2004 Ukrainian presidential election, declared his intention to make Russian an official second language of Ukraine. However, the Western-supported candidate Viktor Yushchenko, who eventually won, successfully opposed the idea. After his early 2010 election, President Yanukovych stated (on 9 March 2010), "Ukraine will continue to promote the Ukrainian language as its only state language." Sports events At the time of the Soviet Union's dissolution in December 1991, its sports teams had been invited to or qualified for various 1992 sports events. A joint CIS team took its place in some of these. The "Unified Team" competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics and 1992 Summer Olympics, and a CIS association football team competed in UEFA Euro 1992. A CIS bandy team played some friendlies in January 1992 and made its last appearance at the 1992 Russian Government Cup, where it also played against the new Russia national bandy team. The Soviet Union bandy championship for 1991–1992 was rebranded as a CIS championship. Since then, the CIS members have each competed separately in international sports. In 2017, a festival for national sports and games, known as the Festival of National Sports and Games of the Commonwealth of Independent States () was held in Ulyanovsk. The main sports were sambo, tug of war, mas-wrestling, gorodki, belt wrestling, lapta, bandy (rink), kettlebell lifting, chess and archery. A few demonstration sports were also a part of the programme. Cultural events The CIS has also been a relevant forum to support cultural relations between former Soviet republics. In 2006, the Council of the Heads of Governments of the CIS launched the Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Cooperation (IFESCCO). IFESSCO has substantially relied on Russia's financial support since its creation and supported several multilateral cultural events, including the ‘CIS Capital of Culture’ initiative. In 2017, the Armenian city of Goris was declared the CIS Cultural Capital of the year. Life expectancy Life expectancy at birth in the countries of CIS in 2020, according to the World Bank Group. See also Collective Security Treaty Organization Eurasianism Russian world Comecon Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations Eastern Bloc Eurasian Economic Union Lublin Triangle Post-Soviet states Unified Team Notes References Journals External links CIS Executive Committee Interstate Statistical Committee of the CIS Post-Soviet states Confederations Dissolution of the Soviet Union Post-Soviet alliances United Nations General Assembly observers Organizations established in 1991 1991 establishments in Asia 1991 establishments