“No matter what I do now, I constantly think about how I can use it in Melitopol.” Iryna Shevchenko on the dream to unite Donetsk and Simferopol with a cycling route

Before the full-scale war, Iryna Shevchenko worked as a coordinator of the public organisation Spilno HUB (Joint HUB) in the city of Melitopol and Melitopol district. Together with the team, she developed cycling routes, participated in the development of local cycling infrastructure, and had many plans.

After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she moved to Zaporizhzhia, and then to the town of Kodyma in the Odesa region, where she supported critical infrastructure and solved problems of the local community. This year, she also participated in an intensive Digital Lab from House of Europe, which was dedicated to the restoration of Ukrainian towns and cities.

We talked to Iryna about the implementation of big changes in towns, communication with local authorities and communities, as well as dreams of returning to her native Melitopol and connecting Donetsk and Simferopol by cycling route. Below is a direct speech.

Iryna Shevchenko

First cycling lanes and “proper” bicycle parking lots in Melitopol

My husband and I have been riding bicycles for probably ten years. It is an interesting experience, our hands are busy and our mouths are free, so we can talk and go further than walking.

In Melitopol, there were many users of bicycles as a form of transport, and cycling infrastructure was just beginning to develop. I rode a bicycle with my child four kilometres to the pool and four kilometres back, taking the child to a sports section. We rode along the sidewalk from the sleeping district of the city to the centre and we had to stop and cross the road on foot every time, and these are conflict situations with pedestrians. People like us require cycling infrastructure. It provides more safety and comfort.

In 2016, Spilno HUB was established in Zaporizhzhia. At first, they were engaged not only in cycling issues but also in the development of local communities, support of democracy on the ground, and protection of electoral rights. I joined in 2020 when they expanded their activities to the [Zaporizhzhia] region. Spilno HUB helped us write the Melitopol cycling infrastructure development programme (and then the concept); it involved us as a cycling community, experts, and the city authorities.

In the summer of 2020, the Melitopol City Council adopted the cycling infrastructure development programme and its concept. We started implementing it point by point. We chose a residential neighbourhood within which we wanted to connect points of attraction (for example, a school, a market, or a store) with a cycling infrastructure. And already in this area on two streets we had managed [before the full-scale invasion] to make the first cycling lanes.

We also had two bicycle service stations where bicycles could be repaired, and “proper” bicycle parking lots. Earlier in Melitopol, bicycle parking lots were installed near communal facilities, however, they were unusable. We also chose five places near communal facilities, installed U-shaped bicycle parking spaces: they are considered the best because the bicycle can be attached to them by three points. And this is also about safety.

Safe riding lessons for schoolchildren and a network of like-minded people

Since September 2020, I have participated in the Spilno HUB project “Velomista 2.0” (cycling cities). This project aimed to develop the cycling community in four cities (Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Melitopol, and Berdiansk).

I headed the team in Melitopol, which started working in this direction. We developed methodical materials for a lesson on safe cycling for 1–2 grades and conducted such lessons in all schools of Melitopol and Berdiansk; together with the police, we organised safety lessons for pupils of grades 8–10 and launched a challenge in social networks in Melitopol based on one of the schools, etc.

[Within the “Velomista 2.0” project,] we communicated with the residents of Berdiansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, created a network of like-minded people, were able to organise joint activities, and felt that we could do something together.

Cycling route Mariupol — Syvash

Before the full-scale invasion, [the focus of Spilno HUB activities included] not only the South (Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions) but also the Donetsk region, there were activities in Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkivka.

In 2021, Crimea and part of Donbas were already under occupation. Therefore, we decided to make a 380-kilometer cycling route between the points where it was possible and safe: Mariupol and Syvash. The idea of this route was to connect Crimea and the Donetsk region as a symbol that we miss our occupied territories.

The cycling route ran along the coast of the Sea of Azov, mostly on dirt roads. You ride, breathe in the sea air, and observe beautiful landscapes. This way, we wanted to show how beautiful our Azov region is, to attract as many people as possible, and to convey to them that cycling is a great form of outdoor recreation.

Local cycling communities helped develop the route. There were 10 bicycle points installed on it. They are bicycle gazebos where you could rest, make a fire, pitch a tent, with stands with a map and a QR code to go to the site and see what attractions are nearby, where there are shops nearby. In November 2021, we completed the installation of bicycle points, the last one was on Pink Lake [near Henichesk]. Today the whole cycling route is under Russian occupation.

Interaction with the authorities and the community

The local authorities supported our projects quite well, listened to our opinions, and made concessions. The mayor [of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov] himself initiated the meeting regarding the cycling infrastructure.

Cycling lanes [were created] with local funds, we agreed with the local authorities on places for bicycle parking and bicycle service stations and installed them with donor funds. This is also the case with the [Mariupol — Syvash] cycling route.

In the Melitopol district, we worked with five or six communities. Some clearly understood that their positive side is tourism, and they should invest in it, gladly supported our initiatives, and helped in every way. There were also more passive ones who, perhaps, did not fully understand why they needed it and yet responded to our requests. No one was putting a spoke in the wheel.

