Physical Education and Sport

Physical Education and Sport (Russian: «Физкультура и спорт», commonly abbreviated «ФиС») is a Soviet and Russian illustrated popular-science and literary-artistic magazine dedicated to the problems of physical culture and sport. It is published in Moscow in Russian and traces its lineage to the first issue of the journal «Физическая культура» (Physical Culture), which appeared on 15 May 1922 as the organ of Vsevobuch, the universal military training organization. That early journal ceased in 1923 along with Vsevobuch, and in 1924 a new title, «Известия физической культуры» (News of Physical Culture), began publication; in 1928 it was renamed «Физкультура и спорт». The magazine's official editorial establishment is generally dated to 1927–1928, even though the 1922 date is often cited as the founding of the ФиС tradition. Over the decades the magazine served as the organ of the state bodies responsible for physical culture and sport in the USSR: the All-Union Council of Physical Culture (VSFK) under the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, later the Committee for Physical Culture and Sport under the Council of People's Commissars, and then the Committee for Physical Culture and Sport under the Council of Ministers. Initially it had a popular-science orientation, periodically publishing articles on theoretical and methodological questions of various sports. In the second half of the 1950s, after specialized journals such as «Лёгкая атлетика» (Athletics), «Спортивные игры» (Sports Games) and «Физическая культура в школе» (Physical Culture at School) began publication, such technical articles disappeared from its contents, and the magazine shifted toward a broader illustrated and literary profile. The magazine has been led by a long series of editors, including Vasily Mikhailov (1928–1934), Pyotr Sobolev (1954–1971), Nikolai Tarasov (1971–1973), Anatoly Chaikovsky (1973–1992), and Igor Sosnovsky (1992–2017). Since 2017 the editor has been Yevgeny Bogatyryov. From 1996 to 2013 the magazine issued a supplement series, the «Золотая библиотека здоровья» (Golden Library of Health), comprising 38 issues. Today the magazine maintains an online presence at fis1922.ru, where readers can access articles from the current issue, browse and purchase books published under its imprint, and subscribe to the print edition. The site also hosts an archive of issues and presents new book titles, such as Yevgeny Bogatyryov's «Повесть об олимпийском характере» and V. Shchagin's «Мяч и время».

The magazine's history begins on 15 May 1922, when the first issue of «Физическая культура» (Physical Culture) appeared as the organ of Vsevobuch, the universal military training organization of the early Soviet state. Both Vsevobuch and the journal ceased to exist in 1923. In 1924 a new publication, «Известия физической культуры» (News of Physical Culture), began to appear; in 1928 it was renamed «Физкультура и спорт». Although the second edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Physical Culture and Sport reflect official data, there is a viewpoint that the founding date of «Физкультура и спорт» should be set at 1922, the time of the founding of «Физическая культура». This viewpoint has neither legal basis — official orders to organize the magazine's editorial office date to 1927–1928 — nor bibliographic support. At various times the magazine was the organ of the organizations responsible for the development of physical culture and sport in the country: the All-Union Council of Physical Culture (VSFK) under the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, later the Committee for Physical Culture and Sport under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, and then the Committee for Physical Culture and Sport under the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Initially the magazine had a popular-science orientation. It periodically published articles on theoretical and methodological questions of various sports, but by the second half of the 1950s, after journals such as «Лёгкая атлетика» (Athletics), «Спортивные игры» (Sports Games) and «Физическая культура в школе» (Physical Culture at School) began publication, such articles disappeared from its contents. The magazine has had a long succession of editors: Vasily Mikhailov (1928–1934), A. M. Yesayan (1934–1935), I. Dyomin (1935), P. Poluyanov (1935–1936), David Yeshchin (1936), Aron Ittin (1936–1937), B. Aristov (1937), an editorial board (1937–1938), A. Zelikov (1938–1939), an editorial board (1939–1941), an editorial board (1945–1946), Yevgeny Simonov (1946–1947), P. M. Petukhov (1947–1954), Pyotr Sobolev (1954–1971), Nikolai Tarasov (1971–1973), Anatoly Chaikovsky (1973–1992), and Igor Sosnovsky (1992–2017). Since 2017 the editor has been Yevgeny Bogatyryov. From 1996 to 2013 the magazine published a supplement, the «Золотая библиотека здоровья» (Golden Library of Health), which ran to 38 issues. Today the magazine maintains a website at fis1922.ru, offering articles from the current issue, a book list, subscription services, and an archive of issues from 2025 and 2026.

• 2017

  Yevgeny Bogatyryov becomes editor.

• 1996

  Supplement «Золотая библиотека здоровья» (Golden Library of Health) begins; it runs to 38 issues until 2013.

• 1992

  Igor Sosnovsky becomes editor (serves until 2017).

• 1973

  Anatoly Chaikovsky becomes editor (serves until 1992).

• 1954

  Pyotr Sobolev becomes editor (serves until 1971).

• 1928

  «Известия физической культуры» is renamed «Физкультура и спорт».

• 1928

  Vasily Mikhailov becomes editor (serves until 1934).

• 1924

  «Известия физической культуры» (News of Physical Culture) begins publication.

• 1923

  Vsevobuch and the journal «Физическая культура» cease to exist.

• 1922

  First issue of «Физическая культура» (Physical Culture) published on 15 May as the organ of Vsevobuch.

A long-running popular-science and literary magazine on physical culture and sport, historically tied to Soviet state sports bodies and now a Russian print and online publication with an associated book list.

• «Физкультура и спорт» monthly magazine

  Illustrated popular-science and literary-artistic magazine on physical culture and sport.

• «Золотая библиотека здоровья» supplement

  Supplement series published 1996–2013, 38 issues.

• Books published under the magazine's imprint

  Includes titles such as Yevgeny Bogatyryov's «Повесть об олимпийском характере» and V. Shchagin's «Мяч и время».

1. 1Журнал «Физкультура и спорт» — официальный сайтfis1922.ru
2. 2Wikidata: Physical Education and Sportwikidata.org
3. 3Физкультура и спорт (журнал) — Википедияru.wikipedia.org