A Quiet Corner of Peace: Yurii and His Volvo 244 GL

To most enthusiasts, a classic Volvo from the 1970s might just be a car for weekend trips. To Yurii, it’s simply “his” car. The 1978 Volvo 244 GL was his first car, and almost a decade later, it’s still his only one.

“For me, it’s both a means of transport and a never-ending project,” says Yurii. “A lot has happened since I bought it. I’ve changed, the world around me has changed, but my Volvo still gets me from A to B, quietly remaining a part of my everyday life.”

Whether he’s running errands, meeting friends, popping out for a coffee or simply escaping the city for an evening drive, the Volvo is always there. It’s a means of transport, a hobby, a creative outlet and a personal statement all rolled into one.

More Than Just a First Car

Over the years, the 244 has evolved alongside its owner. “Owning and maintaining a car like this isn’t that difficult,” says Yurii. With the help of skilled mechanics who enjoy working on classic cars just as much as he does, keeping the Volvo on the road has become less of a challenge and more of a shared passion, and together they bring custom ideas to life.

Even an accident, caused by another driver failing to give way, did not stop them. “I don’t really see it as a bad memory. After the accident, the Volvo was given its second full repaint, and in the end it came back even better and more beautiful than before.”

A Volvo with Its Own Character

Today, the car wears a distinctive silver green metallic custom colour that perfectly complements its clean lines. Sixteen-inch Rial Mesh wheels fill the arches, while a retrimmed interior gives the cabin a fresh yet period-correct feel.

One of Yurii’s favourite details is the set of rear window louvers. Less obvious, but perhaps even more special, is the R-Sport instrument cluster fitted behind the steering wheel. “As far as I know, it is the only road-going Volvo in Ukraine with this particular dashboard.”

The attention to detail has not gone unnoticed. In 2025, the Volvo was awarded Best Classic Car at the PopKorn Cars Show in Lwiw. For Yurii, the recognition was particularly satisfying because of the company it kept.

“Surrounded by so many bright, powerful and modern cars, my old Volvo attracted just as much attention.” The 244 does not rely on horsepower figures or exotic styling. Instead, it draws people in through character, nostalgia and authenticity. “I think that’s part of its charm. It doesn’t need to be a supercar to make people stop, look, smile and want to know its story.”

Capturing Moments in Time

And Yurii tells these stories in a wonderful way. Because, as well as his enthusiasm for his Volvo and his passion for coffee, he is a brilliant photographer with a particular fondness for vintage gear, be it an old Nintendo camera module or one of the first digital video cameras. “I love all kinds of vintage photo and video equipment,” he says. “Generally speaking, I love photography, great cinema and that feeling of always wanting to capture something.”

A Personal Escape

Life in a small town in the Ukrainian countryside has shaped this approach. Instead of waiting for interesting things to happen, Yurii began to create his own stories. “If nothing is happening around me, why shouldn’t I create the stories myself?” They often begin with an evening drive out into the countryside. As the sun sinks below the horizon, the Volvo takes centre stage in a nostalgic setting.

Photographs or videos taken with old gear can look as though they were captured decades ago, when cars like the 240 were still an everyday sight on European roads. The connection between the car and the cameras feels natural. Both belong to a different era, and together they create images that blur the line between past and present.

“There is a certain magic to driving a car like this,” Yurii says. “For me, it is almost a time machine, and a way to experience how travelling by car once felt.”

Life in Ukraine has changed in recent years, but Yurii deliberately avoids addressing the war as a theme in his story. “Online, we are surrounded every day by news of war, suffering and death. My Volvo, my photography and the little world I create around them are absolutely not an attempt to deny that reality.” Instead, they provide something increasingly valuable: a sense of normality. “They are simply my personal way of coping with anxiety, fear and everything happening around me.”

Over time, the old Volvo has grown into an extension of Yurii himself. “People have told me they simply cannot imagine me driving anything else.” Somewhere along the way, the Volvo stopped being just a vehicle. It became part of his identity. And a quiet corner of normality, creativity and peace.