Sport discourse in the Cold War policy of Soviet identity
https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6339-2025-6-34-51
Abstract
The paper, based on the analysis of the “Physical Culture and Sport” magazine (1946–1953), examines the sport discourse as a resource of forming Soviet identity in the Early Cold War period. The author points out that the representations of sports served as a part of the “Sovietness”, contributing to the production of the images of the Soviet Motherland and the Soviet people, to the formation of the views on the norms and values of the Soviet way of life, and to the strengthening of national pride. The magazine accentuated in the sport ethics the values of collectivism, devotion to the cause of Communism, love to the Motherland, comradeship, equality of men and women. The sport discourse also employed the representations of the U.S.A. and the creation of the negative perception of the United States functioned as a necessary element of the policy of Soviet identity. The features of the Soviet image of the “enemy number one” manifested themselves in the characteristics of the U.S. sport: priority of the interests of big business; social inequality in access to sports; racial discrimination; exploitation of professional athletes by businesses; individualism; dishonesty; the cult of bestial cruelty; militarization; exploiting sports for the justification of war and for propaganda of American exceptionalism all over the world. The top-level sports was constructed as the arena of confrontation between the two worlds.
Keywords
Cold War,
sport discourse,
image of the enemy,
politics of the Soviet identity,
“Physical Culture and Sport” magazine
Supporting agencies: This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under Grant № 22-18-00305-P.
About the Author
Oleg V. Riabov
HSE University – Saint Petersburg; Herzen University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Oleg V. Riabov, Dr. of Sci. (Philosophy), Professor,
16, Soyuza Pechatnikov St., Saint Petersburg, 190121;
48, Moika River Emb., Saint Petersburg, 191186.
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Review
For citations:
Riabov O.V. Sport discourse in the Cold War policy of Soviet identity. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin Series "Political Science. History. International Relations". 2025;(6):34-51. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6339-2025-6-34-51
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