Development of recreational geography in the USSR

Specific features of development of recreation geography in the USSR are, first of all — combination of the deliberate outstripping theoretical research based on the systems approach with the traditional techniques of field investigation of actual dhenomena, and second — combination of scientific activities with active interference into practical territorial organization of recreation of different groups of population. Development of recreation geography has influenced the other branches of geography, as well as the theory of project-design and architecture. Rapid growth of a new branch of science is considered as an illustration of high integrating potentialities of modern geography, which is now based not only on the empirical studies, but on the theoretical search as well.