Olympic Team Ukraine: 35 Years of Legacy

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.

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