Bagdasaryan V.E.
Modern problems of service and tourism. - 2008. - No. 3. - P.10-27.

Olympics-80 and Olympic tourism through the prism of the Cold War

The article examines the issues of Olympic tourism from an ideological perspective, emphasizing the role of the Olympic Games in the confrontation between different political systems.

The Moscow Olympics certainly had to surpass the previous Olympic Games in organizational terms. For the sake of demonstrating this superiority, implying a conclusion about the advantages of the socialist system, it was carried out. Delegations of the Organizing Committee were present at the games of the XXI Olympiad in Montreal, at the Winter Olympic Games in Innsburg and Lake Placid, as well as at regional games and major international competitions. 1

The methodological manuals of the pre-Olympic cycle invariably promoted the experience of organizing the Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR. Held a year before the Olympic Games, they were classified in one of the Intourist manuals as our “national Olympiads.” Indeed, the Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR were of enormous importance both in terms of sports preparation for the main competitions of the four years, and in terms of acquiring organizational skills. 2 In the final of the VII Summer Spartakiad in 1979, 10,644 athletes took part, of which 2,306 were foreign, representing 84 countries of the world. The course of the competition was covered by 1,368 journalists, including 907 foreign ones from 46 countries. TV reports were conducted on the Intervision and Eurovision systems, and were also transmitted to America and Japan. 3

The Soviet leadership did not at all hide its intentions to use the Moscow Olympics for ideological purposes. Back in 1975, a Propaganda Department was established within the structure of the Organizing Committee of the Olympics-80 (headed by V.G. Shevchenko). Even the preamble to the official report of the Games Organizing Committee emphasized that their most important achievement was providing thousands of foreign tourists with the opportunity to become acquainted with the life of Soviet society. 4

The duties of the workers of the propaganda department of the Olympic Organizing Committee included, in particular, the study of materials from the bourgeois propaganda campaign regarding the Olympics. A special resolution dated December 26, 1978 set the task of “strengthening the collection of information about the nature of speeches regarding the Olympic Games in Moscow, including the position of hostile Maoist propaganda regarding the Olympics-80.” 5

During the Cold War, the Olympics, like international sport in general, acquired the role of a significant factor in the ideological confrontation between systems. Even J. Kennedy declared that the position of states in the modern world is determined by the number of nuclear warheads and Olympic gold medals. Psychosocial motives of war were extrapolated to sports in the era of weapons of mass destruction.

The previous Summer Olympic Games of 1972 and 1976 were marked by acute political conflicts. A number of delegations from African countries left the XX Olympic Games in Montreal to protest against sports cooperation between the IOC and South Africa. In the long series of Olympic political scandals, the Moscow Olympics could not avoid them.

As you know, the US government made a call in early 1980 to postpone or cancel the Olympics in Moscow in protest against the invasion of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. An unprecedented propaganda rivalry between supporters and opponents of holding the Olympic Games in the USSR began. As a result, the IOC, at its 82nd session in Lake Placid, timed to coincide with the Winter Olympics, confirmed the decision made in 1974 that the XXII Olympic Games would be held in Moscow. At the same time, the US proposal to create “alternative games” was rejected. A new phase of the pre-Olympic propaganda struggle has begun on the issue of boycotting the Moscow Olympics. 6

The Organizing Committee of the Olympics-80 carried out a lot of diplomatic and propaganda work, convincing governments, National Olympic Committees and travel agencies to take part in the Olympic program. Since the beginning of the “boycott campaign” alone, his delegations have made official visits to 77 countries. Special advertising and propaganda exhibitions “Olympics-80” were organized in more than 70 countries. The reduction in quantitative representation by country compared to the Olympic Games in Montreal was partially offset by delegations from new IOC members. Basically, they represented states traditionally following in the wake of Soviet politics: Cyprus, Vietnam, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Seychelles, Zimbabwe. Although the latter was proclaimed an independent republic just four months before the opening of the Olympics, thanks to lobbying from the Soviet side, it managed to join the IOC during this period and sent a delegation to Moscow, quite representative for the Third World, consisting of 46 people. 7

The national committees of five Muslim states, established from 1976 to 1980, abstained from participating in the Moscow Olympic Games: Mauritania, Bangladesh, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. This decision is explained by the resonance of the Afghan events and the solidarity of Muslims with their co-religionists. The 1980 Olympics for the first time clearly reflected the fact that the USSR had lost its former attractiveness in the Arab world. The topic of Arab-Israeli confrontation was virtually absent in ideological work with foreign tourists during the Olympic Games. Unlike the Festival of Youth and Students, the propaganda arsenal of the 1980 Olympics was free from the ideologies of pan-Arabism and Arab socialism. No joint forums of Arab delegations, such as those that took place during the Festival, were held at the Olympic Games. Probably, a certain cooling of Soviet ideologists towards the Arab East was determined by the Camp David agreement syndrome. Sadat’s Egypt, along with other Middle Eastern countries, boycotted the Moscow Olympics. 8

The most important ideological direction of work with foreign tourists during the Olympic Games in the USSR was the condemnation of racism and apartheid in sports. The Organizing Committee of the Games of the XXII Olympiad obtained a decision from the IOC that representatives of South Africa should not be allowed into Olympic Moscow not only as athletes or technical officials, but also as tourists. This step, which contradicted the principles of international tourism declared in 1975 in Helsinki, was very popular among the non-white population of Africa. The organizing committee appealed to the decisions of the International Conference against Apartheid, held in June 1977 in Geneva. It put forward demands for governments to interrupt political, cultural, sports, trade and diplomatic relations with South Africa, and to take measures to stop the emigration of citizens to South Africa. 9

The propaganda rivalry between the USSR and the USA on the issue of African athletes traveling to the Olympics in Moscow proceeded with varying degrees of success. A tour of Africa was undertaken, in particular, by three-time world boxing champion Muhammad Ali, who was then at the zenith of his fame, and in his speeches he convinced Africans to boycott the Moscow Olympic Games. For Soviet ideologists, this position of a popular athlete, defined as a fighter against American racism and considered “ours,” was unexpected. Meanwhile, Muhammad Ali was quite consistent, initially fighting against American aggression in Vietnam, and then against Soviet aggression in Afghanistan.

On the issue of boycotting the Moscow Olympics, certain trends are emerging in the position of African countries. Thus, Muslim states in Africa, with rare exceptions, boycotted the games. On the contrary, countries included in the zone of aggression of South Africa provided active support for the Olympics. 10

A fierce struggle was waged to win over the President of the All-African Supreme Council for Sports A. Ordia (Nigeria), which ended with the success of the USSR. eleven

The visit of delegations from developing countries to Moscow was paid for by the Organizing Committee of the 1980 Olympics. This kind of philanthropy had no analogues in the history of the Olympic movement. For some of the underdeveloped countries of the third world, fully paying for the travel of their athletes to the Olympic Games was a decisive factor in the decision on the participation of their respective National Committees in the Olympics. The unprecedented funding of foreign sports delegations confirms the thesis that the Olympics, as well as international tourism in general, were viewed in the USSR more from an ideological rather than a commercial perspective. 12

As a result, for one reason or another, the following representatives were not sent to the Olympic Games in the USSR: the USA, Canada, Germany, Japan, Norway, China, Turkey, Albania, South Korea, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Egypt, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Bolivia, Thailand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Zaire, South Africa, Israel and a number of third world countries with less developed sports infrastructure. According to personal applications, 5,748 athletes representing 81 National Olympic Committees, as well as 2,556 officials of sports delegations, including 28 European countries, 14 Asian, 22 African, 15 Latin American, as well as Australia and New Zealand, were registered. Not all of the listed countries that boycotted the Olympic Games followed the lead of American politics. Some of them, such as China, Albania and Iran, have completely disintegrated from the world Olympic movement. Other states did not find the necessary financial resources to delegate their athletes to the USSR.

A great diplomatic success was the participation of the British sports delegation in the Olympic Games (135 personal applications). It was achieved despite the fact that the Thatcher government was one of the initiators of the boycott of the Moscow Olympics. In the Soviet animated film “Baba Yaga Against,” the fairy-tale evil spirits, represented by the images of Baba Yaga, Koshchei the Immortal and the Serpent Gorynych, who tried unsuccessfully to disrupt the Olympic Games, personified, respectively, Great Britain, the USA and Germany. A key role in this anti-Olympic fairy-tale conspiracy was given to the British prototype, in which the “Iron Lady” herself was ridiculed through the grotesque forms of Soviet cartoon caricature. The NOC of Great Britain has demonstrated its autonomy in relation to political pressure from the government. The position of the IOC President, the Englishman Lord M. Killanin, played a decisive role in sending British athletes to Moscow. For him, the Moscow Olympic Games were his last as president, and he in no way wanted to allow them to be disrupted. At the next IOC session in Moscow, Spaniard J.A. was elected as the new acting president. Samaranch, and M. Killanin received an honorary lifelong presidential title. Lord M. Killanin was even called the “Red Lord” for his loyal attitude to the Soviet Union. Juan Antonio Samaranch was also not a complete stranger to the Soviet Union. For some time he served as the Spanish ambassador to the USSR.

