Stories of the “Amber Prix”.
Rishard Krinickij – Athlete, Scholar, and a Symbol of a Historic Era of Lithuanian Bodybuilding.
The history of Lithuanian bodybuilding includes personalities whose achievements extended far beyond the boundaries of sport. One of the most prominent was Rishard Krinickij (1949–2015). He belonged to the first generation of Lithuanian bodybuilders who trained and competed at a time when bodybuilding was officially banned in the Soviet Union. Athletes involved in the sport were subjected to constant political pressure, while organizers of competitions faced restrictions and persecution. Despite these circumstances, Krinickij’ sporting achievements, academic career, and public service became an important part of the history of Lithuanian bodybuilding.
Originally a weightlifter, Rishard Krinickij was introduced to bodybuilding by the legendary founder of the Vilnius School of Bodybuilding, Ceslav Tamulevic, one of the most distinguished bodybuilding coaches in the Soviet Union. Tamulevic quickly recognized the young athlete’s exceptional physical potential, determination, and discipline. His judgment soon proved correct as Krinickij rapidly rose to the elite ranks of Soviet bodybuilding.
His first major international success came in 1972, when he won his weight category at the prestigious Georg Tenno Memorial in Tallinn. At that time, the tournament ranked among the most important bodybuilding competitions in the Soviet Union, making the victory a significant sporting achievement.
Training and competing under such circumstances was extremely difficult. During the 1960s and 1970s, official Soviet sports policy regarded bodybuilding as an ideologically unacceptable activity. Competitions were banned in many cities, athletes were monitored by the authorities, and organizers were subjected to constant political pressure. Nevertheless, Lithuanian bodybuilding enthusiasts refused to abandon the sport.
In 1975, Krinickij won the overall title at the “Amber Prix” tournament held in Klaipėda. This victory firmly established him as one of the strongest bodybuilders in both Lithuania and the Soviet Union.
The events of 1976 were even more dramatic. In Kalinin (now Tver), a bodybuilding competition banned by the Soviet authorities was organized in secret inside a local sports club without spectators. These underground conditions clearly reflected the reality of the period, when athletes were forced to compete almost clandestinely simply to continue practicing their sport. Krinickij once again emerged as the winner of his weight category.
Later that same year, he won his category for the second time at the Georg Tenno Memorial in Tallinn, once again demonstrating his exceptional competitive level.
The 1976 “Amber Prix” tournament in Telšiai occupies a unique place in the history of Soviet bodybuilding. Through the initiative of Dr. Edmundas Daubaras, the first officially public bodybuilding competition with spectators in the entire Soviet Union was organized at the Telšiai House of Culture. It was not merely a sporting event but also a courageous act of civic resistance that openly challenged official Soviet policy toward bodybuilding. At this historic competition, Rishard Krinickij captured the overall championship, becoming one of the leading symbols of this landmark event.
His achievements, however, extended far beyond competitive sport. In 1982, Krinickij successfully defended his doctoral dissertation and earned the degree of Doctor of Economics. Examples of elite bodybuilders attaining the highest academic qualifications are exceptionally rare in the history of world bodybuilding. His accomplishment effectively disproved the stereotype that elite sport and advanced academic achievement are incompatible.
Following the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, Krinickij continued his service to the nation. As a long-serving member of the leadership of the State Control Committee of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, he played an active role in organizing the international “Amber Prix” tournaments between 1995 and 2008. His administrative experience, professional authority, and organizational abilities contributed significantly to strengthening Lithuania’s reputation as one of Europe's leading international bodybuilding centers.
The international bodybuilding community also recognized his contributions. In 2008, the World WFF–WBBF Federation awarded Rishard Krinickij its Honor Gold Medal in recognition of his outstanding services to the global bodybuilding movement.
Rishardas Krinickij’ life was remarkable because it united three distinct fields: elite sport, academic scholarship, and public service. Few individuals in Lithuanian sporting history have achieved distinction in all three areas, and even fewer have become not only multiple winners of prestigious international bodybuilding competitions but also Doctors of Economics and senior government officials.
Conclusions
Rishard Krinickij is rightly regarded as one of the most distinguished figures of Lithuania’s historic bodybuilding era. His victories at the 1975 and 1976 “Amber Prix” tournaments coincided with the period when Lithuanian bodybuilding became the principal force resisting the official Soviet ban on the sport. Thanks to athletes such as Krinickij, the traditions of Lithuanian bodybuilding were preserved and later became the foundation for the international achievements of independent Lithuania.
His biography demonstrates that genuine sporting authority is built not only upon championship titles but also upon intellectual achievement, public responsibility, commitment to one’s ideals, and dedicated service to both the nation and sport. For this reason, the name of Rishard Krinickij is inseparably linked not only with the history of the “Amber Prix”, but also with the entire development of Lithuanian bodybuilding.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
The History of the “Amber Prix”.
2026. “Ode to Dr. Edmundas Daubaras”.
Sometimes the greatest recognition does not come in the form of an order, a medal, or an honorary title. Sometimes it comes in the form of a poem.
Today, I was pleasantly and sincerely surprised by a very special gesture of recognition. A longtime employee of the Port of Klaipėda and my fellow bodybuilding colleague wrote a lengthy poem about me, which he entitled “Ode to Dr. Edmundas Daubaras.”
This has never happened to me before.
The poem can be found on my Facebook page. For me, this is a particularly meaningful and unexpected form of recognition, because throughout my life I have received various official awards and had the opportunity to meet presidents of different countries, prime ministers, ministers, government officials of various ranks, as well as renowned philanthropists and business leaders.
For my international public and civic activities, I have received numerous orders, medals, awards and honors, as well as honorary titles. Among them are an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Lviv University, a medal from the Pope, the Orthodox Church’s Gold and Silver Medal of St. Nicholas, and the Order of St. Stanislaus of Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last King of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Twenty-five years ago, in recognition of my activities, a bronze bust of me was even cast at the initiative of Natalija Murnikovienė, regarded as the greatest Lithuanian female bodybuilder of all time.
Yet the poem I received today is special for another reason: it is not an award from an institution, a committee, or an official ceremony. It is one person’s words dedicated to another person.
Throughout my life, I have always said what I believe and have tried to place the truth in the palm of my hand, without wrapping it in cotton wool. I understand that such an approach is not appreciated by everyone. But if speaking openly and remaining true to myself means facing criticism, envy or hostility, then that is simply the price of having the courage to speak honestly.
Therefore, I am especially grateful to all those who approach me with goodwill. Your support is not only appreciated – it is a responsibility that inspires me to keep moving forward.
I will not give up. I will continue my work.
And ahead lies a very special anniversary.
In 2027, one of the three oldest traditional bodybuilding competitions in the world – the “Amber Prix” – will celebrate its 60th anniversary.
This is more than just an impressive number. It represents six decades of bodybuilding history, athletes, coaches, organizers, traditions and people who have contributed to the development of the sport.
We will celebrate this exceptional anniversary in Klaipėda over three days.
And there is more. To mark the occasion, we will publish, in three languages, a unique historical book unprecedented in the world, documenting the history of the “Amber Prix”, its significance and its connections with the international world of sport.
It will not simply be a book about a competition.
It will be a book about the people who created history.
And that history is far from over.
The history of the “Amber Prix” continues.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
The Stories of the “Amber Prix”.
VITALIJ ASOVSKIJ – A MAN FOR WHOM SPORT BECAME A PART OF LIFE.
