Yoga and the Soviets

Reportedly the Soviets were down on Yoga. They were materialists, and saw Yoga as mystical.

in 1981, a law was passed forbidding citizens to practice Hatha Yoga, play bridge, or study karate; and as late as 1986, a Soviet citizen was imprisoned for three years for teaching Yoga.

But apparently in contemporary Russia yoga is a popular pursuit.

Communists tended
to go ballistic
on things that trended
toward the mystic.