It's official: the country of Ukraine will be opening a Hospitality House at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The news was announced by the head of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidnyi, in late June.
This week, the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, Vadym Guttsait, shared:
“We will open an Olympic House in Paris—Volia Space. In this Team Ukraine Hospitality House, every athlete can express themselves freely. ... Often, actions speak louder than words; raising the flag will demonstrate to the world that Ukraine has endured, it has been, and always will be."
What We Know: Location
Volia Space, hosted by Team Ukraine, will be located in Parc de la Villette, surrounded by over a dozen other National Hospitality Houses. This area, in the the "North East" cluster, has been nicknamed the Park of Nations for Paris 2024.
Specifically, Volia House by Ukraine will open its doors at Le Trabendo, a concert and event venue located in the 19th arrondissement. As noted by Paris je t'aime, below:
"Topped by one of the famous red follies of Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi, Le Trabendo is a beautiful Parisian concert hall, complete with a large terrace. Le Trabendo is located in the heart of the Parc de la Villette, which has become the epicentre of music in Ile-de-France"
In relation to other Hospitality Houses at Paris 2024, Volia Space will be located to the south of Czech House at Cabaret Sauvage and to the east of Club France at Grande Halle de la Villette.
What We Know: It's a Cultural and Media Hub
As noted in a Telegram post by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine:
"'Volia Space' will become the main cultural and media hub of Ukraine at the Olympic Games. A place where Ukrainian sports and culture will intersect, and a center of support for our team, whose slogan at this Olympics is 'The Will to Win.'"
The post goes on to share that at Volia House, visitors can expect:
International partnerships across multiple industries
Lectures from universities and professors from around the world
Exhibitions that share more about Ukraine and Ukrainian culture
It has yet to be announced if Ukraine House will be open to the general public.
What We Know: It's Centred around "The Will to Win"
An official statement of the Ministry of Youth and Sports declares:
"Ukraine's participation in this year's Olympic Games is more than just a sporting event. This is a story about the Will to Win, a unique feature of Ukrainians. Our participation in the Olympics is a clear signal to our international partners that we are strong, we believe in victory, and we will win."
The Will to Win campaign video. Courtesy of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
"Volia" or "воля" in Ukrainian can loosely be translated to "will" or "freedom".
What We Know: Other Hospitality Houses are Nearby
Team Ukraine House is situated amongst a cluster of other Hospitality Houses.
Nearby, fans can visit: Casa Brasil, Canada Olympic House, Pavillon Chinese Taipei, Casa Colombia, Czech House, Club France, India House, Casa Mexico, Mongolia House, TeamNL House, Serbian House, Slovak House and Slovenia House.
Slightly further afield but still in the North of Paris, is Station Afrique and Sweden Arena.
What We Know: Nearby Sport Events
The closest Paris 2024 sport events to Volia Space will be:
Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics at La Chapelle Arena
Artistic Swimming, Diving and Water Polo at at Centre Aquatique Olympique
Athletics and Rugby at Stade de France
All of these venues are within 40 minutes of Team Ukraine House on public transit.
Are you hoping to visit Volia Space?
0%Yes! I wouldn't miss it.
0%I haven't decided yet.
We'll continue to update the House Party Blog as more information about Volia Space, or Team Ukraine House, comes available.
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