Ivan Boberskyi is a popularist of leshchetarstvo(skiing) among the ukrainians

Abstract

Introduction. At the end of the nineteenth and at the beginning of the twentieth centuries different kinds of sports are spreading and developing in Galicia, in particular, leshchetarstvo (skiing). In the Ukrainian environment it was mastered and popularized by a prominent Ukrainian educator, public, cultural and educational and military-political activist, editor, journalist, philanthropist, founder of the Ukrainian body-building and sports tradition, professor Ivan Boberskyi (1873-1947). In contemporary Ukrainian historiography about the history of leshchetarstvo (skiing) in the Ukrainian environment of Galicia and the role of the "Father of Ukrainian Body Building" in this process, it is only briefly and appropriately.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to explore the contribution of Ivan Boberskyi to the formation and the development of leshchetarstvo (skiing) in Galicia on the basis of diverse sources. Chronological limits cover the first third of the twentieth century.

Results. Ivan Boberskyi popularized the leshchetarstvo (skiing) in the theoretical and the practical areas. As a theorist, having studied the special foreign literature of that time, he translated, wrote, concluded and published one of the first Ukrainian manuals about body science and sports. Ivan Boberskyi shared his interest in winter sports in such Ukrainian journals as “Sokolski Visty”(Falcon’s news), “Visty z Zaporozha”(News from Zaporozha) and ‘Dilo”(Business). In 1912, Ivan Boberskyi published a scientific and methodological work "Go skiing", where he suggested the definitions of "leshchetar"(skier), "leshcheta"(skis), "leshchetna prohulka"(ski walking) and derivative phrases that were found among Ukrainians and used as in Western Ukrainian lands in the first half of twentieth century and in the diaspora. Ivan Boberskyi, in order to increase his awareness and skills in go skiing, took part in skiing courses hold in different European countries.

He also himself as an amateur engaged in many sports, attracted his colleagues and pupils from the environment of the "Ukrainian Sports Club" at the Academic Gymnasium and a branch in Lviv and the Ukrainian Gymnastic Society "Sokil-batko"(Falcon-Father), the sport association of Lviv higher schools "Ukraine", scout organization "Plast", "Zmag Sojuz"(Sport Union). For spreading leshchetarstvo (skiing) among the Ukrainian community of Galicia, Ivan Boberskyi, February 15, 1909, the first in the history of Lviv went skiing around the city. While in the diaspora, Ivan Boberskyi continued to be interested in leshchetarstvo (skiing), practicing and popularizing him. In 1936 he took part as a journalist in the IV Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany). His reports, including about skiers, were published in the journal "Dilo".

Conclusions. The conducted research helped to find out both the unknown aspects of the biography of Ivan Boberskyi and the formation of leshchetarstvo (skiing) in Galicia at the beginning of the 20th century. Ivan Boberskyi, as one of the first popularists of leshchetarstvo (skiing) among the Ukrainians, managed to do it in theoretical (notes, publications, scientific and methodological works) and in practical terms (organization and distribution of this kind of sport among the Ukrainians). Thanks to him, this kind of sport (zmag) managed to occupy an important place among the winter sports, which were engaged not only by members of the Ukrainian motor and sport societies of Galicia "Sokil"(Falkon), "Ukraine", "Plast", "Zmag Sojuz"(Sport Union), "Syanova chajka"(Syanov seagull) "Podillya", etc., but also a wide range of the Ukrainians.