Russian National Health and Fitness Programme

The Russian National Health and Fitness Programme, or GTO complex, is a major systematised and regulatory foundation of the country’s physical education policy aimed at promoting grassroots sports, improving the nation’s health and wellbeing and developing human capital. The complex was introduced on September 1, 2014 by the Presidential Executive Order No 172 of March 24, 2014.

The GTO activities are coordinated by the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation and the GTO Complex Introduction and Implementation Coordination Commission established under the Ministry.

By the decision of the Coordination Commission of July 27, 2014, in view of its vast experience of staging a whole range of successful high-profile sporting events the Directorate for Sports and Social Projects was entrusted to carry out the nation’s major grassroots sports development project and was appointed as the organisation responsible for implementing the GTO complex at the federal level. Its mission includes the following activities:

1. Coordination of the GTO complex implementation in regions of Russia.
2. Creation of the single database and the official GTO complex website and their technical assistance.
3. Development, creation and implementation of personnel training system, including remote training.
4. Wareness-raising activities aimed at promoting the GTO complex.
5. Methodological support of the GTO complex implementation.
6. Production of GTO pins and certificates and provision of them to regions of the Russian Federation.

The GTO complex consists of standards for the physical development and preparedness of people in 11 age groups (6-70 years of age and older). The standards are different for men and women.

Tests are divided into obligatory and optional ones. The obligatory tests are intended to check strength, speed, flexibility and endurance. The optional ones help to determine speed and strength capabilities, sense of coordination and applied skills.

People, who have met the standards and have attained knowledge and skills of certain levels of the complex, are awarded a corresponding GTO pin. Depending on their achievements, they get a gold, silver or bronze pin.