Vitalij Asovskij (Виталий Асовский, 1952-2026) is one of the personalities of Lithuanian bodybuilding history whose activities went far beyond sport alone. His life story brings together bodybuilding, coaching, public activity, and literature.
From a Ban on Sport to Bodybuilding
Vitalij Asovskij was in poor health from childhood. In 1964, following a complicated operation, doctors forbade him from taking part in sports. However, this restriction did not stop the young man.
Cinema became the decisive inspiration. In 1966, after seeing the film “Hercules” starring Steve Reeves, the winner of the 1950 NABBA “Mr. Universe” title, Vitalij became interested in bodybuilding. At first, he trained at home, secretly from his parents.
This episode is important not merely as a biographical detail. It reveals one of Asovskij’s most important personal qualities – his determination to pursue his goal even when circumstances were unfavorable.
“Victoria” and Ceslav Tamulevic
In 1967, Vitalij Asovskij met Ceslav Tamulevic (Чеслав Тамулевич). This meeting became important not only for his own life – the two men remained friends for the rest of their lives.
That same year, Ceslav Tamulevic founded the Vilnius “Victoria” bodybuilding club, which later developed into what became known as the Vilnius School of Bodybuilding. Its influence on the development of bodybuilding in Lithuania and, later, throughout the Soviet Union was considerable.
Athletes from various Lithuanian cities, as well as bodybuilders from foreign countries, travelled to “Victoria”, located on Gorky Street in Vilnius (today Pilies Street), to learn the principles and techniques of bodybuilding.
It was more than a gym. “Victoria” became a place where knowledge was passed on, a sporting culture was developed, and a new generation of bodybuilders was trained.
Vitalij Asovskij worked at “Victoria” as assistant coach, while his connection with the “Amber Prix” tournament was different from that of most athletes – he served as a judge at the competition.
A New Chapter at the “Žalgiris” Stadium
In 1982, when Ceslavas Tamulevic withdrew from active work because of health problems, Vitalij Asovskij continued the club’s activities and moved them to premises at the “Žalgiris” Stadium.
During this period, he was assisted by coaches Viaceslav Federonko (Вячеслав Федоренко) and Anatolij Marcenko (Анатолий Марченко).
At the new location, Asovskij continued what had begun at “Victoria” – he not only coached athletes but also developed and mentored them, passing his accumulated knowledge and experience on to a younger generation.
Among his trainees were bodybuilders such as Oleg Zhur (Олег Жур) and Kshistof Cerniavskij (Кшистоф Чернявский).
Thus, Asovskij’s role in the history of Lithuanian bodybuilding is associated primarily not with his own competitive achievements, but with his work as a coach, educator, and custodian of bodybuilding traditions.
The “Amber Prix” – More Than a Competition
The international bodybuilding tournament “Amber Prix”, held in Klaipėda, was an important part of the sporting life of its time. Athletes from different cities and countries came together there. The competition was not merely a test of strength, muscular development, and physical preparation – it was also a meeting place for the bodybuilding community.
Vitalijus Asovskis’s story allows us to look at the “Amber Prix” from another perspective – not only as a stage on which athletes competed, but also as a space where judges, coaches, sports organizers, and people who shaped the traditions of the sport played an essential role.
That is why Asovskij’s name is important in the history of the “Amber Prix” as the name of one of the people who contributed to the development of the bodybuilding community and the preservation of its traditions.
Sport Was Only One Side of His Life
What makes Vitalij Asovskij’s story particularly interesting is that his activities were not limited to bodybuilding.
He is also a well-known poet and playwright, having worked for many years in the editorial offices of various newspapers, as well as for Lithuanian Radio and Television. From 2000 onward, he worked at the Lithuanian Russian Drama Theatre, where he served as head of the literary department.
Asovskij has also received various literary awards.
This part of his biography reveals a remarkable combination: sport and art, physical culture and literature, coaching and creative work. At first glance, these may seem to be completely different fields, yet in Asovskij’s life they existed side by side and complemented one another.
Recognition
In 2020, for his public activities, Vitalij Asovskij was awarded the Honorary Silver Medal of the World W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. Federation at the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.
This recognition symbolically continued the story of his many years of activity – from a young man who, despite being forbidden by doctors to participate in sports, began training at home, to a coach, custodian of bodybuilding traditions, judge, public figure, and cultural personality.
Conclusions
The story of Vitalij Asovskij is not merely the biography of one man. It is part of the history of bodybuilding in Lithuania.
First of all, his life demonstrates how much sports history depends not only on champions, but also on the people who train, teach, judge, and pass their experience on to others.
Secondly, Asovskij’s work at “Victoria” and later at the “Žalgiris” Stadium demonstrates the importance of continuity. What Ceslavas Tamulevic began, Asovskis took over and continued, passing the bodybuilding tradition on to a new generation of athletes.
Thirdly, his connection with the “Amber Prix” reminds us that the history of this tournament was shaped not only by the athletes who appeared on stage. Behind every competition stood coaches, judges, organizers, and an entire bodybuilding community.
Finally, Asovskij’s biography stands out because sport in his life was never merely about muscles and physical strength. Alongside it were creativity, literature, public activity, and, above all, people.
Therefore, Vitalij Asovskij can be regarded as a guardian of bodybuilding traditions and one of those people whose contribution often remains less visible than the achievements of athletes, yet without whom the history of the sport would have been different.
In the history of the “Amber Prix”, such personalities are especially important – they help us understand not only who won, but also who helped create the culture of bodybuilding itself.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
“Amber Prix” Stories.
VALDAS ALIUBAVIČIUS – ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF LITHUANIAN BODYBUILDING.
Valdas Aliubavičius (Valdemaras Aliubavičius, Valdas Aliubavichus, 1942–2003) was a Lithuanian sculptor and bodybuilder, and one of the representatives of the “Vilnius School of Bodybuilding.” His competitive career lasted only a few years, from 1968 to 1972, yet during this period he achieved significant victories not only in Lithuania but also in international competitions.
Aliubavičius is first and foremost remembered in the history of Lithuanian bodybuilding as a junior champion. He won the Lithuanian Junior Championship in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971. These achievements demonstrate not only his athletic talent but also his sustained dominance in what was then a developing Lithuanian bodybuilding scene.
Victories in Lithuania and on the International Stage
One of Aliubavičius’ first major successes came in 1968 in Klaipėda, at the second international “Amber Prix” (“Gintarinis prizas”) tournament. There he became the overall winner of the junior categories. This achievement was important not only for the athlete himself. The international tournament in Klaipėda was one of the venues where Lithuanian bodybuilders could establish themselves within the broader sporting environment of the Soviet Union and beyond.
The year 1969 was particularly successful for Aliubavičius.
In Tyumen, Russia, at the international “Siberian Cup” (“Первенство Сибири”) tournament, he became the overall winner of the junior division. In the same year, representing the T.S.S.R., he took first place in his height category at the international “Warszawa-69” competition held in Warsaw, Poland.
He also continued to achieve victories in Lithuania. At an international tournament in Palanga, Aliubavičius won his height category, while at the third international “Amber Prix” tournament in Klaipėda he became the champion of his height category in the junior division.
Thus, 1969 marked a year in which Aliubavičius progressed from being a Lithuanian junior champion to an athlete capable of winning competitions at both national and international level.
Champion in Estonia and at the First Official T.S.S.R. Championships
In 1971 and 1972, Aliubavičius successfully competed in Estonia at the “Georg Tenno Memorial”, winning his category on both occasions.
