In the USSR, games were not just entertainment, but also a means of education. The country created a whole system of children’s games that helped children develop social skills, logical thinking, and physical fitness. I didn’t know about this as a child. I just played games. But if AI says that this is a means of education, then apparently it is.
Erudite
To begin with, the board game “Erudite”. It was not invented in the USSR, but appeared in the Union as a publication in the magazine “Science and Life”. Many games appeared in the USSR in this way, such as the game “Rednzyu”. The game “Erudite” was somewhat reminiscent of the crosswords popular at that time. But at the same time it had a competitive spirit. Soon, “Erudite” began to be produced on an industrial scale and became widespread in the USSR.
Sea battle
Another popular game was “Sea Battle”. In “Sea Battle”, players had to destroy enemy ships by taking turns calling out the coordinates of the ships on the map. The game helped develop logical thinking, strategic planning and the ability to work in a team.
Towns
Games related to physical training were also popular in the USSR. For example, “Gorodki” is a game in which you had to throw sticks at a target to knock down figures made of wooden blocks. This game helped develop coordination of movements and throwing accuracy.
Knives
The game “Knives” is a game that was popular in the Soviet Union. It was very simple, but interesting. Players had to throw knives into the ground. The goal was to cut off a piece of the opponent’s land. The game was very popular among children and adults. It helped develop dexterity and coordination of movements. Even though the game “Knives” is not so popular anymore, it continues to be part of the cultural heritage of the Soviet Union. Many people still play this game and remember it with warmth.
We often used folding “penknives”. The cheapest one could be bought then for 40 kopecks.
Classics
The game was considered “girly”. They drew squares on the asphalt and jumped on them, either just like that or by kicking the puck.
These are far from all the games of the USSR. For example, there was an extremely popular game called “V korbki”. But more about that next time.