Celebration of the 180th birthday anniversary of Alexey Butovsky by NOC of Ukraine
The Ukrainian Olympic Family takes care of the Olympic heritage celebrating and honouring the memory of Alexey Butovsky, one of the founders of the modern Olympic movement together with Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the legendary person, who came from the Poltava region, Ukraine.
The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine together with local authorities of Poltava held a number of events devoted to this remarkable date. Sergey Bubka, the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and the IOC EB Member, Valeriy Borzov, the NOC Vice President and the IOC Member and representatives of all Olympic regional branches participated in them.
For many years, the National Olympic Committee with support of the International Olympic Committee together with the Olympic Academy of Ukraine, Poltava Regional authorities and the Olympic department in Poltava does everything possible to restore and preserve the heritage of Butovsky.
In 2006, the monument to Alexey Butovsky was installed in the center of Poltava with the IOC support, the NOC of Ukraine is caring about the Olympic heritage. The main city stadium was renamed after the name of Butovsky, as well as one of the city schools. In cooperation with the Olympic Academy of Ukraine the NOC issued a unique historical four-volume book devoted to the life and activity of Alexey Butovsky.
In the frame of organized events, the special Museum named after Alexey Butovsky was opened. During the meeting near the monument to the Olympic movement founder special postal envelope, issued with a circulation of 400 thousand pieces, was presented.
The solemn ceremony devoted to the 180th anniversary of Alexey Butovsky was organized at the ceremonial meeting in the Poltava Regional Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after Mykola Gogol and it gathered Ukrainian Olympic Family.
The ceremony started with the video address from Thomas Bach, the IOC President, who mentioned the historical moment and outstanding role of Mr. Butovsky for the Olympic Movement and essential contribution of the NOC of Ukraine to further development and sharing Olympic values.
‘Who does not remember the past – does not have the future. We are proud of Aleksey Butovsky who was born in Poltava, Ukraine, as the legendary talented figure and academic. He worked side by side with Pierre de Coubertin, his friend and colleague, and made a significant contribution to the revival of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement in particular’, – Sergey Bubka said expressing sincere gratitude to the International Olympic Committee and its President Thomas Bach for saving the Olympic heritage all over the world.