An even more significant stage of his career came in 1971 and 1972 in Sverdlovsk, where the first official T.S.S.R. bodybuilding championships in history were held. Aliubavičius won the junior category at both championships.
These victories are particularly significant because they came at the very beginning of the period when bodybuilding was gaining official recognition within the Soviet Union. Aliubavičius’ name is therefore associated not only with individual championship titles but also with a formative period in which bodybuilding was evolving from an enthusiasts’ movement into an organized competitive sport.
An Athlete at a Turning Point in Bodybuilding History
Valdas Aliubavičius’ competitive career lasted from 1968 to 1972. During this relatively short period, he became a four-time Lithuanian Junior Champion, an international tournament winner, a champion at the “Amber Prix,” a category winner at the “Georg Tenno Memorial,” and the junior champion at the first two official T.S.S.R. bodybuilding championships.
Yet a list of victories alone does not fully reveal Aliubavičius’ significance.
His career coincided with a period when Lithuanian bodybuilding was still developing its traditions, competition structure and leading figures. Athletes such as Aliubavičius therefore played a role that went beyond competition: they helped shape the identity of Lithuanian bodybuilding and raise its sporting standards.
It is also important that Aliubavičius was not only a bodybuilder but also a sculptor. This aspect adds another dimension to his sporting biography. The human form, proportion, structure and aesthetics were central both to sculpture and to the classical concept of bodybuilding. In Aliubavičius’ life, the experiences of the artist and the athlete therefore naturally came together.
Conclusion
Valdas Aliubavičius can be regarded as one of the important historical figures of early Lithuanian bodybuilding. His achievements demonstrate remarkable competitive consistency, while his victories at the first official T.S.S.R. championships give his career a broader historical significance.
The period from 1968 to 1972 was relatively short, but exceptionally productive: from Lithuanian Junior Champion to international tournament winner and champion at the first official T.S.S.R. championships.
Aliubavičius’ story is more than a list of sporting victories. It is part of the history of the formation of Lithuanian bodybuilding, documenting a time when a discipline that is taken for granted today was still fighting for its place in the sporting world.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
The History of the “Amber Prix”.
Albertas Besakirskas – a prize-winner whose journey began during the years of the ban.
During the socialist period, Albertas Besakirskas, a bodybuilder from Kaunas’s “Olimpas” sports club, was one of the most prominent Lithuanian bodybuilders of his generation. Between 1978 and 1985, he competed in 21 events and finished among the prize-winners in all of them. As many as 15 of these competitions were international.
A particularly significant part of Albertas Besakirskas’s career was his participation in the “Amber Prix” tournaments. He competed in this international event six times and finished among the prize-winners on every occasion. This is not merely impressive statistics; it is evidence of his skill and consistency at a time when every international appearance was a significant achievement for Lithuanian bodybuilders.
Victories that became career highlights
Among Albertas Besakirskas’s finest achievements were his victories in his respective qualifying categories in 1981. That year, he won his category at the “Komsomol Cup” Championships in Kaunas, and later that same year he also won his category at the Georg Tenno Memorial in Tallinn.
These victories were important not only because of the places he achieved. They demonstrated that Lithuanian athletes were already capable of competing successfully on the international bodybuilding stage. Besakirskas was among those athletes whose performances helped establish the reputation of Lithuanian bodybuilding.
A story that began when bodybuilding was still banned
Albertas Besakirskas’s story is particularly remarkable because the beginnings of his international sporting path date back to a period when bodybuilding was still officially banned in the USSR.
In 1978, Dr. Edmundas Daubaras, working together with the Czechoslovak bodybuilding federation, was preparing a project for joint international competitions. Albertas Besakirskas, together with several other leading bodybuilders of the time, was included in the planned USSR national team.
Two competitions were envisaged. One was to take place in Klaipėda in 1979, during the “Amber Prix” tournament, while the other was planned in Czechoslovakia, during that country’s national bodybuilding championships.
Considerable preparations had already been made. During several visits by Dr. Edmundas Daubaras to the Czechoslovak Ministry of Sport, approval was obtained for such international events to be organized. The Czechoslovak side even sent personal invitations to members of the USSR national team. This was particularly important at the time, as such official invitations were essential for athletes seeking permission to travel abroad from the USSR.
Everything appeared to be ready for the international exchange.
But the project ultimately collapsed.
According to accounts from the period, Roman Kalinauskas, secretary of the then formally operating USSR bodybuilding federation, undermined Dr. Edmundas Daubaras’s initiative by submitting complaints to various authorities. Personal and institutional disagreements reportedly played a role: the initiative had not originated with Kalinauskas, and he himself had not been included in the planned delegation.
Thus, a carefully prepared project for international cooperation never became a reality.
The “Amber Prix” – more than just a competition
Albertas Besakirskas’s story also reveals the broader significance of the “Amber Prix.” At that time, the tournament was more than simply a sporting competition. It became one of the venues where Lithuanian bodybuilders could meet athletes from abroad, gain international experience and demonstrate their abilities on a broader stage.
Besakirskas’s six prize-winning appearances at the “Amber Prix” are an important part of this history. His results show that Lithuanian bodybuilders were not merely enthusiasts operating on the margins of organized sport. They were ambitious athletes capable of competing successfully at an international level.
Conclusion
Albertas Besakirskas was one of the athletes whose achievements helped shape the history of Lithuanian bodybuilding. Twenty-one competitions and twenty-one finishes among the prize-winners, six prize-winning appearances at the “Amber Prix,” and category victories in 1981 demonstrate an exceptional level of consistency and sporting ability.
Yet another aspect of his story is equally important. Besakirskas’s career developed during a period when bodybuilding in the USSR was subject to bans and severe administrative restrictions. Consequently, every international appearance represented not only a sporting challenge but also an organizational and political one.
Looking back today, Albertas Besakirskas’s story reminds us that Lithuania’s international bodybuilding achievements did not emerge by themselves. They were built by athletes, coaches and organizers who, despite the circumstances of the time, sought ways to enter the international arena. The “Amber Prix” was one of the platforms that made this possible.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
THE HISTORY OF THE “AMBER PRIX”.
BRONÉ DUBAR – A PIONEER IN WOMEN’S SPORTS HISTORY.
The woman who entered sports history before the world was ready to call it fitness.
There are athletes whose names are written into history by medals. There are champions whose names are preserved in record books. But there are also people whose historical significance lies somewhere entirely different.
They appear before the sporting system.
Before the rules. Before the championships. Before the federations. Before established social perceptions.
Broné Dubar (Broné “Brownie” Dubar, Daubaraitė, 1906–1986) was one of these individuals.
An American of Lithuanian origin, she represents an early era when women’s physical education and sport were only beginning to make their way into the public sphere. Today, her activities can be viewed as one of the early manifestations of women’s fitness culture. But what matters most is not what we would call her activities today. What matters is that Broné Dubar was doing, in her time, what later became part of modern women’s fitness culture.
THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF A HISTORICAL FIGURE
A historical figure is not simply a famous person. A historical figure is someone whose activities help us better understand the changes of their era and the subsequent development of history. Broné Dubar’s story meets this criterion.
She lived at the beginning of the 20th century – an era when the place of women in sport was still being shaped. Women’s sports were only beginning to establish themselves in international sporting life. Modern fitness sport did not yet exist. There was no contemporary system of women’s fitness competitions. There were no world championships. There was no international fitness sports structure.
