From Mushtra to Conscious Movement: Pyotr Lesgaft’s Science‐Based Physical Education for the Russian Cadet Corps

Abstract A charismatic pedagogue, anatomist, physician, and founder of Russia’s Free University, Pyotr Frantsevich Lesgaft (1837–1909) played a central role in the emergence of science‐based physical education in Russia between the 1870s and the 1900s. Using Lesgaft’s two‐volume Physical Education Guide for School Children (1888–1901) as a focal point, this article examines the debates surrounding military physical education in the context of pedagogical theories in late nineteenth‐century Europe and Russia, and demonstrates that Lesgaft’s liberal views on reforming physical education emerged from his unique expertise as a pedagogue, physician, and anatomist. Although Lesgaft formulated his pioneering system primarily during his employment with the Main Directorate of Military Educational Institutions (GUVUZ), his methods were often at odds with prevalent approaches to cadet training. Importantly, while Lesgaft’s approach was certainly innovative within Russia, it developed in conversation with three popular systems of physical education in nineteenth‐century Europe: Friedrich Jahn’s Turnen , Swedish gymnastics, and British sport.