The delegation representing the ROC included the Secretary General Victor Berezov, the vice chair of the commission Lada Zadonskaya, an Olympic volleyball champion, a member of the Federation Council’s committee on Science, Education, and Culture, Senator Taras Khtei, and Olympic medalists, including Tatiana Ivanova in luge, Valeriia Koblova in wrestling, Anastasiia Fesikova in swimming, and Olga Denschikova, a participant in the 2006 and 2014 Games competing in skeleton. Additionally, Yuri Chechun, the chair of the RusAF Athletes Commission and a multiple Russian athletics champion, was also part of the team.
The Athletes’ commission from the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus featured its chair, Aliaksandr Bahdanovich, an Olympic champion in canoeing from the 2008 Games, freestyle skiing champion Alla Tsuper, Maksim Nedasekau, who earned a bronze medal in athletics at the 2020 Games, Ludmila Kalinchik, a world championship medalist in biathlon, Sergii Rutenko, a multiple
Champions League winner in handball, and Ignat Golivatsiuk, who competed in the Olympic Games for speed skating.
The meeting was opened by Ksenia Sankovich, the Secretary General of the NOC of the Republic of Belarus.
She mentioned that Russian athletes have become the first foreign guests in over 20 years of the Vytoki festival’s history.
– We are celebrating the festival for the 21st time, this year in various cities. It is a major event featuring sports, cultural and historical, art displays, and a marketplace for local artisans and crafts. Additionally, there will be numerous workshops and seminars. The idea of welcoming the Russian Olympic delegation to the Vytoki festival has been in the works for several years now.
We are thrilled that, with the backing of Victor Lukashenko, the President of the NOC of Belarus, these inspirations have come to life, as Ksenya Sankovich mentioned.The Secretary General of the Russian Olympic Committee Victor Berezov emphasized that the Minister of Sports of Russia and President of the Russian Olympic Committee Michael Degtyarev was quick to embrace the idea of convening the Athletes’ commissions from both National committees during this significant cultural and sports event for Belarus.- We are excited to accept the invitation from our friends in Belarus. We understand that Pastavy has been designated as the cultural capital of Belarus in 2026, which makes our visit even more special. The arrival of the Russian delegation has elevated the festival Vytoki to an international level.
While that is true, the most important aspect is that workshops allow young athletes to connect with their role models, experience unforgettable emotions, and actively engage in the Olympic movement.Victor Berezov also proposed organizing a larger meeting for the Athletes’ commissions from both NOCs during the international forum, “Russia is a Sportive Power” which is scheduled to take place in the second half of October in Samara.
– Today, we have a great opportunity to discuss potential collaboration and the current landscape of international sports. Despite some overtly discriminatory actions by certain international organizations, we remain optimistic. Eventually, athletes from Russia and Belarus will return to the global stage, proudly representing their nations under their flags.On the eve of the festival Vytoki, the ROC delegation met with Victor Lukashenko, the President of the NOC of Belarus. This morning, Russian and Belarusian Olympians conducted volleyball, freestyle wrestling, and athletics workshops for young athletes in the town of Pastavy.
On the Russian side, the participants included Taras Khei, Valeriia Koblova, and Yuri Chechun, who brought gifts from the Russian athletics community for the children at the local sports school.