A number of National Olympic Committees of the British Commonwealth countries decided to participate in the Olympics, focusing on the position of the British NOC. It is no coincidence that the Organizing Committee of the Moscow Olympic Games provided assistance to delegations of the British Commonwealth states in holding various types of joint events. The same joint forums were held for delegations from Africa and countries participating in the Pan American Games. 13

There is no consensus on how many countries took part in the boycott of the Moscow Olympics. In Soviet publications it was indicated that there were 30 of them, in American figures they varied from 30 to 60. 14 It is surprising that in modern Russian media the figure unanimously cited as the maximum of the entire spectrum of this kind of statistics is 65 countries. The reason for these discrepancies was determined by the ambiguity in determining which country boycotted the Games and which did not send their athletes for other reasons, for example, financial reasons.

A number of sports delegations went to the Olympic Games in Moscow despite the decision of their governments to boycott them. During their performances, it was prohibited to use the state symbols of the respective countries - flags and anthems. As a result, 12 national teams competed under the IOC flag, and 3 under the NOC flags. In case of their victories, the anthem of the International Olympic Committee was played. However, there were incidents of violation of the prohibitions on the use of state symbols, as, for example, during the awarding of the English runner S. Coe or the Italian shooter L. Giovanetti, when tourists from England and Italy performed the national anthems. 15

It is characteristic that the topic of Afghanistan was completely absent from the Soviet propaganda campaign during the Olympics. The very basis for the decision of the United States and a number of its allies to boycott the Moscow Olympic Games was passed over in silence. It was said that the USSR was accused of intending not to comply with the rules and regulations of the Olympic Charter. The inept concealment of the true motives of the boycott had a negative impact on the perception of a significant part of foreign tourists about the Soviet Union. At the same time, the Organizing Committee of the Olympics managed to ensure the participation of 11 Afghan athletes in the games. The representation of the Afghan sports delegation at the Moscow Olympics was supposed to indicate a stable political situation in the country. 16

On the other hand, foreign tourists were made to understand that the propaganda of the boycott of the Olympic Games began in the West even before the Afghan events. Its beginning dates back to May 1978. The coincidence of the timing of anti-Olympic propaganda in various states was presented by the Soviet side as evidence of “the presence of a coordinated plan among Western countries, providing for the use of the Olympics-80 to slander the socialist system as a whole, attempts to put pressure on the Soviet Union.” 17

American society was no less ideological than Soviet society. The boycott syndrome in the United States often took on curious forms. The ban, in particular, was imposed on the sale of the souvenir “Mishka” - the Olympic mascot of the Moscow Games. The company “R.,” which purchased a significant batch of them, Dakin and Company, in order to avoid losses, found a way out of the situation by dressing Mishka in a T-shirt with figures of hockey players and the letters “USA”. However, not all Americans supported the boycott. Representatives of 35 American companies even founded the “Coalition against the Olympic Boycott.” 18

The US NOC boycott of the 1980 Olympics did not mean the absence of American tourists in the USSR. During the games, more than a thousand Americans arrived in Moscow. A few days before the opening of the Olympics, a group of Americans arrived in Tbilisi to participate in the international sports congress. The US NOC itself, having refrained from sending athletes to the USSR, nevertheless sent its representatives to meetings of international sports federations, including the 83rd session of the International Olympic Committee in Moscow. To cover the progress of the Olympics, 114 American journalists and 60 employees of the NBC television company, accredited by the organizing committee of the Games, arrived in the Soviet capital. Thus, Soviet propaganda publications rightly noted, “only those who really had to come to Moscow remained at home: athletes, coaches and 60 American judges.” 19

Behind the screen of the global ideological confrontation between the USSR and the USA during the Olympic Games, as a rule, Soviet counter-propaganda activities regarding the “information war” on the part of China are hidden. Meanwhile, in addition to the American boycott of the Olympics, there was also a Chinese boycott. The Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games was extremely alarmed by the warning of the Spanish magazine “Cambio - 16” (August 1978) about a major political scandal being prepared by China during the Olympics in Moscow. It was to be initiated by a delegation of Chinese tourists who, under the pretext of the participation of Israeli and South Korean athletes in the Olympic Games (in fact, their Olympic Committees boycotted the games, but this was not yet known in 1978), would call on third world countries to organize their wide boycott after the official opening ceremony. China's anti-Olympic propaganda was addressed to the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Olympic Organizing Committee expressed concern about the lack of information regarding Maoist anti-Olympic propaganda. Although the “Chinese scandal” did not take place at the Games, the Organizing Committee was actively working to prevent it. 20

A serious problem for the Organizing Committee in realizing the plan of holding the best Olympic Games in the history of the Olympic Games could be the USSR's lagging behind in the development of electronic technology. In 1977–78 A contract was signed with IBM (USA) to participate in the work of the Ministry of Instrumentation on the development of the Olympiad automated control system project. However, since December 1979, the actual co-executors refused to supply additional equipment and further cooperation. The long-time partner of the USSR State Television and Radio, the American company Ampex, did not fulfill its obligations to the Soviet side for the supply of video recorders, television cameras, video tapes, as well as for the delegation of one hundred of its representatives.

However, by this time the information support system for the Olympics had already undergone experimental testing at the VII Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR and the XXXI International Baltic Regatta. The fact of the belated refusal of the Americans was used by Soviet propaganda to assert the priority of the USSR in the development of electronic and information technologies. 21 Even some of the American publications accredited at the Moscow Olympics admitted that they had revised their previous understanding of the level of informatization in the USSR. “The games,” stated the Washington Post, “were well organized. There were no technical problems in the conduct or coverage of the competition, problems that were predicted after the United States and several other countries refused to export equipment for the Olympics. The complex computer information system worked flawlessly.” 22 Associated Press Bureau Chief in Moscow Thomas Kent also described the work of the Olympic organizers in establishing technical means of information and communication as “excellent.” 23

The government was aware of the lack of the required number of professional personnel to provide high-level service to foreign tourists during the Olympics. To solve this problem, a special five-year program for the development of areas falling under the jurisdiction of the USSR Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education, the State Committee of the USSR Council of Ministers for Vocational Education, the Ministry of Instrument Making, Automation and Control Systems, the USSR Ministry of Health, and the USSR Ministry of Culture was developed . In addition, there were short-term courses teaching students the skills of service professions. However, the accelerated pace of personnel training for the service system had an inverse effect on its quality. The service infrastructure that had been developing in the West for centuries could not be created at the same level, with the same traditions, in one inter-Olympic cycle. 24

The staff involved in servicing the Olympic delegations amounted to 128,185 people. More than 300 institutions and organizations representing 60 ministries delegated their employees to this work. Thus, for each Olympian there were on average 6 representatives of the service personnel. Particularly impressive are the numbers of translators trained to work at the Olympics, the number of whom amounted to 10.5 thousand people. 70,105 students were, in accordance with Soviet traditions, also involved in fulfilling the formulated state task.

The first steps to organize ideological work with foreign tourists, in connection with preparations for the 1980 Olympics, were outlined by the Organizing Committee of the Games back in May 1977. The Special Olympic Commission decided to strengthen counter-propaganda activities. It turned out that the “counter-propaganda campaign” began earlier than the “propaganda campaign”, which traditionally dates back to 1978. The head of tourism of the USSR developed special tourist routes for foreigners visiting the Soviet capital - “Pre-Olympic Moscow”, illustrating the high degree of readiness of the Soviet Union to host the Olympics. The Propaganda Department of the Olympic Organizing Committee has released official teaching aids for conducting propaganda work with foreign tourists. Articles have been published on the issue of security at the Olympics. 25

When working with foreign tourists during the Olympics, Intourist employees tried to refrain from openly propaganda rhetoric and communist phraseology. Its use would only play into the hands of opponents of the Olympic Games in Moscow, who warned tourists from Western countries that they would be subjected to indoctrination in the Soviet capital. However, in the materials of the Organizing Committee of the 1980 Olympics, intended for official use, the rhetoric was completely different. Here is what was said in the preamble of the instructions on counterpropaganda for its workers from 1978: “The peaceful advance of socialism, the triumph of its ideas are forcing anti-communists to increasingly shift the center of gravity of their subversive work to the most subtle and complex area of ​​human relations - to the sphere of spiritual activity. Imperialist circles and their propaganda organs are intensifying the search for new forms, methods and arguments that, according to their calculations, could influence world public opinion. In this regard, they also use the 1980 Olympics... This anti-Olympic campaign is an integral part of the efforts of imperialist propaganda to discredit the domestic and foreign policies of socialist countries. The culmination of the campaign was the introduction of a resolution in the American Congress proposing to move the 1980 Summer Games from Moscow to Montreal due to “Russian refusal to respect human rights.” 26

Back in 1978, based on an analysis of Western propaganda against the holding of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, logos of the main “Counter-propaganda” theses were developed for Soviet guides and translators. The document, intended for official use, was named “The main directions of hostile propaganda in connection with the 1980 Olympics and proposals for counter-propaganda.” Five main directions of ideological policy were identified.

