Physical Education and Sports

Physical training of servicemen is a pledge of our army's combat capability. Today in the Armed Forces of Russia increasing attention is being paid to development of physical culture and sports.

Physical training in the RF Armed Forces is defined as "the basic element of the military professional and moral-psychological readiness of servicemen."

In the Army and Navy, the daily hour of physical training is inserted into the service time. Because of increasing physical activity, some changes have been made in the timetable of military personnel. In particular, night rest duration is increased by 30 minutes, daily routine includes 1 sleeping hour in the afternoon.

For servicemen under contract, the monthly bonus for qualification level of physical fitness and for confirmation of sports ranks is established from 50% to 300% of official salary.

In addition, multifunctional sports complexes for 100, 300, 500 people (per battalion, regiment, brigade) will be built to provide physical training for servicemen. As a result, it will be possible to conduct drills in comfortable conditions using modern sports equipment and simulators.

Today, the RF Ministry of Defence is making significant efforts to develop physical culture and sports in the Armed Forces. For the nearest future, it is planned to transform army sports bases into health-and-fitness centres. This will make physical culture mass and sports affordable. These centres will give servicemen and members of their families good conditions for going in for sports as well as for training pre-conscription and draft youth.

Today, children's and youth sports are seen as a form of attracting young people to physical training in order to prepare them for service in the Armed Forces.

The Russian Defence Ministry is included in the International Military Sports Council (IMSC) with participation of 137 countries and the motto "Friendship through sports". The national teams of the Russian Armed Forces took part in international sporting events under the auspices of the International Military Sports Council: in Italy at the 1st Winter World Military Games, in Austria at the European IMSC Championships on military pentathlon, in Norway at the World IMSC Championships on sport orienteering.

The boundaries of sports work among cadets of military schools are expanding. In October 2010 our cadets took part in the 1st World Cadet Games in Turkey.

Physical training in the army develops endurance, agility, strengthens health. It is the armed forces, where a young man becomes strong, brave, tempered and, on the whole, the real protector of the Fatherland.