The bike ride is a biannual event that was founded by ITMO Rector (and avid cyclist) Vladimir Vasilyev in 2014. Back then, he was joined by 30 colleagues and students on the very first route across Yelagin Island. With every year, the tradition became more and more rooted among the ITMO.Family, with members welcoming and closing each academic year on a cycling get-together in September and May.

Sometimes, the geographical scope of the event expanded beyond St. Petersburg. In 2017, a parallel ride took place in Vladivostok, and in 2018 – in Sochi. Among the participants of the Sochi ride was Andre Geim, a laureate of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.

This year’s bike ride, as always, began at Primorsky Victory Park. The participants cycled past the Gazprom Arena stadium, climbed the arching Yakhtenniy Bridge, and then headed over to the Lakhta Center seaside promenade for some pictures.

Here’s what the participants of the event had to say about it:

Valeriya Tikhevich

Second-year student of the Master’s program AI in the Industry

I first joined the bike ride in May of this year. I met some new people, who I’m still in touch with at the university. I also discovered Primorsky Park and Gazprom Arena – awesome spots for a walk.

I really love the atmosphere of these bike rides. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Bachelor’s or Master’s student, an employee, or the Rector himself – everyone has a great time. I don’t know of any rector who is as close to the students or so into sports. Even ten years on, he maintains this tradition. That’s really cool!

Alina Gilyazova

First-year student of the Bachelor’s program AI Engineering

My friend went to one of last year’s rides, and I thought it a good idea to join. This bike ride is actually one of the reasons I decided to apply to ITMO. In Kazan, my hometown, it’s hard to imagine an event like this. It’s cool and, to me, it’s proof that at ITMO, students can have fun and find something to their liking. Before coming to ITMO, I helped organize celebrations and events, such as Teacher’s Day or disco nights. Here, I plan to stay active – I want to visit the Yagodnoe outdoor camp, compete in ITMO.Megabattle, and work at ITMO’s student media Megabyte.

Aleksandra Gorkovskaya

First-year student of the Master’s program Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

I just couldn’t miss the bike ride. First off, it’s the 20th one – a special occasion for the university. Secondly, this is already my fourth time here, and my favorite number is four (I was born on the fourth day of the month and it was a Thursday). So, the stars aligned, and now I’m here, though without my younger sister – for the two of us, the bike rides have become a family tradition and a way to spend time together.

I remember how, in my first year, when I’d just heard about these bike rides, I was very surprised. It seemed to me that the Rector is some busy figure sitting in his office somewhere. But that’s not the case with ITMO. At every ride, Vladimir Nikolaevich always mingles with the students. And these conversations start very simply, as if he doesn’t talk to all these people, but just you, as a friend. I’ve not heard of any universities that have such a culture. These bike rides strengthen the community and make it feel like we’re all a real family with our favorite hobby.