Okhorona to Conquer Mont Blanc

So far not even all their colleagues know that on February 28 a recreation and sports club, Okhorona, opened under the Internal Affairs Ministry. Incidentally, to join the club you do not have to work in the uniformed services. The majority of the 700 club members representing 30 regions are simply friends. The club is open to one and all. Even journalists were invited. However, there are more than enough potential members in the department with a staff of 60,000. Although the club was founded only recently, its sporting and tourist traditions and plans for the future are staggering. Club members have already conquered Mounts Roman Kosh and Hoverla as well as Europe’s highest peak, Elbrus. Their ascents were dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the Security Service and were the initiative of the department chief, police Lt. Gen. Volodymyr Shapoval. In an interview with The Day, the general stressed that the club is a major step to promoting team spirit and a means of sharing the rich experience with one’s kin. “A number of families work at our headquarters. Initially, I had second thoughts about it. You know how it was under the Soviets: if a father was a colonel and his son a lieutenant, this spelled problems. But we decided to try it, and things worked out fine. Fathers and sons try to work as best they can to emulate each other. It’s the same in sports.”

This year’s sporting events have already been scheduled, among them cycle races, cross-country races, canoeing, and a football tournament in Kharkiv. A group of sportsmen, including a few professional mountaineers, plan to scale Mont Blanc in the Alps. The trip will be partially funded by the department. Incidentally, it is a big structure making profit and paying taxes. For example, last year alone it paid UAH 192 million in taxes. Thus the department can afford to spend some money on perks for its employees and fund sporting events and tourist outings, as well as quality equipment. “We understand that when abroad we represent not so much our department as Ukraine,” Mr. Shapoval stressed. Incidentally, during all outings and expeditions there are photographers and cameramen on the team. Thus, as The Day learned from Volodymyr Onyshchenko, director Security Administration History museum, his bailiwick boasts a wonderful collection of photos and films. Moreover, initially they wanted to name the club Extreme but thought better of it. Because it is in fact an interest club where each can practice his favorite sport and not necessarily an extreme one. Still, the club will not forget about the main thing either. There will be professional paintball competitions and motor rallies, which are essential for security people. A driving school has been opened at the department, where representatives of the uniformed services and private security organizations alike can learn driving skills.