Candidate A.A. Perevoznikov
General school № 1468, Moscow

Keywords: Olympic movement, Olympic Committee, sports organizations.

Introduction. The concept of Olympism had gone mainstream in Russia at the turn of the 20^th century, as the Russian Empire was one of the originators and an active participant of the Olympic movement. However, it should be noted that up to 1912 Olympism was a frequent practice mostly in St. Petersburg, the imperial capital of Russia. Even Moscow, the ‘second capital’ of the country back then, took a back seat at the scene of the social-cultural progress. Thus, the purpose of the study is to define the role of the Moscow Olympic Committee in the Olympic movement development process and the spread of the Olympic values and principles throughout the pre-revolutionary Russia.

On 11 December 1910, the participation of the Russian athletes in the Olympics was supported at the St. Petersburg meeting of the representatives of All-Russian unions, sports clubs, associations and other organizations. At the same time, the Organizational committee was set up in order to provide the training program of the national team for the 1912 Summer Olympics [7]. Despite the fact, that St. Petersburg was primary involved in the organizational aspects, the delegates from the Moscow Alpine Skiing & Watersports Association attended the meeting as well, which shows the specific concern of the Moscow sports circles for the Olympic movement. The establishment of the Russian Olympic Committee and adaption of its regulations also took place in St. Petersburg. This assumption supports the one of the committee structure, which consisted of St. Petersburg citizens only (sic!). Again, it correlates with the regulations on committee member election. In other words, only a St. Petersburg resident could serve as a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary or treasurer [1].

Circumstances took turn for the worse after the failure performance of the Russian athletes at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, so that the Russian Olympic Committee was subjected to criticism. On 22 July 1913, the conference of the Russian sports organizations took a decision on the necessity of joint effort and collaborative activity between the individual sports organizations, associations and unions along with the government institutions aiming at improvement of the Russian athletes’ performance at the Olympics. The new regulations of the Russian Olympic Committee were adapted at the conference. The Committee membership now consisted of the representatives of different sports and associations from all over the country. The executive committee structure had also changed. Thus, Robert Fulda was elected the vice-chairman of the Committee. Introducing an entitlement to establish the regional Olympic committees should be considered a decision of major importance.

On 9 August 1913, the organizational meeting of the Moscow Olympic Committee took place. Among the meeting participants there were the representatives of all sports that had been developed in Moscow at the time, including demonstration sports. Robert Fulda was now elected the chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee and stayed on until 1920; F.V. Gennig and M.F. Bauer were elected vice-chairmen; F.F. Engelke was appointed secretary. The Moscow Olympic Committee membership consisted of the prominent figures of the Moscow sports scene representing large sports organizations of the city: V.V. Alekseyev, K.G. Bertram, A.N. Bulychev, Ya.V. Goepper, M.S. Dubinin, A.N. Yegorov, N.P. Zamyatin, F.P. Kavskiy, I.N. Krasheninnikov, V.G. Lyubimov, A.V. McKibin, K.M. Neuburger, E.P. Neumann, A.I. Okunev, D.M. Rebrik, B.A. Ulyanov, A.K. Fendt, V.V. Khotilovskiy, Tsoppi, G.F. Engelke, B.F. Yarotsinskiy [8: p. 6]. As stated in the 1912-1913 annual report of the Moscow Alpine Skiing & Watersports Association, involved in the establishment of the Moscow Olympic Committee, in conformity with the Charter, the Committee is “a set of Moscow sports leagues of different disciplines” [10: p. 12].

The Moscow Olympic Committee was a structural subdivision of the Russian Olympic Committee, which for its part conformed to the chairperson of the Council on national physical culture and sports development, which included F.V. Gennig, Ya.V. Goepper, F.P. Kavskiy and R.F. Fulda as the Moscow representatives [3: pp. 5-6]. R.F. Fulda and F.F. Engelke had been repeatedly representing Moscow at the conferences of the Russian Olympic Committee [4: p. 4; 5: p. 9].

The Moscow Olympic Committee took measures to conduct outreach and consulting sessions among the Moscow sports organizations and managed the sports movement and major city competitions. Moscow sports organizations would accede to sports leagues and Olympic Committee independently. Thus, on 20 December 1913, it was resolved at the public meeting of the Moscow Amateur Speed Skating and Cycling Club "to accede to the speed skating league and join the Moscow Olympic Committee” [9: p. 6].

Among the priorities of the Committee’s activity was integration of the city sports leagues. In 1914, the Committee administrated nine sports leagues in the following sports disciplines: football, skiing, track and field, lawn tennis, hockey, rowing, speed skating, swimming and weightlifting [3: pp. 5-6].

Under the auspices of the Moscow Olympic Committee the major city competitions were held, including Moscow championships. Thus, at one of the sessions the committee members took a decision to arrange a Moscow competition week held from August 24 to 31, 1914 in various sports disciplines (football, lawn tennis, track and field, rowing, swimming, weightlifting and, probably, cycling) [3: pp. 5-6].

The initiatives of the Moscow Olympic Committee have not always found support or timely response from the Russian organizations. As a consequence, in 1914 a proposal was tabled at the initiative of M.F. Bauer, F.V. Gennig, D.M. Rebrik and F.F. Engelke without involvement of the other organizations; it comprised introduction and arrangement of Nordic games in winter sports (skiing, Alpine skiing, speed skating, figure skating and curling) [3: pp. 5-6]. The Nordic games first originated in the Nordic countries, specifically in Sweden. P. Bychkov and A. Nemukhin, the strongest Moscow skiers, took part in the 1913 Nordic games held in Stockholm [4: p. 4; 6: p. 6]. These initiatives accounted for the fact that Moscow was a recognized leader in skiing and speed skating in the 1910s. The Moscow-St. Petersburg skiing relay event was planned on the winter season 1914-1915.

