June 23 — International Olympic Day: history and traditions of the holiday

Every year on June 23, many countries, including Russia, celebrate International Olympic Day, a holiday dedicated to the revival of the legendary Games. In 2025, it falls on a Monday. Izvestia tells about the history and traditions of the celebration, as well as shares interesting facts about the Olympic Games.

International Olympic Day in 2025 — the history of the holiday

The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece in the 8th century BC. These were large-scale competitions, during which a sacred truce was declared, and the winners received valuable awards and universal admiration. However, in the 3rd century AD, the popularity of the games began to decline, and in 426 they were held for the last time.

The French public figure Pierre de Coubertin proposed to revive the Olympic tradition. In 1892, he published an article entitled "A project to restore the Olympics." In it, he called for the restoration of ancient games for the sake of the unity of nations. On his initiative, the International Congress of Physical Culture was held in Paris on June 23, 1894, at which it was decided to hold the modern Olympic Games and create the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

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Two years later, the first games took place, which became one of the largest sporting events of the time. And in 1913, Pierre de Coubertin created and developed the official symbol of the Olympic Games — five colored rings on a white background, each of which symbolizes one of the continents of the Earth. It was first used in 1920 at the VII Olympic Games in Antwerp, and since then the main attribute of the Games has remained unchanged.

In 1948, the IOC decided to celebrate International Olympic Day annually, during which people from different countries could learn more about the Olympic movement and its basic principles: unity of sport and culture, accessibility of sports for all, friendship, solidarity, fair play, etc. June 23, the committee's founding day, was chosen as the date of the celebration.

In 1978, the celebration of International Olympic Day was enshrined in the Olympic Charter, the main document of the Olympic movement.

Traditions of the International Olympic Day on June 23

Only nine countries participated in the first International Olympic Day: Austria, Belgium. Greece, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Great Britain, Uruguay and Venezuela. Today, the holiday is held in more than 200 countries. It was first celebrated in Russia in 1990.

In honor of the holiday, an Olympic race is held in many countries. This tradition originated in 1987, when fans of an active lifestyle from 45 countries ran 10—kilometer mini-marathons to draw attention to mass sports. Since then, running different distances has become an integral part of the International Olympic Day.

The holiday program is not limited only to running. On June 23, various competitions, relay races, meetings with professional athletes, seminars, lectures on a healthy lifestyle, flash mobs and contests are held. Special attention is paid to children and adolescents, because the future of the Olympic movement and sport in general depends on their well-being.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the International Sports Day.