INTRODUCTION

The Stanisławowski province (an area that is currently within the borders of Ukraine) was established on 23 December 1920 as one of the first of its kind in the Borderlands of the South-East Second Republic of Poland. Simultaneously, the date of establishing the province constitutes the preliminary caesura of the paper. The final caesura is the year 1939 – the outbreak of the Second World War. On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, while on 17 September 1939 the Soviet Union did likewise. As a consequence of these actions, the area of the Tarnopolski province was occupied by the Soviet Union.

The Stanisławowski province encompassed 16,894 km2 and 1,480,300 inhabitants [7,12]. The South-East borders of the Stanisławowski province constituted the borders of the state with Romania; while the southern borders of the province also constituted the state borders with Czechoslovakia; the western side of the Stanisławowski province constituted the border with the Lwowski province; while the northern side constituted the border with the Tarnopolski province. The composition of the Stanisławowski province encompassed the following districts: Doliński, Horodeński, Kałuski, Kołomyjski, Kosowski, Nadwórniański, Rohatyński, Stanisławowski, Stryjski, Śniatyński, Tłumacki and Żydaczowski [12].

In the Stanisławowski province, the largest percentage of people was of Ukrainian nationality – 68.83% (1,018,900), whereas the percentage of Polish nationality constituted 22.44% (332, 200), people of Jewish nationality – 7.39 % (109,300), people of German minority – 1.1 % (16,700) [3]. 19.9 % of society lived in urban communities, whereas 80.1 % in rural communities [7].

The aim of this paper is to present an outline of the history of physical culture in the Stanisławowski province in the period 1920-1939. The state of the particular forms of participation in physical culture have been illustrated, such as physical education, sport, physical recreation, as well as the issues associated with military training.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the sphere of the hitherto state of research, the greatest cognitive significance is attributed to the work of Stanisława Zaborniak, entitled: The Physical Culture of the Ukrainian People on Polish lands (1868-1939) [18]. The author illustrated the physical culture of the Ukrainian minority in the area of the provinces of the Borderlands of the South-East Second Republic of Poland, including the Stanisławowski province. With relation to the Borderlands of the South-East Second Republic of Poland, a monograph by Eligiusz Małolepszy and Teresa Drozdek-Małolepsza was published under the title of Physical Culture and tourism in the Wołyń province in the period 1921-1939 [11]. In the herein paper, printed sources, as well as press sources, internet sources and literary sources were availed of. In the preparation of the publication, the following research methods were applied: synthesis, analysis of historical sources, induction, deduction, as well as the cognitive method. The following research problems were put forward:

1. What sports clubs and youth and social associations conducted activities in the sphere of

physical culture in the Stanisławowski province in the period 1920-1939?

2. What areas of physical activities were developed in the Stanisławowski province in the inter-

war period?

FINDINGS

An important element in the activities in terms of physical education and sport was the conditioning on the sphere of sporting infrastructure in the Stanisławowski province. The District Office of Physical Education and Military Training in Lwów in the period 1927-1928 subsidized the construction of the sports stadium in Stanisławów city and sports grounds in Kałusz city. In this period shooting ranges were under construction in Dolina, Kołomya, Rohatyn, Stanisławów and Żydaczów. Likewise, the construction of sports halls were under construction in Kołomya and Śniatyn [14]. With the aid of military associations, in the budgetary year of 1929/1930 12 sports grounds, 11 shooting ranges and 2 swimming pools (in Kołomya and Stanisławów) were constructed in the Stanisławowski province [14].

In the structures of the Shooting Association in the area of the Stanisławowski province, activities were conducted by the 6th Lwów district. The area of the Lwów district, apart from the Stanisławowski province, encompassed the Tarnopolski province and part of the Lwów province. The Tarnopolski sub-district was separated from the Lwów district in 1930 [21]. In 1936, the Lwów district (without the Tarnopolski district) enumerated 54,491 members. Various sporting disciplines were practiced in the Shooting Range, with particular significance attached to activities in the sphere of archery and shooting. Nevertheless, it is worth emphasizing that athletics and football were also popular sports in Strzelec.

