
The Annual Meeting of UNESCO Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors took place in organization’s headquarter in Paris, France, under the chairmanships of UNESCO Director-general Ms Irina Bokova. Ukraine’s Olympic Champion Sergey Bubka took part at the meeting along with musician Mr Milton Masciadri (Uruguay), art expert and actress Mrs Guila Clara Kessous (France), sculptor Mr Amri Aminov (Tajikistan), musician Mr Chico Bouchikhi (France), etc.
The participants discussed various issues of the maintenance and preservation of the cultural heritage as culture is an essence of the humanity and a message of the nations' identity.
Bubka, who is the President of Ukraine NOC, IAAF Vice-President and IOC EB Member, informed of his activities as a UNESCO Ambassador for Sport and made a presentation of his Commemoration Project for the Centennial of the 1913 Kyiv Olympics carried out in 2013 in Ukraine.
Bubka, who is UNESCO Champion for Sport since 2003, said, 'As a part of scientific research work carried out in cooperation with professors Dr Volodymyr Platonov and Dr Maria Bulatova we examined the First Russian Olympics held in 2013 in Kyiv, then – part of the Russian Empire. The event influenced significantly the cultural and social life of Kyiv in those times. For instance, it could surprise you but women were involved in the 1913 competitions which was a breakthrough for mentality of those times. To my deep regret, the legacy of the event was later forgotten. That's why I initiated the project to fill in the gaps in our history'.
The activities of the Commemoration Project for the 1913 Kyiv Olympics' Anniversary included:
· Centennial Kyiv Olympics sport show at the city's main street
· The release of the book sets published in Ukrainian, Russian and English
· International Academic Conference 'Olympic Sport – past and present' attended by 400 scientists who represented 30 nations
· Olympic-themed exhibition in the Municipal History Museum
· State Post Service 'Ukrposhta' in cooperation with the NOC issued a special souvenir stamp sheet dedicated to the 1913 Olympics. The first sheet was symbolically cancelled during the celebration
Sergey Bubka also presented another project – 'Olympic Book' – echoed to the 1913 Commemoration. Ukraine NOC initiated the delivery of more than 900 000 pieces of the Olympic literature free to 20 000 secondary schools in Ukraine. This project was also expanded worldwide due to the support of the European Olympic Committees and its Olympic Culture and Education Commission. In 2011-2013 the English version of the Olympic guide-book was published and delivered to the participants of the European Youth Olympic Festivals.
Bubka has also shared with the UNESCO ambassadors his plans for future projects for promotion of the sportive life style and Olympic values globally, as well as delivering the knowledge of the Olympic sports for the young people.