Yet Broné Dubar was already training, creating physical exercise programs, and publicly demonstrating her physical abilities.
This is the core of her historical significance. She was ahead of the system.
LITHUANIA, AMERICA, AND A WOMAN OF A NEW ERA
In 1912, Broné Dubar emigrated from Lithuania to the United States with her parents and four brothers.
This detail is important not only to her biography. It places Broné’s story within the broader context of Lithuanian emigration to America. She belonged to a generation of people whose lives connected two different cultural worlds: Lithuanian heritage and the American environment; tradition and a rapidly modernizing world.
In this environment, Broné chose sport.
She grew up in an athletic family. Her brothers participated in boxing, ice hockey, and baseball competitions. Broné herself took part in swimming and diving. But her interests were broader. She enjoyed books and chess.
Thus, in her personality, physical and intellectual development formed a unified whole.
She represented the portrait of a modern 20th-century woman – a person who wanted to develop not only the body, but also the mind.
SHE DID NOT JUST PRACTICE SPORT – SHE CREATED
This is where Broné Dubar’s true historical distinctiveness begins.
She did not limit herself to the sporting activities common at the time. Through constant training, she achieved a high level of physical fitness and created her own exercise program.
This was an important step.
An athlete who performs already-known exercises is a participant in an existing sporting system. A person who begins creating their own physical training program and presenting it to the public becomes a disseminator of an idea.
Broné chose the second path.
She did not merely practice sport. She created her own form of sport.
Today, we would easily recognize this type of activity as part of fitness culture. But in Broné’s time, this phenomenon still lacked its modern name, structure, and sporting institutions.
Her innovation, therefore, lay not in using an established system, but in acting before that system had been formed.
THE WOMAN WHO TURNED HER BODY INTO HER MESSAGE
Broné Dubar’s sporting activities went beyond training. She began giving public performances.
During the 1920s and 1930s, she traveled across the United States with her programs – from New York to Seattle, from Ohio to California. This was an era when a woman publicly demonstrating physical strength, endurance, flexibility, and acrobatic abilities was an unusual phenomenon. Through her body, Broné communicated something that was not yet universally accepted at the time: A woman can be strong. A woman can be athletic. A woman can publicly demonstrate her physical abilities. A woman can create her own path in sport. This was not merely a sporting performance. It was a social statement.
INNOVATION THAT CAME BEFORE THE NAME
Broné Dubar’s activities contain several elements that later became foundations of modern fitness:
• an individual training program;
• systematic physical development;
• a combination of strength and flexibility;
• the development of endurance and coordination;
• the public demonstration of physical fitness;
• the promotion of health and an active lifestyle;
• the aesthetics of the athletic body.
She did all of this at a time when these elements were not yet united by a single global sporting system.
Therefore, Broné Dubar’s historical significance lies not only in her personal abilities.
She helps us see that fitness culture did not appear overnight. It developed through people who began consciously training their bodies, demonstrating their achievements, and inspiring others long before a formal system existed.
Broné was one of the representatives of this early culture.
STRENGTH, ACROBATICS, AND AESTHETICS
Broné Dubar’s performances were original. During one performance, she carried out her program on a second-floor balcony so that the audience could see her better. The climax was a jump over the heads of the assembled spectators into a swimming pool below. This story is important not only because of the stunt itself. It reveals Broné’s approach to sport.
For her, sport was an action that had to be performed in a way that left an impression.
Her performances brought together: athleticism, acrobatics, courage, and aesthetics. It was an early synthesis of sport and public spectacle.
THE ATHLETE WHO ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF THE PRESS
Broné Dubar’s performances attracted the attention of the American press of the time. Newspapers wrote about her physical abilities, but they also noted her clothing and appearance. In photographs, she was compared to the image of a Vogue magazine cover. Today, this may seem like nothing more than a colorful biographical detail. But from a historical perspective, it is significant. In Broné’s case, society encountered a new image of a woman: an athlete did not necessarily have to abandon femininity; physical strength could coexist with aesthetics. Today, this is a completely ordinary part of fitness culture. At the time, it was one of its innovations.
THE HISTORICAL FIGURE TEST – WHAT REMAINS AFTER A PERSON?
Broné Dubar ended her public performances with the beginning of the Second World War. She never returned to the stage. But this is precisely where we can distinguish short-lived fame from historical legacy. Short-lived fame ends when a person withdraws from public life. Historical legacy begins when an idea remains after the person is gone. In Broné’s case, the sporting tradition continued within her family. And this is one of the strongest elements of her historical story.
FAMILY CONTINUITY – A LIVING LINE OF HISTORY
A close relative of Broné Dubar, Dr. Edmundas Daubaras, became an international fitness sports organizer and leads the global WFF-WBBF federation. His daughter, Edita Daubaraitė (Sendrienė), became the first absolute world fitness champion representing Eastern Europe in 1997. These facts give Broné’s story a special sense of continuity. In one generation there was a pioneer. In the next – an international sports organizer. And in another – a world champion. This is more than a family genealogy. It is a genealogy of a sporting idea. Broné’s generation developed a personal understanding of physical training. Later generations transferred that idea into organized sport. Eventually, it reached the level of a world championship. This is the journey from personal initiative to an international sporting system.
BRONÉ DUBAR – THE PIONEER, EDITA – THE CHAMPION
The comparison between these two generations is particularly revealing. Broné Dubar worked at a time when the modern world of women’s fitness championships did not yet exist. Edita Daubaraitė (Sendrienė) became a world champion within an established international fitness system. One began the journey. The other followed it all the way to the top of the world. This is the true meaning of sporting continuity. The significance of a pioneer is not always measured by their own titles. Sometimes it is measured by how far later generations travel along the path they began.
THE “AMBER PRIX” – NOT A PRIZE, BUT A SYMBOL OF MEMORY
Here, the true symbolism of the “Amber Prix” emerges. Amber in Lithuania is not merely a beautiful stone. It is a symbol of the Baltic region, Lithuania, and historical time. Amber preserves what became trapped within it thousands of years ago. In the same way, the memory of sport should preserve what began decades ago. Broné Dubar’s family left Lithuania in 1912. Her life took shape in America. Yet the family’s sporting tradition survived. Across several generations, it connected Lithuanian heritage, American sporting culture, and international fitness. Therefore, the “Amber Prix” can become a symbol of this memory.
Symbolically, it connects:
Lithuania and the world.
The past and the present.
Pioneers and champions.
Family and the sporting community.
An idea and its continuation.
AMBER AS THE MEMORY OF SPORT
If a medal commemorates a specific victory, amber can commemorate historical memory. A medal says: “Today, you won.” Amber says: “We have not forgotten those who came before you.” This distinction is essential. Because without pioneers, there would be no champions. Without the first training sessions, there would be no sporting systems. Without traditions passed down through families and teachers, there would be no sporting generations. Therefore, the value of the “Amber Prize” may lie not only in the award itself, but also in preserving memory.
BRONÉ DUBAR – HISTORICAL TESTIMONY
Broné Dubar’s story demonstrates that the history of sport does not begin with the first world championship. It begins much earlier. With the person who first asks: “What if I can do more?” With the person who begins training. With the person who is not afraid to be different. With the person who shows their achievements to others. With the person who inspires another person.
Broné Dubar was one of those beginnings. Therefore, her place in history belongs not only in a family album. She is part of a broader story – the story of the development of women’s sports, physical education culture, and the path toward modern fitness.
