Sports and Leasure Activities of Students at the University of Dorpat (Yuryev) (1802–1917)

The article is devoted to the study of sports and leisure activities of students at the University of Dorpat in 1802–1917. The conquest of the former Swedish lands by the Russian Empire led to the growing dissatisfaction among the youth of the Livonian province both with the situation itself and with the behaviour of some local elites who were ready to cooperate with foreigners. In the context of the imperial policy of Russification, young representatives of the local elites tried to preserve national traditions, creating a special subculture of everyday behaviour in the form of sports and in jest. It was the University of Dorpat that preserved a special attitude to sport not only as a way of physical improvement, but also as part of the student corporate culture. Young people tried to respond to the reactionary policy of the imperial authorities to eliminate the ‘pleasant’ disciplines and close the sports facilities. Students also got organised, as they continued to improve their sports skills in the corporate premises and in the early 20th century they contributed to the organisation of three sports societies. The ways in which students could participate in physical culture and sports were limited to attending optional classes, conducting independent training by members of corporations, setting up sports clubs and societies, and holding mass sports events. It is proved that in addition to the usual entertainment for students (visiting theatres, ballrooms, etc), young people were attracted to fun activities prohibited by the authorities or that did not meet generally accepted moral and ethical standards. Clashes with the police, townspeople, and teachers were commonplace. Furthermore, the management of the educational institution and the townspeople allowed the most active troublemakers to avoid punishment by concealing violations of the rules. Attempts by the authorities to influence the behaviour of students at the University of Dorpat failed.