The erstwhile Soviet Union did not participate in the Summer Olympics until the 1952 Olympic Games. They, however, organised a similar parallel international sporting event as early as 1928. What was it called?

The Spartakiads were international sports events organized by the Soviet Union as an alternative to the Olympics, starting in 1928. They were named after Spartacus, the gladiator who led a slave rebellion, symbolizing workers' solidarity. The Soviet Union boycotted the Olympics until 1952, claiming the Games were bourgeois. 'Olympiakos' is a Greek sports club, 'Spartacus' relates to the historical figure, and 'Sovietiaskos' is not a real term.