Mariya V. Gileva

Contractor for the Grant

Institute of Russian History RAS

(Moscow, Russia)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22405/2712-8407-2025-2-50-67

Abstract. The article examines the evolution of the perception of Soviet sports in the American press from the 1930s to the early 1950s, covering the key stages of its development – from a tool of social transformation to inclusion in the international Olympic movement. The main focus is on the influence of the political context (the interwar period, World War II, the Cold War) on the representation of sports in the USSR in the American media. In the 1930s, the American press emphasizes the scale of the Soviet sports movement, noting its massive participation, the involvement of women and national minorities, as well as its military-applied nature (the ‘Ready for Labor and Defense’ system, parachuting). During the World War II, the tone of publications becomes more positive, emphasizing that sport in the USSR is a symbol of the Soviet people’s resilience. American journalists admired the fact that, despite the war, the country continued to hold sports competitions, showing the high level of social mobilization. With the onset of the Cold War, the tone of the American press changed dramatically. Now, according to American journalists, the USSR's participation in the Olympic Games (since 1952) is an element of ‘sports diplomacy’ and a propaganda tool. It is also worth noting doubts about the achievements of Soviet athletes, challenging their amateur status, and criticizing the politicization of sport in the USSR, especially in comparison with the Western model based on commercial principles. The author uses materials from leading American newspapers to trace how attitudes toward Soviet sports changed from interest and admiration in the 1930s to ideological confrontation in the 1950s. The article demonstrates that sports in the USSR became not only a reflection of domestic policy, but also an important element of the country's international image.
Keywords: History of sports, USSR, American press, Cold War, Olympic Games, Great Patriotic War.

Full text of the article (PDF)

For citation: Gileva, MV 2025, ‘Perception of Soviet Sports in the US Periodical Press. 1930–1950s’, Tula Scientific Bulletin. History. Linguistics, issue 2 (22), pp. 50–67, https://doi.org/10.22405/2712-8407-2025-2-50-67 (in Russ.)

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