Classical wrestling championships in the circus
Bodybuilder, Fitness, Muscle Man,Classical, wrestling, championships, in the circus
The first most significant element of the circus is the demonstration of physical strength and agility, the physical beauty of the human body. It is not necessary that the average person was an acrobat, juggler or athlete. But never a high average level is achieved without a significant number of masters. We have such masters in the circus. (A.V. Lunacharsky, Tasks of the renewed circus, jurn. Theatre Herald, 1919, No.3)
"I found cravings,
So I would raise the whole earth!"
From the Russians were.
From ancient times, the Russian land is famous for people of fabulous power, mighty heroes. In the heroic tales that came to us from the gray-haired antiquity, folk singers praise the Russian miracle-rich Ilya Muromts, Mikulu Selyaninovich, St. Sacred, Dobrynya Nikitich. With great artistic power and poetic expressiveness imprinted in the werenas courage, irresistible courage, clear mind and persistent character of the Russian people. Powerful titans, heroes are defenders of the homeland from conquerors, fighters for popular happiness, strong, solid, incorruptible natures.
"I'm going to serve...
For the Russian land,
And for such a Kiev-grad,
For widows, for orphans, for poor people."
says the folk hero Ilya Muromets, expressing the Duma and the aspirations of the Russian people.
Highly poetic, full of deep philosophical significance images of former heroes, heroes of folk legends, legends and songs, for centuries nourished all Russian culture - music glinka and Mussorgsky, poetry of Pushkin and Nekrasov, Gorky and Mayakovsky, painting repin, Surikov and Vasnetsov.
The competitions of strongmen at folk games and festive festivities, sung by Lermontov and Gogol, had a great impact on the development of the people's favorite circus art, on the formation of many of its genres.
When in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the arenas of Russian circuses begin to hold championships of classical wrestling, they quickly gain huge popularity, acquire all-Russian scale.
Despite the dark behind-the-scenes machinations and some anti-aesthetic phenomena inherent in pre-revolutionary championships, ordinary people loved the classic struggle. In it he saw first of all a demonstration of strength, agility, courage, outstanding strong-willed qualities. The spectacle of classical struggle, as you know, was fond of Chaliapin, Kuprin, Blok, Gorky, Mayakovsky.
The heyday of wrestling championships in the Russian circus has put forward a whole galaxy of outstanding world-class athletes who successfully defended Russia's sporting honor at world competitions. This is a wonderful Russian wrestler twice world champion Ivan Sainkin, world champion Ivan Shemyakin, multiple winner of international championships Nikolai Vakhturov, Grigory Kashcheev, Georg Lurich and first of all the legendary Russian wrestler six-time world champion Ivan Poddubny.
It was in Poddubny with the greatest completeness combined the best features of the people's hero: phenomenal power, unyielding courage and will to win, patriotism, high moral purity and integrity. Together with his victories, this deservedly created Ivan Poddubny's worldwide fame.
***
Our great homeland can rightly be called the country of heroes. For a long time, strongmen-athletes, acrobats and gymnasts, masters of lifting weights, wrestlers-champions are famous in the Russian people.
The 21st Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union paid great attention to the further development of mass Soviet sport. Promoting physical culture and sport is now important. In this regard, I want to put the issue of 6 championships of classical wrestling in the Soviet circus.
In the 20s and first half of the 30s, our circuses held between ten and twelve or more classical wrestling championships every year. Most of them had a highly qualified line-up of professional wrestlers and were very popular with the audience. It is no exaggeration to say that in the early thirties no spectacular enterprise could compete with circuses, when they held championships of struggle. The competition of strong, beautifully folded, harmoniously developed athletes attracted everyone's attention, attracted thousands and tens of thousands of amateur newcomers to the sport. Among our famous weightlifters, Soviet record-holders a lot of those who came to the sport thanks to the passion for classical wrestling in the circus. Often professional wrestlers themselves became initiators of the creation of new sports sections, circles of weightlifting enthusiasts. In turn, many amateur athletes have become circus fighters-professionals.
During World War II, many circus performers went to the front. Most of the classical wrestling groups during this period were disbanded or disbanded, and the only surviving collective esy a miserable existence. No one really deals with the issues of replenishment, equipment, registration of this championship. The troupe is half-capable: it is high time for many wrestlers to retire. They are held up by the fact that the provision with pensions for this category of circus artists has not yet been ordered.
If other circus numbers receive the necessary director's help, with them staged work, they are periodically reissued, in the championships of classical wrestling this, in fact, never happened. Only last year the existing troupe was given a rehearsal period, which played its part. However, there is still no new top-up.
