FRONTLINE WITH JUDY WOODRUFF: COMRADES: STEEL MILL SOCCER {PART 7 OF 12} (TV)
Summary
One in this documentary series hosted by Judy Woodruff. Part six of this 12-part special series produced for "Frontline" that portrays contemporary life in various regions of the Soviet Union by profiling individuals from a diversity of fields. By focusing on the activities of a soccer team from the town of Sumgait in the Azerbaijan Republic, this part explores how sports fits into the Soviet work system and how a job at a factory provides more than just a way to earn a living. Workers at the Lenin Steel Pipe Rolling Mill, which manufactures the steel pipes that transport oil from the region to the northern cities of Russia, make up the members of the soccer team profiled here. The program describes the activities and life of these men and points out the many benefits provided to factory workers, including opportunities for dining at the factory restaurant and taking aerobic lessons. This part also follows the daily activities of the team's coach, as he struggles to prepare them for a big game against their rival team from the Synthetic Rubber Factory. Also included is a brief history and description of life in Sumgait, touching on the roots of Soviet industrialization during Stalin's era in the 1930s. A panel discussion follows this part and is led by Frontline series host Judy Woodruff, with Richard Denton, "Comrades" series producer; Henry W. Morton, professor at Queens College; and Dr. Audrey Altstadt, professor at the University of Vermont. Topics discussed include the following: the making of the "Comrades" series; how this topic was selected; the differences between the Russians and the Azerbaijanis, who are ethnic Turks; sports in the Soviet Union; the changes taking place under Gorbachev's leadership and how they compare to the pre-Gorbachev era; and the challenges that lie ahead for the Soviet Union.
Acquisition and cataloging of this program was made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Preservation of the Post–World War II American Television Documentary Collection is supported in part by a Federal Save America’s Treasures grant administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: August 12, 1986
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:53
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T91:0200
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: U S S R - Social life and customs; Soccer; Sports; Azerbaijan S. S. R.
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1983-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Fanning … Executive Producer
- Richard Ellison … Executive Producer
- George Carey … Executive Producer
- Janet McFadden … Coordinating Producer
- Michael Kirk … Senior Producer
- Richard Denton … Series Producer, Narrator
- Mason Daring … Theme Music by
- Martin Brody … Theme Music by
- Judy Woodruff … Host
- Audrey Altstadt
- Mikhail S. Gorbachev
- Henry W. Morton