Master of Sport of the USSR

Master of Sport of the USSR (standard abbreviation in sports reference literature – MS) was a sports title established in 1935[1] by the Supreme Council of Physical Culture under the Central Executive Committee of the USSR (in chess, the title had been introduced earlier). The title was awarded to athletes of the USSR; starting in 1937 with the introduction of the Unified All-Union Sports Classification, it was awarded for fulfilling specific standards. The awarding of the title ended in 1992.

## History

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Badges of the 1935 design were not numbered. In 1949, a new badge was introduced (its design remained unchanged thereafter); badge No. 1 was awarded to Albert Abramyan[1] for winning the USSR Championship in floor exercise.

* Master of Sport of the USSR badge (1949 design)

* Certificate of the title awarded in 1978 to Anatoly Starostin

As of January 1, 1957, 8,779 people had been awarded the title;[2] by January 1, 1960 – 15,949 people; by January 1, 1975 – about 108,100; by 1980 – about 158,000; by 1988 – about 250,000.[3][4][5][6]

## Honored Master of Sport

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In 1959, the "Honorary Badge 'Master of Sport of the USSR'" was introduced, awarded to athletes who met the Master of Sport standard for five consecutive years. By the decree of the USSR State Sports Committee on June 26, 1986, the award of these badges was discontinued.[7]

In sports literature, recipients of this badge are referred to as "Honored Master of Sport of the USSR" (standard abbreviation – HMS).

## Master of Sport in National Sports

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In the 1950s–1960s, several Soviet republics introduced titles of "Master of Sport in National Sports."[1] The title was awarded for national sports that had officially approved competition rules. For example, the Unified Russian Classification in National Sports adopted in 1970 included 17 sports – reindeer sled races, sled dog racing, national wrestling, lapta, kettlebell lifting, and others.

## Equivalent titles

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Similar titles existed in Bulgaria, Poland (until 1996), East Germany (introduced in 1952[8]), Romania, Czechoslovakia,[9] Albania (introduced in 1952[10]), North Korea,[11] China,[12] Mongolia.[13] Since 1992, several post-Soviet states established their own "Master of Sport" titles – Russia (see Master of Sport of Russia), Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Sports Titles". Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
2. ^ Facts and Figures // Sovetsky Sport newspaper. – July 21, 1957, No. 96. – p. 4-5.
3. ^ "Master of Sport of the USSR". Encyclopedic Dictionary of Physical Culture and Sports. Vol. 2\. p. 117.
4. ^ "Sports Titles". Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
5. ^ "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics". Olympic Encyclopedia. p. 330.
6. ^ Master of Sport // Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary. – Moscow: "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1989. – ISBN 5-85270-001-0. – p. 781.
7. ^ Honorary Badge "Master of Sport of the USSR" – article from: Boxing. Encyclopedia. 2011. p. 370.
8. ^ First Masters of Sport // Sovetsky Sport. – December 27, 1952, No. 155. – p. 7.
9. ^ Athletes of Socialist Countries on the International Stage.
10. ^ First Masters of Sport of Albania // Sovetsky Sport. – April 8, 1952, No. 43. – p. 4.
11. ^ Ivanov Y. Youth of the Country // Sovetsky Sport. – September 10, 1958, No. 214. – p. 7.
12. ^ 110 million // Sovetsky Sport. – October 1, 1958, No. 232. – p. 5.
13. ^ Damdinsuren Ch. Master of Sport Ts. Lkhamjav // Sovetsky Sport. – December 4, 1961, No. 285. – p. 7.

## External links

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* "Badge "Master of Sport of the USSR"". falerist.org. Archived from the original on 2014-03-24. Retrieved 2025-05-03.