Ryazan, Russia—The 2017 Peace Road event held in the western Russian city of Ryazan on August 6 had two parts: a bicycle tour followed by a festive concert.
The Peace Road has been held in Ryazan since 2015, supported by volunteers who believe in eternal values. At the heart of the Peace Road project is the idea of connecting all continents by one road and respecting the cultural heritage of other nations and cultures.
"By this road you can travel all your life long"—such were the words of the Peace Road hymn, performed by the songwriter and musician Ruslan Nechayev with his group Rain Major. So we went on the road. ...
The first to start were cyclists promoting a healthy lifestyle, sports, and a world without bad habits. They expressed heartfelt gratitude to those who helped to preserve peace in our country.
On their way they visited historical places of the city of Ryazan:
- the monument to Fyodor Poletaev, a native of the Ryazan region, participant in the Second World War, national hero of Italy, and Hero of the USSR
- the Victory Monument established in Ryazan on the 30th anniversary of victory in the Second World War
- a memorial park that holds the remains of more than 2,000 soldiers and residents of the besieged Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
- Ryazan State Medical University, one of the leading medical universities in Russia, currently training specialists from more than 50 countries.
As various points along the route, bicyclists received parts of the Peace Road map, from which we eventually compiled a map of the Peace Road across all the continents.
Then we danced together with the dancers of the "Russian Ball" studio headed by Valentina Silvestrova. The dances aroused our original desire for movement, life, beauty and joy.
We played Russian folk games under the direction of Olga Baranova, our keeper of cultural heritage, and enjoyed songs performed by Stas Molchanov and Kristina Nechayeva. Eric Gulyamov from Tajikistan, a student of the Ryazan State Agrotechnological University Named after P.A. Kostychev, amazed the audience with songs of his own composition. Children created crayon drawings on the asphalt on the theme of peace.
Each year, more and more Ryazan residents support the Peace Road project. We understand that the world is diverse and all cultures are strikingly beautiful. The Peace Road is our choice. And now we create this world together in our hearts and our projects.