Physical Culture, Scientific Research Institutes of
Physical Culture, Scientific Research Institutes of
learned bodies of the Committee of Physical Culture and Sports of the Council of Ministers of the USSR that conduct basic and applied research in sociological, pedagogical, medical and biological, and organizational aspects of physical education, the physical-culture movement, and sports; they also provide basic and advanced training to physical educators and coaches. Institutes of physical culture assist in putting the results of scientific research into practice and supervise the production of textbooks and other educational materials. They provide scientific and methodological assistance to physical-culture and sports organizations.
In 1976 the USSR has three research institutes of physical culture. The All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture of the Sports Committee of the USSR was founded in Moscow in 1933 as the Central Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture and received its present name in 1966. It has approximately 700 research workers, including 12 doctors of sciences and 170 candidates of sciences. The Leningrad Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture of the Sports Committee of the RSFSR, founded in 1933 as part of the P. F. Lesgaft Institute of Physical Culture, became an independent establishment in 1947. It has approximately 150 research workers, including three doctors of sciences and approximately 40 candidates of sciences. The Georgian Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture of the Sports Committee of the Georgian SSR, founded in Tbilisi in 1931, has approximately 50 research workers, including three doctors of sciences and eight candidates of sciences.
The research institutes work in close contact with higher educational institutions of physical culture and with the bodies of scientific research of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, and the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the USSR.
Scientific research institutes of physical culture and sports also exist in other countries. In capitalist states they usually operate within universities.
L. G. SANADZE