Ivan Vladimirovich Lebedev. Professional wrestler

Ivan Vladimirovich Lebedev name (pseudonym <Uncle Vanya>) is connected with professional wrestling in circus and with promoting of athletic sports in Russia. The pupil of the doctor Krayevsky, Lebedev was the first-class athlete, but wide popularity received as the organizer of the championships of the French wrestling and the editor-in-chief of the sports magazine "Gerkules", the author of popular books on athletics "Force and health", "Weightlifting", "History of professional French wrestling".

It is necessary to tell about the Gerkules magazine especially. In 1912 fans of weightlifting and wrestling received a remarkable gift: under the motto "Each Person Can and Has to Be Strong" the two-week illustrated sports magazine "Gerkules" began to leave. Circulation made it 27 thousand copies.

In many cities of Russia athletic arenas and circles were open, occupations took place under the leadership of enthusiasts of the sports, sometimes known athletes. Methodical grants for occupations by weightlifting was very little and therefore the release of the Gerkules magazine with pleasure was met by all fans of athletics. On its pages along with numerous portraits of wrestlers, athletes, boxers sketches on stories of physical culture, article on anatomy and human physiology, reports on competitions on wrestling weightlifting and some other sports were printed. It is necessary to tell that in 1912 of Russia 17 records on weightlifting belonged. Known athletes were authors of articles: A.K.Anokhin, L.A.Chaplinsky and others. In the heading "Force and Health" Lebedev kept the heavy athletics section in which printed complexes of exercises with dumbbells, weights and a bar. Hygienic and methodical recommendations for beginning athletes were made. These publications were the fine guide to weightlifting and physical development.

In "Oat-flakes" biographic sketches about many outstanding athletes and wrestling  were located. For example, here what characteristic is given to the Russian athlete Nikolay Vakhturov: "Nikolay Vakhturov! And from "parade", tenderly smiling, the enormous figure of the Nizhny Novgorod athlete heavily acts. Spontaneous wrestlter. On scope of nature and on temperament - transferred to us in the XX century epic Vaska Buslaev. It is embodied in a well-muscled body "idea of an impact". The reckless Russian wrestler breaking all who gets to his embraces. Even very reserved orchestra seats burst in an applause which on a gallery pass to the real storm".

And here the characteristic given by the magazine to the well-known Ivan Zaikin: "Zaikin comes an insinuating, cat's gait for bow. Hercules Farnezskogo's muscles. Bitterly the one who, looking at his timid person is mistaken, will think that his wrestling is soft, as his smile. This is one of the cleverest wrestlers of the world, ruthless in wrestling and using the enormous force at such moments when the opponent of everything expects it attack less. Long should exchange bows on all parties the former pilot who has given up the flights under clouds for the circus arena".

Actor of the Alexandria theater Grigory Grigoryevich Ge:" In recent years the consciousness about need to lift in itself the healthy nature captured all sectors of society. And here sports rescue came. Hardly anyone from modern youth well knows that such there was a doctor Krayevsky. And meanwhile this modest person with gray-haired curls put a firm basis of our physical revival. It is unlikely quite understands, on the natural modesty, and the successor Krayevsky I.V. Lebedev, what big business it did and does. It seems to it that he simply fanatically loves sports and does the favourite work: will organize athletic offices, organizes the championships of wrestling and acts on circus arenas with "parade". Perhaps, in such performances in the opinion of intellectuals can look through and something reprehensible... Whether stuck to the person with university education to be engaged in such low business? On it it is possible to object: whether stuck to Mechnikova to clean rabbits and monkeys? The main objective both at Mechnikov and at Lebedev one - to exempt mankind from all diseases. Each of them works in the sphere and each of them should do the most manual labor. Lebedev - one of the first pioneers of our physical revival

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