The first bike ride was held in 2014 and has since been a constant of every May and September. The event is open to all: students, graduates, lecturers, administration, and staff. Over the decade, the bike ride became a personal tradition for many participants – there are some who haven’t missed a single one since 2014! And for first-timers, it’s a great chance to feel at home among the ITMO Family.

This year, the route followed tradition: starting from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station, the participants cycled to Gazprom Arena, crossed Yakhtenny Bridge to reach 300th Anniversary Park, and concluded their ride by the Lakhta Center skyscraper.

Alexandra Chernyak and Maria Buzinova

second-year infochemistry students

This is our third bike ride; we haven’t missed one since our first year! We immediately felt drawn to the tradition – it’s a great opportunity to have fun with friends or make new ones. In the coming academic year, we want to join more university events. These days, for instance, we also take part in running races.

Evgeny Raskin

ITMO’s Director for Youth Policy

This is my 23rd bike ride out of the 24 that have been held – I missed just one when I broke a finger. This event is an indelible part of the university’s life. It’s a chance to catch up with colleagues and see new students. In September, we usually have a lot of first-years joining. It’s an important tool of communication, of blurring the boundaries between students, professors, lecturers, the Rector, and the entire ITMO Family. We also usually have a lot of graduates riding with us.

Mahmoud Hekal

ITMO graduate

I came here from Egypt. In the last academic year, I graduated with a Master’s degree in robotics and AI. In general, I love ITMO’s sports events: I’ve already participated in chess, handball, volleyball, and wrestling tournaments – and even won some of them! In the future, I am planning to continue my studies as a PhD student at ITMO’s Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics.