addition to the Senate Bulletin published the following announcement: «On 28 January 1914 the Association of athletics and physical development “Vis” № 1047 was registered by Societies and Unions Board of Pskov Governorate. [5].

Associations promoting sports development among students started to appear in the late XIXth – early XXth centuries [9, 12, 13, 14].

From archival records it has been established that similar associations appeared in the North-Western part of Russia, not only in Saint Petersburg but in Novgorod and Pskov provinces [1]. In particular there were established: The Borovichi Association of physical and moral education of children and adults (1906) [3], Pskov Association of Physical Education for Students (1911) [4, 5], Valday Association of Physical Development for Children (1913) [3].

Chess movement appeared in 1913 at the initiative of N.A. Voronov, B.A. Gartvig and V.A. von Raaben to open a chess club. The charter of the chess club defined the aim as “to give its members an opportunity to master theory and practice of chess, to promote chess, and to serve as a chess players union”. Pskov chess club was officially registered on 23 October 1913. [5].

In the second half of the XIXth century – early XXth century the Sokol gymnastics movement was introduced in East Europe and Russia, and was influenced by a more comprehensive sports organization called the Slavic Sokol. On 7 March 1911 gymnastics union “Sokol” was officially registered in Kholm of Pskov Governorate. The charter of the statutes of gymnastics union “Sokol” was approved by the Governor of Pskov on 21 April 1912 [4, 5, 7].

In 1914-1915 “Sokol” was included in the Uniform List of Sports Organizations in Russia aiming to improve physical education [4].

Conclusion. In the early XXth century the government performed legislative and administrative functions in the course of development of sports in Russia. Regulatory issues of sports development were dictated by Manifesto of 17 October 1905 On the Improvement of the State Order and Provisional Regulations on associations and unions of 4 March 1906. It helped to simplify the procedure of registration of sports associations and to ensure their activity monitoring. Provincial and local boards were responsible for overseeing the opening and activity of societies and unions. The influence of the Government became one of the most important factors of sports development in the early XXth century. Thereafter, it led to the formation of Chancellery of the Main Inspector of physical education in the Russian Empire in 1913, maintaining government supervision of sports movements.

References

  1.  Belyukov, D.A. Pervye Obshchestva po fizicheskomu vospitaniyu uchashchikhsya v Rossii (na materialakh Severo-Zapada Rossii) (First physical education associations for Russian students (Case study of Northwest Russia) / D.A. Belyukov // Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kul'tury. – 2015. – № 1. – P. 63–64.
  2. Vorob'eva, Ju.S. Gubernskoe (oblastnoe), gorodskoe po delam ob obshchestvakh prisutstvie (Provincial (regional), municipal attendance on associations) / Ju.S. Vorob'eva // Gosudarstvennost' Rossii (Konets XV v. – fevral' 1917 g.). Slovar'-spravochnik. Kniga 1. A (Statehood of Russia (late XV - February 1917). Glossary. Book 1. A) – Moscow, 1996. – P. 315.
  3. Gosudarstvenny arkhiv Novgorodskoy oblasti (GANO) (State Archive of the Novgorod region (SANG). F. 138. Op. 1. D. 3582, 3604, 3623, 3814 a.
  4. Gosudarstvenny arkhiv Pskovskoy oblasti (GAPO). (State Archive of the Pskov region (SANG). F. 8. Op. 1. D. 73.
  5. Gosudarstvenny arkhiv Pskovskoy oblasti (GAPO). (State Archive of the Pskov region (SANG). F. 20. Op. 1. D. 2856, 2895, 2921, 2923, 2951, 2953, 3035, 3036, 3051, 3058, 3226.
  6. Gosudarstvenny arkhiv Pskovskoy oblasti (GAPO). (State Archive of the Pskov region (SANG). F. 81. Op. 1. D. 15, 18.
  7. Gosudarstvenny arkhiv Pskovskoy oblasti (GAPO). (State Archive of the Pskov region (SANG). F. r – 609. Op. 1. D. 421.
  8. Gubernskiy Pskov v arkhivnykh dokumentakh: sbornik dokumentov Gosudarstvennogo arkhiva Pskovskoy oblasti / Gos. arkh. upr. Pskov. obl., Gos. arkh. Pskov. obl.; (sost. V.P. Volkova i dr.) (Provincial Pskov in archival documents: collected documents of the State Archive of the Pskov Region / State. Arch. Ex. Pskov. reg., St. Arch. Pskov. region; (Ed. by V. Volkov et al.). Pskov, 2010. P. 66.
  9. Zelikson, E.Yu. Ocherki po istorii fizicheskoy kul'tury v SSSR (Essays on the History of Physical Education in the USSR) / E.Yu. Zelikson. – Moscow, 1940. – P. 131.
  10. Kratkaya pamyatka Novgorodskogo sportsmena o deyatel'nosti Novgorodskogo sport-kluba (Sportivnogo kruzhka) za desyatiletie 1910–1920 gg. Sostavlena G.S. Zasechkinym (Brief reminder for Novgorod athlete on Novgorod sports club activities in 1910-1920. Compiled by G.S. Zasechkin). – Novgorod, 1921. – 8 P.
  11. Sobranie uzakoneniy i rasporyazheniy pravitel'stva, izdavaemoe pri pravitel'stvuyushchem Senate. 1906. 7 marta. № 48 // Gosudarstvenny arkhiv Novgorodskoy oblasti (GANO). F. 138. Op. 1. D. 3722. L. 43–50. (Collection of statutes and government regulations issued by the current Senate. 1906. March 7. № 48 // State Archive of the Novgorod region (SANG)
  12. Stolbov, V.V. Istoriya fizicheskoy kul'tury i sporta (History of Physical Culture and Sport) / V.V. Stolbov, L.A. Finogenova, N.Yu. Mel'nikova. – Moscow, 2001. – P. 140.
  13. Sunik, A.B. Rossiyskiy sport i olimpiyskoe dvizhenie na rubezhe XIX–XX vv. (Russian sport and Olympic movement at the turn of XIX-XX centuries) / A.B. Sunik. – Moscow, 2001. – P. 130–135, 138, 202–213, 228.
  14. Tsurkan, K.V. Razvitie sporta v dorevolyutsionnoy Moskve (2-ya polovina XIX – nachalo XX v.) (Development of sport in pre-revolutionary Moscow (2nd half of XIX - early XX century) / K.V. Tsurkan // Uch. zap. № 42. Fakul'tet fizicheskogo vospitaniya. Kalinin (Faculty of Physical Education. Kalinin), 1964. – P. 29.

Corresponding author: da197@yandex.ru