Propaganda model No. 1. The Western media widely uses the thesis that it is impossible to hold the Olympics in a country where human rights are not respected. The Olympic Games in the Western media, as explained in the instructions of the Organizing Committee, are artificially associated “with the trials of dissidents and traitors.” Parallels are drawn between the Olympics in Moscow and Berlin (1936). It was predicted that the Soviet Union might impose a ban on issuing visas to tourists from countries with which it does not have diplomatic relations. The consequence of holding the Olympic Games in Moscow will be the aggravation of the problems of the “two Chinas”, “African countries and South Africa”, etc. The Olympics itself provides the USSR with an opportunity to expand its influence over developing countries. 27

Exaggerating the thesis about non-observance of “human rights” in the USSR in connection with the 1980 Olympics is an attempt to put political pressure on it and discredit the very idea of ​​socialism. It was recommended to quote statements from IOC officials about the existence of a contract with Moscow to host the Games. Regarding the question of the participation of African athletes in the Olympics, “refer to the materials of the General Assembly of the Supreme Council of Sports in Africa.” Using examples of statements by Soviet statesmen and public figures, convey the idea that the USSR does not pursue any goals other than those expressed in the principles of the Olympic movement. In general, the logo of the response to this area of ​​criticism was constructed in the format of official protocol citation. 28

Propaganda model No. 2. The USSR, it was stated in a number of Western publications, intends to improve its economic affairs and earn foreign currency through the Olympics. As an example, references were made to contracts with the American companies NBC and Coca-Cola. 29

Counter-propaganda logo. It was recommended to emphasize that the 1980 Olympics were being held in the spirit of détente and, in accordance with the principles of Olympism, were being carried out on the basis of economic, scientific and technical cooperation between countries belonging to different social systems. The doctrine of peaceful policy should have been used to explain the fact of cooperation of the Olympic Organizing Committee with many capitalist countries in the supply of appropriate equipment. At the same time, it was necessary to note that the organizers of the Olympics primarily used the potential of the domestic industry. The guides were offered statistics according to which the Soviet Union solves three-quarters of its Olympic needs through its own technical capabilities, 20% thanks to the assistance of the countries of the socialist community, and only 5% through purchases from the West. The latter is explained by the need to have standard equipment traditional for the Olympic Games, which certain companies specialize in producing. thirty

Propaganda model No. 3. A warning was put forward that, unlike other Olympics, the USSR would only provide visas to officially approved tourist groups. The low level of service development in the Soviet Union will not allow it to create proper comfortable conditions for athletes and tourists. 31

The guides were asked to remind foreigners about the gigantic work of restoring the national economy in the USSR in the post-war years, which was supposed to illustrate the organizational potential of the Soviet system, allowing them to count on a prompt solution to all issues related to the Olympics. A reference to Moscow’s experience in organizing the reception of various tourist groups and their personal services during numerous international forums and competitions held in the Soviet capital was used as the main argument to remove doubts regarding the capabilities of the Soviet service system. The intention was declared to receive 600 thousand tourists during the Olympics, 300 thousand of them from abroad. For comparison, 268 thousand foreign tourists visited the Montreal Olympic Games, 205 thousand of which were Americans. Each foreign tourist was promised to be provided with tickets to 5-6 competitions per week (in Montreal - 3), at more affordable prices than at previous games. 32

Propaganda model No. 4. It was suggested that Western media would be under total censorship and control at the Moscow Olympics. Demonstration of games will be “red propaganda”. 33

Counter-propaganda logo. Claims of Soviet censorship were classified as "slanderous". To answer them, it was proposed to quote the words of the executive director of the US National Olympic Committee, Don Miller: “Since the Olympic Games will be covered by over 7 thousand representatives of the press, I cannot imagine how Moscow could censor the press in order to hide from the outside world facts related to with the Olympic Games... We have a guarantee that no restrictions will be imposed on the media." 34 Representatives of the Organizing Committee had not yet assumed that the US NOC would further support the idea of ​​boycotting the Moscow Olympics in 1978, and therefore recommended their employees to quote accordingly.

Propaganda model No. 5. The successes of athletes of the USSR and the GDR were interpreted by a number of Western publications as a consequence of ongoing biological experiments. Children's sports in socialist countries were presented as a conveyor belt that provided material for “champions.” “The state is using children as raw material for a medal-producing machine.” 35

Counter-propaganda logo. Soviet propagandists were charged with the task of explaining that in socialist countries sport is considered one of the important health-improving activities and conditions for the education of a harmoniously developed personality. The system of training athletes in the USSR is built on a purely voluntary basis. The successes of Soviet athletes are explained not by biological experiments, but by an inextricable connection with the mass public physical education movement. 36

As part of the Olympic propaganda campaign, an unprecedented in its scale ideological indoctrination of foreign tourists in the USSR was carried out. According to the Head of Tourism, more than 50% of foreigners who arrived in the Soviet Union in 1978 attended special lecture programs, 60% of foreign tourists participated in friendship evenings and professional meetings. 37

A special supplement to the methodological manual for working with foreign tourists in 1980 was a collection of arguments in favor of a one-party political system. Intourist analysts assumed that the one-party system in the USSR would become the main object of criticism during the Olympic Games. Historical arguments boiled down to exposing the counter-revolutionary mission of the political opponents of the Bolsheviks. 38

The democracy of the Soviet one-party system was justified through the disclosure of the principle of democratic centralism. For the attention of foreigners, convinced of the unconditional value of a multi-party system, a detailed apology for the one-party regime was provided: “In response to reproaches heard from another camp about the “undemocratic” nature of communist parties (since they do not recognize factions), we can say that the true democracy of a society does not lie in its multi-party system and not in the inevitable presence of opposition, but in the rights that parties provide to their members, and in the actual opportunity to use them. No party gives its members such broad opportunities to participate in internal party life as communist parties do; for other parties, everything usually comes down to “suffrage.” The democracy of communist parties is expressed in the active participation of every communist in the work of the party, not only through elected representatives, but directly. The role played by the primary party organizations in the life of each Communist Party speaks of the deep democratism of the revolutionary vanguard of the working class. No parties, except communist ones, had primary organizations at enterprises. At the same time, the party acts not as the sum of individual organizations, but as a single party organism, where all links are interconnected. Isn’t the principle of democratic centralism, which is the basis of the activities of any communist party, democratic in its essence? Any communist or group of communists has the right to criticize, demand changes or even cancellation of this or that decision, appeal to any authority, even to the highest, which are obliged to consider the appeal in the most careful manner. If the majority of party members nevertheless speak out in favor of this decision, from that moment on all opposition must cease (the minority was given the opportunity to convince the majority that it was right). Without this principle, the party would have turned, according to Lenin, into a discussion club that would not have been able to implement a single decision.” 39

Another likely area of ​​criticism was the lack of respect for human rights in the USSR. When making such judgments on the part of foreigners, the guide-translator was recommended to initially emphasize the full compliance of the Soviet Constitution with the most important international documents. At the next stage of the conversation, he pointed out to his opponent “that the exercise of the rights and freedoms of citizens requires due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and the satisfaction of the just demands of the morality of public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.” 40 Thus, restriction of freedom and persecution of dissidents in the USSR were interpreted as measures to ensure this very freedom.

In the context of introducing the Olympic Village to foreigners, guides and translators reported that rent in the USSR was the lowest in the world. The fact that the cost of housing in the Soviet Union has remained unchanged since 1928 (13 kopecks per 1 sq. m. of living space) was presented as a huge social achievement. 41

Another direction of propaganda during the Olympic Games was the image of Moscow as an environmentally ideal city. If previously foreigners were informed about the opening of new factories, now they are informed about their removal outside the city limits. When they saw the Moscow River, the guide-translator told the tourists that since 1976, the city state inspection had not registered a single case of fish death due to the fault of industrial enterprises. Indeed, Olympic Moscow gave the impression of a city that had completely resolved its environmental problems. 42

Ideological subtext is also found in the official Olympic events. Triumphant colorful ceremonies were organized along the route of the Olympic torch relay. Foreigners were given the opportunity to visit settlements in Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia that were previously closed to widespread international tourism. True, often the residents of the respective settlements, in order to avoid unwanted political incidents, found themselves mostly locked in their homes during the Olympic flame celebration. Foreign tourists were greeted on the deserted streets only by officials and folk groups. Unlike previous international forums held in the USSR, the main emphasis was not on demonstrating economic achievements, but on presenting the national and historical characteristics of the respective regions. Apparently, a fundamentally new ideological task was set - to convince foreigners that the USSR was a normal state that had accumulated folk tradition, free from left-wing radical experiments. Soviet themes were replaced by plots and ceremonies illustrating national identity. Thus, the 80 Olympics had a fundamentally different ideological background than the 57 Festival, reflecting the differences between the Brezhnev and Khrushchev spiritual vectors of the country’s development. 43

The opening and closing ceremonies of the XXII Olympic Games have been repeatedly described in literature and analyzed as a grandiose propaganda show. Therefore, there is no need to reconstruct the ideological background of the presented scenario. The pathos of the ceremonies was aimed at apologizing for peace, the policies of which are being implemented by the country hosting the Olympics. Accordingly, it was understood that the states that boycotted the Olympic Games exposed themselves as adherents of international confrontation. The only things that stood out somewhat from the detailed scenario were the speeches of IOC official representatives. However, the words of Lord M. Killanin, who called for reconciliation of the opposing sides in the Olympic year, were interpreted as a condemnation of the United States and its allies. His appeal to L.I. sounded dissonant with Soviet political terminology. Brezhnev "Mr. President". The General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee himself, after the operation (there is evidence that he received false teeth), spoke without traditional speech defects and looked quite cheerful. Nevertheless, Brezhnev's Olympic speeches subsequently served as the basis for numerous political jokes about the senile state of the decrepit Soviet leader.

