The genius of Russian judo. Sport and intelligence
The film is based on exclusive stories how closely big politics and intrigues of special services are sometimes connected with the most unexpected sites.
In the midst of the Cold War, all means were good. Victory needed any, and the more of them, the better! Sports arenas were most welcome. The audience will be surprised by the stories of outstanding athletes - the favorites of the public, who, as participants in the Olympic Games, became unwitting participants in political games.
Fans of big-time sports do not even think that there, on sports arenas, where world records are set, fans bleachers “explode”, adrenaline “hits”, Olympic medals sparkle, there is a place for politics and spy games. And some of the idols of the public in general were secret agents and led a double life, performing the secret tasks of the special services.
History first
The story of Sergei Nemtsanov is virtually unknown in Russia. So it turned out that this nugget from the Soviet backwoods, thanks to its perseverance and talent, literally in several years of training from a novice, became one of the leaders of the Soviet national team in diving. Very soon he was to plunge into the maelstrom of big politics. It was a real victim of the Cold War.
At the Olympics in Montreal in 1976, Nemtsanov came for the gold medal, but Western intelligence services intervened in his plans. A young promising athlete landed in the network ingenious combination. Instead of winning the Olympic pedestal, he became the hero of the greatest political scandal.
History of the second
The Olympic gold medal of Faith Zoosuli, won in Lake Placid, truly has two sides. The face, of course, personifies her hard work of an athlete. But the reverse one conceals a no less serious contribution of various specialists, among whom aces of technical espionage occupy a worthy place. At the end of 70-s, in complete secrecy, Soviet specialists managed to obtain an exact scheme of the toboggan run of the upcoming Olympics.
According to these secret data, a sports complex was built in the shortest possible time, on which the legendary athlete trained. With such a price, the Olympic champion Vera Zozulya managed to win record seconds for the first time in the history of the sled sport. Then she brought the Soviet country the first and so far the only gold medal in the luge sport. Not a single athlete from the countries of the former Soviet Union has yet succeeded in repeating the success of the Faith.
History of the third
At the football stadium in Paris 1934, the apple has nowhere to fall. There is an international football match. The Soviet national team plays in the final. In the stands among Russian émigré taxi drivers, oddly enough, supporting the Bolshevik team, a student of Polish origin sits with an indifferent look and looks at the field almost detachment. In fact, this is Alexander Mikhailovich Korotkov, who later became a legend of Soviet intelligence. Only outside he is calm, but inside it turns over. After all, on the field of his yesterday's teammates, with whom he played in Moscow “Dynamo”. And most importantly, among our players is his brother Pavel Korotkov. But he was destined to meet with him and discuss the details of this match only many years later.
History Four
The fate of Vasily Oschepkov, the creator of the Soviet sambo, is incredible. Born in hard labor, he was doomed to a "gray" biography. But by chance, he will be in Tokyo among the 13 students of the seminary at the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church in Japan. There, instead of physical education classes, students are taught judo. Soon, Oschepkov becomes the first Russian student of the founder of this martial art, Mr. Jigoro Kano. And thanks to his abilities in the shortest possible time, he deserves first the first and then the second dan. We managed to find a document confirming the degree of his skill.
Years later, he will become the first Soviet resident in Japan. Soviet military intelligence officer Vasily Oschepkov will work "under cover" in the Far East ...
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