1991: a competition season of our own
By early 1991, Ukrainian Taekwon-Do had a network of coaches, regular seminars and experience of its first republican competitions. Building teams for a full competitive season became the next task. Ukrainian juniors attended the all-Union training camp from 3 to 18 January. On 9 January, ITF Taekwon-Do entered the Soviet sports classification system, allowing competitive results to count towards official sporting qualifications.
Korean instructors continued teaching in Ukrainian cities. Choi San Yang worked in Simferopol, while Chon Mun Chol taught in Zhytomyr in 1991–1992. Alongside them, Ukrainian coaches were increasingly preparing their own students for competitions and gradings.
In Kyiv, Han Chol developed instructor training. Oleksandr Kinakh, who had previously trained in Luis Carvajal’s Kharkiv circle, joined his classes with support from Viktor Paternak. A series of the Korean master’s seminars in Lviv and Drohobych began in 1991 and continued until 1994.
March: the first USSR championship
Ukraine’s team prepared at a camp in Kharkiv under Korean instructor Lee Kwan Hyok, IV Dan, with Oleksii Povelytsia also contributing. More than 200 athletes entered the March championship. The Ukrainian contingent included Valerii Sokol, Stanislav Shcherbakov, Mykhailo Bohun, Volodymyr Tsukanov and Oleksandr Bohun.
The competition tested their technical preparation and their ability to perform in an unfamiliar setting. Tsukanov suffered an injury in the final when the mat surface separated. Mykhailo Bohun became a candidate for the USSR team. The competitors took this experience back to their clubs, helping coaches refine training and giving athletes a clearer understanding of their future opponents.
July: the first Ukrainian Cup in Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv hosted the first Ukrainian ITF Taekwon-Do Cup in July 1991, with Ihor Pai leading its organisation. Sparring and patterns brought together schools that had previously developed mainly within their own cities.
Borys Malashevych won the over-80 kg category, with Oleksandr Kucheriavenko taking silver. Other medallists included Maksym Khrystenko, Viktor Paternak, Volodymyr Tsukanov, Vladyslav Kim and Andrii Mutiev.
The participating teams show how widely Ukrainian Taekwon-Do had spread:
- Kharkiv: Oleksandr Kucheriavenko, Maksym Khrystenko and Volodymyr Tsukanov, coached by Volodymyr Dubtsov.
- Crimea: Vladyslav Kim and Andrii Mutiev.
- Dnipropetrovsk, now Dnipro: Vadym Khafizov, Borys Malashevych, Vladyslav Makarov, Serhii Andriievskyi, Dmytro Andriievskyi, Ihor Kurepin, Dmytro Popov and Olha Kulakova, coached by Mykhailo Mizin.
- Kyiv: Viktor Paternak.
- Luhansk: Andrii Bochkov, coached by Viktor Blekh.
August–December: independent Ukraine’s path
Ukraine’s declaration of independence changed the prospects for clubs, coaches and athletes: they were now building their own country’s representation.
Ukraine’s developing national calendar overlapped with the final all-Union competitions. Dushanbe hosted the third all-Union tournament in November. On 14–15 December, Ukrainians competed at the Peter the Great Cup in Saint Petersburg, which brought together more than 150 athletes for individual and team patterns and sparring, power breaking and special technique.
The next season brought new federation leadership, national selection and a world championship appearance under the Ukrainian flag.