High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Soviet Union (USSR) competed in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. It was the first time for Russians to compete since 1912 as well as the first time for Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Ukrainians and Uzbeks to do it ever. 295 competitors, 255 men and 40 women, took part in 141 events in 18 sports.