We present the All-Union Sports parades held on the Red Square in 1938 and 1939, with our translation of the 1938 event. The materials were initially published at our Telegram channel “Beorn And The Shieldmaiden”.
Blooming Youth (1938)
A newsreel depicting the All-Union Sports parade on the Red Square, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Lenin-Stalin Communist Union of Youth (Komsomol), which took place on July 24, 1938. It showed readiness to defend the Motherland. Many iconic marches and songs were performed, including “If Tomorrow Comes War” (see below).
Columns of athletes from Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, athletes from Voluntary sports societies pass in front of the audience.
On the podium of the Lenin Mausoleum, I. V. Stalin, K. E. Voroshilov, V. M. Molotov, S. M. Budyonny, M. I. Kalinin, A. A. Andreev, A. I. Mikoyan, L. M. Kaganovich, N. A. Bulganin, Hero of the Soviet Union pilot M. M. Gromov. This is one of the first Soviet colour films.
Backup at Rumble.
Trivia:
The film, directed by Nikolai Solovyov, is originally in colour. According to the information on the Internet, the film was shot using the three-colour method. However, according to Wikipedia, the first film shot with a three-film camera “CKS-1” of domestic make, was “Blooming Youth” created in 1939, presented below. That is a different film with a similar title, also about the Red Square parade, but held a year later, it has been preserved in decent quality.
The method of shooting the 1938 film “Blooming Youth” requires further clarification.
This film was shown in the 90s on the “Kultura” TV channel. An incomplete recording was wide-spread on the Internet, ending at the 20th minute. Thanks to the newly digitised VHS recording, which was made at the same time, it was possible to restore the full version of the film. Source.
If Tomorrow Comes War
This is the theme song from the 1938 film of the same title. The film celebrates Soviet military power and shows the Soviet people what the war will be like when the imperialists attack the USSR – fast, victorious, almost bloodless. The film is based on documentary footage shot during real manoeuvrers of the Red Army, and play episodes with actors.
Lyrics by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach, music by Dmitry Pokrass.
If tomorrow comes war, if the enemy strikes,
If the dark forces descend,
As one person, the entire Soviet people
He will stand up for a free Motherland
Chorus:
On land, in the skies, and at sea
Our tune is both powerful and harsh:
If tomorrow comes war,
If tomorrow we march,
Then be ready for it today!
If tomorrow comes war, the whole country will rise up
From Kronstadt to Vladivostok,
The country will rise up, great and strong,
And we will relentlessly beat the enemy!
Chorus.
An airplane will fly, a machine gun will fire,
The mighty tanks will rumble,
And the battleships will sail, and the infantry will march,
And tachankas will rush forward.
Chorus.
We don’t want war, but we will protect ourselves —
We are strengthening our defenses for a reason.
And on the enemy’s land, we will crush the enemy
With little blood, with a mighty blow!
Chorus.
Arise, people, get ready to march,
Drum the drums harder!
Musicians,forward! Singers, forward!
Sing our victory song!
Chorus.
🔥 Sadly, when the War came, it could not be won with little blood, and ultimately cost approximately 45 million Soviet people their lives. However, the promise heard in the song was fulfilled!
When the war came in 1941, the song found its continuation in the song “Arise, People!”.
Long Live the Soviet Athletes!
Artists: A.V. Druzhkov, I.M. Shagin
Poster for the Day of Athletes, celebrated on July 18, 1939.
Blooming Youth (1939)
A documentary film about the All-Union Sports Parade in Moscow on Red Square, which took place on July 18, 1939.
This documentary is one of the first colour works of Soviet documentary filmmaking. The newsreel was shot on three films through blue, red and green filters using a special three-film filming machine CKS-1, and printed with Pavel Mershin’s chrome gelatin method using domestic hydrotype technology. The film was restored by film critic Nikolai Mayorov.
On the eve of the Second World War, one of the first colour films, this has preserved for us the parade of athletes, which was held in 1939 on Red Square in Moscow. Such parades in the USSR were not so much sporting as ideological events — bright, colourful spectacles designed to demonstrate the solidarity of Soviet youth, their physical and moral readiness to work and defend the Motherland. Such was the 1939 parade captured in this chronicle.
Young, smiling faces, colourful banners, and party atmosphere, it seems that they have the same bright and happy life ahead of them.
Blooming youth, who does not yet know what awaited them just two years later…