Vladimir Putin has supported the idea to revive sports parades on Red Square. Such physical fitness marches were regularly held near the Kremlin walls during the reign of Joseph Stalin and were discontinued after the dictator’s death. The initiative to bring back the tradition was made by Ekaterina Leshchinskaya, chairman of the Healthy Fatherland movement, at the forum “Russia – a Sporting State” in Ufa. “The head of state” instructed Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev to work on the issue and organize the first parade in 2025.
Putin stressed the importance of popularizing sports and reminded that one of the main tasks of the state is to create wide opportunities for physical culture, as well as the development of accessible sports infrastructure in all regions of the country.
Putin also stated that sports parades should be revived on Red Square in October 2023 at the forum “Russia – a Sporting State” in Perm. At that time, the head of the International Boxing Association (IBA), Umar Kremlev, addressed him with a corresponding proposal. Putin called the idea “good” and noted that the development of sports is an unconditional priority for Russia. “Our task is to involve 70% of Russian citizens in systematic sports by 2030, that is, to make sports a norm of life for 93 million people,” he said.
