Ecoplogging: a synergy of art and sport

Despite all the challenges of today, BDPU continues to operate, teach, inspire, and create that special atmosphere which gives resilience to the university community. After all, wherever we are, «The light that lives within us is the light we leave around us» through our actions and deeds. That is why on April 8 this year, the university community combined the global movement of ecoplogging with the bright celebration of Easter, organizing an event in the synergy of art and sport – a harmonious combination of physical activity and creative self-expression.

Sport is the architecture of the human body in motion. Art is the ability to see beauty in harmony with nature. And plogging is a kind of «performance». When a person picks up litter, it becomes an act of aesthetic resistance to chaos. The art here lies in transforming a cluttered landscape into a clean art object. Thus, ecoplogging naturally fits into the long-standing tradition of spring cleaning, which has deep roots in many cultures around the world, including the Christian tradition.

The last week before Easter is called White or Clean Week. The most important day of this week is Thursday, known as Clean, Bright, Great, or Living Thursday. Early in the morning, before sunrise, people used to clean stables, storage rooms, yards, and homes – everything had to be neat and festive. On this day, representatives of all BDPU specialties gathered not at dawn, but on the eve of Clean Thursday to clean the территории of our native land – Ukraine.

The geography of the event is impressive. The locations included cities such as Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Kamianets-Podilskyi. Ecoplogging initiatives also took place abroad – in the United Kingdom (Northampton) and Germany (Mount Oybin).

Teachers and students covered running distances during which they cleaned the surrounding areas along their routes.

We thank all participants of the event! We are proud of your care and activity.

The article was prepared by
Deputy Dean for Research and International Activities
of the Faculty of Physical Culture, Sports and Health
Vitalii Hnatiuk