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WORLD BODYBUILDING HISTORY

27/07/2025

WHO IN U.S.S.R. COULD THINK ON INTERNATIONAL LEVEL?

ROLE OF PERSONALITY IN LIFE AND SPORT.

Everyone‘s personality depends on many items. One of them is – basing on which position a personality analizes all happenings. We mean bodybuilders, of course. Do you think of this as a sportsman, as a trainer or organizer or you think as an International Leader? Specialists of our sport scrutinize the same documents and the same basics but everybody of them evaluate the same items on a different way. Then we may look if this specialist is of a local level or he represents the International one. The specialist must get himself above the happenings of his time and he must look on everything like a flying bird high in the sky. Otherwise he can not understand waht is going on.

In the U.S.S.R. there were only few personalities who could think wide in the very beginning of bodybuilding. The representatives of various regions of the U.S.S.R. mostly were thinking in a narrow way. For example, Tiumen gym trainer JEVGENIJ KOLTUN (Евгений Колтун, R.S.F.S.R.) always represented a gym level and nothing more. The same was with a Kaliningrad trainer JURIJ SMOLIAKOV (Юрий Смоляков, R.S.F.S.R.) and with a Severodvinsk trainer the U.S.S.R. Champion ALEKSANDR LEMECHOV (Александр Лемехов, R.S.F.S.R.). The same was with a Leningrad gym trainer VLADIMIR DUBININ (Владимир Дубинин, R.S.F.S.R.). A representative of Riga (Latvian SSR) FELIKS SAJKOVSKIJ (Феликс Сайковский) and nearly all representatives of the Lithuanian SSR were on the same local level of understanding. There were no more active bodybuilding organizers in the U.S.S.R. at that time but only those we mentioned only. The exception could be the General Secretary of the formal „U.S.S.R. Bodybuilding Federation“ («Федерация культуризма С.С.С.Р.») ROMANAS KALINAUSKAS (Романас Калинаускас). How we can understand this „U.S.S.R. Bodybuilding Federation“ when bodybuilding in the U.S.S.R. is prohibited? It had totally no power. But unfortunatelly all activities of ROMANAS KALINAUSKAS were done through intrigues and blackmailing of his sport friends to the Communist political powers. Knowing no foreign languages ROMANAS KALINAUSKAS was separated from the World and could not understand the International process. Another exceptional person was INNAR MARDO (Иннар Мардо, 1946 – 2002, Tallinn, Estonian SSR). He also did not know any foreign language and worked only in Estonia. Even to do anything on the U.S.S.R. level he had no interest. But on regular basis organized by INNAR MARDO „Georg Tenno Memorial“ («Мемориал Георга Тенно», 1971 – 1989, Tallinn, Estonian SSR) contests gave him a huge prestige and respect of others. One more exception was DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. During the period of bodybuilding prohibition he organized illegal „Amber Prix International“ („Gintarinis prizas“, «Янтарный приз», 1968 – 2023, Klaipeda, Lithuanian SSR) contests in 1974, 1975, 1976 and in 1977. Wishing to defend bodybuilding sport DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS for several years was in correspondence with the Ministry of Sport of the U.S.S.R. („U.S.S.R. Goskomsport“, Госкомспорт С.С.С.Р.). Finally received from the U.S.S.R. Ministry of Sport a negatyve answer DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS wrote a bodybuilding defending petition and personally brought it to Moscow. He presented the petition to the highest U.S.S.R. political powers: to the Central Committee of the U.S.S.R. Communist Party (Центральный Комитет Коммунистической партии С.С.С.Р.), to the U.S.S.R. Supreme Council (Верховный Совет С.С.С.Р.) and to the U.S.S.R. Ministry Council (Совет Министров С.С.С.Р.) and to the U.S.S.R. cental political newspapers „Pravda“ («Правда») and „Izvestija“ («Известия»). In 1978 due to the petition of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS the U.S.S.R. political powers gave him permition to organize „Amber Prix International“ in Klaipeda (Lithuanian SSR).

Leaders do not like a stable life. A Leader of any kind has courage and resposibility. Leaders always seek the result end never doubt if they will not succeed. At the same time the majority does nothing. They sit in silence. So who was the bodybuilding Leader in the U.S.S.R.? The very similar to DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS life was of his friends in sport: the President I.F.B.B. (International Federation of Body Builders) BEN WEIDER, also the similar way of life was of the President N.A.B.B.A. (National Amateur Body Building Association) OSCAR HEIDENSTAM and W.A.B.B.A. (World Amateur Body Building Association) President SERGE NUBRET. The same similar way was of the General Secretary F.I.H.C. (Federation Internationale Halterophile et Culturiste) International OSCAR STATE.

