Today, 19 March, is a wonderful date for all of us — THE CLUB’S BIRTHDAY!
Exactly 19 years ago, a small team of like-minded athletes was officially registered as Knyaz Club. From that moment began the great story of bringing medieval historical combat into the modern life of every one of us. Club members study the history of the period, recreate authentic weapons, armour, clothing and everyday items. At first the main focus was the daily life and warfare of Rus’ in the 13th–14th centuries. Soon, though, we shifted to 14th–15th-century Europe, since armour of that period is more practical for use in historical medieval battle.
Over these years our work has grown so many-sided that we sometimes surprise ourselves. We have plenty to be proud of! From the variety of training methods to wins at international tournaments such as «Buhurt Prime», «Stara Fortetsia», «Zalizny Hrad» and «Battle of the Nations» on the Ukrainian national team. Constant participation in countless tournaments in Ukraine and abroad. All this broadens horizons and lets us be leaders in qualifying rounds for the Ukrainian national HMB team.
Authentic festivals are also part of our work — interesting «living history» trips like the «Battle of Grunwald». We’ve gained a huge perk — the chance to travel the world and visit historical places. Over this period we have been to some of the most remarkable spots on the planet: Germany, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Italy, Monaco, Czechia, Belarus, Estonia, the USA. And that’s not counting countless places of interest across Ukraine.
We always strive to grow through love for the common cause. Our club expands every year thanks to our own students. We have opened a branch in Sumy, which is going from strength to strength and bringing many wins. And since 2014 the «Knyaz Junior» youth section has been running actively. At international Modern Sword Fighting tournaments our juniors take almost every podium place — both in singles and team fights. Based on the results of countless tournaments and competitions, the club’s junior group has been named «Best Children’s Section in Ukraine».
Development, and the urge to conquer new peaks in the art of medieval combat, remains the priority for us. Because it is not just a sport — it is a philosophy and a life position, a harmonious blend of sport, craftsmanship and active leisure. Our doors are always open for new people and we do not want to stop where we are. Ahead lie many interesting and unexplored things, and just as many years of shared work, effort and inspiration!