Andriy Gursky (left) and Vadym Nayko (right)
Vadym:
– I quit my job for the sake of traveling. I was only 17, so I couldn't go to the dream countries of Europe without my parents' permission – I went to Belarus. That was my first experience, by which I proved to myself that hitchhiking is entirely possible and interesting. Friends often ask me how to travel by hitchhiking. You go out on the road, raise your hand, and travel. It's much simpler than people think.
After I turned 18, I got a visa and dared to fulfill my dream – to go on a tour of Europe: Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain. That was 7 thousand kilometers of European road.
In every city we found accommodation through CouchSurfing: in Poland we lived with Czechs, in Berlin we lived with Indians, in Spain we stayed with Spaniards, Poles, Latvians. And the people who gave us rides were also interesting – students, anti-corruption activists, deputy ministers, rockers, farmers, or priests.
Andriy:
– My travels began with the Work and Travel project – I flew to the USA, worked there for three months. At the same time, I traveled, visited almost all of California, was in Las Vegas, New York, Washington, and many other American cities. That's how I first got acquainted with hitchhiking in America and decided to continue it in Ukraine and Europe.
Vadym wrote in his Instagram that he was looking for a travel companion for a trip to Europe. Together we went to Budapest, where we were hosted by a Briton who works as an editor for a magazine for Hungarians in London – another interesting acquaintance. This Briton is interested in events in Ukraine and has been here many times. Interestingly, he has a sweater with a trident, one of his favorites, which he wore while walking with us around Budapest. Together we sang Ukrainian songs; he has several favorite Ukrainian bands. He also asked us to bring Ukrainian buckwheat and cook him Ukrainian borscht and varenyky.
The essence of hitchhiking is not just saving money. We meet interesting people and broaden our worldview. It's better to travel 6 days by hitchhiking and constantly communicate with foreigners than to just ride a bus for 3 days.
– How do you choose the countries you travel to?
Vadym:
– Generally, it all happens spontaneously. We heard there's something cool in Holland, decided to also go to Paris, so why not stop by Berlin, and why not also go to Spain. That is, we chose cities and countries during the trip. We rarely knew where we would be tomorrow.
– I wonder how much you spent on your European travels?
Andriy:
– The only thing we spent money on was food. Although the people who hosted us also gladly fed us. For example, on the trip to Portugal, through Austria, Switzerland, and Spain, we spent 150 euros in 33 days, and for the entire trip to Georgia, Turkey, and Romania – 40 euros.
At some points, we realized we were spending less than in Ukraine.
– Tell us a bit more about the people you stayed with.
Vadym:
– In Portugal, we lived with a Ukrainian IT specialist who develops computer software for European airlines. In Seville, we lived with a biotechnologist who produces vaccines for various diseases. In Madrid, we lived with political science students who were very interested in the war in Ukraine. In Lisbon, with a doctor; in Geneva, with a jeweler who makes each of his watches over 5-6 years. In Zurich, we lived with a family, a mother and son, who are very interested in Ukraine and the history of our region. The woman admitted that she goes to a restaurant for Ukrainian borscht every Thursday, so it wasn't a new dish for her, but she was very happy when we offered to cook it together. We also made varenyky with them – they showed photos of the Ukrainian dish to all their friends.
– What are the first reactions of people when you say you are from Ukraine?
Andriy:
– Usually they say: 'Wow, from Ukraine! That's so far.' First they are surprised that we came from far away, and then that we are from a country where there is war. When you explain that most regions are peaceful and you can travel, they say 'How? You have a war, how is that possible?'
For example, in Austria we were given a ride by a historian who was specifically interested in Eastern Europe. She is very concerned about Ukraine and even cried from our stories. Many people in Europe do not believe television or Russian propaganda; they are interested in hearing information from us, Ukrainians.
Vadym:
– Some Europeans who gave us rides said that Ukrainians often say: 'We are Russians, almost the whole country speaks Russian.' Because of that, many Europeans get confused and often cannot distinguish Ukrainian from Russian. Often on the road we teach foreigners at least a few words of Ukrainian.
In Bulgaria, people were so captivated by the beauty of the Ukrainian language that it went further. A guy from Azerbaijan asked us to teach him a poem in Ukrainian, then a few other foreign friends picked up the idea.
Once we were hitchhiking in Germany, and a woman picked us up. She asked where we were from; we said from Ukraine. After these words, she had almost a minute of silence. We got into the car, and she started crying. As it turned out, her mother was Ukrainian and moved to Austria fleeing the USSR. She herself has Ukrainian roots but had never met Ukrainians. We told her that Donbas and Crimea are occupied by Russia, but overall you can come to the country and visit peaceful places. After that, she decided to come and see everything with her own eyes.
Andriy:
– When in Georgia we said we were from Ukraine, most replied: 'Oh, we love Ukraine!' We saw many souvenirs in Ukrainian style alongside Georgian ones. Almost every family we met had connections to Ukraine. Also, we are all united by a common enemy, because Russia has harmed both us and Georgia.
Vadym:
– Europeans, unfortunately, know few Ukrainian poets, writers, artists, and little about our traditions. We tried to tell them something new about us. We constantly played Ukrainian music on the road or during dinner, and they were surprised: 'Wow, is Ukrainian music really like this?'
Andriy:
– When I was in the USA, I realized that Americans know very little about Ukrainians. Sorry, but many heard the name Ukraine for the first time. And in Europe, there are many Ukrainian restaurants, for example, but often dishes are confused with Russian ones. Pelmeni are called varenyky and vice versa.
We often cooked borscht with our hosts, held whole master classes at home, where the whole family gathered. Some wrote down the recipes and now cook that same borscht regularly.
– How do you feel when you return to Ukraine?
Vadym:
– Home is good. Not everything, but it's worth working on. No country is perfect; everywhere people understand that every day they face some problems, challenges, and only by making efforts to overcome them does life get better. You know, first you need to clean your own house, and then say that something is wrong in the country, someone is doing something wrong, and constantly criticize everyone—I really dislike that in our people. We must respect ourselves and not wrap ourselves in cigarettes while going to Poland, hiding a bottle of vodka somewhere. We are respected only as much as we respect ourselves.