In 1901, the commander of the Life Guards squadron, Captain Vladimir Voeykov, decided to give up alcohol, which was quite unusual for the guards. He strictly punished the hussars for wild parties, and during feasts, his orderly poured him kvass, which resembled wine in color and fizziness. It is not surprising that Voeykov, a proponent of a healthy lifestyle and an energetic person, was entrusted with the physical development of the army. He developed the "Instruction for Training Troops in Gymnastics," which detailed exercises with rifles and sticks, training on apparatus, and the creation of gymnastic pyramids.

In 1909, by the order of the commandant of the Winter Palace, the 1st Officer Gymnastics and Fencing School opened in St. Petersburg. Here, athletes began to be prepared for participation in the V Olympic Games in Stockholm. The selection committee for candidates for the national team was headed by Voeykov himself. He was also appointed the head of the Russian Olympic team for the 1912 Games by the emperor's decree.

Upon returning to Russia, Vladimir Nikolaevich organized the first congress of sports organizations in the country, where the charter of the Russian Olympic Committee was developed. The magazine "Sport and Health" noted that no state official had previously addressed sports figures with such sincerity.

At the same time, Voeykov proposed to hold Russian Olympics, which took place in 1913 in Kyiv and in 1914 in Riga. After the Stockholm Olympics, the tsar appointed him the chief observer of the physical development of the population of the Russian Empire. For his contribution to sports, the Kyiv Olympic Committee elected him honorary chairman of the Russian Olympics. However, soon the First World War began. In exile, Voeykov wrote: "Sport has always been close to my heart, and I was glad to hear approval of my modest work."