Sokol was founded in Prague by Miroslav Tyrš with the idea that strong bodies and a sense of community went together. Members practised gymnastics not to compete individually, but to move beautifully as a group. This idea was new and exciting in the 1860s and Sokol groups spread quickly across Czech towns.
The Slet is the great Sokol festival held every few years in Prague. Tens of thousands of gymnasts from around the country (and from Sokol groups in other countries where Czech communities settled) come together to perform in the Strahov Stadium - one of the largest stadiums in the world. When hundreds of people move exactly in time with each other, the effect is breathtaking.
Sokol was for everyone: men and women, children and grandparents all trained together in the same halls. Long before sport for women was considered normal, Sokol was teaching girls and women gymnastics alongside boys and men. This made it an unusually equal organisation for its time.
Today, Sokol still has hundreds of thousands of members across Czechia and abroad. Local Sokol halls are gathering places for communities, and children as young as three can join beginner gymnastics classes. The Slet tradition continues, with the most recent large festivals attracting huge audiences.