The Olympic Organizing Committee sought to neutralize the plot of the transfer of the Olympic relay from Moscow to Los Angeles. The traditional words of greeting to the new Olympic capital were completely excluded from the script. During the closing ceremony of the games, when the parade participants finished lining up in the stadium arena, the national flags of Greece and the USSR were raised on the flagpoles and the national anthems of both countries were performed. Then, instead of the American flag, the Los Angeles flag was raised over the stadium. The US anthem was replaced by the melody of the Olympic anthem. 44

The American tourists who visited the 1980 Olympics received the most attention in terms of propaganda. According to various estimates of the American press, the number of US citizens present at the games varied from one person to three thousand, so there is no need to talk about the exact tourist contingent. American Milton Thor called President Carter's desire to “punish the Soviet Union for its help to its neighbor and friend Afghanistan” “pathetic and vile.” 45 “I felt,” admitted another US representative, Rachel Lubell, “that our trip was part of the victory over the Carter Olympic boycott, which was really a boycott against American athletes and the American people.” 46 22-year-old student from Detroit Drakila Groft, who arrived as part of a group of tourists of 35 people, also emphasized that her trip to Moscow itself was a protest against the boycott of the Olympics. “At a time when millions of my brothers and sisters are unemployed,” she said, “and Carter began registering [youth for the army], I want to show the Soviet youth and the Soviet people that not all Americans are ill-disposed towards them.” 47 It is obvious that the respondents, in their political ideas, did not represent a representative cross-section of American society. The American tourist contingent in the USSR in 1980 had a clearly expressed left-wing specificity. According to the Frenchwoman Louis Serezuel, American tourists cheered for Soviet athletes at the Olympics, and, for example, not for Great Britain or France. 48

A colorful figure among American tourists was 88-year-old Nick Paul. During the opening ceremony of the Games, he, along with his compatriot Daneli Peterson, unfurled an American flag on the stands of the Luzhniki stadium. A photograph of the US flag waving at the Olympic Games in Moscow made the rounds of the world's largest newspapers. “We wanted to declare,” Nick Paul explained his action to Pravda correspondent, “that not all Americans support President Carter’s political game around the Moscow Olympics. We wanted to declare that American citizens are also present at the opening of the 1980 Olympics and welcome it with all their hearts. By displaying the American flag, we wanted to show that many, many ordinary American citizens are outraged that the president sacrificed US athletes for his election campaign. It is very, very unfortunate that American athletes, despite their ardent desire to take part in the Olympic Games, were deprived of the opportunity to come to Moscow for this wonderful sports festival! Today I was writing a letter to my daughter and simply could not find the words to convey my impressions of Moscow, where I came for the first time; about the grandiose, unforgettable opening ceremony of the Olympics. The Soviet capital amazed us with the ideal cleanliness of the streets, the “delicious air” that is so easy to breathe even at 88 years old. I saw fishermen on the Moscow River, and this also suggests that Muscovites maintain their city in exemplary order. This is in stark contrast to New York, where the streets are covered in sewage and the air contains more smog than oxygen. What can we do, our politicians prefer to save money on street cleaning and send money to Israeli Zionists.” 49

One of the most famous American tourists at the Olympic Games was the president of Oxdental Petroleum, a longtime trading partner of the Soviet Union, Armand Hammer. After visiting the Olympic Village, where he was presented with a symbolic key, the businessman said in an interview with the Soviet Sport newspaper: “I’m afraid Los Angeles will be far from Moscow... Your Olympic Village is convenient from all points of view. And at the same time she is beautiful. It is as grandiose as the opening ceremony of the Games... It was a magnificent celebration that set the tone for the entire Olympics. Returning to the USA, I will tell the mayor of Los Angeles that he simply must come to Moscow before the end of the Games. It’s useful to see how everything is organized in your capital and to learn!” 50

The Organizing Committee of the Olympics included, along with sports figures, also iconic figures of the Soviet regime, heads of law enforcement agencies V.M. Chebri-kov and N.A. Shchelokov. Their functions in it were not limited to overseeing the safety of athletes and guests of the Olympics. The Chairman of the State Security Committee, Chebrikov, was also a member of the Operational Presidium of the Organizing Committee. 51

During the Olympics, the entry into Moscow of any type of road transport was significantly limited. This measure made it possible to avoid traffic jams in the capital and provide comfortable travel conditions for foreign tourists. Moscow transport, which is not usually known for its schedule accuracy, worked uninterruptedly during the Olympics, which was repeatedly noted in reviews from foreigners. 52

The authorities also restricted the entry of Soviet citizens into the capital. As a result of special police raids, gypsy camps were expelled from Moscow. In order to relieve the human congestion in the capital, it was strongly recommended to send schoolchildren to pioneer camps. The last of the measures became a vulnerable point for criticism of the Moscow Olympics by the American media. It was used as one of the main confirmations of the thesis about Moscow as a “closed city.” The removal of Moscow children to pioneer camps was explained in the American press by the desire of the Soviet authorities to prevent Western influence on the younger generation. “At least 700,000 schoolchildren,” claimed the Chicago Sun-Times, “were sent out of the city to summer camps to avoid “ideological contamination,” and those who remained in the city were warned by their teachers not to taking chewing gum from foreigners because it is contaminated or contains bacteria that spread disease and infection.” 53 Many of the foreign tourists attending the Olympics also noted “the almost complete absence of children in Moscow during the Games.” 54 Guides and interpreters tried to explain to foreigners that the departure of most children to stationary camps near Moscow and southern pioneer camps is an annual procedure carried out within the framework of a unified Soviet system of relaxation for schoolchildren during the holidays.

There was a policy for law enforcement agencies to ensure that measures to ensure the safety of tourists did not cause them to feel unfree. The Olympics were supposed to refute the statements of the American media about total control over foreigners in Moscow. The very appearance of the Olympic village was designed in such a way as not to evoke associations with a military camp, as was the case at previous Summer Olympics. In Munich, it was surrounded by a two-meter fence with barbed wire, around which armored vehicles and other military equipment were patrolling (which, however, did not prevent a terrorist attack against the Israeli delegation). The Montreal Olympic Village had guard posts located on special towers. The organizers of the Moscow Olympics managed to exclude all these elements of the military camp style. “What does not cause two opinions is the Olympic Village,” stated one of the American tourists. - Everyone agrees that she is wonderful. Of course, there is a lot of security, just like in Lake Placid or Montreal, but they only shoot in the game rooms.” 55

According to ABC sports columnist Dick Schaap, his prejudices against Moscow were dispelled on the very first day of his visit to the Soviet capital. “I read in English newspapers,” he admitted, “that Soviet customs officers carefully inspect luggage. But when I put my things in front of the customs officer, he didn’t even open them... I was checked into the Cosmos Hotel in about three minutes, accreditation at the IOC meeting took one minute.” 56 Despite receiving warnings that one could starve to death in Moscow, to Schaap's surprise, he was given an excellent dinner at a restaurant.

A tourist from Nevada, B. Eichbaum, when asked how he felt freely while at the Olympic Games in Moscow and Leningrad, answered: “I walked freely along the street and no one stopped me. I talked to the Russians. I can’t say that I did it freely, since I don’t know Russian, but no matter who I spoke to, everyone was very kind and sweet to me.” Oklahoma tourist A. Hendrick-Wells, who was with him, added: “I walked where I wanted and said what I wanted.” 57

The functioning of the “lost and found office” made a particularly favorable impression on foreigners. The illusion was created that there was no crime in the Soviet Union. “It’s true, we saw a lot of police here,” Jane Schnifberger, a housewife from Michigan, shared her impressions of the Moscow Olympics. - On the other hand, we felt absolutely safe. One day I left my wallet with money and something else somewhere. You can imagine how terrible I felt. But someone found the wallet and returned it to me.” 58

Serving sports delegations and foreign tourists at the Moscow Olympics was an unattainable ideal for the vast majority of Soviet people. Athletes and representatives of the technical staff of NOCs were provided with full free allowance, which included accommodation in hotels in the Olympic Village, food, medical care, use of a taxi, and attendance at concerts. The food ration consisted of 360 main dishes, which were never repeated during the Olympics. The Olympic Village canteen menu daily included delicacies that had long disappeared from the shelves of Soviet grocery stores: chum salmon with lemon, stellate sturgeon poached in Russian, marinated pike perch, sturgeon in brine, pressed caviar with lemon, natural crabs, Russian pancakes with chum salmon caviar and etc. Medical services, in addition to providing emergency care, provided rehabilitation therapy, physiotherapy (light, electro, heat, and balneotherapy), and dentistry. For the first time, a sports testing and functional diagnostics department with special equipment was opened in the Olympic Village clinic. Athletes who arrived from countries with paid healthcare did not fail to take advantage of the services provided. The dentistry department was especially popular, for obvious reasons. Each delegation, depending on its size, was assigned a certain number of cars and minibuses, which they could use for 16 hours a day. In two trading floors of the Moscow Souvenir department store opened in the Olympic Village, exclusive products were sold at significantly reduced prices. As a result, participants and guests of the games made about 260 thousand purchases there.

Some puritanical relapses of the Soviet hostel system appeared during the organization of the access system in the two women's buildings of the Olympic Village. Among men, only heads of delegations and team doctors had the right to freely enter them. In practice, the Puritan rules did not apply. Alcohol was freely sold in the Olympic Village. There were no obstacles to establishing sexual relationships. The discos held every evening were held in an epicurean spirit. The security's tolerance for manifestations of this kind of not entirely Soviet morality was explained by the intention that foreigners should in no way have the feeling of restrictions on personal freedoms in the Soviet Union.

