While politicians jostle ahead of potential peace talks next year, bombs still drop on civilians, who for more than 1,000 days have lived and died since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Soon after the invasion, we spoke to cyclists in the country who would continue to pedal out each morning as usual but now witness the destruction being done to their neighbourhoods. The carefree, head-clearing nature of a bike ride reduced, yet still providing some semblance of escape.
But more to the point, the utility of bikes has become increasingly important. In uncertain times, with normal life disrupted, the simplicity of a bicycle provides an inversely certain method of transportation.
A couple of weeks ago, an email plopped into my inbox from a PR company working for bicycle brand Tern, which had donated 60 Short Haul cargo bikes to Ukrainian people, in an effort to try to “make daily life a bit easier.”
Painted in a nice, bright orange, these bikes can carry 50 kg on the rear rack and 20 kg in the front. Crucially, they’re not e-bikes, which makes them independent of charging concerns as Russia attacks Ukraine’s power grid.
But what of those who got the bikes? How were they using them, and had they in fact helped as intended? After a bit of back and forth, we managed to get word back from a handful of the people who these bikes have been distributed to, who provide names and faces to the headlines we read about the war, and give us a timely reminder of how important bikes can be.
Youriy – Bread distributor
“I am transporting bread to the hospitals, kindergartens and rehabilitation centres. I work in the city, but I live in a village. Each morning I have to get to work at 6AM. That’s why I need a means of transportation.
“I will soon be 67 years old … my boys were mobilized to fight in the trenches and there is no-one working here, except me. I have been working for two years without a single day off.”
Inna – Veterinarian
“We live in Chernihiv, on the outskirts. Because of the war, the house was destroyed. It disappeared just as we bought it. We did renovations but it was hit four times during the hostilities. All walls were damaged and also the windows. We were left with nothing.
“I work at the veterinary hospital. There are not so many possibilities to get to my work. The bicycle will be the best and most convenient way to get there and to bring my child to school. He is a first grader and we do not have a school in our district, which is why I will ride him to school with the bicycle.”
Tetyana – Farmer
“During February-March 2022 when the war was going on here, I did not leave. I stayed here where I was. I had eight cows so I had to take care of them. I milked them on my own and transported the milk to the families with small kids. That was our help – in the form of milk … We helped with what we had. A shell hit the barn, an extension of our house, where all the tools, equipment and our three bicycles were stored – mine, my kid’s bike, my husband’s. That is why [this bike] is going to be a huge support. I can move around my district, transport milk, and use it for work, or just for relaxation.”
Iryna – Nurse
“I live in Chernihiv, in a district damaged by the Russians. 75% of my house is destroyed. It was very difficult for me to rebuild the house. It still needs renovation. I am very grateful for such support, for the bicycle, which I need to go to work. I work as a medical nurse at the hospital. I will use this means of transportation with pleasure to get to work. I am very thankful for such excellent and timely help.”
Meanwhile, 400 km south in Oleksandriya, the city is sheltering hundreds of people displaced by the war. A humanitarian centre there has begun using 10 of the donated bikes to deliver supplies to refugees.
The war continues but so must daily life, where bikes are helping to make commutes possible, for essential items to be distributed amongst those rebuilding communities, one pedal stroke at a time.
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