Spartakiad

The Spartakiad (or Spartakiade) was an international sports event sponsored by the Soviet Union. It brought athletes from many countries together to compete in different sports.

Five international Spartakiads were held between 1928 and 1937. These events let people show their skills and celebrate teamwork.

After that, Spartakiads continued as national sports events in Eastern Bloc countries. These helped promote physical fitness and good sportsmanship.

The games were organised by Red Sport International, a group that supported sports events linked to workers' movements. The Spartakiad became an important way for athletes to come together and enjoy friendly competition across borders.

Background

Further information: Red Sport International

The Soviet Union used Spartakiads as a way to offer an alternative to the Olympics. The name comes from Spartacus, a leader who fought against unfair rulers long ago. This name was chosen to show unity among working people around the world. It also stood in contrast to the older, more exclusive Ancient Olympic Games.

The first Winter Spartakiad happened in February 1928 in Oslo, and the first Summer Spartakiad took place in August 1928 in Moscow. Early Spartakiads in the Soviet Union began in 1923 with groups in the Red Army and a sports group called Spartak in Petrograd. Over time, many different kinds of Spartakiads were held, including events for students and friendly armies from different countries.

List of Spartakiads

Summer

• 1928 – Moscow
• 1931 – Berlin

Winter

• 1928 – Oslo
• 1936 – Oslo

After World War II

Soviet Union

In 1952, the Soviet Union joined the Olympic movement, so the international Spartakiads stopped. But the name Spartakiad was still used for sports events inside the Soviet Union. These events happened at different levels, from local to the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR. This big event happened twice every four years: once for winter sports and once for summer sports.

The first Soviet Spartakiad took place in 1956. There were many participants, with millions of people joining in the summer and winter events. These Spartakiads were celebrated with special postage stamps that were made in large numbers. Until 1975, the summer finals were always held in Moscow, but later they were held in other cities across the Soviet Union, though most events still took place in Moscow. The winter finals were often held in Sverdlovsk.

Czechoslovakia

See also: Spartakiad (Czechoslovakia)

The word Spartakiáda was also used for a big mass gymnastics show that happened every five years at the Strahov Stadium in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The first event with this name was held way back in 1921.

Albania

See also: Spartakiad (Albania)

Six similar events were held in Albania during communist rule. These took place in the years 1959, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, and 1989.

Other

In 1984, the Soviet Union organized the Friendship Games for countries that chose not to participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics.