Am I the only westerner who remembers Spartakiada?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve mentioned it to couple of people, to be met with blank looks. It was this weird synchronised gymnastics display put on every year in a vast stadium, mainly by winsome pubescent girls as I remember, and seemingly always in Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile elderly men in hats, possibly the local Politburo, looked on. I was too young to appreciate the We Celebrate Our Glorious Socialist Youth vibe of the event, although I think I had already picked up enough of distaste for things Eastern Bloc to find it vaguely creepy.

It was shown for a few years by the at-the-time only commercial network here, in its “cheesy Saturday afternoon sports” slot, I think without any care or possibly even awareness on their part of the political overtones of the event. It was presented more in a spirit of “foreigners, what will they get up to next?” But they also made out that Spartakiada was a really big deal in the Eastern bloc, with the youth of that part of the world’s highest aspiration being to form huge geometric patterns in a parade ground outside Prague.

So basically, it was like an Olympic opening ceremony, except a bit more regimental and Nuremberg Rally-ish, and apparently people in Communist countries went nuts for it. Anybody else remember it?

2

Here’s one that has no idea what your are talking about. Waiting for millions more westerners to reply.

I do remember Menudo and SchoolHouse Rock however.

3

Yeah, I vaguely remember that. But not by the name–it was the description that rang the bell. They still do things kind of like that in North Korea.

4

Evidence-

5

That’s it, yes, except that it would be earnestly linked to by Dickie Davies or, if wet, Fred Dineage (translation: low rent sports presenters). And it was on videotape, not film, and had huge, gaudy SPARTAKIADA! titles and a bemused British commentary.