Ukrainian athletes in Paris in 1955

The article analyzes the participation of Ukrainian athletes in competitions in Paris (France). It has been established that athletes from Ukraine (then USSR) took part in competitions in swimming, athletics and gymnastics. In particular, there was Volodymyr Kuts among the track and field athletes, Borys Shakhlin and Larisa Latynina among the gymnasts, and swimmers - Arkady Golovchenko. These athletes were the best not only at the national level, but also on the world stage. Performances of Ukrainian athletes at the Olympic Games in 1952 in Helsinki (Finland), and then in 1956 in Melbourne (Australia) stunned the whole world. Ukrainians in Ukraine and Ukrainians in the diaspora rejoiced at their success. The research established that during performances of Ukrainian athletes in Paris, representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora met with them. It was found that the Ukrainian athletes were visited and welcomed by well-known athletes and sports figures in the past. Among them, we can single out the famous Ukrainian football player Pavlo Komarov (participant in matches in occupied Kyiv in 1942), as well as the well-known figure of the Olympic movement Osip Zinkevich (the founder of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee in exile). The political feature of the relationship between Ukrainian athletes and figures from the diaspora is analyzed. The political and national "iron curtain" was confirmed, which was also reflected in sports. In the USSR, sport was used as a political tool for the spread of communist ideology. Athletes thus became hostages and could not even move freely and communicate abroad. Without the consent and knowledge of the Soviet agents attached to each athlete, they had no right to communicate with foreigners, especially with the Ukrainian diaspora.