The social and cultural peculiarities of “proletarian” tourism

This chapter examines the social, ethnic and gender compositions of Soviet tourist teams during the interwar period. None of these components lived up to the ideals of the OPTE leaders. Contrary to the intention of the bureaucrats who planned adventure tourism as a proletarian recreation, it attracted mostly the intelligentsia. The bureaucrats grudgingly accepted this fact, entertaining the hope that the most likely dissidents would vent their energy in a way harmless to the communist dictatorship. The OPTE tried to develop sport tourism at an equal rate throughout the entire multiethnic state. However, although some of the numerous ethnicities comprising the Soviet Union actively engaged in tourism, most remained completely aloof. An increasing number of women became OPTE’s members. Few of them participated in adventure expeditions but those who did set several records.