Discipline in the team of wrestlers is shattered, the regime is poorly observed, training is conducted irregularly and after the sleeves.
It is no coincidence that in the post-war years interest in the championships of classical wrestling in the Soviet circus fell sharply.
In view of the fact that many of the wrestlers of the current squad have lost their form and disqualified, the championships of classical wrestling have recently been held only in the arenas of small peripheral circuses. Apparently, some employees of the Union City Think something that can not be shown to the audience of large capital cities, "fit" for the "provincial" viewer?! Is it necessary to speak of intolerance of this situation!..
The wonderful tradition of the national circus has always been that even in small towns in the championships fought real champions. Famous Russian wrestlers knew and loved the workers of the Vyborg side, and loaders of Odessa and Kherson, and Volga burlaks.
In turn, ordinary people have nominated from their environment to the arena of Russian circuses a number of talented wrestlers-nuggets.
Many of us often receive letters asking us to share memories, to tell about famous Russian wrestlers past and present. A few books on the history of classical struggle in Russia are sorted out. Interest in the championships of classical wrestling among fans of circus art is still great, and the current championship is not able to satisfy it.
We need vigorous, effective measures that can fundamentally change the situation for the better.
This is all the more necessary because it is not enough for amateur wrestlers to mass, effective propaganda of the sport. Amateur competitions do not attract and cannot attract such attention as circus championships. First, they are held less often, and secondly, differences in the rules of combat for professionals and for amateurs negate the spectacular effect of amateur competitions. According to the rules of professional wrestling, the instant touch of the wrestler with the shoulder blades to the carpet is not recognized as a defeat, not counted also points for the receptions in defense and attack. Therefore, achieving a clean victory, professional wrestlers have the opportunity to make extensive use of effective techniques and counter-techniques, to fight aesthetically beautifully. It is no secret that circus wrestling is inherent in a well-known theatricality, decorating the spectacle, strengthening its artistic and educational impact.
For an amateur wrestler, the aesthetic form of fighting is in the background, the main thing is to defeat the enemy at any cost. Many amateurs are afraid to take risks for fear of encountering a counter-receiver from the enemy. This explains that professional wrestling is incomparably more exciting, bright and meaningful spectacle.
What should be done to revive the wrestling championships in our circus?
First of all, it is necessary to attract capable, physically prepared youth to the championships. This will improve the troupe, will pour fresh forces into its composition, increase its combat capability and aesthetic level. At the same time, it would be necessary to create a studio of professional circus wrestling to fully prepare the young artistic change in this genre.
The release of wrestlers prepared by the studio (in the number of 40-60 people) will allow in the next few years to completely update the composition of the current championship, as well as create a second troupe of wrestlers. The latter is essential for the exchange of championship participants.
You can also think about holding freestyle wrestling competitions along with the championships of classical (French) wrestling in the circus.
In the team of wrestlers it is necessary to lead serious educational work, resolutely suppressing cases of immoral behavior at work and in everyday life, violation of the training regime and performances. The Soviet artist should be a model both in the arena and in life, in everyday life - this commandment should be indestructible for young wrestlers.
Young artists, prepared by the studio, will be able to provide invaluable assistance to amateur teams as social instructors, holding demonstration meetings, advising coaches on the program of classes, training regime. In circuses should be more often to hold demonstration competitions between professionals and amateurs.
Demonstrations of wrestlers should be systematically organized in the parks of culture and recreation. It will also help attract young athletes.
Various sports, including classical wrestling, are very popular among the personnel of the Soviet Army and navy. Sport helps the warrior to be bold, agile, hardy. It is desirable to hold more demonstrations of fighters in military units.
We are convinced that the decisive actions of the Union and our sports community will help in the short term to revive the popular, popular genre of classical wrestling in the Soviet circus, which will be of great importance for the growth of mass Of Soviet sport, to achieve new success in the glory of our Motherland.
The increased skill level of the artists and directors of the Soviet circus, the rich artistic and creative experience accumulated over the last decades, will make circus championships of struggle a dynamic, exciting, interesting spectacle. This is demanded by our audience and the interests of Soviet sport, the most advanced, the most mass in the world!
N. KOLOFIDIN, folk artist of the RSFSR
V. STYRLYAEV, Major General
A. Mazur, honored master of sports of the USSR, world champion.
L. YEGOROV, Distinguished Master of Sports of the USSR
V. LULYAKOV, distinguished coach of the USSR, multiple champion of the USSR
In the photo: Ivan Poddubny (frame from the movie "Fighter and Clown")