The apogee of the Moscow Olympic Committee activity was in 1914, as the establishment of the Sports Hall in Moscow was discussed. It was supposed to be situated in the region of the future Krasnye Vorota metro station, in the building that used to belong to Orlik, the landowner. It was, indeed, an important issue, since the conferences of the Moscow Olympic Committee and other organizations were held in the private residents of the leaders. 

In 1915 the Moscow Olympic Committee discussed a proposal for arrangement of the 1915 Russian Olympics in Moscow. R.F. Fulda pointed out the dependence of the Olympics arrangement on the National Exhibition organization, meanwhile F.V. Gennig suggested postponing the Moscow Olympics until 1917, reasoning that it holds out great prospects in the financial aspect. The fact is that the Committee was a non-profit organization functioning by means of donations of the patrons. There was a lack of financial resources, which precluded the implementation of ambitious and global plans. That was the reason for M.S. Dubinin to suggest directing gains made on the two football training matches to the Olympic Committee [3: pp. 5-6]. The concerns of R.F. Fulda and F.V. Gennig are attributed to the fact that hosting the Olympics involves large financial investment and building the stadium itself.  

Many amateur athletes also had financial difficulties, since they had to pay for their participation in the Olympics. At the end of 1911, the following statement was published in the K Sportu! journal on the trip of speed skater N. Strunnikov to the world championship: “The First Russian Gymnastic Club Sokol shouldered all the costs to help our compatriot, the brave fellow in seven-league boots, get to the Olympics. Can’t they see that protection of national sports interests is an affair of honor to everyone who calls oneself "sporty"? Once again, the First Russian Gymnastic Club Sokol covers the costs on Strunnikov’s venture. Could it be true that the rest of the Moscow sports organizations (just imagine those numerous wealthy and powerful people!) cannot prove themselves useful to the homeland and nominate someone in charge?” [2: p. 2]. It should be noted that at that time the Moscow Olympic Committee and the city speed skating sports leagues did not exist. It was not until 1914 that the issue was addressed at the conference of the Moscow Olympic Committee by E.P. Neumann and V.V. Khotilovsky, who suggested reducing train fares for the participants of the Olympic Games [3: p. 6].

The Moscow Olympic Committee, as well as many other Russian sports organizations, maintained the “amateur” principle. According to the general rules of amateur sports, the violators of this principle were punished by “an exclusion from all sports associations and disqualification of an athlete” [3: p. 6].

Conclusions. Unfortunately, the Committee activities on implementation of various projects were interrupted by the World War I. Nevertheless, we can make the following conclusions from the short period of activities of the Moscow Olympic Committee:

1. From the very beginning, the Committee managed the sports movement in Moscow with the mission to unite all amateur athletes and sports organizations, including those developing demonstration sports, such as cycling. This objective was fulfilled in many respects. 

2. The Moscow Olympic Committee accepted the responsibility of managing the physical culture and sports movement in Moscow. Under the auspices of the Committee the major city and All-Russian competitions were held. By 1914, the Committee had consolidated nine sports leagues in various sports disciplines.

3. The Moscow Olympic Committee was an intermediary between the Moscow sports associations, city sports leagues and the Russian Olympic Committee.

4. The Committee took various initiatives on development and promotion of sports.

5. The activity of the Committee conveyed the idea and principles of Olympism, which are closely linked to the athletes' moral conduct. 

Thus, the Moscow Olympic Committee eventually turned into the steering committee of sports in Moscow, contributing to its development as the sports capital of the Russian Empire, aimed at hosting major sports events and constructing sports facilities. However, the outbreak of the World War I in 1914 redirected the goals of the Committee, and resulted in their termination. Olympic values and principles have long been forgotten, as well as the Moscow Olympic Committee. Believe it or not, in the 21^st century information on this organization can hardly be found in the works of sports historians or in the Internet.

References

1. Byt' ili ne byt' pervenstvu mira za russkimi? (Russia - world champion: to be or not to be?) // K Sportu! – 1911. – № 4. – P. 2.
2. V Moskovskom Olimpiyskom komitete (In the Moscow Olympic Committee) // Russkiy sport. – 1914. – № 12. P. 5-6.
3. V Rossiyskom Olimpiyskom komitete (In the Russian Olympic Committee) // Russkiy sport. – 1914. – № 18. – P. 4.
4. V sportivnykh organizatsitakh. Rossiyskiy Olimpiyskiy komitet (In sports organizations. Russian Olympic Committee) // Russkiy sport.  1914. №14. P.9.
5. Severnye igry v Shvetsii (beseda s P.A. Bychkovym) (Nordic Games in Sweden (interview with P.A. Bychkov) // Russkiy sport. – 1913. – № 6. – P. 6.
6. Duperron, G.A. Olimpiyskie vpechatleniya (Olympic impressions) / G.A. Duperron // Krasota i sila. – 1911. – № 3.
7. Moskovskiy Olimpiyskiy komitet (Moscow Olympic Committee) // Russkiy sport. – 1913. – № 33. – P. 6.
8. Obshchee sobranie v Moskovskom kruzhke kon'kobezhtsev i velosipedistov-lyubiteley (General meeting in Moscow amateur skating and cycling circle) // Russkiy sport. – 1914. – № 1. – P. 6.
9. Otchet Moskovskogo Obshchestva Gornolyzhnogo i Vodnogo Sporta s 1-go Oktyabrya 1912 g. po 1-e Oktyabrya 1913 g (Annual report of the Moscow Alpine Skiing and Water Sports Association October, 1 1912 to October, 1 1913). – Moscow: Tipo-lit. T.A. Podrezkova, 1914. – 68 P.

Corresponding author: perev_alex@mail.ru