Sport in Central Asia under Gorbachev: Uzbekistan from 1985 to 1991

Abstract

This paper assesses the modern and traditional sports during the last six years of the Soviet Union before its collapse in 1991. The case study is the Central Asian republic of Uzbekistan under the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU, established 1917). Central Asia is a crucial historical case because it was a Muslim-majority region that Moscow wished to transform. The study is interdisciplinary and contains primary and secondary sources from the Cold War era. The research question asks: What did the implementation and impact of Soviet sport look like in Uzbekistan under Mikhail Gorbachev (CPSU leader from March 1985 to December 1991). Uzbekistan’s sportspeople, facilities, Spartakiad ranking of 1983, Olympic athletes, and traditional sports are the topics examined.

Keywords

• communist sport,
• folk sport,
• Gorbachev,
• Soviet sport,
• Uzbekistan

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