The Sports Society “Ukraine” was founded in Lviv in 1911, at a time when Ukraine was under Austro-Hungarian occupation. So you can imagine the conditions in which a Ukrainian sports society had to function. Unfortunately, such an atmosphere existed for decades. After the disappearance of Austria-Hungary, a new misfortune came in its place — occupation by Poland. Then came the next evil — occupation by the USSR and, as a result, the ban on the existence of anything nationally Ukrainian, especially with the name “Ukraine.” In other words, the path of “Ukraine” was difficult, but Ukrainians never retreated.
After the Second World War, many members of the activist circle of the Sports Society “Ukraine” found themselves in emigration, where they continued the glorious traditions of national Ukrainian sport. With its renowned history, the Sports Society “Ukraine” repeatedly marked its anniversaries. This year, we have a wonderful opportunity to mark the 115th anniversary of its founding. How this will be done in Ukraine or abroad remains to be seen. How previous anniversaries and milestone dates of the society were commemorated can be traced by immersing ourselves in the glorious and majestic history of the Sports Society “Ukraine” of Lviv.
15 Years of the Sports Society “Ukraine”
As early as 1926, the 15th anniversary of the sports society’s activity was marked. The newspaper Dilo wrote the following about it: “These days, the Lviv Sports Society ‘Ukraine’ is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its existence. On the occasion of this sporting jubilee, which is the first in our narrower homeland, it is worth recalling the history of this society, which is inseparable from the history of Galician-Ukrainian sport from its first glimmers up to the present day… On September 18 and 19 of this year, the society is celebrating its jubilee, combined with track-and-field competitions. Many former athletes, who have dispersed throughout the provinces, are coming to this jubilee. They will refresh old, pleasant memories and recall prewar times in friendly conversation… On the occasion of this jubilee, one should wish the society that it may as soon as possible become what it was before the war, and that it may celebrate its 25th anniversary with victories at world competitions.”
A wonderful wish, especially regarding participation in international competitions. After all, that would have meant the presentation of a free and independent Ukraine!
The 25th Anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine”
One of the first large-scale anniversary celebrations of the Sports Society “Ukraine” took place in 1936, when its 25th anniversary was marked. The following was written about it: “The year 1911 is the founding, the year of the beginning of the proper Ukrainian sports movement on our lands. And when today we look at the 25-year achievements of the Society ‘Ukraine’ itself, they may not seem imposing. But when we summarize the entire development of Ukrainian sport in the western Ukrainian lands, the work of the Sports Society ‘Ukraine’ is nevertheless very serious and very beneficial.” This is an excerpt from the anniversary publication Sports Society “Ukraine” Lviv. 25 Years. 1911–1936.
The atmosphere of the celebration is conveyed by these words: “The bells do not ring! No joyful wedding music is heard. No joyful cries of wedding guests are heard, coming from Great Ukraine, green Bukovyna, and beyond the blue Carpathian ridges. Quietly, in Spartan fashion, in the circle of its closest, heartfelt sporting friends, the Sports Society ‘Ukraine’ celebrates its silver wedding, its jubilee on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its existence.”
You may ask, why so sad? I will answer: Ukraine was occupied by Poland, the USSR, Romania, and Czechoslovakia. So could there have been a grand celebration? No. Yet Ukrainians are unbreakable; even in such difficult circumstances, we fight for our national identity.
The 70th Anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine” Marked in the United States
The next significant anniversary commemorations were events marking the 70th anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine,” but this time abroad. Because during the occupation of Ukrainian lands, the enslavers had no desire whatsoever to allow Ukrainian national identity.
In 1981, grand events took place in the United States, at the home of the Ukrainian Sports Association Tryzub in Philadelphia. The working committee for marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Sports Society “Ukraine” consisted of Roman Savchak as chairman, with Ivan Shchupakivskyi, Petro Tarnavskyi, and Oleh Lysiak as members.
Roman Savchak described the preparations for the celebrations as follows: “The beginning of our plans was the mailing of communiqués and statements to the Ukrainian community in the settlements, in which the Working Committee of the USA and Canada, among other things, provided information that, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Sports Society ‘Ukraine,’ on June 20–21 of this year, a festival would be held on the new grounds of the Ukrainian Sports Association Tryzub near Philadelphia. It would include competitions of athletes from the USA and Canada, and possibly other countries, as well as a jubilee banquet and ball. In addition, the publication of a Jubilee Book for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Sports Society ‘Ukraine’ of Lviv was planned. In connection with this, the committee had already appealed to former competitors, activists, and supporters of the society to send articles, memoirs, and photographs related to the period of the society’s activity, which would be included in the Jubilee Book or in the Ukrainian press in the free world. Former members of Lviv’s ‘Ukraine’ have already responded to the appeal, such as the all-around athlete Omelian Buchatskyi from Australia, Eustachii Zahachevskyi from Rochester, New York, and Dr. Yurii Dytso from Maine, promising to send materials or photographs.”
The scale of the events is evidenced by the numerous guests from the United States, Canada, and Australia — about 2,000 in all — as well as the variety of sporting events, including volleyball competitions, and cultural events, including a concert and jubilee banquet. Delegates from all Ukrainian organizations were also present, as were editors and correspondents from print publications, radio, and television channels. The most interesting thing is that people in Ukraine could also hear a report about the celebration. Do you know how? The broadcast was carried out by the Ukrainian service of Voice of America. And people had the opportunity to listen to this radio station, albeit clandestinely.
