Vladimir Putin calls for revival of Soviet-era physical fitness tests

[Chris]

Russia's president Vladimir Putin has called for the revival of the Soviet-era physical evaluation programme that required all schoolchildren to pass fitness tests.

Putin, a judo enthusiast and a regular swimmer, said that the restoration of GTO, the Russian acronym for Ready for Labor and Defense, would teach children to "to stand up for themselves, their family and, in the final run, the Fatherland."

GTO, which was introduced in 1931 under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's rule, required all school and university students to regularly pass physical training tests. Those managing to qualify would receive silver- or gold-colored badges.

In its early years, the GTO program focused heavily on tests intended to make children ready for Red Army service. The programme gradually lost its scope and prestige over the years and ceased to exist with the 1991 Soviet collapse. Since then, schools largely have been left on their own regarding physical education.

Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told a government meeting chaired by Putin that his agency would work to introduce the physical training standards nationwide by 2016.

Putin said that Russia needs to pay more attention to physical training because it lags behind other countries. He said that Russian children now are in "significantly worse" physical shape compared to a few decades ago.





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[RichyRich]

Good, don't see anything wrong with getting children fit. They also still have national service so it would help the child be more prepared when they are called up. Wish the UK would be more strict upon forcing people to exercise, I am fed up of seeing fat   ers everywhere

Interesting that he says "to stand up for ... the Fatherland" I had always presumed that Russia was referred to as the Motherland much like here in Britain we use Motherland instead of Fatherland as Fatherland is a reference to those Nazi *snip*s!

[Chris]

Interesting that he says "to stand up for ... the Fatherland" I had always presumed that Russia was referred to as the Motherland much like here in Britain we use Motherland instead of Fatherland as Fatherland is a reference to those Nazi *snip*s!

Yes that is odd, "Russia" in russian language - it's feminine gender, but I guess it depends upon the connotation sought by the author in a particular context. Fatherland suggests government and order. Motherland connotes birth and nurturing.

Not sure if this is the reason though?

[RichyRich]

Yes that is odd, "Russia" in russian language - it's feminine gender, but I guess it depends upon the connotation sought by the author in a particular context. Fatherland suggests government and order. Motherland connotes birth and nurturing.

Not sure if this is the reason though?

This is what stumps me as surely a soldier would fight for his Motherland the land that has nurtured him rather than a temporary (in democracy) government, Motherland is more patriotic to many people thus people are more likely to fight unless he actually did say Fatherland, depends on what word he used I guess and as it is the Telegraph I highly doubt we will get the Russian transcript

[Ste]

Well in Russian it's 'Rodina' which I think stems from the word for 'birth' as rozhdenye - birthday.

So it prolly means more like 'birthland' and westerners like us have maybe melded that with the iconic babushka symbol of Russia.

Could be wrong tho!