Physical culture and sport in the daily life of students in the first post-war decade (on the materials of Kuybyshev, Penza, Ulyanovsk Regions)

The paper is devoted to one of the problems of the Soviet everyday life of young people – the process of physical culture and sports development among students of higher educational institutions in the postwar period (1945–1955). The author examines students’ activity in sport sections, system of boys and girls health status control, analyzes the state of the material-technical base of universities to conduct classes in physical culture and sport in the first postwar decade. The author tries to reconstruct the joint activities of the leadership of higher education institutions and their students aimed at rebuilding the destroyed military infrastructure. The paper shows basic steps that could help to improve physical and sports work among students in accordance with the orders of the Soviet government in the difficult post-war period. The study introduced into scientific circulation documents of the State archive of the Penza Region. On the basis of archival materials the author provides information about the achievements and participation of Kuibyshev, Ulyanovsk and Penza students in sports competitions of various levels in both individual and team Championships. The paper contains a conclusion about sports clubs and sports organizations work aimed at promotion of physical culture and sports among students in the post-war everyday life.