In the 1960s, in the country, physical education and sports were given constant attention by the Communist Party and the government, as evidenced by many enactments of that time. On the basis of archival documents, periodical press materials and documentary publications, the authors analysed the methodology of conducting physical education classes; sports achievements of the university in international, all-Union, regional and city competitions; and the material base and its improvement at the Department of Physical Education headed by Vladislav Markhalchuk and Aleksandr Pisanko. With the help of the material base, which was created in the 1960s, many sports facilities were built at Tomsk State University to improve athletes' training process, and sports camps were opened. Sports camps played an important role in stabilizing the training process and creating opportunities for year-round training for athletes at the university. Additionally, many sections for various sports disciplines were opened. Work was carried out to attract students to sports in their free time. The staff of the Department of Physical Education were assigned to the university's faculties in order to strengthen physical culture and sports work. Many innovations affected the educational process. In the 1960s, the organization and conduct of academic studies changed for the better. Training sessions with students of the main and preparatory groups began to be conducted according to specializations. The work of the university's departments of physical education in general was aimed at increasing the attendance of classes and strengthening control over changes in students' physical development. A record book on physical education was introduced, in which all control standards and dynamics of physical development of each student were fixed. Health-improving and physical culture work began to be carried out with students assigned to a special medical group for health reasons. Individual groups were recruited; their main task was to eliminate functional deviations and deficiencies in physical development, as well as to improve versatile physical fitness. Vladislav Markhalchuk and Aleksandr Pisanko, heads of the Department of Physical Education in the 1960s, made a huge contribution to the development of physical education not only at Tomsk State University, but also in Tomsk Oblast.
