DAY 113 | Russia | How To Move The Stars | A bicycle ride around the world

How To Move The Stars is the day by day retelling of a bicycle ride around the world. Start from the beginning to get the whole story. 

My adventure was a modern day epic, a solo, self-supported bicycle ride spanning 38,000 miles across six continents. There were moments I barely survived, and times I cried tears of joy, but mostly, this is a story about the thousands of people I met along the way.  I moved through their cultures, and dramatic landscapes. I ate their food and slept on their land. I was constantly arriving to the open arms of strangers who were excited to help me achieve a feat that few could imagine. I did this for years, immersing myself in the world and meeting the people who live here. The story I returned with is a snapshot of humanity, captured in a lived experience. Thank you for joining me on my journey.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
June 6th, 2013 into Volgograd. Today I entered the city of
Volgograd, known during World War 2 as Stalingrad, the site of
the deadliest battle in the history of humanity.
As the namesake of Joseph Stalin, the city became a symbol
not to be lost under any circumstances, and to Adolf

(00:20):
Hitler a prize to be taken. Extensive bombing reduced the
buildings to rubble. The fighting became ferocious
close quarters mayhem in the middle.
Over 5 months, more than 1.5 million people died, 10,000 per
day. The Russians who survived were
named the victors and the Axis powers never recovered.

(00:43):
The city is best described as industrial factories lined the
waterfront, supplied by rumblingcargo trains.
The only interesting sights werethe striking war memorials, the
most famous being The MotherlandCalls.
At a height of 285 feet, the statue is the tallest of a woman
in the world. The monument presents her as

(01:05):
powerful, striding forward barefoot, the wind pressing A
sheer dress against her body. A sword in her right hand is
thrust into the sky. With her left arm, she reaches
backwards, turning her head and shoulders to call to those
behind opposed, taken and leading a charge, inspiring all
others to follow. The image is powerful and

(01:26):
moving. The statue stands at the high
point of the city, a location that changed hands many times
during the deadly battle. The steep hillsides were shelled
into gentle slopes and the land was so scorched that no plants
would grow for many years afterwards.
The survey the area found that in every square meter there is
1000 fragments of bombs and bullets.

(01:49):
Given the importance of the battle, an argument could be
made that the tide of the war and the future of the world was
passed back and forth atop that hill.
Admittedly, I did not see the statue in person.
I learned in the monument this evening from a flyer at the
hotel lobby. I was biking in traffic when I
passed the park entrance. I even noticed a hill, but I

(02:11):
didn't look up. I missed the largest statue in
Europe by a glance. I could go back only 7 miles and
I'm not going to biking across the city.
Once was enough. I've long suspected that my lack
of research caused me to miss fantastic sights along my route,
but this is the first one that'sbeen confirmed.

(02:32):
Everything I don't see because Idon't know to look is a
necessary sacrifice for the feeling that comes from
discovering the world for myself.
To maintain my wide eye sense ofawe.
I can't know what's ahead of me and I can't be sure of what's
around. I must live in the unknown and
embrace my ignorance. The hotel I found this evening

(02:53):
was converted from a Soviet style apartment building.
Hundreds of these Gray monolithsspread across Volgograd.
The construction is practical, durable and equal to all others.
The design that follows the values of the time.
The cityscape they created was devoid of artistry, unattractive
and uninspiring. My room is slightly more

(03:16):
cheerful than the outside of thebuilding.
I have a small balcony overlooking a park in the river.
I would argue that the bathroom is unfinished, but obviously
they wrapped up their work some time ago.
Bare pipes come in through sledge hammered holes.
Half of the tiles have fallen off the wall.
The floor is bare brick. In the drain is a square hole

(03:37):
with a pool of Milky water. I skipped taking a shower, but I
did wash my clothes in the sink.When I laid down to relax, I
found the cotton mattress to be so thin that I could feel the
hard wooden platform on the points of my shoulder blades.
This is why I prefer to sleep outside my hammock or even
laying on the grass would be more comfortable.