The Znamensky brothers are outstanding Soviet athletes of the 30s of the 20th century. Their names are still shrouded in a halo of glory. Brothers are called nothing more than legendary people. After all, in just 12 months, young people managed to go from the unknown beginners to the champions of the USSR. The Znamensky brothers, and it is about them that will be discussed in this article, became the pride of the Soviet sport of the pre-war period. Their fate in many respects repeated frames from films of that time about workers who received universal recognition exclusively at the cost of their own labor. Only the brothers managed to translate this into real life. Imagine the first time Znamensky took to the treadmills, George was thirty and Seraphim was twenty-seven years old. Usually at this age athletes are already ending their careers. The sports life of these outstanding athletes was short, but full of memorable and vibrant events. Few people know that at that time Seraphim and George lived in Nikolsko-Arkhangelsk. From there to the place of work (Hammer and Sickle Plant) they made cross-country races. And this is about sixteen kilometers per day.
A family
The Znamensky brothers were born in the village of Zelenaya Sloboda. George was born in 1903, and Seraphim in 1906. The father of the boys, Ivan Vasilievich, was the local head priest of the church. Fellow villagers spoke of him as a kind and calm person. Ivan Vasilievich married the daughter of a village priest named Anfisa Ivanovna. She bore him six daughters and four sons.
Anfisa Ivanovna was engaged in both household and children's education. She played the piano and knew French well. Each child from the Znamensky family was trained in musical notation, and then passed the exam in front of the head of the family and their relatives. Especially Anfis Ivanovna pleased Seraphim. At 13, the boy served as a deacon in his father’s church and had excellent vocal abilities. He was very musical. Sometimes Seraphim woke up at night and wrote for a long time in a notebook. And in the morning the whole Znamensky family listened to his works. George, on the other hand, was calm about music. Nevertheless, he always praised his brother after home concerts and hoped that he would become "Chopin". But fate has prepared the boys a completely different path.
Unlike his brother, George Znamensky was athletic from childhood. At twenty, he was considered the strongest guy in all of Green Sloboda. Even at that time, the younger Znamensky were on a kind of diet without any delicacies - potatoes, rye bread and milk. They did not need anything else. As for milk, George and Seraphim drank one bucket for two every day.
Mentor
The elder brother Sergey was actively involved in the education of the younger ones. He visited the First World War, receiving the rank of officer. He returned home after the shell shock received at the front. Sergei immediately noticed that the younger brothers are growing thin and weak. He himself, being a student at a military school, “fell ill” with sports. The young man was seriously thinking about an athlete’s career and dreamed of winning competitions. Therefore, Sergei actively instilled a love of sport for George and Seraphim. Also, the older brother actively participated in public life - in the neighboring Kazan organized an acrobatic workshop at the factory.
Accident
Soon a misfortune occurred in the Znamensky family. On agricultural work, George stepped on a horse's foot. Relatives were afraid that he would remain a cripple for life. But the operation ended successfully, and this serious injury does not prevent him in the future from setting world records in athletics. Then George went to serve on the Black Sea Fleet. And almost died there. George described the tragic incident in a letter to his brother Sergey. He, along with four colleagues, sailed on a boat during the planned exercises. Suddenly she turned over, and only George was able to swim. And this despite the fact that an anchor rope entwined his leg. Sports training played a huge role here. If not for her, then Znamensky would not have been able to unravel so quickly and swim to the surface. George repeatedly thanked Sergey for introducing him to the sport. In 1926, he graduated from high school, falling into the junior command staff of the coastal artillery. Then a few more years he served in the Navy.
Moving to Nikolskoye
In 1931, George came to Moscow and got a job at the Hammer and Sickle factory. The young man long and hard sought housing in the capital, but nothing came of it. As a result, I had to settle with a cute ancient old woman Alexandra Efimovna on the 5th line of Nikolskoye station (14 kilometers from the city). This grandmother was the sister of the Sholkovsky priest, whom the future champion knew well, living with him in his native village next door. George settled in the attic. After some time, he moved his brother to his place. Initially, Seraphim got a job as a surveyor technician, and then worked as an auxiliary worker at the construction of a laundry factory near Taganka. The brothers always got to work together. Rarely in transport, and more often - making a cross.
Spartan lifestyle
In Nikolsky, Znamensky immediately noticed. In February 1932, the wife of an older brother named Masha came to George. She could not find their place of residence for a long time. But when I asked the local boys about the two guys who were constantly running, they immediately escorted her to the right place.
