Golden Liliya International Festival

On October 22, 2005 the Golden Liliya International Festival was held in honour of the United Nations’ International Year of Sport and Physical Education, and also celebrated the UN’s 60th anniversary.

That was a show with more than 500 participants from 12 countries including famous stars of sport and the arts. Also, Children from all over Ukraine, especially from vulnerable communities, were brought to Kyiv free of charge to attend the event. It was a show that evokes a positive emotional and aesthetic response, because sport and art are universal languages of communication.

As Mr. Frank M. O’Donnell, UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine stated, “We want to ensure that the contribution of sport towards peace and stability is understood and promoted across the world. Golden Liliya provides a wonderful platform to do just that. Liliya and the festival organizers are making a long-lasting contribution to the UN global ideals. So are the children here, the sports and arts celebrities, and all the participants with us here today and through television. The excellence and teamwork that sport nourishes, is the foundation for democracy, stability, and development. It helps cement the unity of Europe after decades of painful division. We hope it will also help to cement the unity of the world in a common celebration of our humanity.”