History of physical education organization in Tomsk and Tomsk State University in 1940s

This article examines the main factors affecting the war and the postwar period of the organization of physical education in Tomsk and Tomsk State University (TSU) in particular. The main author's objective was to identify key events of the 1940s, associated with the development of physical culture and sports, based on the materials of the newspapers of the time. On the eve of the World War II the number of university students involved in physical culture and sports dramatically increased, those who passed the standards for the badge "Ready for Labour and Defence" and the badge ''Public Assistance to Defence''. Also on the eve of World War II, the emphasis attended to Infantry training. In 1940-1941 at TSU Voroshilov's riflemen and machine gunners were prepared. Students were taught physical education to overcome obstacles. Among those who left for the front during the first days were athletes and students, owners of the badges "Ready for Labour and Defence". Physical training they had in sport clubs helped them to successfully fight hand-to-hand, to accurately throw a grenade at a target, to undergo a terrible ordeal of war life. During the war, 67 teachers, 15 assistants and 399 students, 105 office workers of the University left for the front voluntarily and as conscripts. Many of them gave their lives for freedom and independence of the Homeland. Among those who did not return from the battlefield were athletes. In the battle against German forces one of the best athletes of the University of the prewar years, Valery Yakhontov, was killed. The remaining students and teachers rebuilt educational, scientific, and social work, subordinating their interests to war. They had to learn and live in extremely harsh conditions. But the slogan: "All for the Front, all for Victory!" was the most important in those difficult days. However, athletic life in the city and in the universities did not stop during the war years. Students studied, worked, went to physical activity and sport, participated in sport activities organized at the university and in the city. Tomsk newspaper Krasnoye Znamya (Red Flag) often reported on sports. On January 10th, 1943, right on the main streets of the city the winter sports season for ski racing was opened. That day there was held a traditional ski relay race, 32 men and 9 women teams took part in it. Among them were skiers of TSU. The Great Patriotic War victoriously ended. The University returned to studies, which were interrupted by the war, and those who defended the honour and independence of the Homeland with arms came back. Those who had not fought went to studies. This period was difficult because universities did not have enough places in the dormitory, there was bad situation with meals. Teachers and students repaired the main building of the University, which hosted a defence plant during the war, helped building the first line of the city tram. They participated in storing of firewood and worked at the farm of the University, located in a suburban village Koninino. Most of the systematic work to engage students in physical education and sports was conducted in the years when the Department of Physical Education was headed by Lev Vydrin. At the initiative of the Department mass events were carried out, they were organized in the University Grove, attracting a lot of fans. The war is definitely the hardest test. The Great Patriotic War had not spared Tomsk region. There were no open hostilities, but it indirectly influenced many processes in the city. And yet, no matter how hard this time was, physical education in Tomsk did not lose its relevance and became even more popular.

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