Support of the State Emergency Service, patrol officers and all those in need

After the full-scale [invasion], my family and I had to leave Melitopol. I lived in Zaporizhzhia alone for four months: I took the child to Odesa to my parents, my husband went to the army.

Before the shooting of the convoy at the end of September 2022 [then the Russians fired at the humanitarian convoy on its way out of Zaporizhzhia, 32 people died — ed.] I delivered medicine, personal hygiene items, products for animals, and other necessary things to Melitopol because this was not available in the occupation at that time or it was extremely expensive.

Spilno HUB in Zaporizhzhia supported me, I worked in a team. We had to change the direction of our activities. We started to cover up holes, to get involved where the state did not manage. We got engaged in critical infrastructure support: the State Emergency Service, the blood centre, and the police came to us with requests. The blood centre needed blood collection equipment, the police needed first-aid kits and tourniquets, the State Emergency Service needed de-mining equipment, debris removal equipment, fire, heat, and diving suits.

I also managed the project to re-equip bicycle patrols. Before the full-scale invasion, Spilno HUB jointly launched a bicycle patrol in Melitopol and Berdiansk: they were equipped, and training was conducted for them. In Zaporizhzhia, we were not the ones to launch the bicycle patrol because it [appeared] even before the creation of the Spilno HUB, however, we were in close communication. Thus, in 2022, the patrol police of Zaporizhzhia approached us with a request, and it turned out that they only had three working bicycles out of 10, [in the fall of 2022] we bought 12 bicycles for them and purchased new equipment.

Also, in 2022, [in Zaporizhzhia,] we and the police organised joint actions “Light up in the night”, which began even before the full-scale invasion (in 2021, the action was held simultaneously in Zaporizhzhia, Melitopol, Kherson, and Berdiansk): we gave cyclists reflectors and lanterns and explained that it is important to mark yourself in the dark.

Big activities in a small town

In October [2022], massive shelling and blackouts began. I was pregnant, I lived on the seventh floor, and I realised that it was dangerous for me to stay. That's why I decided to go to Kodyma, where I live now.

Kodyma is a small town in the Odesa region. I was born in the Kodyma community and lived here for 14 years, my parents are here. I participate in [Spilno HUB] projects remotely where possible. If there is an event that needs my participation, I am there offline.

Now the State Emergency Service, the police and the blood centre more or less got on their feet, they are helped by more donors, so we have allowed ourselves to return to what we worked with [before the full-scale war], that is road safety, the development of sustainable mobility.

In Kodyma, we also organised a campaign with the police “Light up in the night,” and last autumn we conducted safety lessons with them in schools: we bought board games on the topic of traffic safety, signs, simulated some traffic situations and offered the children to solve them. This way, we taught the children traffic rules.

Also, our public organisation currently supports communities in the Zaporizhzhia region in writing recovery programmes: we help them attract experts and organise exchange trips to Chernihiv and Vinnytsia regions.

The power of public resistance

In the summer of 2023, local authorities “exposed” about 200 meters of the main road in Kodyma by cutting down all the trees, widening the road surface. This spring, the executive committee made a decision to also expand the driving lane by another 500 meters: to cut down all 64 trees on both sides of the street. Commission declared they can cause emergency. There are probably some like that but certainly not all. Such a decision is very harmful to pedestrians and cyclists.

Residents actively participated: we wrote a collective complaint to the town mayor [Serhii Lupashka], started contacting all possible authorities. Seeing such activity, the local authorities retreated. We tried to get this decision reversed but so far it hasn’t happened. However, at least we managed to stop these plans, we are carefully monitoring that no work on these trees elimination is started.

New knowledge and acquaintances

[House of Europe Online Lab for Urbanists] was a great event. I am interested in urbanism, I try to increase my expertise in every way. And I was happy that I was selected there because I am a programmer by profession and I do not have a professional education as an architect or urban planner but I have experience working in the public sector in the field of sustainable mobility.

It was like “pumping:” we were told about architecture, about the planning of houses, and such an understanding also helps deepen knowledge. We could meet with the mentors and talk face to face and ask questions. We met with Sashko Stolov in person. He deals with towns, he was interested in my topic, and I was interested in his experience. We continued to communicate with the mentor Tetiana Voloshyna. She monitored my activities, wrote comments, and suggested how to do better. It was very pleasant.

In addition to the knowledge I gained in this course, I met people who are with me in this topic. I believe this strengthened each of us and me in particular.

Plans for the future

I am getting ready to go to Melitopol every quarter. We live by hoping that these lands will be de-occupied sooner or later. No matter what I do now, no matter where I study, no matter what activities I implement, I constantly think about how I can use it in Melitopol.

I lived in Melitopol for 10 years, got married, gave birth to my child, I had my social circle there, which [during the full-scale war] spread all over the world. I really want to go back, and also the people with whom we did all this to return.

I am currently taking a course from the Dutch Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam on urban heritage conservation. Also, this year I will try to enrol in a master’s degree and get an urban planner education. This is also with a view to returning to my native Melitopol with this education and continuing to work there.

We dream of connecting Donetsk and Simferopol [by cycling route]. I hope the time will come and we will do it.

Text: Dmytro Kuzubov

Editing: Viktoriia Osipova

Translation into English: Iryna Goyal