The Gymnastics Association, known as „Sokół”, conducted activities in the Stanisławowski province within the structures of the Małopolska Districts, in the following districts (according to the state of affairs on 31 December 1925): Stanisławowski (17 points and 800 members), Stryjski (7 points and 1057 members), Kołomyjski (10 points and 1090 members) [1]. In the particular districts (according to the state of affairs on 31 December 1925), activities were conducted by the following points: in the Stanisławowski district: Bolszowice, Barsztyn (32 members, including 32 men and 3 women), Halicz (133 members, including 102 men and 31 women), Jezupol (38 members, including 35 men and 3 women), Kałusz (211 members, including 148 men and 63 women), Stanisławów I, Stanisławów II (Knihinin Górka), Stanisławów III – Belweder (70 members, including 60 men and 10 women), Stanisławów IV (Knihinin Kolonia), Nadwórna (152 members, including 119 men and 33 women), Sołotwina, Tłumacz (105 members, including 90 men and 15 women), Tyśmienica, Bohorodczany, Monasterzyska, (59 members, including 42 men and 17 women), Potok Złoty; in the Stryjski district: Dolina (139 members, including 78 men and 61 women), Skole (161 members, including 107 men and 54 women), Stryj (308 members, including 266 men and 42 women), Bolechów (89 members, including 61 men and 28 women), Rożniatów (51 members, including 35 men and 16 women), Chodorów (213 members, including 188 men and 25 women), Żydaczów (96 members, including 84 men and 12 women); in the Kołomyjsk district, Otynia (67 members, including 42 men and 25 women), Obersztyn (40 members, including 33 men and 7 women), Śniatyń (217 members, including 152 men and 65 women), Kołomyja (290 members, including 229 men and 61 women), Delatyn, Gwoździec (74 members, including 55 men and 19 women), Horodenka (196 members, including 142 men and 54 women), Kosów (80 members, including 45 men and 35 women), Peczeniżyn (61 members, including 49 men and 12 women), Zabłotów (65 members, including 51 men and 14 women) [1]. Despite the fact that the Stanisławowski district enumerated the most points, the Stryjski and Kołomyjski districts had significant numbers of members. In the activities of the particular districts there was „dorost sokoli” (youth hawk). The Stanisławowski district enumerated 115 people in the „dorost sokoli”; while the Stryjski district – 199 people, the Kołomyjski district – 320 people. The statistics of the people practicing sport were also highest for the Kołomyjski district – 87 men and 67 women, while in the Stryjski district – 91 men and 27 women and in the Stanisławowski district – 57 men and 28 women [1]. In the activities of TG „Sokół”, there was a preference for primarily gymnastics and athletics.

The reinvigorated activities in the fields of physical culture, tourism and cultural-educational work in the Stanisławowski province were conducted by the Ukranian Gymnastics Association (UTG) „Sokił”. According to the state of affairs in 1928, in the Stanisławowski province there were 91 points belonging to UTG „Sokił”, of which the majority were located in the following districts: Stryjski (35), Doliński (13) and Żydaczowski (13) [18]. „Sokił” conducted activities in 9 districts of the Stanisławowski province, which enumerated 6,872 members, including 4,878 men, 1,640 women and 354 dorost sokil. UTG „Sokił” conducted sporting activities, among others, in the areas of gymnastics and athletics.

Clubs and associations conducting sporting activities in the Stanisławowski province were part of the Polish and District Sports Associations. Sports clubs and associations that conducted football activities belonged to the Lwów District Football Association (Lwów OZPN). In the first half of the 1920s, football activities were run in the Stanisławowski province by the following: KS Stanisłavovia Stanisławów, OKS „Sokół” Stanisławów, PKS Bystrzyca Nadwórna, SKS Bystrzyca Stanisławów, SKS Rewera Stanisławów, SKS Victoria Stanisławów, SKS Pogoń Stryj, SPN „Sokół” Śniatyń, Jewish Sports Club (ŻKS) Admira Stanisławów, ŻKS Hakoach Stanisławów, ŻKS Hakoach Stryj, ŻKS Judea Stanisławów, Jewish Gymnastics Association (ŻTG) Razes Kołomyja [17].

According to the state of affairs in 1930, the following clubs and associations belonged to the Lwów OZPN in the Stanisławowski province: Kolejowe Przysposobienie Wojskowe (KPW) Ruch Stanisławów, KPW Stryjanka, Klub Sportowy (KS) Jedność Stanisławów, KS Strzelec Stanisławów, RKS TUR Stanisławów, SKS Górka Stanisławów, SKS Rewera Stanisławów, SKS Stanisłavovia Stanisławów, SKS Pogoń Stryj, UST Beskid Nadwórna, UTS Prołom Stanisławów, Military Sports Club (WKS) 9 pp. Kołomyja, ZKS Bystrzyca Nadwórna, ŻKS Admira Stanisławów, ŻKS Hasmonea Kołomyja, ŻKS Hakoach Nadwórna, ŻKS Hakoach Stanisławów and the Jewish Gymnastics-Sports Association (ŻTGS) Dror Kołomyja, ŻTGS Hakoach Stryj [8]. Of the clubs and sports associations of the Ukrainian people conducting football activities, the following should be mentioned: UTS Prołom Stanisławów, Beskid Nadwórna, Skała Stryj, Zorza Kałusz and Beskid Kosiw [13].

