“Work, build, and don’t complain! We’ve been shown our path in life. You might or might not be an athlete, But you’re obliged to be a physical culturalist.” This slogan on a 1933 piece of propaganda truly illustrates the Soviet Union’s desire to raise a healthy and able-bodied population. Massive parades, athletic competitions, and general emphasis on physical health became a staple of Soviet culture during the 1930′s and onward. Physical fitness had now become a obligation of every Soviet man, woman, and child. Better bodies meant a better workers, soldiers, farmers, industrialists and leaders.  The idea was to use fitness as a means to keep the working people strong and to ensure that all able bodied people are prepared to “defend the Soviet Union”. Defending it in the sense of actually fighting off enemies to the USSR and also ensuring its survival as a nation. Later, this would be the basis for exceptional Soviet athletics, especially in the Olympic Games. Aleksei Gorchakov was a young man during one such athletic parade in the 1930′s that took place on the anniversary of the Revolution. Him and his fellow glider pilots and aviators marched on the square and were displayed to the Party leaders. They were the shining example of a vibrant Soviet population.