The theater and concert program, in accordance with the official Soviet repertoire, consisted of two components: classical and folklore. Her schedule was designed to illustrate the multinational nature of Soviet culture. One of the evenings, for example, was entirely devoted to the performance of the Evenki folk song and dance ensemble “Osiktakan”. The selection of repertoire for the music salon was carried out by the Soviet record company “Melodiya”, and therefore the variability of the presented works was limited to the canonical range of musical trends.

The Olympic organizing committee considered it necessary to demonstrate the religious tolerance of Soviet society. On the second floor of the Cultural Center of the Olympic Village, special rooms were equipped for worship and other religious rites. To carry them out, 6 Orthodox priests, 3 Catholic priests, 3 Lutheran pastors, 3 Baptist elders, 1 Anglican clergyman, 2 Muslim imams, 2 rabbis and cantors, 2 Buddhist lamas were co-opted into the permanent staff of the Olympic Village workers. The largest religious communities in Moscow - Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish - equipped three halls with religious paraphernalia, where up to 200 people each could take part in services. The service at the Cultural Center of the Olympic Village was conducted by the Patriarch of All Rus' Pimen himself. 59

Unlike previous years, in Intourist's methodological manuals for the Olympic year, traditional Soviet ideologies were reduced to a minimum. Intourist excursion programs began to contain more information content and much less Marxist phraseology. 60

Western media accused the USSR of intending to give the Olympics an ideological frame, and the Soviet side sought to deflect these accusations.

Even the government of the United States was shown an emphatically favorable attitude. “At present,” said a guide-translator at the US Embassy, ​​“the development and improvement of Soviet-American relations is a factor that has a significant influence on world politics.” 61 It was emphasized that, in addition to traditional cooperation with socialist countries, close economic ties had been established with countries such as the USA, Great Britain, France, Sweden, Finland, etc. The openness of Soviet economic facilities to compensatory foreign lending was proclaimed. 62

However, the Cold War still could not do without the use of outright propaganda ideologies. So, for example, when foreign tourists visited Soviet Square, the guide-translator revealed the topic “The role of the Moscow City Council in turning Moscow into an exemplary communist city.” In it, in particular, the guide reported that in 1979, 75% of the funds earned by the Soviet people on Lenin's subbotnik were sent to help the people of Vietnam, who were repelling Chinese aggression. 63

The list of Soviet cities intended for visiting by foreign tourists during the Olympics was limited. In addition to the capitals of the union republics, it included: Leningrad, Odessa, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Lvov, Yaroslavl, Krasnodar, Samarkand, Simferopol, Vladimir, Sochi, Bukhara, Zagorsk. Only as a last resort were Kazan and Perm added to them. Thus, such large millionaire cities as Gorky, Kuibyshev, Kharkov, and the entire region of Siberia and the Far East remained outside the Intourist routes. 64

Fundamentally, compared to the international forums held in the USSR in previous decades, the content of excursion programs for foreign tourists has changed. The component of visits by foreigners to exemplary Soviet factories and collective farms was significantly reduced. Instead, tourists were offered a significantly expanded program of acquaintance with the historical sights of the country. For all delegations of the Olympic Games in Moscow, a visit to the famous medieval cathedrals was certainly organized, which was reduced to a minimum in the excursion schedule of the 1950s-60s. Long-distance field trips were also conducted to ancient Russian cities - Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov Velikiy, Zagorsk, etc. When visiting Zagorsk, attention was focused on revealing the role of the Orthodox Church in the history of Russia and its position in modern Soviet society. A meeting of foreign tourists with the rector of the Theological Academy, Archbishop Vladimir, took place at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Nothing like this could simply happen during the Moscow festival. The evolution of excursion topics when working with foreigners indicates the existence of a vector of right-wing ideological transformation of the USSR. 65

The Olympic excursion program for foreign tourists in Moscow was approved back in 1978 and included the following thematic blocks:

Moscow is the capital of the USSR and the XXII Olympic Games;
- excursion to the Kremlin;
- excursion to historical and revolutionary museums;
- excursions to art and historical museums;
- excursion around Red Square;
- excursions to the museums of Ostankino, Kolomenskoye, Kuskovo, Arkhangelskoye;
- excursion to the Moscow Metro named after V.I. Lenin;
- excursion to VDNKh USSR.

It is significant that excursions of historical content were higher on this list than demonstrations of modern Soviet achievements (Metropolitan, VDNKh). Completely contrary to the tradition of organizing international forums in Moscow, foreigners showed former landowners' estates. 66

Of the historical and architectural monuments, the Novodevichy Convent was in second place after the Kremlin in terms of the degree of representation in excursion programs for foreign tourists. Although open to foreigners, it remained inaccessible to Soviet visitors for a long time, apparently due to the presence of a number of cult graves on its cemetery territory. 67

Not all of Intourist's propaganda discoveries during the Olympic cycle can be considered successful. Doubt, for example, raises the advisability of quoting V.V.’s lines to foreigners. Mayakovsky on sports topics:

“Your muscle, breathing and body
Train for warfare."

At a time when the Western media unanimously condemned Soviet militarism, incompatible with the principles of the Olympic movement, the quote about the use of sports as a means of preparing for war only played into the hands of ideological opponents. 68

In the Soviet pre-Olympic propaganda, even the bright image of Baron Pierre de Coubertin was punished. The founder of the modern Olympic movement was criticized in a special Intourist manual for guides and translators as an ardent opponent of women's participation in the Olympics. 69

The actual sports side of the Olympics also caused heated political controversy. Coverage of the 1980 Olympics in the US media in most cases was carried out within the framework of the topic of devaluation of Olympic medals. It was argued that the success of athletes from socialist countries without the participation of the Olympic delegations of the USA, Germany, Japan, Canada, Kenya and others is devalued. “The gold medals won in Moscow will be just chocolate gold medals,” declared the pages of the American press. 70 American sports commentators calculated how many gold medals the US team could win, usually agreeing that it was guaranteed first place. A certain R. Harvey wrote on the pages of the Chicago Sun-Times that the athletes of the Eastern bloc received from 30 to 50 gold medals, which rightfully belonged to the United States. 71

The level of excellence of the Olympic champions of the Moscow Games was questioned. Thus, the success of Cuban boxers, in particular, three-time Olympic champion T. Stevenson, was devalued through a comparison that was not in their favor with the best representatives of professional American boxing, led by Muhammad Ali (New York Times). With open mockery, a number of American publications noted the extremely low results shown at the games by many representatives of third world countries. Sports journalist K. Deklinger argued that countries unprepared for the Olympic Games, such as Mozambique, recruited their teams “on the street” to please the Soviet Union. 72

The main argument of Soviet counter-propaganda was a reference to the abundance of records held in Moscow: 36 world and 74 Olympic. Soviet sports journalists offered their own versions of the verbal Olympic rivalry between the USSR and the USA, naturally giving the palm to their own. An unambiguous hint was used that the US NOC's decision to support Carter's call for a boycott of the Olympics was largely influenced by the fear of a weak performance in Moscow. 73

The official report of the Olympic Organizing Committee on the holding of the games was filled with citations of enthusiastic reviews from foreigners about the quality of their organization. Moreover, every single respondent represented capitalist countries, which apparently prevented accusations of bias and fraud. Secretary General of the European Field Hockey Federation Robert Watson: “I saw most of the Olympic buildings, the Olympic village, and all this made a tremendous impression on me. I’m happy for you, bravo, Moscow!” 74

Correspondent of the Belgian newspaper Soir: “The quality of the sports facilities aroused unanimous admiration. 75 M. Geha, Independent newspaper, France: “The communication service was excellent. I express my gratitude to its employees.” 76 Kahraman Bapdum, Miliet newspaper, Turkey: “As a journalist, I have traveled all over the world and I find that the best means of communication for the press are here in Moscow.” 77 A Kaliron, Daily Record, Glasgow, UK: “Thank you very much for the brilliant organization at all the Olympic venues and especially at the Main Press Centre. The girls' work is impeccable." 78 Luis Enrico Condado, Organizing Committee of the 1983 Pan American Games, Venezuela: “I am leaving Moscow with the kindest feelings and a lot of impressions.” 79 IWF President G. Schedl: “The Izmailovo Sports Palace needs to be put on wheels and transported around the world to show an example of conditions for holding competitions.” 80

IYRU Secretary General N. Hacking: “At last year’s Baltic Regatta, I said that the organizers of the Olympic yachting competitions prepared for the 1980 Olympics at least a year earlier than the athletes. Now they have brought everything to the highest degree of perfection. I must say that there is no such sailing center in any other country in the world. I think that, based on its technical characteristics, it is a world meeting center for yachtsmen.” 81

Richard Palmer, Head of the British Delegation: “The British Olympic Association is delighted to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the warm hospitality shown to our delegation. We admire the excellent Olympic village, sports facilities, and smart organization” 82, etc.

The mindset of the Soviet people regarding the Olympic Games is characterized by a joke that instead of the communism promised by Khrushchev, the Olympics were held in 1980. Indeed, preparations for the Olympic Games intensified the already growing deficit syndromes. The ideological orientation of the country's leadership towards a worthy welcome for foreign guests of the Olympics relegated the needs of its own people to the background. The opinion has become widespread that the Olympic Games are responsible for the decline in the living standards of the population. Let us survive the Olympics, quite a few Soviet citizens reasoned, and life will improve again. At the level of mass consciousness, a psychological dichotomy was formed - “Soviet people” - “foreign tourists”. The latter were often discovered by ordinary citizens to be perhaps the main cause of stagnation.