HISTORICAL CONCLUSION
Broné Dubar deserves to be remembered not because she lived at a time when sport was different. She deserves to be remembered because she herself was one of the signs of change. She lived in an era when women’s sports were still searching for their place. She trained. She created her own programs. She publicly demonstrated her physical abilities. She traveled throughout America. She inspired women to take an interest in physical education. And she left behind a sporting tradition that continued within her family. Her activities did not have the modern name of fitness in her own time, yet many of her principles are inseparable from fitness culture today. Therefore, Broné Dubar can be regarded as an early pioneer of women’s fitness and physical education, a historical figure whose activities were ahead of the sporting understanding of her time.
EPILOGUE
Broné Dubar – the beginning.
Her family – continuity.
Edita Daubaraitė – championship.
The “Amber Prix” – memory.
This four-word chain contains more than one family story. It contains more than the history of a single sport. It contains a story about how a person’s idea can outlive its time, be passed on to another generation, and ultimately become part of international sport. Therefore, Broné Dubar’s name in the history of the “Amber Prix” should not be spoken merely as the name of a sportswoman who lived long ago. It should be spoken as the name of a pioneer. A woman who was there when there was still no path. And she was the first to begin walking it. Because every sports champion has a predecessor. Every sport has its pioneers. Every tradition has its first generation. And history begins with those whom later generations must not forget. Broné Dubar – one of them.
World Bodybuilding History.
VYTAUTAS ZUMERIS – PIONEER AND ARCHITECT OF ORGANIZED BODYBUILDING IN LITHUANIA.
Vytautas Zumeris (born 1944) was a physician, one of the pioneers of bodybuilding in Lithuania, and one of the leading organizers of the sport during its formative years. His importance extends beyond the history of Lithuanian bodybuilding: he also played a significant role in the emergence and organization of bodybuilding throughout the Soviet Union.
While studying at the Kaunas Medical Institute, Zumeris became interested in bodybuilding in 1965. His involvement, however, quickly went beyond personal interest. He became actively engaged in the organizational development of bodybuilding, at a time when the sport had virtually no established institutional structure in Lithuania.
The first leader of organized bodybuilding in Lithuania
In 1967–1969, Vytautas Zumeris headed the Lithuanian Athletic Gymnastics Committee. In 1969–1971, he became chairman of the Lithuanian Athletic Gymnastics Federation. The establishment of an organized bodybuilding structure in Lithuania was a remarkable development: the sport was being institutionalized at a time when it was still viewed with considerable suspicion within the Soviet sports system.
The official establishment of the Lithuanian Athletic Gymnastics Federation was confirmed on March 5, 1969, and Vytautas Zumeris was elected its first president.
This was more than the creation of a sports organization. It was an attempt to establish and legitimize a new form of physical culture, strongly influenced by Western bodybuilding, within a system in which the sport had no secure institutional position.
Lithuania's role extended beyond its borders
Zumeris's activities were not limited to Lithuania. Together with Vilnius-based Valerij Koreshkov, he became one of the key figures involved in the development of organized bodybuilding structures in the Soviet Union.
In 1968, Zumeris was elected to a five-member public Soviet bodybuilding committee. This group played a leading role in coordinating bodybuilding activities in the USSR until the sport was officially suppressed in the 1970s.
Particularly important were the international contacts established with Poland. In 1968–1969, bodybuilding competitions between the USSR and Poland were organized in Kaunas, Sopot, and Warsaw.
These events were highly significant because they represented some of the earliest international contacts between Soviet bodybuilding enthusiasts and athletes from abroad.
Zumeris can therefore be viewed as a bridge-builder – a person who helped Lithuania become one of the channels through which bodybuilding entered the broader sports environment of the Soviet Union.
Bodybuilding between sport and prohibition
The importance of this period must be understood within its political context. Bodybuilding was a young and distinctive form of physical culture, strongly influenced by developments in the West. In the Soviet Union, it did not fit easily into the officially approved model of physical education and sport.
In 1973, bodybuilding was effectively prohibited in the Soviet Union. This brought the first period of organized bodybuilding to an end.
Vytautas Zumeris subsequently withdrew from active bodybuilding activities. Nevertheless, the work carried out during the preceding years did not disappear. Lithuania already had an organizational tradition, international contacts had been established, and a generation of enthusiasts had emerged who would later contribute to the revival of bodybuilding.
Historical significance
Vytautas Zumeris's contribution is important primarily because he was not merely a bodybuilding enthusiast, but an organizer and leader. His organizational work helped transform an individual sporting interest into a structured movement.
His activities also demonstrate that Lithuania was not simply a passive participant in the Soviet sports system during the 1960s. In certain areas, Lithuanian sports enthusiasts themselves created new structures and established international contacts. In the history of bodybuilding, Vytautas Zumeris was one of these pioneering figures.
His greatest historical achievement was not a collection of sporting titles, but the creation of a beginning. He belonged to the small group of people who, in the late 1960s, transformed bodybuilding in Lithuania from an individual interest into an organized sporting activity.
Recognition and legacy
On September 28, 2020, at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, Vytautas Zumeris was presented with the WFF–WBBF International Silver Medal of Honor for his contribution to the history of bodybuilding and his public activities.
Conclusion
Vytautas Zumeris can rightly be regarded as one of the architects of organized bodybuilding in Lithuania. His importance lies not simply in the formal positions he held, but in the fact that, as a young physician and medical student, he helped institutionalize a sport that had no established place within the Soviet sports system.
His and Valerij Koreshkov's activities demonstrated that the Lithuanian bodybuilding movement was capable of establishing international contacts as early as the late 1960s. The subsequent prohibition of bodybuilding only further highlighted the importance of the pioneers of this first period: they laid the foundations upon which the Lithuanian bodybuilding system could later be rebuilt.
Vytautas Zumeris's place in Lithuanian sports history should therefore be understood primarily as that of a pioneer, organizer, and one of the principal initiators of the institutionalization of bodybuilding in Lithuania.
His legacy extends beyond bodybuilding itself. It represents an important chapter in the history of Lithuanian sport – a story of initiative, organizational courage, international cooperation, and the determination to develop a new sporting culture under exceptionally difficult political circumstances.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
“Amber Prix” Stories.
Michael Glass - United States of America.
Michael Glass (Mike Glass) was an American bodybuilder and sports organizer who played an active role in the development of the WFF–WBBF federation in the United States and in the organization of international sporting events.
Michael Glass competed in bodybuilding only once — at the 1971 A.A.U. “Mr. California” competition, where he won the junior category.
Later, his activities were mainly associated with sports administration and organization. From 2004 to 2008, Michael Glass served as President of the U.S. WFF–WBBF federation and was responsible for organizing the participation of American athletes in international WFF–WBBF events.
In 2006, Michael Glass organized a major international WFF–WBBF competition in Mexico, which, according to federation information, attracted approximately 300 athletes.
In 2007, Michael Glass was a member of a U.S. delegation that was officially received at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania (Seimas). During the meeting, the activities of the WFF–WBBF federation were presented, preparations for the 2007 World Championships in Vilnius were discussed, as well as the forthcoming 40th “Amber Prix International” tournament in Klaipėda.
During the reception at the Seimas, Michael Glass was presented with the WFF–WBBF International Diploma of Honour. Following the meeting, he participated, together with heads of delegations from various countries, in a press conference at ELTA, the Lithuanian news agency.
In 2006, Michael Glass led the U.S. delegation to the WFF–WBBF World Championships in Tver, Russia. Following the championship, he and other federation officials were received by the Governor of Tver and participated in an international press conference.
