Volia Space: how Ukraine told about the war at the Olympic Games

On Sunday, August 11, the 33rd Summer Olympics ended in Paris. The competitions brought 12 medals to Ukrainian athletes, including three golds. For the official delegation of Ukraine, the Olympic Games had a broader context - to show the world the Ukrainian will to win, how Ukrainians are fighting and what they are overcoming because of the Russian war. This is how the idea to create Volia Space, the Ukrainian House at the Olympic Games, was born. Read more about the results of the cultural space's work in UNN's article .

Details

Volia Space is the largest sports diplomacy project in the history of Ukraine's participation in the Olympic Games. The cultural space was organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine together with the Office of the President of Ukraine and the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.

For Ukraine, the Olympics is first and foremost a big screen for the world. We remind the world that Ukraine exists, is fighting and is capable of winning. The very fact that Ukraine is represented at the Olympics during a full-scale war is a great demonstration of willpower

Located in Paris's La Villette Park, along with the national houses of other countries, Volia Space was open for 15 days and hosted more than 15 thousand guests. Among them were government officials, diplomats, presidents of international sports federations, influential cultural figures, and more than 600 accredited journalists from around the world. 

Volia Space was visited by the Minister of Sport of France Amélie Oudea-Castaire and Minister Delegate for Europe of the French Government Jean-Noël Barrot, as well as ministers and ambassadors from other countries. The opening was attended by the President of World Athletics Sebastian Coe and the President of the International Ice Hockey Federation Luc Tardif. There were many influential and famous guests whose arrival at Volia Space is a clear statement of support for Ukraine

The main goal of Volia Space is to demonstrate to the world the freedom-loving nature of the Ukrainian people, the head of the ministry continued.

This was made possible thanks to the joint work of public and private partners, as well as the support of our French colleagues, who provided premises in the heart of Paris

"Cooperation with the French side was extremely important and effective for the success of this project," said Deputy Minister for European Integration Victoria Ryasna. "Our French colleagues provided full support throughout the organization and operation of this space. We also received tremendous help from the French side in terms of ensuring its security. They are well aware of the importance of this event for Ukraine." 

She explained what was the decisive moment in choosing the premises for Volia Space: "The French Ministry of Sport offered us several comfortable and practical spaces in different parts of the city.

During the process of choosing a location for the Ukrainian House, we knew that La Villette Park would be home to houses from more than 15 countries, including France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and others, so it was not for nothing that this park was named the Park of Nations during the Olympic Games.

This was a decisive factor in choosing this particular location. There was another symbolic fact: when we arrived with Matviy Bidnyi at the location in the park, we heard the familiar sound of an alarm (it was a drill for Parisians). And at that moment, we said in unison: yes, this is where the Ukrainian House will be.

For 15 days, Volia Space was the main meeting place for foreign delegations and an international media hub. Meetings with athletes, cultural and sports figures were held here every day.

In addition to the cultural program, Volia Space has become an important media center. More than 1,100 publications and stories in international and Ukrainian media were produced by the communications team. Among the key publications were such global giants as CNN, Reuters, France Presse, as well as lesser-known in Ukraine but influential media in the Global South. 

This project gave us the opportunity to tell the truth about the Russian war in Ukraine, how the war affects sports and all Ukrainians. It is an opportunity to show people in Latin America, Asia and Africa the truth that Ukrainians are fighting for their safety as well, because the Russian war affects the whole world

The total audience of the materials reaches more than 105 million people, two-thirds of whom are international. This is a significant figure, given that the project was implemented without the use of budgetary funds

One of the main aspects of Volia Space was the meetings with Ukrainian athletes who were able to share their stories. Among the most famous speakers were Olga Harlan, Yaroslava Maguchikh, Zhan Beleniuk, Oleksandr Khyzhnyak, and Iryna Gerashchenko, who received numerous interview requests from international media.

The athletes were able to speak about things they could not say on the fields of the Olympics due to strict rules. The task of the Volia Space team was to make these voices heard around the world. 

The Ministry of Youth and Sports reported that the Ukrainian House Volia Space was organized without the use of budget funds, and was implemented thanks to the general partner - the WOG gas station chain, the MHP-Gromada Charitable Foundation and other patrons and partners. 

The cultural program was an important part of Volia Space. Every day, guests were shown documentaries about Ukraine, including the Oscar-winning film 20 Days in Mariupol, People of Steel, Culture vs War, and presentations by well-known Ukrainian directors Alan Badoev, Anton Ptushkin, and Serhiy Fomenko. 

The guests were also shown the multimedia project The Will to Win, which consists of a photo exhibition and a series of short documentaries about the training of Ukrainian athletes during the Great War. The project was implemented by the "Watch Ukrainian!" Association at the initiative of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the National Olympic Committee, and with the support of the MHP-Hromada Foundation.

This project has become a good example of the synergy between the state, business, and artists. To effectively represent Ukraine at the Olympic Games and broadcast our messages, the ministry, big business, and artists - our partners from the Watch Ukrainian Association - came together to create videos and photos that reveal the realities of training athletes during a full-scale war. This consolidation demonstrates to the whole world that Ukrainians are united. And they are strong when they are together. This is an equally important message that we have conveyed to the world community

A tasty element of the program was the Ukrainian Cuisine Day, when visitors were able to taste traditional dishes prepared by famous Ukrainian chefs Yevhen Klopotenko and Volodymyr Yaroslavsky. 

Volia Space proved that even in the extremely difficult conditions of war, Ukraine is able to implement large-scale diplomatic initiatives, uniting international partners and attracting the attention of the whole world.