Kiev, 30th May invited by NOC President Sergey Bubka, Ukraine has celebrated the Centenary of Olympic Kiev, bringing IOC Members, NOC Presidents and guests from 30 countries to the capital in memory of the first Russian Olympiad, held in 1913. It was indeed on the 25th of May 1913 that, as per the Olympiad Organizing Committees rules, the Kiev Olympic Committee was established.

The many guests, among them numerous IOC Members, including ANOC President Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Alex Gilady, Leo Wallner, Shamil Tarpischev and Irena Szewinska, were also welcomed by Ukraine Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Kiev City Mayor Oleksandr Popov.

Ukraine NOC President Sergey Bubka and the President of the Maria Bulatova Olympic Centre and Rector of the National University of Physical Education and Sport, Yevhen Imas, cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony. The many celebrative events for the occasion included the presentation of a large quantity of unique Olympic literature, educational books for children and encyclopaedias published by the NOC of Ukraine, the Olympic Academy and the University during the last 20 years, and in particular the Olympic Guidebook, which is published in English, as requested by the European Olympic Committees, for European Youth Olympic Festival participants. The books are also used by the International Olympic Academy for the Youth Olympic Games educational development programme.

Another highlight of the programme was the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Olympic Sport: Past and Present”, with the participation of some 400 scientists from 30 countries, and there was also an Olympic exhibition in the Kiev History Museum, and a special postage stamp jointly presented with the “Ukrposhta” (The Ukrainian National Post Office). The first stamps were given to the Museum of Sports Glory of Ukraine and the Kiev History Museum.

The Centenary of Olympic Kiev concluded a highly successful Olympic Day, this years motto for which was “History was… the Future is yours”.