Michael Glass’s connection with Lithuanian sports organizers continued in subsequent years. In 2008, a letter from him published in the WFF–WBBF archives congratulated federation leader Edmundas Daubaras on the 40th anniversary of the “Amber Prix International” tournament. Glass emphasized the tournament’s long history and its importance to athletes and spectators.
Thus, Michael Glass’s story in the context of the “Amber Prix International” is not only the story of a former bodybuilder, but also of an international sports organizer who contributed to strengthening relations between bodybuilding and fitness organizations in the United States and Lithuania.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
The History of the “Amber Prix”.
EDITA DAUBARAITĖ – THE FIRST OVER ALL WORLD FITNESS CHAMPION.
In 2027, Klaipėda will commemorate an important anniversary in the history of the “Amber Prix”, one of the long-standing international sporting tournaments associated with the city and with Lithuania’s sporting heritage.
This history is inseparable from the name of Edita Daubaraitė (now Sendrienė). Thirty years ago, in 1997, in Mannheim, Germany, she became the over all World Fitness Champion at the W.F.F. World Fitness Championships.
This was more than a personal sporting victory. At the time, it represented a remarkable achievement for Lithuanian sport: a representative of Lithuania—and, more broadly, of the former socialist world—had reached the very top of the emerging international fitness movement.
From ballet and gymnastics to the fitness stage
Edita’s path to fitness was unusual. From an early age, she was involved in ballet and artistic gymnastics, disciplines in which movement, flexibility, coordination, musicality and stage presence are essential.
A turning point came in 1995. While attending N.A.B.B.A. competitions in Malta, Edita saw athletes whose performances combined physical strength with aesthetics, choreography and gymnastics.
One athlete in particular made a strong impression on her: Daniela Harič of Croatia. Her performance stood out for its lightness, sophisticated gymnastics elements and stage presence.
Edita remembers thinking:
“I want to do that, too...”
That thought marked the beginning of a new chapter in her sporting life.
After returning to Lithuania, she began serious fitness training. Her first successes came at national competitions, followed by victories at the Lithuanian National Championships and increasingly important international appearances.
The “Amber Prix” – an important part of her career
International “Amber Prix” tournaments held in Klaipėda also became an important part of Edita Daubaraitė’s sporting career.
In 1996, she won first place in the fitness category, and in 1997, she finished second.
This was a period when fitness was still defining itself as a distinct sporting discipline. There was growing emphasis on separating fitness from traditional bodybuilding and highlighting a combination of physical conditioning, flexibility, gymnastics, choreography and stage presentation.
Edita’s athletic background made her particularly well suited to this emerging concept of fitness.
A new federation and a new sporting concept
In 1995, Dr. Edmundas Daubaras, German Klaus P. J. Hoffmann, Greek Anargiros Tsopouridis and Austrian Peter Papula met at the Sheraton Hotel in Stuttgart, Germany. The foundations of the World Fitness Federation (W.F.F.) were established there.
The federation sought to develop a different concept of the sport—a form of fitness in which physical development was combined with movement, gymnastics, flexibility, aesthetics and stage performance. A new chapter in the history of fitness had begun.
Edita Daubaraitė would soon become one of Lithuania’s most prominent representatives of this new sporting movement.
1997 – the historic triumph in Mannheim
The decisive moment came in 1997 in Mannheim, Germany.
At the W.F.F. World Fitness Championships, Edita Daubaraitė won the title of over all World Fitness Champion. W.F.F. archival material lists her as the first athlete among the absolute women’s world champions. W.F.F. archival material
Her achievement was presented as a historic event in Lithuanian fitness. Reports of her victory also reached a wider international audience, including television coverage on Eurosport. W.F.F. archival material states that her performance was broadcast several times. W.F.F. archival material
Edita’s victory was significant in an even broader historical context. W.F.F. historical sources describe her as the first over all World Fitness Champion representing the former socialist world. W.F.F. archival material
But the most important point is not simply the title.
A Lithuanian athlete demonstrated that success on the international stage could be achieved not only through physical strength, but also through movement, gymnastics, elegance and stage mastery.
A victory that might have received state recognition
Edita Daubaraitė’s achievement did not go unnoticed in Lithuania.
At the time, Rimas Girskis, a deputy ministerial-level official within the Lithuanian national sports administration, sought to have her achievement recognized with a state award.
The initiative, however, was not ultimately successful. W.F.F. archival material also refers to the consideration of state recognition for Edita, but confirms that the award was not granted. W.F.F. archival material
Three decades later, this part of the story can be viewed more calmly.
What remains most important in sporting history is not the controversy or disagreements of the time, but the achievement itself:
a Lithuanian athlete had reached the international summit of a rapidly developing new sport.
From champion to coach
After completing her physical education studies at Klaipėda University, Edita Daubaraitė-Sendrienė chose a career as a coach.
This was a natural continuation of her sporting journey.
Her competition experience, understanding of stage performance, gymnastics background and international knowledge became valuable tools in preparing a new generation of athletes. A number of her students later achieved major victories, including titles and medals at World and European Championships.
Her contribution to sport therefore did not end with her 1997 victory.
The champion became a coach, and the coach became a mentor to a new generation of champions.
The “Amber Prix” and Edita’s story
Edita Daubaraitė’s story has particular meaning as the anniversary of the “Amber Prix” approaches.
The “Amber Prix” is more than the name of a competition or an award. It represents decades of sporting history, bringing together athletes, coaches, organizers, judges and spectators across generations.
Edita’s story stands out because it reflects one of the important turning points in the development of the sport—the transition from traditional bodybuilding concepts toward a more modern understanding of fitness.
Her journey began with ballet and artistic gymnastics, continued on the “Amber Prix” stage, and ultimately led to the title of over all World Fitness Champion.
Later, that same journey continued through coaching.
Conclusion: history must not only be remembered – it must be preserved
Thirty years after Edita Daubaraitė’s historic triumph, her achievement should be viewed not merely as an episode in the career of one athlete.
It is part of the history of Lithuanian fitness.
It is the story of a woman from Klaipėda who moved from ballet and artistic gymnastics into a new sporting discipline, accepted an international challenge and, in 1997, reached the highest level of world fitness competition.
It is also the story of a period when fitness itself was still developing and establishing its identity as a distinct sport.
And finally, it is a story of continuity: the athlete became a coach, and her experience was passed on to a new generation.
As the anniversary of the “Amber Prix” approaches, it is worth remembering not only competition results and lists of winners. Behind every name is a person, a choice, years of work, courage and an era.
Edita Daubaraitė’s story is one of those stories.
1997 remains a landmark year in Lithuanian fitness history—the year when Klaipėda-born Edita Daubaraitė reached the summit of the sport and became over all World Fitness Champion.
And the 2027 anniversary of the “Amber Prix” provides an opportunity to bring this story back into the light—not merely as a legend, but as a valuable part of Lithuania’s sporting heritage.
World Bodybuilding History.
GEORG TENNO – The Man Who Opened the Door to Athletic Training in the Soviet Union.
During the 1950s and 1960s, one of the most important promoters of athletic training and bodybuilding in the Soviet Union was the Estonian-born Georg Tenno (Georg Tenno, Георгий Павлович Тэнно, 1911–1967). His life story is about much more than sport. It is the story of a man who survived the Soviet system of political repression, attempted to escape from the Gulag five times, and later used his knowledge and experience to help shape the development of athletic training and bodybuilding in the Soviet Union.