At one of the closed meetings of the Commission on Information and Propaganda of the Organizing Committee of the Olympics-80, the head of the Propaganda Department V. G. Shevchenko asked to pay attention to the following fact: “According to the data available to the Organizing Committee, in Moscow, in regional, regional, district centers, cities and Fables are being spread in the villages about the 1980 Olympics, which is supposedly the culprit of all the problems that exist in some places. Even some responsible local leaders try to explain the failures in their work by blaming the Olympic Games.” 83

The speaker, however, asked not to discuss this problem widely, but to pay more attention to explaining the tasks of the Olympics in local party organizations. 84 V.G. Shevchenko generally called for refraining from any critical speeches about shortcomings in preparation for the Olympics. This unique call was based on the consideration that ideological opponents of the Soviet Union could use the arguments of internal criticism for their own purposes. The very appearance of the idea of ​​the harm of criticism was quite consistent with the nomenklatura sentiments of the Brezhnev era. 85

Apparently, there was indeed dissatisfaction in society with the large-scale costs of the Olympics, even if Intourist methodological manuals repeatedly repeated that all Olympic facilities at the end of the competition would be used for the needs of Soviet citizens. In this, Moscow was opposed to other Olympic capitals - Tokyo, Munich and Montreal. 86

The results of the 1980 Olympics from the point of view of the activities of tourism organizations were summed up at a special forum in Sochi on October 20-25, 1980. Representatives of government tourism authorities from Bulgaria, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Cuba, Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia attended the meetings. The main emphasis in the discussions was on analyzing the activities of “propaganda abroad the ideas of the Olympic movement, popularization and advertising of foreign tourists’ trips to the Games of the XXII Olympiad.” 87

Now we are in the final stage of preparation for the Beijing Olympics. A number of parallels with the Moscow Olympic Games suggest themselves. The Olympics in Beijing were supposed to demonstrate the success of the development of the PRC. However, the intensification of the movement for Tibetan independence reveals the threat of disavowing the image of China. The possibility of a boycott of the Olympic Games is already being publicly discussed. The Soviet Union, after hosting the Olympic Games, lasted only 11 years. What is the longevity mark for communist China? The Olympics in Sochi are just around the corner. Of course, the experience of the 1980 Olympics should be taken into account in the broadest social scientific analysis.

Literature

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2. Guskov S.I. Olympics-80 through the eyes of Americans. - M., 1982.
3. Games of the XXII Olympiad. T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981.
4. Moscow - the capital of the USSR (a manual to help guide-translator). - M., 1976.
5. Moscow sports, pre-Olympic (methodological manual). - M., 1977.

The author investigates Olympic tourism through the ideological perspective and underlines the role of Olympic Games played in the antagonistic political systems standoff.

1 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.8.
2 Moscow is the capital of the USSR (a manual to help guide-translator). - M., 1976. - P.42; Moscow pre-Olympic sports (methodological manual). - M., 1977. - P.9-10.
3 Moscow is the capital of the USSR (a manual to help guide-translator). - M., 1980. - P.41-42.
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7 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.190-191, 335.
8 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.335.
9 World trade union movement. - 1977. - No. 7. - S.1.
10 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.344.
11 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.1, 18.
12 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.344.
13 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.190-191. - P.334-341, 345.
14 New York Times. - July 20, 1980; New York Times. - August 4, 1980; New York Daily News. - July 20, 1980.
15 Guskov S.I. Olympics-80 through the eyes of Americans. - M., 1982. - P.34.
16 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P. 190, 334-335.
17 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.1.
18 Guskov S.I. Olympics-80 through the eyes of Americans. - M., 1982. - P.6.
19 Guskov S.I. Olympics-80 through the eyes of Americans. - M., 1982. - P.8.
20 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.3-4; GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.9-10.
21 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P. 140, 154.
22 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.152.
23 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981.
24 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.25.
25 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.310. - L.8.
26 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.1.
27 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.1, 2.
28 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.4-5.
29 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.2.
30 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.5.
31 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.2.
32 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.5-6.
33 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.2.
34 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.6.
35 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.3.
36 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.6-7.
37 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.286. - L.31.
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39 Moscow - the capital of the USSR (methodological manual to help guide-translator). - M., 1980. - P.79-80.
40 Ibid. - P.83.
41 Ibid. - P.52.
42 Moscow - the capital of the USSR (methodological manual to assist the guide-translator). - M., 1980. - P.28, 39.
43 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.260-278.
44 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.280-306.
45 TASS report dated July 29, 1980.
46 Young Worker. - October 1980.
47 Daily Ward. - July 29, 1980.
48 Soviet sport. - July 24, 1980.
49 True. - June 23, 1980.
50 Soviet sport. - July 22, 1980.
51 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.10, 32.
52 Moscow - the capital of the USSR (methodological manual to help guide-translator). - M., 1980. - P.61-62.
53 Chicago Sun-Times. - July 18, 1980.
54 Philadelphia Inquirer. - July 23, 1980.
55 Sports abroad. - July 25-31, 1980.
56 Daily News. - July 18, 1980.
57 Soviet Life. - October 1980.
58 Soviet Life. - October 1980.
59 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.308-332.
60 Addition to the excursion “Moscow - the capital of the USSR” (excursion routes and description of travel along the Moscow Olympic routes). - M., 1980.
61 Moscow - the capital of the USSR (methodological manual to help guide-translator). - M., 1980. - P.34.
62 Ibid. - P.38, 50.
63 Moscow - the capital of the USSR (methodological manual to help guide-translator). - M., 1980. - P.29.
64 Ibid. - M., 1980. - P.100.
65 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.406.
66 GARF. - F.9612. - Op.3. - D.1209. - L.31.
67 Moscow - the capital of the USSR (methodological manual to help guide-translator). - M., 1980. - P.62.
68 Moscow sports, pre-Olympic (methodological manual). - M., 1977. - P.22.
69 Ibid. - P.55-56.
70 Guskov S.I. Olympics-80 through the eyes of Americans. - M., 1982. - P.16.
71 Chicago Sun-Times. - July 13, 1980.
72 Guskov S.I. Olympics-80 through the eyes of Americans. - M., 1982. - P.24.
73 Ibid. - P.16-25.
74 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.136.
75 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981.
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77 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.177.
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79 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.177.
80 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.226.
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82 Games of the XXII Olympiad. - T.2. Preparation and implementation. - M., 1981. - P.332.
83 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.310. - L.9.
84 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.310. - L.9.
85 GARF. - F.9610. - Op.1. - D.310. - L.18.
86 Methodological guide for excursions: “Moscow - the capital of the USSR, the capital of the XXII Olympic Games”, “Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy of the USSR”. - M., 1979. - P.8.
87 GARF. - F.9612. - Op.3. - D.1528. - L.2.

Moscow 1980
Probably everyone knows what the Olympic Games are, many love and appreciate them. Each time, huge crowds of spectators and many athletes gather for the next games. Participation in the Olympic Games is the main achievement for every athlete. For Russia, the Olympic Games are an important part of the cultural heritage, because throughout the entire period of its participation in the Olympic Games, the USSR was in the lead in the overall standings of the games, Soviet athletes won first places, set records and remained the best athletes in the world, competing only with the United States.

The Olympic Games began their existence in ancient times. In the 19th century, known for its reverent attitude towards ancient times, the idea arose to revive the Olympic Games. The idea was that people would be able to compete and fight peacefully through sports rather than on the battlefield. This idea belonged to the French baron Pierre de Coubertin. Thanks to him, the International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894, the model of the Olympic Games was created and the rules were approved. We can say that it was thanks to the enthusiasm of this man that the first Olympic Games of our time were held in 1896.

Cortina D'Ampezzo 1956
As you know, the Olympic Games are held every four years. Since 1924, the Winter Olympic Games have also been held, although in 1994 the dates of their holding were shifted by two years relative to the summer games.

In the USSR, the Olympic Games were held only once, in 1980 in Moscow. The mascot of these XXII Summer Games was the Olympic Bear. And the XXII Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi are being held for the first time in Russia.

Olympic Games in the USSR

The USSR is a mighty sports power. As is known, the USSR as a country appeared on political maps in 1922. Back in 1920, Vsevobuch (universal military training) as an organization of the USSR tried to send a delegation to the Olympic Games, but nothing worked, because European countries avoided and ignored the USSR as best they could. And only after the end of World War II the USSR became a participant in the Olympic Games. In 1951, the USSR Olympic Committee was organized and accepted into the IOC.

The USSR first took part in the Olympic Games in 1952 in Helsinki. The USSR team consisted of 295 participants. The first participation - and immediately took 2nd place in the overall standings of the games. The first Olympic champion of the USSR was Nina Ponomareva Romashkina. She took the gold medal in the discus throwing event, setting a record of 51.42 m. In total, the Soviet Union team won 22 gold medals, 30 silver and 19 bronze.

