Cycling Nomad Becomes Kazan's Favorite Guide

You have certainly seen him on social media — the grandfather on a bicycle whom people have nicknamed «Velobabai». He rides around Kazan, films historical sites, suggests places to visit and tests budget canteens.

The 116.RU editorial team learned his story: how he moved from Kazakhstan to his ancestors« homeland and became one of the city»s most recognizable bloggers — the kind every third passerby wants to take a photo with.

This story will definitely surprise you — before blogging, the man traveled widely, worked in Chernobyl, married twice and now gives tours for the soul, getting nothing in return.

In this article we will call our interviewee Velobabai — he does not publicize his real first and last name and believes the nickname conveys his nature: he loves bicycles very much.

«All my relatives are from here — my mom, dad, grandpas, grandmas»

The self-taught guide is 59 years old and was born in the Kazakh city of Karaganda. He has lived in Kazan for 12 years — and all this time he has had no permanent place of residence. Despite this, Velobabai is always positive. And now that people recognize him, walking the streets is especially pleasant. He admitted that viewers sometimes help him, for example they gave him a phone, and they also want to help with dentures. He is very grateful to them for that.

— I have many relatives in Kazan, because there are many villages near Kazan — this is the homeland of my grandfathers and great-grandfathers on my father«s and mother»s sides. I know at least 7 villages where my ancestors were born. That is, all my relatives are from here — my mom, dad, grandpas, grandmas. I came here every summer, wherever I lived. I remember Tatarstan from about the age of three, — he said.

After moving from his hometown, the man lived in Novosibirsk, Barnaul, the Altai Krai and Almaty. He also visited Ukraine and Belarus. He moved to Tatarstan in 2014, bought a bicycle and does not plan to leave — he notes that Kazan has changed a lot and he feels very comfortable here.

We learned that Velobabai studied at three universities: in Karaganda — in the mathematics faculty, in Novosibirsk — in mechanics, and at the Kazan branch of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute.

— After the Chernobyl explosion I even spent a month and a half in the exclusion zone and received a dose of radiation there. That was 1988. After the consequences of that explosion, for another five years men from all over the Soviet Union were mobilized for various construction jobs. We were doing concreting there. I was lucky: I am alive and healthy, but my immune system was somewhat disrupted, and it affected my calcium levels. For example, my teeth fell out easily, — our interviewee said.

«Calling them author tours is a big stretch. It is the view of an admiring amateur»

Now our interviewee gives tours of Kazan, but he is not ready to call this a full-fledged job or profession — he asks to call it «the view of an admiring dilettante, a neophyte without training or education».

— This is my view through the prism of a conditional dervish, a vagabond, on present-day Kazan. And the fact that it was called «Author Tours» in the blog is a big stretch. I, for example, can tell you what Kazan was like in my childhood and what it has become. Of course, those guys who help conduct them add a maximal aura and a trail of academicism to these tours, — the man shared.

Velobabai himself believes that his manner of telling stories about the city has some charm and a «kick», so people find it interesting to listen to him. He does not receive a salary for this — he does it for the soul.

He shared that his favorite places in Kazan are the Temple of All Religions, the Tugan Avylym complex, the IT Park, the Kremlin Embankment, the Lake Kaban embankment, the Kremlin and the museums inside it. And he most often strolls along the Kremlin Embankment, in the Uram extreme park and wherever there are sports grounds.

— And in general I am very interested in all confessions, all religions, — the blogger said.

«I have lived on a bicycle for all 12 years»

The blogger explained that he has a free and positive lifestyle — that is how he feels comfortable. Freedom shows even in his clothes: he likes bright things. He usually shops at second-hand stores or accepts them from acquaintances and asks that only colorful items be given to him. According to him, he has enough wardrobe to regularly refresh his look.

— I have lived on a bicycle for all 12 years. I always dress brightly, unusually and strangely — in general, this is the image of a city-crazy person. I perceive this term positively. And all sorts of similar words like outsider, madman, holy fool, on the contrary, I like. That is how I perceive myself — the city madman Velobabai. But I am a harmless madman, I do no harm and I try to completely get rid of aggression and negativity, — the interviewee laughed.

By the way, the man loves sports very much. His brothers instilled that love in him: since childhood he did cycling, football, volleyball, swimming, running and athletics.

— Now I keep in shape because it is relevant and good for health. If I do not keep in shape, I will be bent over in a second. I have at least six chronic diseases. I also love dancing, I adore it when people dance in Kazan. I dream that here everyone would dance at every step, like in Brazil, — he shared.

The interviewee calls his lifestyle «Darwinism» and gives as an example the fact that he does not even use household chemicals.

«We were filming my workouts, and they say to me: “Let us open a blog”»

The vagabond guide has long considered himself a grandfather, and in one of the cities he was once nicknamed babai. And babai + bicycle = the nickname of his blog.

The blog he runs now is not his first. Another 10 years ago an acquaintance, a student, created a Facebook page for him (owned by Meta, recognized as an extremist organization, its activity is banned in Russia) and suggested he tell interesting stories there.

— He filmed many stories there — video and photo. A friend also came to me and recorded 15 conversations with me on psychology, family life, love, esotericism, religion, lifestyle and nutrition, — the man said.

But the blog on Instagram (activity banned on the territory of Russia) finally took shape thanks to Velobabai«s comrades — he mentioned a Kazan blogger with the nickname Bolt and his friend Ilnar. It was they who suggested the man start a page and film videos. Ilnar still helps run the social media account: he edits videos and teaches Velobabai to do it himself.

— They met me by chance in October, and the first video was filmed right at the meeting. Those videos were released on Bulat«s channel, and then in December we were filming my workouts, and they say to me: «Let us open a blog». And about the tours I told them from the start that I love them, — he said.

The blogger is very happy that his page is growing. He is interested in occasionally going in and looking at how many people watch him, but he does not do it often. When he meets subscribers on the street, he always asks for feedback on the videos.

— Yesterday a tourist opens the account, and there are 11,600 subscribers (now already 12,700). By the way, my subscribers gave me a used phone, and I take this opportunity to thank them all. In the future they promised to help with dentures. A doctor has already examined me — he is a friend of the subscribers, — the man said.

On the street Velobabai is often recognized. During our conversation, about 10 people approached him — both teenagers and adults.

— I am incredibly happy about this attention, I have not grown tired of it. I have never once encountered negativity, no one has said a bad word. Some ask: «Is the selfie free?», I say: «Of course!» and offer to record a video greeting. I adore sending greetings to different cities, — the blogger said.

Blogging also brings Velobabai pleasant bonuses. In one of the videos he said that he really wanted to get to a Zivert concert at VK Fest in Kazan. Then he was sent an invitation — he danced to the singer«s songs and was very pleased.

«I keep in touch with both my wives and my daughters»

You may have noticed a wedding ring on the man«s finger — Velobabai has been married twice.

— Each loved one is a whole world to me, — our interviewee admitted.

He also has two daughters, a granddaughter and a grandson — he keeps in touch with them.

— They live in different cities and countries. I communicate with my daughters, and when my grandson starts talking — I will with him too. So far only with my granddaughter — she is 4.5 years old. I love them. This is a huge happiness, — he stressed.

Earlier we told about the cycling traveler Alexander Lokalov, who in early July set off from Kazan to Shanghai. Before reaching the Chinese city he has to cover 8,900 km across all of Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and he will spend more than 100 days on the road. On the very first day at a rest stop there was a mishap: the canister for the burner turned out to be leaky, gas burst out in a jet and instantly flared up. Alexander was not hurt. As of today he has crossed his first border — the Russian-Kazakh border.