Georg Tenno was a naval officer, a World War II veteran, an athlete, coach and translator. In 1948, he was arrested, accused of espionage and sentenced to a long term in the Gulag. He was released and rehabilitated in 1956.
Eight Years in the Gulag
Georg Tenno spent eight years in the Soviet camp system. He repeatedly refused to accept the life imposed upon him as a prisoner and took part in five escape attempts. Although none of them succeeded, his determination and courage later made him one of the most memorable figures in Alexander Solzhenitsyn's writings.
Tenno and Alexander Solzhenitsyn knew each other from their years in the camp system. Solzhenitsyn devoted a chapter entitled “The Committed Escaper” (“Убеждённый беглец”) to Tenno in The Gulag Archipelago. He also included Tenno's account of one of his escape attempts elsewhere in the book.
Solzhenitsyn later remembered Tenno as a hero, fighter and athlete – one of the strongest, bravest and most daring people he had known. He regarded Tenno as one of the principal figures associated with The Gulag Archipelago.
Their relationship became important not only because of their shared experience of imprisonment. After his release, Tenno helped Solzhenitsyn locate former political prisoners whose experiences could contribute to the emerging Gulag Archipelago. He also played a crucial role in protecting the manuscript of the work. In 1965, Tenno secretly transported the manuscript to Estonia, where it could be kept out of the reach of the Soviet security services.
In 1970, Alexander Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Returning to Life – and to Sport
After his release in 1956, Georg Tenno returned to the world of sport. He began working at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture (ВНИИФК), where his work involved foreign literature and translations.
This access to foreign publications was particularly important. At a time when Western training methods and bodybuilding literature were largely inaccessible to ordinary Soviet citizens, Tenno was able to study foreign methodological material and make use of it in his own work.
He was helped in obtaining employment at the institute by Roman Moroz, a former coach of the Soviet national weightlifting team.
It was during this period that Tenno began systematically promoting athletic training and bodybuilding. His approach was remarkably modern for its time. Physical exercise was not merely a means of increasing muscle size. It was intended to improve health, develop strength and endurance, build a harmonious physique and increase a person's overall physical capabilities.
Tenno became one of the people who introduced Soviet readers to training principles that had already been developed and tested in Western countries. His articles appeared in Sportivnaya zhizn Rossii (“Sports Life of Russia”) and other sports publications. From 1964, he was a member of the Athletic Gymnastics Commission of the All-Union Weightlifting Federation.
Athletism – The Book That Became a Landmark
In 1968, one year after Georg Tenno's death, his book Athletism (Атлетизм), written together with Yuri Sorokin, was published.
The book presented training methods and exercises for developing different muscle groups, as well as information on sports nutrition and recovery after physical exertion. At the time, this was exceptional material for Soviet readers. The book quickly became popular among people who wanted to train independently with weights and develop their physical strength and appearance.
Tenno understood very well the ideological environment in which he was working. In the Soviet Union, bodybuilding was not regarded simply as a legitimate form of sport and self-development. It could easily be criticized as excessive individualism or vanity.
For this reason, Tenno presented athletic training primarily as a means of improving health, strength, physical fitness and working capacity. The aesthetic side of bodybuilding was deliberately kept in the background.
This was both a practical and politically cautious approach. In the Soviet context, the promotion of bodybuilding had to be justified not simply by appearance, but by physical preparedness and usefulness to society.
“Every Athlete Is His Own Adviser and Coach”
The essence of Tenno's training philosophy was conscious and independent exercise. He believed that a person who trained regularly and paid attention to the body's response to physical stress could learn to determine the methods and workloads best suited to him.
This approach was later discussed by Vladimir Chudinov, who argued in Sportivnaya zhizn Rossii that the Soviet physical-education system should make greater use of Tenno's athletic-training methodology.
Chudinov emphasized that Tenno translated foreign literature and drew upon already developed training methods. He also noted that Tenno did not make a strict distinction between the concepts of bodybuilding and athletic training. What mattered was not the label, but the physical result.
This philosophy – that the athlete should learn to understand his own body and take responsibility for his training – was particularly progressive in an era when organized sport in the Soviet Union was dominated by highly structured systems.
Georg Tenno's Legacy
Georg Tenno died in Moscow on October 22, 1967, at the age of 56. He was buried in Estonia, at Pärnamäe Cemetery in Tallinn.
His legacy extended far beyond the book Athletism. Tenno became one of the key figures in the development of early Soviet athletic training and bodybuilding. His writings and methods influenced numerous followers who later continued to develop and popularize bodybuilding throughout the Soviet Union.
His life brought together several seemingly different worlds: sport, political repression, the Gulag, journalism, translation and his close association with one of the most important writers of the twentieth century.
The fact that a man who had attempted to escape the Gulag system five times later became one of the leading pioneers of athletic training and bodybuilding in the Soviet Union makes Georg Tenno's story extraordinary.
The Georg Tenno Memorial
Georg Tenno's memory was also preserved through international bodybuilding competitions in Estonia. Inaro Mardo's efforts led to the organization of the first Georg Tenno Memorial in 1971. Fourteen memorial competitions were held between 1971 and 1989.
Together with the international Amber Prix International tournament, the Georg Tenno Memorial was for many years among the few regular bodybuilding competitions held in the Soviet Union and throughout the socialist world.
In 2024, organizers in Pärnu, Estonia, revived the tradition of the Georg Tenno Memorial. The event was presented as the 15th Georg Tenno Memorial, continuing the competition's historical legacy after the long interruption.
The return of the memorial was more than a sporting event. It was a reminder of a remarkable Estonian figure whose influence reached far beyond the borders of his homeland.
Georg Tenno's name remains an important part of the history of athletic training and bodybuilding in Estonia, the former Soviet Union and the wider socialist world.
His life demonstrates that sport can sometimes be much more than the development of physical strength. It can become an expression of personal freedom, determination and resistance – a way for a human being to preserve his dignity even under the most difficult circumstances.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
Mayor of Lviv, Press Conference, Television Report
The Highest International Recognition of a Lifetime of Achievement
In June 2013, the President of the World Fitness Federation – World Body Building Federation (W.F.F. – W.B.B.F.), Edmundas Daubaras, paid an official visit to Lviv, the historical and cultural capital of Western Ukraine, renowned for its rich academic traditions, architectural heritage, and vibrant public life.
The visit became one of the most significant international recognitions of Edmundas Daubaras' professional career. More than three decades of dedication to building and developing the global W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. movement were acknowledged not only by the international sports community but also by academic institutions and the municipal authorities of one of Ukraine's most distinguished cities.
Upon his arrival in Lviv, the President of the W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. was officially welcomed by a city delegation and accommodated as an honorary guest at the prestigious Leopol Hotel.
The central event of the visit was the solemn ceremony held at Lviv Stavropigion University, one of Ukraine's oldest institutions of higher education, whose origins date back to 1788. In recognition of Edmundas Daubaras' outstanding contribution to international sports development, public service, and international cooperation, the University's Academic Council conferred upon him the honorary academic degree of Doctor Honoris Causa (Doctor of Sciences, D.Sc.).
This distinction represents one of the highest academic honours awarded to individuals whose achievements have made an exceptional and lasting contribution to society, science, culture, sport, and international cooperation.