USSR Olympic football team 1956
In 1956, the Winter Olympic Games were held in the city of Cortina d'Apmezzo, in which the USSR also participated for the first time. Then our country won a landslide victory in the overall standings of the games - 16 medals were taken, 7 of which were gold. Several Soviet athletes became Olympic champions: speed skaters Boris Shilkov and Yuri Mikhailov (distance 500 m and 1500 m), skier Lyubov Kozyreva (10 km race), speed skater Evgeny Grishin became a champion twice (500 m and 1500 m. ), as well as the USSR men's ski team and the USSR ice hockey team.

The 1960 Olympic Games, held in Rome, were just as successful for the USSR. The USSR national team took first place both in the total number of awards and in the number of all medals. For example, in artistic gymnastics competitions, Soviet athletes took 15 out of 16 medals. The famous Olympic champion Larisa Latynina won 6 awards in 1960. In total, the Soviet Union received 103 medals, of which 43 were gold.

The 1964 and 1968 Olympics also brought the Soviet Union 2nd place. At the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, 96 medals were won, of which 30 were gold, and at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, 91 medals were won, of which 29 were gold.

Between 1952 and 1968, about 28 Soviet athletes became Olympic champions.

The 1972 Olympics in Sapporo became a difficult task for Soviet athletes: by the 50th anniversary of the USSR, they had to win 50 gold medals and overtake the United States in the number of medals. It’s hard to imagine, but the athletes fulfilled these requirements - they won exactly 50 gold medals! Eight Soviet track and field athletes became winners of the Olympic Games. Anatoly Bondarchuk set a new record in the hammer throw, Lyudmila Bragina started three times at a distance of 1500 m and improved the world record all three times, Nikolai Avilov set a world record in the decathlon.

The 1976 Summer Olympics, held in Montreal, again brought the USSR 1st place and as many as 125 medals, of which 49 were gold.

1980 Olympics in Moscow
In 1980, the XXII Summer Olympic Games were held in Moscow. But they were boycotted by more than 50 countries due to the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in 1979. Still, some athletes from these countries came to the Olympics on their own. In total, 80 countries took part in the Moscow Olympics. The USSR once again took 1st place, taking 195 medals, of which 80 were gold. Alexander Dityatin managed to do something that no other gymnastics competition participant has ever managed - he won 8 medals in 8 types of competitions. Alexander Melentyev set a world record for 50m pistol shooting, which no one has been able to break for 30 years.

The XXIII Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 were boycotted by the USSR in response to the US boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games.

Seoul 1988 Olympics
The 1988 Olympic Games were held in Seoul. These were the last Olympic Games in history for the USSR. That time, the USSR again took first place, collecting 132 medals, of which 55 were gold.

During the entire period of the USSR's participation in the Olympic Games, 44 Soviet athletes became Olympic champions, receiving 3 or more gold medals. Soviet athletes took part in 18 Olympic Games (9 summer and 9 winter) and each time demonstrated incredible athletic achievements, excellent preparation, and set world records. The USSR was always in the lead in the overall standings and never fell below 2nd place. The USSR took 2nd place in the number of medals in the entire history of the Olympic Games - 1204 medals, of which as many as 473 were gold. These were truly the best athletes, strong in both body and spirit, who never lost and always proudly glorified their country.

Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR - mass sports competitions in the USSR in 1956-91. Two types of Spartakiads were held: summer Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR, as a rule, were organized in the pre-Olympic year, and winter ones - two years before the Olympic Games.
In total, ten summer sports games of the peoples of the USSR and seven winter sports games of the peoples of the USSR were held.
The First Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR was held in the Olympic year of 1956. The first series of stamps on this topic is dedicated to her. During the opening, almost all members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee were in the box for the guests of honor. The country's first records on the running track of the Great Sports Arena of the Central Stadium were set in the 10,000 m run (by Vladimir Kuts - the hero of the upcoming Olympics in Melbourne) and in the 4x200 m relay. At the competitions, 33 USSR records and 9 world records were set. The winners of the Spartakiad were the athletes of the Moscow team, ahead of the athletes of the national team of the RSFSR and Leningrad.
The 2nd Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR took place in 1959. Chess, motorsports and table tennis made their debut at the Spartakiad. At the Spartakiad, 12 records of the Soviet Union, one European record, and 3 world records were set. In the team competition, athletes from the Moscow team took first place.
The III Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR took place in 1963. At the Spartakiad, 32 USSR records and 4 world records were set. For the third time, athletes from the Moscow team took first place.
The IV Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR was held in 1967. 46 USSR records, 12 European records, 20 world records were set. For the fourth time in a row, the team victory was for the Moscow team.
The 5th Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR took place in 1971. At the Spartakiad, 35 USSR records, 19 European records and 20 world records were set. Weightlifter Vasily Alekseev alone broke the world record seven times in one evening. The first place according to the results of the Spartakiad was won by the athletes of the RSFSR team.
The VI Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR was held in 1975. Participants in the Spartakiad set 21 USSR records and 6 world records. According to the results of the competition, the RSFSR team took first place.
The VII Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR took place in 1979. 8,300 Soviet athletes and more than 2,000 athletes from 84 other countries took part in the finals. The first place in the number of awards was taken by the RSFSR team.
The VIII Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR was held in 1983. 17 world records and 22 USSR records were set. The RSFSR team won the team competition.
The IX Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR was held in 1986. Representatives of the RSFSR national team won the most awards.
The X Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR was held in 1991. The RSFSR team was in the lead in awards.

During these years, outstanding Soviet athletes shone: Arkady Vorobyov, Yuri Vlasov, Leonid Zhabotinsky, Vasily Alekseev (weightlifting), Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov, Irina Rodnina, Lyudmila Pakhomova (figure skating), Pyotr Bolotnikov, Vladimir Kuts, Valery Borzov, Valery Brumel, Romuald Klim, Sergei Bubka (athletics), Evgeniy Grishin, Lydia
Skoblikova (speed skating), Larisa Latynina, Boris Shakhlin, Nikolai Andrianov, Mikhail Voronin, Lyudmila Turishcheva, Olga Korbut (gymnastics), Boris Lagutin (boxing), Alexander Medved (wrestling), Viktor Krovopuskov (fencing), Vladimir Salnikov (swimming) and hundreds of other names.
Today Soviet sport is surrounded by myths. One of these myths says: Soviet athletes achieved outstanding success only at the cost of wild exploitation by the state. Great athletes lived under harsh political orders to "win at all costs", they were kept in a black body, penniless, and then they were supposedly thrown into the street and covered in oblivion.
Arkady Vorobyov (two-time Olympic champion in weightlifting):
Then they supported the athletes as best they could. Medals for the championships of the Soviet Union, scholarships for leading athletes, and for members of the national team were established. The Union was also rewarded financially for world records and championship wins. After such a terrible war there was no time for luxury: the country did not have the ability to pay huge sums. But compared to the usual
the salary was a lot of money - good athletes could easily buy cars... Of course, we always wanted to win, but there is no need to talk about any political pressure - it was a pure sporting desire!

38. Creation and characteristic features of the Russian national system of military physical training. Contribution to its creation by Peter I, a.B. Suvorova, M.I. Kutuzova, M.I. Dragomirova, A.D. Butovsky.

39. Characteristics of the pedagogical views of E.A. Pokrovsky and E.M. Dementyev on the development of physical education in Russia.

40. Life and work of P.F. Lesgafta.

41. System of physical education p.F. Lesgafta.

42. The emergence and development of the sports and gymnastics movement in Russia in the second half of the 19th century. The origins of individual sports.

43. Russia’s contribution to the creation of the modern Olympic movement.

44. Participation of Russian athletes in the games of the IV Olympiad.

45. Participation of Russian athletes in the games of the V Olympics.

46. ​​Athletes of pre-revolutionary Russia - participants in the Olympic Games and other international competitions.

47. Contribution and activities of A.D. Butovsky on the development of the theory of physical education and the creation of the international and Russian Olympic movement.

48. Russian Olympic Games: history and sports results. 1980 Summer Olympics

winter Olympic Games 2014

50. Activities of the bodies of education, medicine and Vsevobuch to create the Soviet system of physical education.

51. The role of Vsevobuch in the development of physical culture and sports in the country.

52. Development of physical culture and sports in the country in the 20s of the XX century.

53. All-Union Spartakiad of 1928 and its significance for the development of sports in the country.

54. Creation of a system of state management of physical culture and sports in the USSR in the 20-30s.

55. The development of the physical culture and sports movement in the USSR from the mid-20s to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

56. Formation of the scientific foundations of physical education and sports in the USSR.

57. History of the creation and development of the GTO complex as the programmatic and normative basis of the Soviet system of physical education.

58. The main stages of development of state management bodies for physical culture and sports in the country (1913 - 2013).

59. Physical culture and sports in the USSR during the Great Patriotic War.

60. Development of sports in the USSR in the post-war years (1945 - 1960)

61. The significance of the USSR’s entry into the Olympic movement. The results of the participation of athletes in the games of the XV Olympiad.

62. Spartakiads of the Peoples of the USSR and their significance for the development of sports in the country.

64. International and sports significance of the Goodwill Games.

65. World Youth Games.

67. International student sports movement.

68. Problems of the international sports movement in the second half of the twentieth century.

60. Development of sports in the USSR in the post-war years (1945 - 1960)

61. The significance of the USSR’s entry into the Olympic movement. The results of the participation of athletes in the games of the XV Olympiad.

