D.A. Belyukov, associate professor, Ph.D.
Velikie Luki State Academy of Physical Education and Sports, Velikie Luki

Key words: physical education, educational establishments, societies to promote students’ physical development, Northwestern Russia, Novgorod Governorate, Pskov Governorate.

The purpose of the paper was to review historical conditions and regional specifics pertaining to the establishment and activity of Societies to promote students’ physical development in Russia in the early XX сentury.

In late XIX – early XX centuries societies to promote students’ physical development (SPSPhD or Russian: OSFRUM) were being formed all over Russia. They had their own prehistory. Petr Frantsevich Lesgaft (1837-1909), the most prominent scientist in the sphere of anatomy and pedagogics and the creator of the science-based theory of physical education, was also a well-known public figure. In 1893 the society members were busy propagating the ideas of children’s physical education among parents and educators. They also did the purely practical work in the sphere of physical development of young people. Similar societies would also emerge in other towns of Russia: Odessa (1891), Kiev (1893), Moscow, Tiflis, Tomsk, etc. In the early XX century “SPSPhD” societies were created in dozens of towns in Russia, including Siberia, Middle Asia, Transcaucasia and Baltic-region [7, 9, 10].

A new stage in the development of “SPSPhD” began in 1907-1908 when an initiator group headed by Duperron G.A. and Suvrin B.A. started an active work to organize sport activities among Petersburg secondary schoolchildren. In November 1907 the Charter of the “SPSPhD” was adopted.

The aim of the Society was “to promote physical development of young students, mainly in secondary educational establishments”. To achieve the stated goal the Society disseminated its ideas in the form of lectures and discussions, by publishing works, organizing physical training, etc. [8]

By 1915 “SPSPhD” societies had been formed and functioned in more than 100 Russian towns [10].

According to archive documents, similar societies existed also in the Northwestern Russia - not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Novgorod and Pskov governorates.

In 1906 Novgorod Governor Medem O.L. received an application of Vyacheslav Ivanovich Guebner, landowner, on the foundation of the Borovichi society to promote physical and moral development of children and adults (BSPPhMDCA or Russian: BOSFNRDV). In the opinion of the applicant, the society was required due to “a great decline in general morality” [1].

At the meeting of October 16, 1906, the Novgorod governorate committee on societies and unities took the decision to register the Society and include it into the register of societies and unities of Novgorod governorate [1, 2].

The Charter of the Borovichi Society to Promote Physical and Moral Development of Children and Adults stated several goals of its activity, among them being: actions to resist a decline in morality in children and the adult, care of orphans and children having no parental control while their parents and relatives are out working, or children who cannot get adequate education and be well-brought up owing to certain family and social conditions; also certain measures to eradicate beggary and vagrancy. To achieve its goals orphanages and kindergartens were opened by the Society, where younger boys and girls irrespective of their social status and religion were under a daily care. Besides, depending on the age of children, they were taught Religion, writing, singing, they were also to be engaged in indoor and outdoor games, gymnastics; in fact, therefore assisting in their corporal development. The activities of the Society were, though, limited by the ranges of the Borovichi uyezd only [1].

On November 5, 1906 25 persons were present at the Constituent Assembly of the Borovichi society to promote physical and moral development of children and adults. These people elected the managing committee: Chairman – Guebner V.I., Deputy Chairmen – Anna Nikolayevna Belter and Konstantin Ermolayevich Sharoshko, Secretary – priest Ioann Demyanski, Treasurer – Ivan Semyonovich Gomzin. 13 persons became members of the governing board. All the elected people were residents of Borovichi [1].

In autumn of 1911 Arthur Genrikhovich Gottlieb, Director of the Pskov Male Gymnasium  and Nikolai Ivanovich Pul’kherov, Manager of the Pskov branch of the State bank, took a decision to form a special society for physical development of schoolchildren. On May 21, 1911 the first Constituent Assembly of 26 persons took place in the Male Gymnasium. Among those present there were heads and representatives of educational, state and governorate establishments of Pskov [4].   

On July 5, 1911 the Pskov Society to Promote the Corporal Development of Young Students (PSPCDYS or Russian: POSTVUM) was officially registered. In its Charter the PSPCDYS stated that its goal was “to promote in practice the course of the corporal training of young students in the town of Pskov and to coordinate, to the extent possible, all measures in the sphere of school sports” [4, 5, 6].

In 1915 “PSPCDYS” was included into the List of sport, gymnastics and other Russian Empire organizations striving to promote physical development in the Russian Empire [4].

On November 20, 1913 the Valdai Society to Promote the Physical Development of Children (VSPPhDC or Russian VOSFRD) was officially registered and included into the List of Novgorod governorate societies and unities. The Society’s goal was, “to promote physical and mental development of boys and girls aged from 3 to 15 years”. Various activities were planned for children of the Society members. For example, in summer – setting up a children’s playground to play games, gymnastics and other sports classes, in winter – to provide a skating rink for ice skating, gymnastics being practiced in sports halls. It was stated that physical training organized by the Society should meet all hygienic norms and be done directly observed by a Society member on duty. Children’s theatrical performances, festive holidays, trips, museum and exhibition visits, etc. were provided. In addition to children of the Society members, Society facilities could be used by children of non-members, a charge being paid for that. Orphans and children of the poor could use the facilities, after the approval of the Society, free of charge [3].

Thus, in the early XX century Northwestern Russia witnessed a revival of interest in the issues of physical development of the younger generation, which led to the establishment of Societies to promote physical (corporal) education of children and young students. The goals of such societies were to promote not only physical but also moral development of schoolchildren.

References

1. Goloshchapov, B.T. History of Physical Culture and Sport. Moscow, 2007 (In Russian).
2. State Archive of the Novgorod region. Fund 138. Inventory 1 Case 3604. Pages 109, 113, 122-125 (об), 132. (In Russian)
3. State Archive of the Novgorod region. Fund 138. Inventory 1 Case 3623. P. 7(оb)–11. (In Russian)
4. State Archive of the Novgorod region. Fund 138. Inventory 1. Case 3814a. P. 170(оb)–186. (In Russian)
5. State Archive of the Pskov region. Fund 8. Inventory Case 1. Case 73. P. 33-34, 128, 182-186, 189–197. (In Russian)
6. State Archive of the Pskov region. Fund 20. Inventory 1. Case 2923. P. 1–12. (In Russian)
7. State Archive of the Pskov region. Fund 20. Inventory 1. Case 3226. P. 101–110. (In Russian)
8. Zelikson, E.Yu. Essays on the History of Physical Culture in the USSR / E.Yu. Zelikson. – Moscow, 1940. (In Russian)
9. Stolbov, V.V. History of Physical Culture and Sport / V.V. Stolbov, L.A. Finogenova, N.Yu. Mel'nikova. – Moscow, 2001. (In Russian)
10. Sunik, A.B. Russian sports and the Olympic movement at the turn of the XIX - XX / A.B. Sunik. – Moscow, 2001. (In Russian)