A breakthrough time caesura was the year 1933. In this year the Stanisławowski OZPN was established [4]. Six clubs and sports associations that conducted football activities joined the Stanisławowski OZPN, among others, in the following areas: Kopyczyńce, Nadwórna, Stanisławów.

The best teams in the Stanisławowski province were as follows: Rewera Stanisławów, Strzelec Górka Stanisławów, Pogoń Stryj. Piłkarze Rewery and Strzelec Górki which competed in the play-offs for promotion to the state league. The greatest success was achieved by the team Rewera Stanisławów in 1934. Rewera won the first round of the play-offs in a group of the following teams: Czarnych Lwów, Policyjnego Klubu Sportowego Łuck and the Military Sports Club (WKS) 7th Infantry Regiment of Legionów Chełm. In the semi-final phase they lost in two matches to the team Śląska Świętochłowice (0:5, 1:0) [4]. The genesis of SKS Rewera Stanisławów goes back to 1908 [5]. After the end of the First World War the club received military support – 48th infantry regiment, while in 1922 Lwów OZPN started playing in Class A.

Lwów District Athletics Association (Lwowski OZLA) encompassed the provincial activities of the following: Lwów, Stanisławowski and Tarnopolski [10]. In the area of the Stanisławowski province, Lwów OZLA included the following (state of affairs at the end of 1937): KS Strzelec Raz Dwa Trzy Stanisławów, KS Związku Strzeleckiego Górka, KS Związku Strzeleckiego Stanisławów. Athletics was conducted in School Sports Groups, among others, in Kołomya. In the Stanisławowski province athletics meetings were organised. In 1934, an athletics meeting took place for the occasion of the opening of the stadium in Stryj. In the same year athletics meetings were organised during the championship of Pokucia Szkolnych Kół Sportowych [10]. On 17 May 1937, an athletics meeting took place in Stanisławów on the occasion of the 15th jubilee of KS Strzelec Górka. The competition was participated in by 107 athletes of the Lwów OZLA [10]. The following clubs of the Stanisławowski province gave a good account of themselves: KS Strzelec Górka, KS Strzelec Raz Dwa Trzy Stanisławów, Revery Stanisławów. During the competition of Lwów OZLA, which took place in the period 19-20 June 1937 in Lwów, the athletes of Pogoń Stryj took fifth place in the team classification. A good sporting level was presented by the athletic clubs and sports associations of the Ukrainian people. In the summary of the Ukrainian athletics competitions for the season of 1937, in the points system for the communities of Lwów OZLA among men, second place was awarded to Stryj, while third place to Kołomyja; whereas among women, second place was awarded to Kołomyja, while fifth place to Śniatyń [10]. In both classifications, first place in the athletics field was awarded to clubs from Lwów. In the points system for athletics clubs and sports associations among men, second place was awarded to „Sokił” Stryj, while sixth place to „Sokił” Kołomyja; whereas among women, fourth place was awarded to the athletics club of „Sokiła” Kołomyja. It is worth emphasizing the good activities in the field of athletics in Ukraine of „Sokiła” in the Stanisławowski province. Athletes from Ukrainian clubs and associations in the Stanisławowski province were as follows: A. Koczyj (Dowbusz Kołomyja, men’s high jump), relay team of Płaj Stryj (3x1000 m), while among women: Hojniuk („Sokił” Kałusz, javelin

– one-handed), I. Nikołyszyn („Sokił” Kołomyja, javelin – both hands), Picziwna („Sokił” Stryj, pentathlon) had the best results among the sports people of the Ukrainian organisations, according to the state of affairs up to 1939 [10].

