This event will be held virtually as a Zoom webinar and streamed via YouTube Live. There will be no in-person event.
To register and access live stream links, visit the event page on our website: https://harriman.columbia.edu/event/virtual-event-when-climbing-became-competitive
Register here for the Zoom webinar, or tune in on YouTube Live.
Please join the East Central European Center at the Harriman Institute for a presentation by Carolin Roeder, István Deák Visiting Assistant Professor of History.
Everyone who has been to a bouldering or climbing gym knows that you don't need mountains anymore to go climbing. In the past two decades, climbing on artificial walls has turned from a niche to a mainstream sport. With a year delay, climbing is going Olympic—to the chagrin of many professional climbers. In this talk, Carolin Roeder will reveal the hidden history of climbing competitions and why Tokyo 2021 is a Soviet dream come true. Tune in for a Cold War drama featuring an inventive Russian climbing instructor, Polish climbing diplomacy, and a Soviet charm offensive that ultimately won over the West.
