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We do not know a great deal about Russian sports at this time. We do nknow that the Russians have a passion for hockey. This is, however, a game that can not be played without expensive to maintain arenas making it difficult for children to partipate. Rgather soccer appears to be the game most popular with Russian children. There are many clubs that
the children can join to play sports for. Some of the popular sports for Russisn children are hockey, soccer, skiing, skating, chess, and gymnastics. We have little acrual information, but it seems that the opportunities for children to engage in sports are far more limited uin Russia than in the West. Certainly the resources once lavished on sports have been subtantially reduced. The Soviet Union was a sports giant at international competitions. Russian newspapers today lament the lack of success of Russian athletes in international competitions. Even during Soviet times, the demphasis of sports were to demonstrate the glories of the state and thus focused on identifying and training superior atheletes no on providing recreational activities for the average child. We have little information on current trends in Russian sports, but hopefully our Russian leaders will provide some insights.
This charming photo, dated 1956, from a Soviet magazine, shows two Russian boys (apparently about 9 or 10) admiring a local youth soccer star. The boy standing wears a Soviet military-style schoolboy cap, probably part of his school uniform, a short-sleeved dark shirt with white stripes buttoned at the neck, and woolen trousers. It isn't clear from the photograph whether the trousers are long or short. They could be either because Soviet children of
his age wore both long and short pants for play. The boy stooping down and holding one of the soccer player's boots in readiness wears a woolen or flannel plaid shirt (also buttoned up to the neck), suspender short pants, long ribbed stockings (probably dark brown), and low cut shoes with unusual perforations at the sides and on the toes. Notice the typically short hair cuts for the two boys. Other images from the same period show Soviet boys
with similarly cropped heads. The location in Soviet Russia is not specified, but most of the other soccer photographs in the magazine seem to be oriented toward the Moscow area.
The boy at the right wearing suspender shorts appears to be wearing a knit shirt or sweater. See how it has rib-knit cuffs. It might even be a sweater-shirt.
The Soviet magazine from which I sent you the Soviet images is called Soviet
Life: An Illustrated Monthly. This magazine was started in 1956 as part of a cultural exchange program between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviet magazine
is published in English in the United States but has a Russian editor. There is a counterpart published in the Soviet Union called Amerika (a magazine about the United States published abroad with an American editor). Of course both magazines try to put the most positive construction upon the life and policies of their respective nations. Looking at the image, the boy in the front with long stockings would have given the image of old, fashioned dowdy clothing to an American reader.
Sport uniforms are very popular in Russia, especially for boys 8-14 years as age. They are worn both for sport and for casual clothing. Football uniforms (especially soccer) were especially. Very frequently boys dressed in sport uniforms of football players from different countries. they used this type of clothing for the daily use. These sports uniforms literally covered the counters of stores. Most of this clothing as a rule was made in China or Poland. Вчера я посмотрел страницы посвященные занятиям спортом. Спортивная форма в прошлом году было очень популярной среди русских мальчиков
8-14 лет как один из видов одежды для игр и прогулок во дворе. Очень
часто можно было встретить одетых в спортивную форму футболистов
разных стран мальчиков даже на улицах города. То есть они использовали
этот вид одежды для повседневного использования. Этими костюмами
похожими на спортивную форму буквально завалены прилавки продавцов на
рынках и в магазинах и родители очень часто покупают ее для своих
детей. Производство как правило Китай или Польша.
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