1965 Czech 3rd Spartakiad Mass Gymnastics Regional Event Liberec Pin Badge

A 1965 gold coloured metal spartakiad pin from former Czechoslovakia, it is 2.8cm wide and has a long pin style fastener to the rear. Featuring the logo for the 1965 event an athlete with raised arms and parted legs.

The Spartakiads were named after Spartacus, the slave gladiator who rebelled against his Roman captors. Spartacus was thought to encapsulate the spirit of the proletariat.
The first spartakiads were held in the Soviet Union in the 1920's and were international events that were created to appeal to every man, not just selected athletes.

Czechoslovakia held its first spartakiad in 1955 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Soviet liberation.
The events were held at the gigantic, purpose built Strahov stadium in Prague and were witnessed by up to 2 million spectators. Typically there were around 750,000 participants from schools, the armed forces and youth groups. The event would take the form of coordinated movements, sometimes with streamers or balls and were very impressive sights to witness.

The last spartakiad was held in 1990, one year after the velvet revolution.