The European Olympic Academies (EOA) proudly announce the winners of the EOA Flame Award 2025 in the category Olympic Heritage. This year’s distinction goes to the National Olympic Academy of Ukraine and the Czech Olympic Academy for their outstanding efforts in preserving and promoting the cultural and historical legacy of the Olympic Movement.
Project: Celebrating Olympic Memory – Ukraine’s “Memorabilia in Olympic Culture and Heritage”
Organisation: National Olympic Academy Ukraine
The Olympic Academy of Ukraine received recognition for the remarkable publication Memorabilia in Olympic Culture and Heritage — a monumental 660-page encyclopaedic work authored by Prof. Mariia Bulatova and Dmytro Bielokurov, exploring the artistic, cultural and symbolic dimensions of Olympic memorabilia.
The book presents an unparalleled typology of Olympic awards, medals, diplomas, prizes, and commemorative gifts, revealing their origins, evolution, and aesthetic meanings. It brings to life the creative work of artists, medallists, designers, and florists whose craftsmanship shaped the visual identity of the Olympic Games.
Developed over several years with contributions from IOC archives, Olympic museums, private collections, and academic experts worldwide, the publication bridges art, history, and sport, serving as a cornerstone for research and education in Olympic heritage. Distributed among 48 National Olympic Committees and Academies across Europe, as well as the IOC Olympic Studies Centre and International Olympic Academy, the book has already become a key reference for scholars and educators.
As highlighted by NOC President Vadym Guttsait in the foreword, “the Olympic legacy is a living spirit passed from generation to generation, inspiring achievement and uniting people around the values of peace, friendship, and equality.”
Further Information:
– Learn more about the publication
(Available through the IOC Olympic World Library and the NOC of Ukraine)
Project: Preserving Heritage through Technology – Czechia’s “Olympic Multimedia Library ŠUPČÍK”
Organisation: Czech Olympic Academy
The Czech Olympic Academy, in partnership with the Czech Olympic Committee, was awarded for the innovative digital platform Olympic Multimedia Library – ŠUPČÍK, named in honour of Bedřich Šupčík, Czechoslovakia’s first Olympic champion (Paris 1924).
This pioneering project consolidates thousands of photographs and audiovisual materials from both historical archives and current Olympic events into one accessible platform. The system allows users to search content via metadata, keywords, and event names, uniting two separate databases – the NOC’s modern cloud-based storage and its archival audiovisual collection – into a single, user-friendly tool.
By providing open access to the public and advanced search features for journalists, athletes, and researchers, ŠUPČÍK revolutionises the preservation and dissemination of Olympic heritage in the digital era. It has already inspired similar initiatives, including one by the Czech Paralympic Committee, demonstrating its scalable and collaborative potential.
The platform not only safeguards valuable visual history but also enhances educational outreach and storytelling about Czech and international Olympism.
Further information:
– Explore the platform: supcik.olympic.cz
Honouring the Olympic Past to Inspire the Future
The EOA Flame Awards celebrate excellence in preserving and promoting the Olympic spirit through education and heritage. The 2025 laureates from Ukraine and Czech Republic showcase how both traditional and digital approaches can complement each other in keeping the Olympic story alive – from comprehensive academic works to modern digital archives. Their dedication ensures that the Olympic legacy remains accessible, inspiring, and relevant for future generations across Europe and beyond.
The EOA warmly congratulates the National Olympic Academy of Ukraine and the Czech Olympic Academy on their exceptional achievements and thanks all member organisations for their continued efforts to advance Olympic values across Europe.
The EOA Flame Awards are going to be presented to the winners during the Seventh EOA Congress in Prague on 7th October 2025.
