Created for the 35th anniversary of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, this project became a real challenge for me and my team. This documentary goes far beyond celebration. It is a deep and honest look inside Ukrainian sport — its pressure, its sacrifices, and its defining moments.
For more than six months, we worked on this film side by side with the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and Olympic Team Ukraine, gaining rare access to stories that usually remain behind the scenes.
During production, athletes shared powerful, deeply personal experiences — stories of fear, psychological breakdowns, defeats, and moments when everything was on the line. Many of these stories have never been told publicly before.
The film features true Olympic legends of Ukraine:
Oleksandr Usyk — Olympic gold medalist (London 2012), a living legend of world sport.
Olha Kharlan — Olympic champion and one of the most decorated fencers in Olympic history, holding the highest number of Olympic medals among Ukrainian athletes.
Lilia Podkopayeva — Olympic all-around champion (Atlanta 1996), whose victory defined a generation of Ukrainian gymnastics.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh — Olympic medalist in high jump and world record holder, representing the new era of Ukrainian athletics.
Yuriy Cheban — Two-time Olympic champion in canoe sprint, a master of endurance and perfect timing.
Valentyna Tserbe — Ukraine’s first-ever Olympic medalist (Lillehammer 1994), marking the beginning of the country’s independent Olympic history.
And many others.
The photo above shows our film crew: Kyrylo Kurovskyi, Stas Kostenko, Oleksandr Melnykov, Maxym Cheberyaka, Natalia Koroleva.
Working with Olympic Team Ukraine was a true privilege — a collaboration built on trust, openness, and a shared belief in honest documentary storytelling. That trust made this film possible.
This is a film about athletes.
But ultimately, it is a film about Ukraine. Premiere on TV – Suspilne 1 February 2026.
Directed by Alex Melnykov
Creative producer Dasha Golubkova
Production Company – Melnykov Media & Dashing Pictures