It is worth noting that the honorary guests, the “heroes” of this historic event, were members raised by the society: Omelian Banakh, Mykola Hoshovskyi, Andrii Komorovskyi, Volodymyr Mahotskyi, Osyp Novytskyi, Teodor Novakivskyi, Ivan Pavlichka, Roman Pazuniak, Oleksandr Skotsen, Ostap Stetskiv, Taras Yatskevych, Anton Zmyi, Ivan Yarosh, Omelian Buchatskyi, Yurii Dytso, Yevhen Pashchyn, and Ivan Babii. At the time of the 70th anniversary commemoration, there were still many of them — heroes of Ukraine.
In addition to the Ukrainian Sports Association Tryzub, significant assistance was provided by the Ukrainian National Association, the newspaper Svoboda, and other Ukrainian organizations. The working committee for honoring the 70th anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine” published a jubilee book, while the pages of Svoboda gave a detailed account of the celebration.
80 Years of the Sports Society “Ukraine”
The next anniversary — the 80th anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine” — was probably marked most extensively and solemnly in 1991 in Lviv. Ukrainians in the diaspora and in Ukraine joined their efforts and loudly celebrated a truly Ukrainian sports society. The celebrations took place in Ukraine. More precisely, at that time, still in the Ukrainian SSR. And this was a true victory of the Ukrainian people.
The arrival in Ukraine of a large delegation of the Ukrainian diaspora from the United States and Canada awakened in Ukrainians an unstoppable desire to be independent and finally throw off the slave chains of communism. This event requires a more detailed examination and a separate article.
Were the 90th and 95th Anniversaries of the Sports Society “Ukraine” Marked?
I still need to find information about how the 90th anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine” was marked in 2001 and the 95th anniversary in 2006. After all, such anniversaries could not have gone unnoticed by the Ukrainian diaspora and Ukraine. Of course, every anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine” deserves a separate story.
How Was the 100th Anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine” Marked?
“In 2011, 100 years passed since the founding of the Sports Society ‘Ukraine.’ It was a significant date, but the anniversary was essentially forgotten. On this occasion, only one event took place in Lviv. On December 23, a scientific conference was held in the main building of the Lviv State Institute of Physical Culture with the support of the Lviv Center for Olympic Education. Of the 17 papers presented, only six were directly or indirectly related to the announced topic. The conference materials were planned for publication in the scientific collection Physical Activity, Health and Sport, No. 2 (4). Half a year passed, however, and nothing was done in this direction.” This is a quotation from the article “The Symbols of the Sports Society ‘Ukraine’” by Andrii Sova and Stepan Pakholko.
“It seemed that the process of restoring the Ukrainian sports movement had begun. Lviv’s Ukraine Stadium welcomed honored Ukrainian veterans at that memorable meeting — here I am referring to 1991. Omelian Buchatskyi arrived from Australia, Teofil Vishka from Poland, while Ivan Pavlichka, Oleksandr Skotsen, and Osyp Stetskiv crossed the Atlantic to join their comrades — Karlo Miklosh, Yurii Zubach, and Oleksa Novakivskyi. However, as time has shown, the veterans were unable to pass the baton along the long and thorny path to an athlete capable of fighting for a team victory, rather than running with the thought: somehow, it will work out.” This is an excerpt from the article “The Centennial Anniversary of the Sports Society ‘Ukraine’” on the Halychyna Sportyvna website.
“Mr. Roman, please tell us how you will mark the anniversary of the oldest sports society in our state?”
“Quite modestly, without loud fanfare, at the regional level. In general, all the events we are holding this year are already being held under the sign of the society’s centennial. At the opening of mass competitions, we always explain whose glorious traditions we are continuing. We also plan to organize a ceremonial meeting dedicated to the anniversary and invite colleagues from other sports societies and neighboring regions.”
“Why are no ceremonial events being held on a nationwide scale?”
“Long before the anniversary, we sent the appropriate letters to the highest officials of the state and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the regional council, and the regional administration. I know that certain decisions on holding ceremonial events were adopted at all levels. But they were declarative in nature and remained on paper. In words, we were told: go ahead and mark it. But any celebration requires preparation and certain funds, which we do not have.”
This is an excerpt from an interview with Roman Shymanskyi, head of the Lviv Regional Council of the Sports Society “Ukraine,” about the centennial anniversary. I quote from the Lvivska Poshta website.
“Back in the summer of last year, the sports community of Lviv sent letters to the president of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, S. Bubka; the then minister of Ukraine for family, youth, and sports, R. Safiullin; the head of the Central Council of the Physical Culture and Sports Society ‘Ukraine,’ M. Tsyplo; and the former head of the Lviv Regional Council, M. Senyk, with a proposal to mark the centennial of the founding of the Sports Society ‘Ukraine’ at the state level.
Relevant resolutions were adopted at various levels, but they remained on paper. And the centennial anniversary, which could have stirred society, especially young people, and could have united and rallied Ukrainian athletes from different countries, is passing unnoticed, at the regional level, without attracting the interest of state, party, or public structures.
Not like it was one hundred years ago.” This is a quotation from the article “For the Centennial of the Sports Society ‘Ukraine’: How It All Began…” on the ZAXID.NET website.
Will We Mark the 115th Anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine”?
Thus, the 100th anniversary of the Sports Society “Ukraine” in Ukraine passed almost unnoticed! And what was the situation with the 105th and 110th anniversaries? And what will happen this year with the 115th anniversary? Will we fail to notice it again? Will we forget again? Or will we finally awaken from the communist invasion of “Dynamo,” “Spartak,” “Lokomotiv,” and the like, and begin honoring our own Ukrainian sporting traditions?!
So, will we forget or remember our true sports history? Will we continue to profess imperial, Soviet, rashist narratives in sport?
After all, every free person understands: when you know history, you win victory!
Author: Oleksii Lyakh-Porodko
