A large-scale recovery of the SumDU Sports Palace, damaged by the Russian attack, is set to begin. This follows a recent visit by Matvii BIDNYI (minister of youth and sports) at the invitation of Oleh HRYHOROV (head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration).

On 12 June 2026, the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports, SumDU, and the Ba.Lu charity foundation signed a trilateral memorandum of cooperation. The partners’ shared goal is to restore this iconic sports facility and open it to visitors as early as September of this year.

According to Matvii BIDNYI, this project marks beginning of a broader effort to jointly restore sports infrastructure in Ukraine. It will involve state and local authorities, universities, charity, and business.

“Sports infrastructure recovery in Ukraine must begin with concrete projects. The SumDU Sports Palace is precisely such an example, from which a systematic effort across the entire country can grow. This is a model where state, university, charity, and community work together to restore the infrastructure that people need right now. And this is an investment not only in sports but also in community life because where sports infrastructure returns, so do activity, young people, students, and life itself,” – noted Matvii BIDNYI.

The memorandum defines roles of the parties in future work:

• The Ministry of Youth and Sports provides informational and organizational support for the project and facilitates allocation of state aid within its jurisdiction;
• SumDU will provide technical and project documentation, identify priority restoration needs, and coordinate work on the university campus;
• The Ba.Lu charity foundation will seek and secure donations, grants, international aid, and other resources to fund the work.

Vasyl KARPUSHA (SumDU rector) thanked the partners for their support and emphasized that sports are an important part of university life.

“I thank the minister and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for this initiative and support. Sports have always been very important to our university. We have about 40 sports and the corresponding infrastructure. SumDU is a sports-oriented university, and this aspect is extremely important for our students. We hope this will mark start of even closer cooperation and pave the way for new important projects,” – noted the rector.

Mykola KRAVCHENKO (Ba.Lu founder) emphasized special significance of this project for Sumy.

“This is my hometown, and I have many ties to this place. It was here that I was awarded the title of Master of Sports, and it was here that I trained for the World and European Championships. We have always supported Sumy and will continue to do so to help the city thrive and bring life back. For us, sports are an integral part of that life. War is temporary, but sports are forever,” – emphasized Mykola KRAVCHENKO.

The first practical step will be start of construction work. The necessary funding has already been secured thanks to the Ba.Lu foundation, and as early as Tuesday, the parties plan to approve a roadmap for the project implementation. The focus is on clear sequence of construction decisions, completion deadlines, and coordination of all stages necessary to complete the recovery work on schedule.

Recovery of the SumDU Sports Palace has significance not only in terms of infrastructure but also in a broader sense. It is about bringing active life back to the city, developing university sports, supporting young people, and creating conditions that motivate communities to thrive.

SumDU sincerely thanks the Sumy Regional State Administration, the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ba.Lu charity foundation, and all partners for their support and joint efforts. Together, we will recover and preserve the sporting future of our region!