In the structures of the Lwów District Table Tennis Association, activities were conducted by the Stanisławów sub-district [6]. A popular sport in the Stanisławowski province was cycling. In the first days of November 1926, a cycling race was organised in Stanisławów over a distance of 36 km [6]. The victorious cyclist was Gerber, who beat S. Sniehurowicz and Z. Daniel. At the initiative of TG „Sokół”, a cycling race took place in Stanisławów at the beginning of September 1928 for the “Jaremcz Cup” [2], which was won by Stanisław Schenker (Pogoń Lwów), who beat Adolf Hundert (Admira Stanisławów) and Edward Stenzel (Pogoń Lwów). This competition was participated in by 10 cyclists, of whom eight of them finished the race. In the period 1927-1934, S. Sniehurowicz and Z. Daniel were considered to be the best cyclists in the Stanisławowski province, and among others, S. Sniehurowicz won the race along the route of Stanisławów-Halicz-Stanisławów in 1928 (a distance of 50km), while also the championship of the Stanisławowski province along the route of Stanisławów-Halicz-Stanisławów-Pohorodczany-Stanisławów (a distance of 100 km) [19].

The clubs and associations conducting skiing activities in the Stanisławowski province were part of the Lwów District Skiing Association (Lwowski OZN). The following clubs and associations are necessary to list here: KS Rewera Stanisławów, Skiing Section (SN) Municipal Branch of Stanisławów of the Polish Tatra Association (PTT) in Skole, SN PTT in Stanisławów, District SN KPW in Stanisławów, SN Military-Civil Sports Club (WCKS) Pogoń Stryj [20]. Apart from those mentioned above, activities were also conducted by other clubs, among others, KS Prut Worochta. In the area of the Stanisławowski province, new ski jumping facilities were established alongside the existing ones, among others, in Sławsk in 1927 and in Worochta on the slopes of Rybrowacz in 1934. These ski jumping facilities were created thanks to the initiative of the Carpathian Skiing Association, Lwów Sports Club (LKS) Czarni, LKS Pogoń, SN PTT Lwów, while also the support of the Polish Skiing Association (PZN) and Lwów Skiing Association OZN [20].

The Polish championship of ski jumping took place in Worochta on 4-6 March 1922. This event was to promote ski sports in the Borderlands of South-East Second Republic of Poland. A ski jumping competition took place in Worochta in March 1928 for the championship of Worochta and the championship of Corps District Command (DOK) no. VI. On the occasion of the opening of the ski jumping facilities on the slopes of Rybrowacz in Worochta a sports event took place on 4 February 1934 [20]. A ski jumper of KS Prut Worochta, Ludwik Mielniczek, took ninth place. On 17 February 1935 in Worochta, a ski jumping competition for the “East Carpathian Cup” was held. Once again, the best of the local competitors turned out to be L. Mielniczek. The winner of the event was Jan Marusarz SN PTT Zakopane, who jumped distances of 54 m and 55.5 m. Ski jumping competitions also took place in Sławsk, among others, the championship of Lwów OZN [20].

This sport was practiced in military units that were stationed in the Stanisławowski province. Captain Kazimierz de Rostwo-Suski was a soldier of the 6 Kaniow Uhlan Regiment, stationed in Stanisławów [15]. In 1924, he was qualified for the Polish national team at the Olympic Games in Paris. He took 24th place in the individual competition of the three-day horsing event (WKKW). In the team event of WKKW, together with LtCol Karol Rómmel, Lt. Kazimierz Szosland and Major Tadeusz Komorowski they took 7th place.

Sports activities in the area of the Stanisławowski province were also conducted by other clubs and associations, among others, Klub Sportowy Zagłębia Naftowego (KSZN) Rypne, KS Groedlów Skole, Stanisławowski Motorbike Club, Tourist Club of Cyclists of 1896 Stanisławów, Association of Cyclists and Motorists of Stryj, WCKS Pokucie Kołomyja [6].

SUMMARY

In the inter-war period there was growth in the physical culture in the Stanisławowski province. In the period of the 1920s and 1930s, there was a development in the sports infrastructure. In the aforesaid period, new social and sports associations were established, as well as sports clubs, while also the activities of sports organisations were reactivated, which had been in operation prior to the outbreak of the First World War. Development was also witnessed in terms of the Gymnastics Association of „Sokół”, Shooting Association, clubs and social associations. The clubs which had the best performances were as follows: Rewera Stanisławów, Strzelec Górka Stanisławów and Pogoń Stryj. Relatively active operations were conducted by sports clubs and associations among the Ukrainian people, of which special mention should be given to UTG „Sokił” and UTS Prołom Stanisławów. In the area of the Stanisławowski province, activities were conducted by sports clubs and associations of Jewish people. The structures of sports movement were implemented at the level of sports districts and sub-districts. The development of sports competition was implemented. The most popular sports discipline was football; followed by gymnastics, horse riding, cycling, athletics, shooting, skiing and table tennis which were also practiced.

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