Cyclists drove 10 thousands of miles in 100 days to tell America about Ukraine

Ukrainians have united to once again organize a transatlantic bike ride. This time - between the coasts of two oceans - “The Chumatsky Way (path) to North America.” On the last day of summer, the brave “velochumaki” finished in Washington.

Photo: facebook.com/ChumakWayAmerica

The rally kicked off in Los Angeles on 22 in May on 2018 and ended on 31 in August on 2018. During the whole race, cyclists covered more than 10 thousands of kilometers, spent more than 100 days traveling, visited more than 430 cities in 25 states and provinces of the USA and Canada, writes Censor.

At meetings with the diaspora, diplomats, local authorities, local organizations and cyclists, the participants of the race presented Ukrainian innovations and revealed the real situation that now exists in Ukraine. In particular, the “bicycle chums” presented the DelFast electric bike, which broke the world record by traveling 367 km without recharging – and was included in the Guinness Book of Records. The legendary bicycle “Aeneas” produced by the Antonov plant, thanks to which Ukrainians received several world victories in bicycle racing. And a practical wooden bike, WoodRover.

Photo: facebook.com/ChumakWayAmerica

Maxim Semak, a participant in the Chumatskiy Shlyakh project, took part in a previous charity bike ride across Europe for 11 thousand kilometers. He says that the name of the bike ride was chosen not only to attract attention:

Photo: facebook.com/ChumakWayAmerica

“Chumak Way” is like a historical calling card of the identity of Ukraine, it’s like borscht, embroidery, Cossack... Just as from ancient times the Chumaks went on a long journey for salt to the sea, traded, protected from invaders, negotiated with the locals about logistics, so it is in the composition Our run included participants in the war with the Russian Federation, a few diplomats, we had many meetings with representatives of the authorities of both countries at different levels, Ukrainian products that were sold at our presentations. We carried out the mission of public diplomacy to unify Ukrainian society and promote Ukraine among Americans and Canadians. We traveled long and far, carrying the news about Ukraine to distant lands.”

He also told how the Americans they met along the way reacted to the “crazy” Ukrainian cyclists.

“When they found out where we were from, where we were going and how long we were going - “You are crazy.” Motorists gave way and overtook by 1,5 meters out of respect. During pit stops, they asked us where we were from, what was happening here, started a conversation and told us about Ukraine.”

Photo: facebook.com/ChumakWayAmerica

Maxim explained what the educational purpose of the trip was. According to him, ordinary Americans often know little about another world.

“Anything that is not related to the United States is unknown to them,” he says. — When we tell them “We are from Ukraine,” they ask UK again? (United Kingdom). But many Americans purposefully study Ukrainian culture and language, thanks to the powerful Ukrainian diaspora and its activity - festivals, picnics, Ukrainian churches, credit unions, cultural centers, museums. Americans see that diasporas are setting the Ukrainian fashion, and they also pick it up. Thus, they provide humanitarian, financial, and material assistance. Canadians know Ukraine thanks to its powerful diaspora in the world. The Ukrainian community in Canada has close ties to the country's government, and officials are very aware of how Ukrainians have helped build Canada's economy."

Photo: facebook.com/ChumakWayAmerica

In turn, Anna Dombrovska, PR-manager of a run across the USA and Canada (living in Canada), noted that during the bike ride she had the opportunity to see how powerful the Ukrainian diaspora is:

“Ukrainians living in Canada and America are always aware of Ukrainian events, because the fate of Ukraine is very important to them. After all, it was Canada and the United States that were among the first to respond to the needs of Euromaidan and continue to help Ukraine fight for peace in Donbass. In this sense, we knew that we were going to friends who know how important our goal is - to go in support of peace in Ukraine. We were very pleased to see how strong Ukrainian support is in the USA and Canada. On the other hand, many citizens of the United States and Canada rely on popular information sources that do not always accurately portray the situation in Ukraine. And there are many such people. Most often, I had to explain to people that there was not a civil war in Ukraine, but a war, in fact, with Russian forces. It is also important for Ukrainians who continue to provide assistance for the ATO and for those affected by the war to know information from eyewitnesses. Konstantin (Samchuk) and Sergei (Konoval), our veterans, were able to answer the question about what they saw firsthand at the front.”

Read also on ForumDaily:

Which countries can now travel with a Ukrainian passport

The situation is catastrophic: every year a million people leave Ukraine

Miracles 3D-illusions: Ukrainians hit the jury on America's Got Talent. VIDEO

Why the American entrepreneur moved to Ukraine and does not plan to return to the USA

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.