13 May is a special date in the history of Dynamo Kyiv. On this day, the memory of the legendary coach Valery Lobanovsky, who passed away on 13 May 2002 at the age of 63, is honoured.
At first, Lobanovskyi glorified the white and blue colours of the Kyiv club on the football field as a bright and gifted player, and later, in his coaching role, he set the vector for the team's development for many years to come. The most significant triumphs in the history of Dynamo Kyiv are inextricably linked to the name of Valeriy Vasylovych, who, over the years and decades, has won outstanding victories and trophies with Dynamo.
Every year, on 13 May, Kyiv honours the memory of the outstanding Dynamo player, and 2024 is no exception. In the morning, the closest people come to Meter's grave at Baikove Cemetery. These are his family, including his daughter Svitlana, his students, those who played under his guidance - legendary footballers Volodymyr Muntyan, Leonid Buryak, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi, who is now continuing the legacy of Meter, trying to lead Dynamo to new heights and triumphs. The club employees also honoured the memory of the outstanding Dynamo player at Baikove Cemetery.
The traditional meeting in memory of Valeriy Vasilyevich was also held in the city centre, near the colonnade of the Dynamo Stadium, which bears his name and where a monument in his honour is erected. The colonnade gathered both the Meter's relatives and those who did not know him personally - fans, journalists, and students of the Dynamo Children's and Youth Sports School, which also bears the name of Valery Vasilyevich.
Famous journalist Oleksandr Lypenko told the young footballers and all those present important facts from the biography of the legendary coach. For his contemporaries and future generations, Valery Lobanovsky will remain a symbol of love, dedication and commitment to a great cause - football, a cause to which he gave his all until the last days of his life.
The guests of the memorable day honoured the legendary coach by laying flowers at the memorial and bowing their heads as a sign of deep respect for the man whose name is forever inscribed in golden letters in the history of Dynamo Kyiv.