Description
Velorukh: Cycling in Ukraine іs the first comprehensive chronicle of Ukraine’s cycling culture — a vivid, beautifully illustrated journey through the country’s landscapes, people, and traditions on two wheels. The word velorukh literally means ‘bike movement’ and stands for cycling culture in a broader sense.
From the Carpathian peaks to the Southern steppes, the book captures the magic of gravel roads, remote mountain passes, and vibrant cycling communities that have flourished in Ukraine over decades. It showcases not just routes and destinations but also the stories of legendary bikes like the Ukraina, of passionate riders and race organisers, and of cafés and workshops where cycling culture thrives. Whether you dream of an epic adventure or a quiet ride through villages steeped in history, Velorukh invites you to experience Ukraine as only a cyclist can.
This book is also a testament to resilience and hope. Amid Russia’s full-scale invasion, bicycles have become essential for delivering aid, rebuilding communities, and preserving a sense of freedom. Featuring contributions from athletes, photographers, and volunteers — many of whom now defend Ukraine on the front lines — Velorukh reminds us that the spirit of cycling endures even in the darkest times.
Preface by Mikael Colville-Andersen, Danish urban design expert and author of ‘Copenhagenize.’ Mikael has been actively helping Ukrainians since the beginning of the full-scale invasion and established a non-governmental organisation, Bikes 4 Ukraine, which collects used bicycles across Europe and sends them to Ukraine, where they are used by locals to improve mobility in cities most affected by Russian aggression.
This book — about cycling in Ukraine: in the mountains and on the steppe, in the nation’s cities and its villages — is more important than ever before. […] Read this book and see not only the past and the present but also the future. The bicycle belongs to all of us — as does freedom. Mikael Colville-Andersen
Bios
Iurii Makalis, an Odesa native who has loved bicycles in all their forms and sizes since childhood. Since 2012, he has been a member of Odesa’s oldest cycling club, Atlet. He has travelled extensively and explored different corners of the world by bicycle and as a ship navigator — from Hawaii to Alaska, from Norway to Australia. After returning to Odesa, he joined the Southern Cycling League, which organises local and international road races. One of his favourite activities is photographing cycling races and everything related to bicycles. In 2022, he won one of the world’s most prestigious cycling photography competitions — the Mark Gunter Photo Awards.
Mariia Shevchenko, IT entrepreneur and co-founder of the Maya charity foundation. Her introduction to cycling began with trips with friends around the outskirts of Kyiv on a vintage Bottecchia in 2012. She is a participant and prizewinner of road cycling competitions and a member of the Echelon cycling club. She is the organiser of the cycling community events and co-author of Rotor and Glitter, Ukraine’s first podcast about cycling.
