On a warm September day, members of ITMO Family enjoyed their traditional route through Primorsky Victory Park, around Gazprom Arena, and along Yakhtenny Bridge, finishing by the Lakhta Center to enjoy a view on the Gulf of Finland. This fun and fit tradition has been proudly maintained for 11 years, allowing students and staff a great chance to network and get a picturesque workout.

Today, we are sharing some sunny photos along with impressions of our participants! Enjoy.

Valentina Blashchuk,

coordinator of the Public Health Sciences Master’s program

At the university, I curate a health-centric program and I try to stay healthy in my everyday life. I believe that the best treatment is prevention and as the curator, I want to set an example: I often cycle and this is my second bike ride with the Rector.

My personal tradition of four years is to go camping for several days every year. Among my camping destinations were the Caucasus and Altai Mountains, as well as Lake Ladoga.

Zakhar Zaitsev,

a third-year Bachelor’s student in the Computer Technologies program

This is my lucky third bike ride. I love it for the opportunity to chat with students of other fields who don’t study in the main building. For instance, here I learned about ITMO’s drama club, though I’m unfortunately too busy to join it. Bike rides are also a great chance to take a breather in the middle of all the hard work. 

I have my own fitness tradition. Every day, I either go for a run, attend a ballroom dancing class at ITMO, or ride my bike. Thus, bike rides are a part of my day-to-day. Every day, I cycle the 4.5 km from my dorm on Vyazemsky Lane to ITMO’s main building on Kronverksky Pr. for classes and back. In 100 days, this makes around 400 km. It’s quick and convenient, so I am really glad I invested in a bike.

Arina Babkina,

a first-year Master’s student in the Science Communication program

I’ve completed my Bachelor’s program at ITMO, but in those four years I just couldn’t get away for the bike ride. This time, I realized that the summer has ended and I haven’t been on a bike yet, so today I am seizing my last chance. I am so glad I came! When I told my friends I’m joining a bike ride with the rector, they didn’t believe that it’s a thing. For me, this event is a chance to feel like I am part of the big ITMO Family. I rarely cycle in my free time, but I love riding along Pesochnaya Embankment between the Petrogradsky and Krestovsky Islands. Three years ago, my boyfriend showed me that place and we’ve loved spending time there ever since.

Vasiliy Karasev,

an associate professor of applied computer science

This is my first bike ride with the Rector, but I’ve joined countless bike rides in the city, for instance in Shuvalovsky Park or from Zelenogorsk to St. Petersburg. We love sports in my family: my daughter is a figure skater and needs to maintain her physique, and I also welcome activity after days of classes, reports, and practical classes. For me, this bike ride is a chance to stretch, as well as see in person some of the colleagues and students that I only see online. Moreover, I don’t know today’s route, so I look forward to exploring it.

My family loves kayaking, we’ve been doing one- or two-day trips every year for four years now. Even though we do it as tourists, it’s still quite a workout.