Chayka, the racetrack that defies the war: the Ukrainian Superbike Championship in Kyiv

There’s a circuit on the outskirts of Kyiv that tells the story of an entire nation better than any book. It’s the Chayka racetrack, a name that for decades represented the flagship of Eastern motorsport and has always continued to host the Ukrainian Superbike Championship.

Built in the mid-seventies, this complex was Ukraine’s answer to the thirst for speed that united the countries of the Warsaw Pact. It was a bridge between the Soviet school and the technical standards of Western Europe.

Today Chayka is an open wound that refuses to heal in silence. The facility has been deeply scarred by the fighting. Already in the early stages of the conflict in 2022, the area suffered devastating blows: the speedway stadium and the karting pit boxes, places where generations of Ukrainian and Baltic drivers learned to master the curbs, were gutted by explosions. And yet, the structure endured, becoming an almost moving symbol of resilience.

Despite the scars on the buildings and the damage to the road surface caused by the rain of debris and drone attacks, activity never completely ceased. Apart from 2022, the Ukrainian Superbike Championship has always taken place. It’s an emergency-kind of motorcycling that you breathe in the pits of the “united garage,” the complex of workshops born in the eighties where builders continue to work with a dedication that defies the logic of war. Racing happens in fits and starts, trying to patch the asphalt just enough to let the national championship bikes lap.

Seeing the riders on track is not just a matter of sport, but a testament to identity. Chayka, which was once the gravitational center for races across Eastern Europe and home to the historic Friendship Cup, now defends its role as guardian of Ukraine’s motorcycling passion. Every competition organized under these conditions is a victory against oblivion, a way to say that as long as there’s an engine running in Kyiv, the story of this classic gem cannot be considered over. The bikes, the photos on social media, the smiles are the testimony of a tenacious people and fragments of normality.

In 2026 as well, the Chayka racetrack will host the Ukrainian Superbike Championship. Several test days have already taken place, and the first of the four scheduled rounds is set for June 14. Various classes are planned: 300, Supersport, STK600, STK1000, and Superbike.

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