Football in the Land of the Soviets

This book examines the fascinating evolution of football in early Soviet Russia, highlighting its impact on society and politics. Football in the Land of the Soviets provides unique insights.

The emergence of football in early twentieth century Russia is a fascinating tale, marked by mistrust and adoration. Football in the Land of the Soviets explores the complex relationship between the sport and the socio-political landscape of Tsarist and early Soviet Russia. This narrative reveals how football was both instrumentalized by the state and embraced by the masses, reflecting the tumultuous changes occurring in the country during this period.

Carles Viñas provides a fresh perspective on this pivotal chapter in modern political history, illustrating the transformation of football from a minor pastime among émigrés to a powerful force for societal change. The book details the sport's evolution into a vanguard for Soviet diplomacy and internationalism, culminating in the first championship of the Soviet League in 1936, which marked football's emergence as a mass phenomenon in the Soviet Union.

The journey raises crucial questions about how a game associated with bourgeois culture became a collective passion for the Soviet working class. Football in the Land of the Soviets delves deep into these inquiries, offering an unorthodox and thrilling account of the intersection between sport and politics during the fall of an imperial dynasty and the rise of a socialist state.