In Lviv, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Ukraine national football team’s appearance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a commemorative art installation in the form of a newspaper entitled “Our Greatest Moments” will be unveiled. It brings together the key episodes of that historic tournament, where the Ukrainian side reached the final stage of the world championship for the first time.
The decision to install the piece, dedicated to the anniversary of the team’s performance, was approved by the executive committee of Lviv City Council. The structure will be erected next to the Lviv circus and will be on public display until 17 August.
The art object, designed as a large-format newspaper featuring the trident and logo, was created by the brand «Lvivske», the official sponsor of the Ukraine national football team. The newspaper format was chosen as a nod to 2006, when printed sports publications remained one of the main sources of information for fans.
The special newspaper issue that forms the basis of the installation brings together the memories of footballers, sports journalists, commentators and eyewitnesses of the World Cup. More than 16 authors and 7 members of the 2006 Ukraine national team worked on the material. The publication collects personal stories, little-known facts and recollections of one of the most successful periods in the history of Ukrainian football.
The project also has a social dimension: part of the proceeds from newspaper sales will be donated to support the Ukrainian Association of Football’s “Liga duzhykh” (“League of the Strong”), which helps footballers with amputated limbs and impaired limb function. Copies of the newspaper can be purchased via the UAF shop service.
By way of reminder, in 2006 the Ukraine national football team played in the final stage of the World Cup for the first and so far only time. The team reached the quarter-finals and finished among the eight best national sides on the planet, losing out to the future world champions, Italy.