Mistress Alexandra Efimovna complained to Masha about the brothers. The frosts were severe, and she was worried about the fact that young people would become frosty in the attic. The old woman regularly pounded the ceiling with a stick and shouted to Seraphim and George, asking if they were cold. “What are you, grandmother! We are hot! ” - answered future champions. Since the young people settled by her acquaintance, Alexandra Efimovna initially planned to move them to the room as soon as the lower tenants left. But when this happened, the seasoned George and Seraphim did not want to move. And left to live in the attic.
The Znamensky brothers lived like Spartans - they ate only black bread, and almost always got to work on the run. George was very happy about the arrival of his daughter-in-law. But he did not change his habits. When a young man came home from work, he always asked her to warm the boiling water, and if she could manage it earlier, go to the pond where he was actively training. Moreover, George did not even change clothes, only grabbed a towel with him and ran away. The daughter-in-law visited him after about half an hour. By that time, he was still winding circles, and after that he was diving into the wormwood, complaining of limited space. Seeing such a bath, Maria advised George at least once to take Alexandra Efimovna with her. According to the girl, the mistress of the house would immediately cease to worry that he would freeze in the attic.
Training
At that time, sport in the Soviet Union was not very popular. The first sports day was held in 1928. It was after its holding that various sports federations of the USSR and sections began to be created. The most popular agitation runs and relay races. Sometimes funny things happened. For example, in the autumn of 1929, an anti-alcohol mileage was organized along the streets of the capital with the appropriate banners and slogans. Everything went fine until at the finish near Trekhgorka the tired styers were met by an orchestra of heavily drunk musicians ...
George was very interested in training and decided to move to a higher level. Now the young man was running not at the pond, but at the Hammer and Sickle Stadium. In the beginning, a muscular and strong guy in a vest was considered to be more distressed. But he quickly proved that he is the fastest in crosses. And Seraphim of Znamensky then just kept an eye on George's enthusiasm, jogging at the pond in Nikolsky. Laying down to sleep in their attic, the brothers dreamed of studying and of good work.
First successes
The appearance of Znamensky in sports was quite unusual. This happened in the summer of 1932. The employees and workers of the Hammer and Sickle enterprise were involved in passing the TRP standards. One of the disciplines was a 1,000 meter race. Seraphim and George so briskly overcame this distance that the judges did not believe either the stopwatch or their eyes. Offended by distrust, the brothers again went to the start and ran even faster.
The first serious test for Seraphim was participation in the race for the Gorky Prize. The total number of competing athletes reached one hundred people. Znamensky fled at his usual pace, as during training in Zelenaya Sloboda, and then in Nikolsky. Athletes started in Khimki and crossed the finish line on Tverskaya near the Central Telegraph. A sensation was brewing, because Serafim circumvented Malyaev himself (the country's record holder). But the unexpected happened - 300 meters before the finish Znamensky got confused and turned into an alley. When the athlete realized his mistake, it was too late - Malyaev had already completed the distance. But all the runners and fans congratulated the newcomer, predicting great success in sports to him.
Relay race
Indeed, for the brothers it was only the beginning. Once, Seraphim had to replace the sick George in his Sickle and Hammer team. Coach Chulitsky was categorically against it. But George decided to convince the mentor, talking about their pair of crosses from Moscow to Nikolsky. Znamensky also spoke about the case when they managed to overtake the car. At first, of course, the car was in the lead, and then the engine failed, and the brothers, waving the driver a hand, continued their cross. The coach did not believe it, and then he agreed. And did not regret his decision. As a result of the race, Chulitsky realized that for Seraphim Znamensky, athletics became the main life priority. The relay race of 10 × 1,000 meters was won only thanks to the talent of the young man. Later Chulitsky many times praised the Znamensky brothers to other athletes. He talked about their crosses from Nikolsky to Moscow, about hard work and no less difficult training after it. Chulitsky considered Znamensky as natural styers.
Victories and records
Nikolskoye became native to George and Seraphim. They even bought half a house from Alexandra Efimovna. Soon their older brother Sergey and his family arrived in the capital. Seraphim and George gave way to the attic and room. Sergey immediately got a job as a physical education instructor.
In 1933, Seraphim became the champion of the USSR. He managed to run 3,000 meters faster than 9 minutes. A year later, Znamensky came even greater success. They set six country records, and also made a triple victory double at the USSR Championship. Seraphim took the gold at distances of 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 m. And George got the silver.