The ceremony was attended by distinguished scholars and university leaders from Ukraine and abroad. Among them were Professor Dr. Yaroslav Kmit (Ярослав Кміт), Rector of Lviv Stavropigion University and Vice President of the International UNESCO Programs Implementation Center; Professor Viktor Idzio (Віктор Ідзьо), Rector of Moscow University, Academician of the International Eurasian Academy and the Academy of Sciences of Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine, together with numerous other prominent representatives of the academic community.
The honour carried a significance far beyond personal recognition. It represented international acknowledgment of the achievements of the entire W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. movement. Over many years, the organization had united dozens of countries, organized international championships on several continents, and established lasting partnerships with universities, public organizations, and governmental institutions around the world. Its activities had evolved beyond the traditional boundaries of sport, becoming an important platform for international cooperation and cultural exchange.
Official Reception at Lviv City Hall
Following the honorary degree ceremony, Edmundas Daubaras was officially received by Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi. The meeting was attended by representatives of Lviv Stavropigion University, leaders of Ukrainian bodybuilding organizations, municipal officials, and members of the press.
During the meeting, the activities of the World W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. Federation were presented, while discussions focused on opportunities for international sports cooperation, youth engagement, physical fitness, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles in Lviv and throughout Ukraine. The city's leadership expressed its appreciation for the Federation's achievements and its contribution to strengthening international sporting relations.
Following the official reception, a press conference was organized for Ukrainian journalists, during which the history of the Federation, its international championships, and its activities across numerous countries were presented.
The visit continued with a live television interview at Lviv Television, where Edmundas Daubaras spoke about the Federation's mission, principles, and worldwide development. The television report became one of the highlights of the official visit, introducing the international activities of the W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. to a broad Ukrainian audience.
In honour of the distinguished guest, the day's official programme concluded with a ceremonial banquet attended by university officials, representatives of the city administration, leaders of sports organizations, members of the academic community, and invited guests.
Significance for the International Federation
The 2013 visit to Lviv became one of the most remarkable examples of international recognition in the history of the W.F.F. – W.B.B.F. Federation. The conferral of the honorary doctorate, the official reception at City Hall, the press conference, and the extensive television coverage demonstrated that the Federation was regarded not merely as a sports organization but as an international public movement promoting cooperation among nations, universities, and civic institutions.
These events symbolized the culmination of more than thirty years of dedicated work. They confirmed that the consistent development of a worldwide organization and its long-standing international partnerships had earned recognition at the highest academic and public levels. The Lviv visit therefore became not only a significant milestone in the biography of Edmundas Daubaras but also an important chapter in the international history of the World Fitness Federation – World Body Building Federation.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
Slovakia as an International Center of W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. Bodybuilding and Fitness:
The Role of Patron Stefan Hrčka (2009–2013).
Introduction
At the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century and the beginning of the second, the Slovak Republic emerged as one of the most important centers of the international fitness and bodybuilding movement in Europe. This development was closely linked to the activities of the World Fitness Federation (W.F.F.) and the World Body Building Federation (W.B.B.F.), as well as to the exceptional support provided by Slovak patron and public figure Stefan Hrčka. Through his initiative and organizational capabilities, Slovakia became the host of a series of high-level international sporting events that attracted the attention not only of the sports community but also of the country’s highest political institutions.
The 2009 “Universe” Contest in Brusno Kupele
A significant milestone was the international “Universe” contest held on November 6–8, 2009, in the Brusno Kupele resort located in the Tatra region of Slovakia. Athletes from thirteen countries participated in the event: Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Austria, France, Hungary, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.
The international status of the contest was underscored by the presence of high-ranking Slovak state officials. Among them was Dušan Galis, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Government Committee for Youth and Sports, who presented a Letter of Appreciation from the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico, to the President of the World W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. Federation, Dr. Edmundas Daubaras. This gesture reflected the official recognition of the Federation’s activities and its contribution to the organization of international sporting events.
International Recognition and the “International Honour Gold Medal”
During the 2009 event, former Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Vladimír Mečiar was awarded the International Honour Gold Medal. The award recognized his personal contribution to the development of sport and the promotion of health and fitness both nationally and internationally.
At that time, the medal represented one of the highest distinctions conferred by the World W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. Federation. Prior to Mečiar, it had been awarded only to former President of the Austrian Parliament Professor Alfred Gerstl. This practice reflected the Federation’s commitment to strengthening cooperation between sport and public institutions while recognizing individuals who contributed significantly to the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
Cooperation with Slovak State Institutions
Following the 2009 “Universe” contest, Dr. Edmundas Daubaras received an official invitation to the Government Office of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava. During the meeting with Prime Minister Robert Fico and Chancellor František Hatar, discussions focused on the future development of international sport and the prospects for organizing further W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. events in Slovakia.
During the visit, Robert Fico was presented with the International Honour Gold Medal as a symbol of the Federation’s appreciation for his support of sport and health-promotion initiatives.
This cooperation continued in 2012. While preparing for the World Championship in Brusno Kupele, Dr. Edmundas Daubaras held a second official meeting with Prime Minister Robert Fico. The meeting was attended by Stefan Hrčka and Lubomir Martinka, the official W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. representative in Slovakia. During the discussions, Prime Minister Fico agreed to serve as Patron of the World Championship, once again demonstrating the Slovak Government’s support for the event.
Slovakia as a Center of International Bodybuilding Events
Between 2009 and 2013, the Brusno Kupele resort became the permanent venue for the most important W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. events, including World Amateur and Professional Championships and international “Universe” contests. The organizational foundation of these events was built upon the close cooperation between the World W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. Federation and Stefan Hrčka.
Particularly significant were the events held in 2013, which were attended by the Speaker of the Slovak Parliament, Ján Figeľ. During his visit, he not only participated in the official ceremonies but also presented Dr. Edmundas Daubaras with the Slovak Parliament’s Certificate of Honour and a special Parliamentary Medal in recognition of his long-standing contribution to the development of international fitness and bodybuilding.
Subsequently, at the invitation of the Speaker, Dr. Daubaras paid an official visit to the Parliament of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava. The meetings focused on issues related to sports policy, public health promotion, and international cooperation.
International Recognition and Continuity
The support of Slovak state institutions for the Federation’s activities continued beyond 2013. During the 2016 W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. World Championship held in Lithuania, Slovak delegation leader Lubomir Martinka presented Dr. Edmundas Daubaras with a Certificate of Honour from the Parliament of the Slovak Republic. The document was signed by Deputy Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Andrej Hrnčiar.
This award symbolized the long-term cooperation between Slovakia and the World W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. Federation and served as recognition of outstanding contributions to the development of the international fitness and bodybuilding movement.
Development of International Relations
The expansion of international relations also played an important role in the Federation’s activities. In 2011, an official visit to the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Bratislava was organized. The meeting with the Cuban Ambassador was attended by Dr. Edmundas Daubaras and Stefan Hrčka. Discussions focused on opportunities for Cuban athletes to participate in W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. events and on future prospects for sports cooperation.
Conclusions
The period from 2009 to 2013 occupies a special place in the history of the W.F.F.–W.B.B.F. Federation. During these years, Slovakia became one of the most significant international centers of fitness and bodybuilding in Europe. This status was achieved not only through the regular organization of world-class sporting events but also through the active involvement of Slovak state institutions.
An analysis of this period demonstrates that a decisive role was played by patron Stefan Hrčka, whose initiatives, organizational efforts, and financial support created the conditions necessary for the successful implementation of long-term international projects. His contribution stands as a notable example of how private patronage and civic initiative can enable a relatively small European nation to become a focal point of a global sporting movement.
More information is on international site www.wff.lt