Not knowing foreign languages narrowed possibilities of INNAR MARDO, but DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS assisted and helped him always. ROMANAS KALINAUSKAS did not know any foreign language and he always worked to be close to the U.S.S.R. Ministry of Sport. To say more he did his best to be close to the U.S.S.R. Weightlifting Federation (Федерация тяжёлой атлетики С.С.С.Р.). That were his top items for respect and loyality. But what he could get out of this when bodybuilding was prohibited in the U.S.S.R.? Just nothing.

While studying English and German philology at the Vilnius State University DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS did several attempts to unite gyms of Vilnius City. Nobody else never tried to do this. Anyway bodybuilding was prohibited in the U.S.S.R. and bodybuilders were afraid to do anything.

It is easy to speak when the work is done and everything goes smoothly. But at the moment to fight agaist bodybuilding prohibition no one supported DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. No one. Today being already old many former U.S.S.R. bodybuilding organizers and bodybuilders try to „be Facebook friends“ of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. Fine. But where they were at the hard times of risky fighting?

During the fifty years of his bodybuilding activities there was a number of „deputies“ and assistants of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. Many wanted to take the place of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS and to go on doing the same. No one succeeded.

Many disliked the stormy activities of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. Especially when he succeeded in his work. And he did. Having no wish to get into the intrigues of such people DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS got into the Vilnius State University in 1979 again. This time DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS studied law after he received the speciality of the phylology before. And again he succeeded. The same happened with INNAR MARDO. He was pressed by the people of envy and hate to leave his work and positions after the intriques in the formal Bodybuilding Federattion of the Estonian SSR. INNAR MARDO did not succeed to come back in full power again. There were several attemps but he was never back to the former normal situation. Hate and envy of his bodybuilding collegues ruined his life in sport. This information is based on the letters of INNAR MARDO to DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS.

Klaipeda bodybuilding was always a „Separate Republic“. And still is. It was in Lithuania, in the U.S.S.R. and Internationally now. It was based on the social and juridical status, on the International level - remember the World Bodybuilding Leaders whom we have mentioned above. International President W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS is involved in the work of a number of International organizations which are collaborating with U.N. (United Nations) and U.N.S.E.C.O. (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Who else was in the same position? The road was long. Much work and studies were needed.

Due to his active International work DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS meets many World known persons.

In 2010 in Portugal during the Congress of the International Order of Templars (O.S.M.T.H., Ordo Supremus Militari Templi Herosolimitani) for the original ideas to unite World Religions DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS by Greek ARCHIMANDRIT CHARALAMPIJ was awarded with the „St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Silver-Gold Medal“.

In 2011 the Official Visit of the President W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. (World Fitness Federation, World Body Building Federation) International DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS was organized to Vatican. Listening about the Bodybuilding activities during the years of prohibition of this sport in the Socialist Countries the Vatican Congregat Perfect Cardinal J. Em. JOZEF KARDINAL TOMKO (Кардинал Иозеф Томко) was interested very much. Very big interest was shown to the bodybuilding defending petition of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS and the victory that was achieved due to this. J. Em. JOZEF KARDINAL TOMKO positively evaluated our efforts to fight for the Bodybuilding Sport recognition and at once he named DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS as the „disident of the Communist Regime“. For this work done the Vatican Congregat Perfect Cardinal J. Em. JOZEF KARDINAL TOMKO presented the Original Vatican Pontific Medal (Medaglia Ufficiale di Pontificato di Sua Santita Benedetto XVI) to the International President W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. Federation EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS (Headquarters State Vatican, Cita del Vaticano, March 29, 2011).

During the last decades DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS had meetings and spoke about various International questions with the President Parliament Austria Professor ALFRED GERSTL (Президент Парламента Австрии профессор Альфред Герстл), the Prime Minister of the Republic Slovakia VLADIMIR MECIAR (премьер министр Словакии Владимир Мечиар), the Prime Minister of the Republic Slovakia ROBERT FICO (премьер министр Словакии Роберт Фицо), President Parliament Republic Slovakia JAN FIGEL (президент Парламента Словакии Ян Фигель), President Parliament Republic Lithuania ARUNAS VALINSKAS (президент Парламента Литвы Арунас Валинскас), Prime Minister Republic Lithuania GEDIMINAS KIRKILAS (премьер министр Литвы Гедиминас Киркилас), Prime Minister Republic Lithuania ALGIRDAS BUTKEVICIUS (премьер министр Литвы Альгирдас Буткявичус) and other High State officials of various Asia and Europe Countries.

Crowning the fifty years of bodybuilding activities of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS Russia journalists call him “The Father of Russia Bodybuilding” («Отец российского культуризма»).

In 2015 at the International contest in front of a number of Members of the Parliament Republic Lithuania the representative of the Government Republic Lithuania ANTANAS VINKUS (Антанас Винкус) named DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS the „Lithuania Embassador for the World“ («Амбассадор Литвы в мире»). Then National Teams of America, Asia, Africa and Europe took part at this event.