In addition to Helsinki, Amsterdam, Athens, Detroit, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Chicago, Lausanne, and Stockholm applied to host the Olympics. The capital of Finland won. It was planned to hold the Games here back in 1940, but their holding was prevented by the Second World War. Soviet athletes participated in all numbers of the program, with the exception of field hockey, which was not cultivated in the Soviet Union at that time.

The first gold medal in the history of Soviet sports was awarded to discus thrower Nina Romashkova (Ponomareva). This outstanding athlete managed to win another gold medal 8 years later at the Rome Olympics. At the XVI Olympic Games in Melbourne (1956) she took third place. Eight times (in the period 1951-1959) this brilliant athlete became the champion of the USSR.

Soviet shot putter Galina Zybina won with a new world record of 15 m 28 cm. It must be said that the women's athletics tournament was distinguished by intense competition. Athletes competed for the championship title in nine disciplines. Eight Olympic records were updated and five world records were set. As a result of the women's athletics competition, the best team was the USSR team, which won the largest number of prizes.

The hero of the Olympics was the Czechoslovakian stayer Emil Zatopek, who won three gold medals at distances of 5000, 10,000 m and the marathon. At the same time, this outstanding athlete set Olympic records at each distance. Soviet athletes excelled in freestyle and classical wrestling, gymnastics, shooting and weightlifting; were second in competitions in rowing, basketball, boxing, and athletics. The Hungarian team was in third place - 259.5 points and 42 medals (16, 10, 16).

62. Spartakiads of the Peoples of the USSR and their significance for the development of sports in the country.

Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR- mass sports competitions in the USSR in 1956-1991. Two types of Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR were held: the summer Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR, as a rule, were organized in the pre-Olympic year, and the winter Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR - two years before the Olympic Games.

The Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR are designed to promote the truly broad development of sports, its introduction into the life of Soviet people, the creation of conditions for sports improvement, preparation for the Olympic Games - the development of the highest sports skills of those who turned out to be the strongest among millions of sports fans. They are entrusted with protecting the sporting honor of our Motherland at the world sports forum. The Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR, which have entered the life of our country since 1956, have gained great popularity and have become a program for the development of mass physical education and sports in all corners of our country. The first stage of the Spartakiad - competitions in physical education teams of enterprises, collective farms, state farms, construction sites and institutions, educational institutions and military units - brings millions of people to the starts. Spartakiads are also very important in preparing Soviet athletes for participation in major international competitions - championships, championships and, of course, the Olympic Games. Now, looking back at the 9 summer and 6 winter Spartakiads, we can safely say: they played a huge role in the outstanding successes of Soviet athletes at the Olympic Games. Heroes of the Spartakiads very often became heroes of the Olympics. The first Summer Spartakiad was opened by Vyacheslav Ivanov, who later became an outstanding rower and three-time Olympic champion. Another discovery of the Spartakiad was 18-year-old boxer Vladimir Safronov. The coaches took the risk of entrusting a first-class player with a place on the Olympic team: Vladimir returned from distant Melbourne as an Olympic champion and Honored Master of Sports. The triumphant victories of Vladimir Kuts, the champion of the Spartakiad, who later became a two-time Olympic champion, are widely known. Quite a few Leningrad athletes began their Olympic career at the Spartakiads of the peoples of the USSR.

According to official data, more than $3 billion was spent on the sports forum. The XXII Summer Games of the USSR cost a pretty penny

However, here it is appropriate to remember the expression - if it leaves somewhere, it will definitely arrive somewhere else. In July 1980, she surprised the world not only with the number of medals won and new records. The foreign public has become aware of blatant facts of theft on an especially large scale. 29 years later, we leafed through hitherto unknown pages of the Moscow Olympics.

And Nikita Sergeevich is against...

But first it is appropriate to recall the background. This is a fascinating and even detective story in its own way. After all, the idea of ​​holding the Olympic Games in Moscow first appeared in the minds of sports officials back in the mid-1950s. In April 1956, shortly after the 20th Party Congress, the Sports Committee asked to allow negotiations with the International Olympic Committee on holding the 1964 Games in Moscow.

But this idea never led to anything. Of the entire party leadership, only Leonid Brezhnev, then secretary of the Central Committee, supported the idea of ​​a sports committee. Others, including Khrushchev himself, reacted lukewarmly to the project. In general, this can be understood: they were already preparing the Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow. There were, as they say, more than enough expenses and fears... Apparently, everyone in the Kremlin, except Brezhnev, was clear: “Bolivar cannot stand two...”.

Nikita Sergeevich believed that the country was facing more important and serious tasks, and there was no point in spending money on some kind of sporting competition. Khrushchev’s argument, by the way, also buried the second attempt of the Soviet sports committee to offer Moscow as a host for the 1968 Games.

Leonid Brezhnev certainly loved sports. Under him, in fact, a campaign began to promote Belokamennaya to the Olympic capitals. It didn’t work out right away: either due to the eternal Slavic sluggishness the application was late, or the competitors took over. The 1976 Olympics had to be lost to Montreal.

But the strategy for winning the next Games was thought out to the smallest detail. And the documents were sent in advance, and the IOC members were appeased as best they could. Lord Killanin, president of the international committee, became almost the best friend of the Land of Soviets. Just before the vote, the leadership staged an unprecedented action: they invited a large group of foreign journalists, including people with openly anti-communist views. Soviet officials took risks and, as it turned out, not in vain. In October 1974, the 75th session of the IOC decided to hold the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. For the first time, such an impressive sports forum was to take place in a socialist state.

About terrorists, emissaries and the mentally ill

Preparations for the Games were in full swing. Athletes trained, builders erected facilities. The Soviet secret services did not sit idly by either - they monitored sedition. In June 1978, the Central Committee of the CPSU received a memo from the State Security Committee “On the plans of Western intelligence services and foreign anti-Soviet organizations in connection with the Olympics-80.”

Threads of corruption led to the highest echelons of power

Sports functionaries made colossal capital at the Moscow Games. The value of the gifts alone received by the organizing committee amounted to millions of dollars. Soon after the end of the sports festival, the organizing committee ceased to exist. Along with him, numerous cars, unique bicycles, and expensive film and photographic equipment disappeared without a trace. Prosecutors tried to bring major officials to justice. But, alas, the threads of corruption led to the highest echelons of power.

Foreign media made public the facts of the unprecedented theft of expensive materials. Thus, the British, who received an order to apply special markings on the cycle track in Krylatskoye, were simply stunned: one fine day the imported paint disappeared. It was necessary to equip another plane to the UK for additional materials, and then organize round-the-clock security.

But the “miracles” did not end there. Even before the start of the competition, the crooks stole tens of meters of carpet, which was scarce at that time. Immediately after the Games, two dismantled sandwich lines were written off. And how much property was lost on construction sites!

In 1977, the CPSU Central Committee issued a call to come up with an Olympic symbol. According to tradition, it had to be an animal. And such a cute little bear (Misha) was drawn by children's artist Viktor Chizhikov.

Among several thousand others, it was his work that attracted both members of the Politburo and ordinary Soviet citizens. Victor Alexandrovich's joy knew no bounds! In principle, Chizhikov was supposed to become an official millionaire. After all, according to the copyright law that existed at that time, for every toy, badge, keychain, stamp, envelope and even match label, the artist was entitled to a certain percentage.

When “Mishin’s dad” came to the organizing committee for a reward, they shook his hand and said: “We are ready to pay you 250 rubles for this funny little bear.” Chizhikov was dumbfounded. Still would! After all, no one abroad received less than a million dollars for such work.

For example, the creator of the 1966 World Cup mascot in England, Willie the lion, was paid 6 million 700 thousand pounds sterling.

“For a sketch of 30x20 cm, this is exactly the fee,” the organizing committee explained to the discouraged Chizhikov. - And you have no right to claim authorship at all. The author of the talisman is the Soviet people, who approved the bear cub by voting.”

When Viktor Alexandrovich tried to challenge such a frivolous fee, the “uncles” “persuaded” the artist to renounce his claims. As a result, Chizhikov was nevertheless paid 2 thousand rubles (the Volga car cost 10 thousand at that time - Author's note). And they forced him to sign an agreement in which he refused all deductions for his work in favor of the USSR Olympic Committee...

And the brainchild of Viktor Alexandrovich suffered a completely bitter fate. Having lain for many years in the damp basements of warehouses, Misha was pretty damaged by rats. By the way, in the fall of 1980, one of the West German companies wanted to buy the bear cub for 100 thousand marks, but the Soviet government categorically rejected the “shameful” offer.

At first, the Olympic symbol was displayed in one of the VDNH pavilions (apparently personifying the achievements of the national economy), and then the talisman was buried in the basement of the organizing committee...

Text: Alexander Fomin

Reference

Despite the boycott of fifty countries that refused to participate in the Games due to the entry of Soviet troops into Moscow, 8.5 thousand athletes and foreign guests from 81 countries came to Moscow. 203 sets of medals were awarded. The Moscow Olympics made 74 amendments to the table of records and 76 to the list of world achievements.

Dossier

« Top secret.

Special folder

The State Security Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR has information that the intelligence services of capitalist states are hatching hostile plans in connection with the XXII Summer Olympic Games in 1980 in Moscow. The enemy plans to use the international tourism channel to send terrorists, emissaries and agents of hostile organizations to the USSR... The presence of recidivist criminals in various regions of our country, as well as mentally ill people with delusional ideas, causes certain concern. In Moscow alone, 280 thousand mentally ill people are registered...

Chairman of the State Security Committee of the USSR Yu. Andropov"