Part of the large USSR Olympic series issued for the 1980 Moscow Games — the first Summer Olympics held in a socialist country — this piece belongs to a program that became politically fraught almost immediately. The United States led a boycott of the Moscow Games following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, ultimately joined by over 60 nations. The Soviet mint continued production regardless; the full commemorative program had been planned years in advance and was not curtailed.
Tug of war, notably, had been dropped from the Olympic program after 1920.
Part of the large USSR Olympic series issued for the 1980 Moscow Games — the first Summer Olympics held in a socialist country — this piece belongs to a program that became politically fraught almost immediately. The United States led a boycott of the Moscow Games following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, ultimately joined by over 60 nations. The Soviet mint continued production regardless; the full commemorative program had been planned years in advance and was not curtailed.
Tug of war, notably, had been dropped from the Olympic program after 1920.