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Russian Bicyclists Take 'Peace Road’ around the World
Written by Dmitry Samko, secretary general, UPF-Moscow
Moscow, Russia—Two Russian long-distance bicyclists crossed paths in Moscow on the "Global Bike Tour for Peace and Goodwill," part of the UPF “Peace Road” initiative.
In late April 2017, Ildus Yanyshev, a well-known businessman located in Kazan, the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, started bicycling west on a round-the-world trip. He plans to cover a distance of 25,000 kilometers (more than 15,534 miles) in support of the UPF "Peace Road" project. On different sections of the road, other cyclists who support the ideal of uniting people and world peace have made plans to join him.
Alexey Kostyuchenko, 58, who has no hands or feet, has started a trip from Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea all the way to Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean. Using a hand-bike, he will cover more than 10,000 kilometers (almost 6,214 miles) in less than two years.
On May 11, 2017, the two bicyclists met under the "Peace Road” banner at Moscow’s Manege Square, in the shadow of the Kremlin. Alexei Kostyuchenko had come from the west and Ildus Yanyshev from the east. Representatives of the Universal Peace Federation and Rotary International came to support the cycling marathon.
It is significant that one year ago a team of adults and children carrying the “Peace Road” banner started running from the same spot on Manege Square. From the heart of Moscow the participants of the “I Choose Sport” ultramarathon traveled to many cities of Russia’s famous Golden Ring.
On May 11 the two bicyclists attended a roundtable organized by UPF in the Moscow Peace Embassy. The head of UPF’s Moscow chapter, Dmitry Samko, welcomed the participants and spoke about the development of the "Peace Road" project. One of the main heroes of the meeting, Ildus Yanyshev, who is also the president of the Association of Bicyclists in Tatarstan, spoke about the use of bicycles for peacemaking, humanitarian, environmental, transportation, charitable, and health purposes.
Participants in the "Peace Road" project recalled their past successful experiences and made plans for the future. Yuri Gavrilin, who two years ago in the framework of the "Peace Road" project drove by car across Russia, focused on the family values that the organizers of this project are supporting in Russia. The roundtable took place on the eve of the International Day of Families, proclaimed by the United Nations on May 15. According to the participants, after such actions the number of cyclists in the world undoubtedly will increase.
At the end of the meeting, Alexey Kostyuchenko was awarded an Ambassador for Peace certificate. The participants of the roundtable wished both heroes a good road and promised, together with their colleagues and like-minded people, to help the round-the-world travelers throughout their long journey.
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