To honour Russian war veterans and the 27 million Soviet citizens who died during the Second World War, three defence attaches at the British Embassy in Moscow have completed a gruelling bike trip across the country.

Eastern front

Their ride followed the rough path of the eastern front in the Second World War. They started in St Petersburg, the front line of Soviet defence against the Nazis, through Moscow, and finished 1,000 miles and 10 days later in Volgograd.  

Majors Phil Sibeth and Donald Smith, and Warrant Officer Rob Jones set off on their bicycles last year for 10 consecutive days of endurance and remembrance.

Epic journey

Planning for the epic journey had begun more than a year before in Italy in the hills of Riccione. Later the team trained in Moscow, mainly indoors and mostly in their lunch hours.

Each day they laid Royal British Legion poppy wreaths at 11 war memorials on the way to Volgograd, including the Blockade Memorial in St Petersburg and the Allied Forces’ war memorial in Victory Park, Moscow. A wreath was also laid on the great memorial at Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd.

Ceremony of remembrance

And each evening they held a ceremony of remembrance which meant they had to complete each day’s 100-mile ride by 4pm, leaving just enough time to wash and change into service dress uniform and dash to the local war memorial.

They had two support vehicles with them which carried bike spares and essential food and drink including treats like apple turnovers, chocolate brownies and flapjacks.  

Up to speed

One travelled ahead of the trio to make sure that the night's hotels and meals were properly booked and local officials up to speed.

The ride attracted a lot of publicity: they were filmed and interviewed for local and national Russian television and radio, including Voice of Russia - the state-owned radio station -  the BBC Russian language radio service, and Russia Today, the English-language satellite television channel.

The team raised nearly £15,000 in sponsorship for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and the Russian Inter-Regional Organisation for War Service 1941–1945 and Invalids of War.

Respect for those who died

Each evening "we expressed our respect for those who died and veterans for their contribution to the defeat of Nazism", Phil Sibbeth says.

"Russia paid a terrible price", he continued. But there was, without exception, he tells us, "an outpouring of gratitude and thanks for our simple wreath-laying ceremony which was done entirely in Russian and included a two-minute silence and a lament and reveille by Donald Smith on his bagpipes".

Help from local police

They were for the most part greatly helped by the local police.  As they came into Volgograd, Phil says, "we had vehicles front and back with sirens going for much of the time, loudspeakers directing traffic away from us and generally encouraging and cajoling us, sometimes with music and often with humorous threats. They were nothing short of brilliant!"

"On one occasion they shouted at passing motorists to 'move aside for the heroes of Stalingrad!'"  The final cycle through the streets of Volgograd, with all junctions sealed for them and sirens on, was spectacular, he remembers.  "We were sweeping down the avenues at 40 mph, riding on pure adrenalin!"