Ukrainian refugee cycling the globe to keep attention on war-torn home

A Ukrainian who sought refuge in Northumberland following Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine is cycling around the world so people do not forget about his war-torn home.

Volodymyr Muliar, 47, is a sound engineer and was previously in Ukrainian free folk band Folknery from 2009 until it officially ceased operations in 2023 alongside Yaryna Kvitka – his wife who he is in the process of getting divorced from.

He was born in Khmelnytskyi, a city in western Ukraine, and lived there until 2008 before moving to Kyiv.

Mr Muliar has cycled to several countries so far (Volodymyr Muliar/PA)

From 2019 until June 2022, Mr Muliar, Ms Kvitka and their son Marko Muliar, nine, lived in Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, interspersed with several adventures cycling to countries including Australia, Brazil, Argentina and India.

The trio moved to Hexham, in Northumberland, in June 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion, after being offered residency there by locals Kevin Jones and Catriona Mulligan, who Mr Muliar said were “truly, incredibly helpful”.

Wanting to do something to keep Ukraine in peoples’ minds as the third anniversary of the attack draws ever closer, Mr Muliar embarked on his most daring challenge to date from May 31 2024 – trying to ride around as many countries in the world as he can over a three-year period.

“This was my big dream, I have dreamed about doing this all my life,” Mr Muliar, whose base when he is not travelling is Hexham, told the PA news agency.

“I have always been mad about travelling and discovering new places.

“It’s such a difficult time for my country and I wanted to do something for my people, so decided to combine my ideas to cycle around the world and help Ukraine.

Mr Muliar in Spain as part of his latest challenge (Volodymyr Muliar/PA)

“I was really honoured to start the cycle from Hexham because it’s a lovely place and it’s a place where people gave me a lot of love.”

So far, he has ridden through countries including France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Senegal, Cape Verde and Uruguay and is currently in Chile.

He has been putting his legs to the test, cycling an average of 80 to 100km each day.

The most enjoyable aspect of the trip for him has been delving into the culture of each country he visits.

“What I love most is meeting people from other cultures,” he said.

Mr Muliar in Senegal as part of his current cycling adventure (Volodymyr Muliar/PA)

“For example, when I was invited to visit the house of people in Morocco or Senegal, I felt their incredible hospitality.”

If he cannot physically get from one country to the next on his bike, he uses sailboats – but tries to avoid catching flights unless unavoidable.

He added there have been some challenging moments, in particular when dealing with the climate in the Sahara desert and being without his son.

“It was really hot, about 45 degrees and you would be cycling for huge distances with just sand, wind and crazy heat,” he said.

“I miss my son very much and I’m always thinking about him and for now, my biggest dream is to see him again and hug him.

“He understands that it is important for me to continue travelling because this is one of my favourite things to do in life and I try to explain to him I am doing this not just for me, but the people of Ukraine too.”

Mr Muliar with his son Marko (Volodymyr Muliar/PA)

Mr Muliar was travelling around Egypt with his family when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine happened on February 24 2022.

Reflecting on that day, he remembered feeling shocked when he received the news.

“It’s probably the biggest, most shocking news for us in our life,” he said.

“We just couldn’t believe it could happen in our time, in Europe, in modern times when all of us have such great possibilities and opportunities to live in peace and harmony.”

His mother and older brother remain in Khmelnytskyi and he said while it is “a less dangerous place” compared to cities in the east, “there is no completely safe place in Ukraine now”.

Mr Muliar said he hopes people continue to support Ukraine (Volodymyr Muliar/PA)

Recently, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, called for the creation of an “army of Europe” following a call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin about plans to bring the invasion of Ukraine to an end.

Mr Muliar said he hopes the world remembers and supports Ukraine.

“The world shouldn’t forget about the situation in Ukraine because it is not only about Ukraine – the big monster that is Russia will continue to take countries if we don’t stop them,” he said.

“This is a battle between evil and good so if the world supports Ukraine, it means support for the victory of good.”

Alongside the challenge, he has been fundraising for kit and expenses for his intercontinental adventure, as well as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) so those directly impacted by the war in Ukraine can get the assistance they need.

Mr Muliar is an avid cyclist (Volodymyr Muliar/PA)

He has also been documenting his travels on various social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube, which has been met with a plethora of comments and interactions.

“I’m glad when people like my videos and posts,” he added.

“It’s nice people like what I am doing.”

Mr Muliar’s fundraising page for kit and other expenses linked to his challenge can be found here: https://gofund.me/77bb8eb2, while his fundraising page where money will go to the DEC can be accessed here: https://gofund.me/2557ea74.