RUTS Cultural Run:
How to Rediscover a City at a Pedestrian's Pace
The "RUTS Cultural Run" (RUTS) is a unique format of an educational urban trail, supported by SIBUR in 2025. It is not a speed-based sports competition but a true adventure where running or fast walking becomes a way to deeply explore the city.
Significant Statistics
The audio guides for the project are created by local guides and historians and voiced by well-known personalities from each city.
With an audio guide in their headphones, participants not only run through the streets but also enter iconic buildings — from museums and theatres to planetariums and technoparks – discovering familiar places from a new perspective.
Participants can choose between two distances:
Participants can choose between two distances: a large loop (about 10 km) and a small loop
(approximately 5 km). The distances can be covered at a comfortable pace, either running or even
fast walking, so no special physical preparation is required.
Participation with children and dogs is allowed.
In November 2024, the RUTS project received a silver award in the "Best Sports Tourism Event" category at the Russian Event Awards.
Our Mission
Our Mission is to rediscover the city, transforming running and walking into an engaging exploration where history, culture, and contemporary life meet at every kilometre.
Showcasing the city's historical and cultural heritage, as well as its modern achievements, through a dynamic and personal experience.
Creating an event where physical activity combines with gaining knowledge, and participation is possible for people of any fitness level, including families with children.
Drawing attention to the history and uniqueness of small cities, as was done, for example, in a special Nizhny Novgorod series.
Key Project Locations:
Dzerzhinsk
The route in Dzerzhinsk started from the Central Park of Culture and Recreation and led through the "Khimik" stadium, the drama theatre, the puppet theatre, the House of Culture for Chemical Workers, and the firefighting museum.
Nizhny Novgorod
In Nizhny Novgorod, the run's theme was "Torgoviy Nizhny": participants started from the "Nizhny Novgorod" stadium, ran through the historical fairgrounds, past preserved architectural objects, through the "Pakhgauzy" cultural centre, the Yermolayev Hotel, the Grechko Planetarium, past the Spit (Strelka), across the Nizhny Novgorod Fair territory, and the Spassky Old Fair Cathedral.
Tobolsk
In Tobolsk, alongside main historical locations such as the Bazaar Square, the Viceroy's Palace, and the Pryamskoy Vzvoz, the route included objects of the city's modern life: participants ran into the "Tsentralny" Sports Complex – home of the "Neftekhimik" basketball club, the "Maksimum" skatepark, and the "Kvantorium-Tobolsk" children's technopark.
Tver
In Tver, the route covered key elements of the city's cultural life related to traveller Afanasy Nikitin, the history of Tver's formation, and the development of contemporary culture. Participants visited the local history museum, the Gorky Library, the "Iskra" Museum of Photography, the "Relsy" Centre for Contemporary Culture, crossed four bridges, and two embankments.
SIBUR's Contribution:
Promoter of a New Leisure Format
The company supports and promotes in its cities an unconventional and intellectual way to spend a weekend, combining a healthy lifestyle, education, and local history.
Integrator of History and Modernity
SIBUR contributes to creating a holistic image of the city, where historical monuments and objects of modern social infrastructure, including those built with the company's participation, are organically intertwined.
Ambassador of Local Tourism
The project works to increase the appeal of small cities, opening them up to residents of neighbouring regions and strengthening residents' sense of pride in their hometown.