International fame
In February 1935, the Humanite newspaper organized an international cross in Paris. Znamensky went to the competition as part of the USSR team. At a stadium with 30 thousand spectators, the brothers won a double victory at a distance of 8 km. Seraphim was the first to cross the finish line, and right after him - George. Two years later, they repeated their success in Paris, but at a distance of 9.4 km. Already 60 thousand track and field athletes have gathered to see their new start. And in 1938, Seraphim and George won a double victory for the third time. The French, admired by their skill, established a prize named after the Znamensky brothers at the cross-country “Humanite”.
Records and awards
From 1933 to 1940, the heroes of this article became winners 7 times and won the USSR championships 11 times. The brothers set 24 records in individual races. In addition, George became the champion of the USSR in the relay 4 x 1,500 m. Znamensky also established a number of all-Union achievements in the Moscow Spartak. In particular, in the relay race 10 x 1,000 m. And the brothers were the first athletes who were awarded the highest government awards.
Znamensky were the strongest athletes not only in their own country. Their results showed that they are among the best runners in Europe and the whole planet. If it were not for the policy of the USSR, then they would have long set world records in athletics at international competitions. Znamensky never had the chance to speak at the European Championships and the Olympic Games. At that time, the USSR was not a member of the IAAF, as it did not recognize this organization. And only athletes whose countries were members of the International Athletics Association could participate in official starts.
Study
In 1936, another dream came true for the brothers - they were accepted to the Medical Institute (Moscow). They successfully graduated in 1941. Unfortunately, as athletes Znamensky could not take part in the championship of the continent. But George in 1946 (Seraphim had already died) went to the European championship in Oslo as a doctor of the USSR track and field athletes team.
War
1941 came, which changed the fate of many people. A few days after the start of the battle, the military organized the Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (OMSBON). Famous Soviet athletes and officers of the Dzerzhinsky division, which was based in Nikolsky, took command positions in it. Seraphim and George did not wait for the summons and came to the draft board themselves. They were attached to the medical unit of the brigade mentioned above. There the brothers served in the war years.
Death
In May 1942, Seraphim received a letter informing of the death of his mother Anfisa Ivanovna. This news was a severe blow for the young man. On the same day, he committed suicide. And four years later, George died of stomach cancer. People-legends left this world, but their names will never be forgotten. Partly this is facilitated by the annual competitions held in honor of Seraphim and George.
Memorial of the Znamensky brothers
The first tournament in memory of the heroes of this article took place in July 1949. Then Alexander Pugachevsky defeated 1,500 meters, and Nikifor Popov won 5,000 meters. It is noteworthy that Popov improved the last all-Union record, owned by Znamensky, four days before the competition. Their achievement at a distance of 5,000 meters lasted as long as 9 years.
The Znamensky Brothers Memorial was first held in July 1958. Competitions were held in full, with the exception of all-around events, relay races and marathons. Athletes from 10 countries came to honor the memory of Seraphim and George. Subsequently, these competitions were included in the international athletics calendar and began to be held on an annual basis. It is worth noting that the Znamensky Brothers Memorial gave a ticket to a great sport for more than one generation of runners. The winners of these competitions include athletes from 50 countries, including Olympic champions of different years - Ruth Fuchs, Vera Krepkina, Irena Krishenshtein, Janis Lusis, Jozef Schmidt, Peter Bolotnikov, Victor Saneev, Valery Brumel, Kipchogo Keino, Livio Berruti and many others .
In 1961, the Znamensky brothers athletics stadium was opened in Moscow (Sokolniki). The school of the Olympic reserve located at it was repeatedly recognized as the best sports institution in the country. Among its graduates there are quite a few world champions and champions, for example: L. Zavyalova (4 x 400 m), V. Polyakov (pole), O. Bogoslovskaya (4 x 100 m), P. Bochkarev (pole), A. Biryukova ( triple jump), A. Loginov (800 m), L. Nikitina (all-around), M. Schennikov (walking), D. Bogryanov (length), I. Pavlov (pole), N. Lisovskaya (core), P. Bolotnikov (10 000 m) and many others. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, five pupils of this school were included in the Russian national team.
Conclusion
The life of Seraphim and George is a story of survival and struggle for one's place through labor and complete dedication. Only because of this they achieved such outstanding results. The fate of George and Seraphim is a feat, or a classic of the Soviet way of life. Their names were immortalized by the Moscow stadium of the Znamensky brothers, annual competitions, as well as many established records.