Olympic debut of soviet sports

Based on archival documents, the article traces the key moments of the long-term process of preparing Soviet athletes for the 1952 Olympic Games. Thanks to the course of the party and state leadership of the country to use the possibilities of cultural diplomacy after the end of the Second World War, Soviet sports come out of isolation, actively use bilateral sports contacts and participate in some World and European Championships. The entry of the Soviet Union into the Olympic movement was hampered by the atychiphobia of Soviet leaders and top sports functionaries, when a defeat in any international competition was seen as damage to the prestige of the USSR. Only in December 1951, the authorities, convinced of the ability of the Soviet Union to compete with the United States for Olympic leadership, agreed to participate in the Olympic Games in Helsinki.

soviet sport, OLYMPIC Games, sports diplomacy, power, sports bureaucracy, cold War