"The very topic of this unusual publication can give pleasure to most scholars in Slavic studies and beyond. . . . . A stimulating study full of valuable information and insightful observations. . . . the book fills a gap but also leaves room for further research of this neglected topic in Slavic studies."

Irina Makoveeva | The Russian Review

"A welcome addition . . . It is also a particularly interesting work because the author chooses to examine the subject through the lens of art history, arguing quite convincingly that the various changes in sport imagery throughout the Soviet era are a reflection of larger ideological shifts."

Canadian Journal of History

"No summary of contents, however, can do justice to O’Mahony’s knowledgable and wide-ranging study. It’s real strength lies in the author’s ability to provide a continuous historical correlation between the production of cultural artifacts and the articulation of state policies across the decades of state power. . . . Sport in the USSR is an excellent study whose value extends far beyond its modest title. It is as relevant to cultural anthropologists as to social historians, historians of art, literary scholars, urban planners, and (forgive the word) jocks."

Vladmir Padunov | Slavic and East European Journal

"Original and intelligent. . . . This is a work that commands readers’ attention because it goes to the heart of the contradictions within the Soviet project. . . . Worthy of the attention of all students of the Soviet experience."

Robert Edelman | Slavic Review

"A fascinating look at social and Soviet history."

Wonderland