vladyslav-semeniuk

Vladyslav SEMENIUK

[ region ]

Vinnytsia

11 / 02 / 2020

Citizen, Vinnytsia

[ topic ] Other

Ukrainian cities face growing traffic congestion, with negative effects on economic productivity, public health and climate change mitigation.

Switzerland has donated trams to Vinnytsia and supported measures for safe cycling. It also helped the city to plan its urban development that prioritises public and non-motorized transport.

I used to live in Kyiv for several years. When I moved back to my home town, I thought it was only a matter of several months. It’s been three years already. Cleaner air and less congested roads thanks to public transport and safe bicycle lanes were key incentives to stay. First I used to drive my car everywhere, like most of my colleagues do. Then I tried riding a bike to go to work. It is my favorite means of transportation now. It really makes sense in Vinnytsia because local infrastructures are well-developed. I even gain 4 minutes riding my bike to work compared to driving my car!

I used to drive my car everywhere. Then I tried riding a bike to go to work. It is my favorite means of transportation now.

I made many friends because of the bike. In some sense, I also met my girlfriend thanks to that. We work together on expanding the potential of bike use in the city. We took the initiative to publish an online map that shows existing cycling lanes. That replaced an old map that was totally obsolete. Cities in the regions are underestimated in Ukraine: here life is comfortable, much less stressful and there are as many professional opportunities as in the capital city. I do not see any reason to leave.

Since 24th February 2022

On February 22, I went to enlist in the territorial defence. On February 24, I spent the night away from home. On February 25, I received a machine gun. I never go anywhere without it, even to the toilet. So my life changed dramatically. I was a practicing psychotherapist a few ago, and now I am a rifleman of the 210th Vinnytsia Battalion.

I feel confident because the people around me irradiate with some incredible strength, both physical and spiritual. Given my role and my abilities, I try to do my utmost to first restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine and then, of course, to preserve the unity of its people. And to make sure that my family and my friends may live without the air raid alerts. I want them to live without fearing that our neighbor may break into our homes at any moment and do anything with our loved ones. Time will tell. The war has proved that one cannot think too far ahead.

after

24 feb 2022

What else is Switzerland doing for Ukraine?

Switzerland has been assisting those impacted through various means – from humanitarian aid, humanitarian demining and financial support to granting protection status S to individuals from Ukraine seeking refuge. By 15 February 2024, the Swiss federal government had spent a total of around 3 billion Swiss francs to support Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland and people in Ukraine.

In 2022, Switzerland organised the first Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano and launched the political process to help Ukraine rebuild. The Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held in Switzerland in 2024, set up a path towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. In the longer term, the Federal Council aims to allocate 1.5 billion Swiss francs to support Ukraine's recovery efforts by 2028.

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