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Winter 2005
Our Archangel Committee and the Onego Shipping Company of Rotterdam have agreed to jointly sponsor the March 2005 cultural visit of the Archangel Rock Band "Blind Vandal" to Maine. The Director of Onego Shipping is our long-time friend Sergey Kremensky, formerly the Vice President of the Northern Shipping Company in Archangel; Sergey and the late Alexander Shutov co-founded the Sister City Committee in Archangel in 1989. The five member group will be here from March 20 to 27, 2005 and will have an evening performance at the Asylum Club, 121 Center Street in Portland on Thursday, March 24, 2005. FMI, contact committee member Mike Ouellet, 47 Vesper Street, Portland ME 04101 (telephone: 653-4526, e-mail: michael.ouellet@verizon.net). Check out the group's website at www.blindvandal.ru.
On behalf of the citizens of Arkhangelsk and myself allow me wish you and all people of the beautiful city of Greater Portland Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The year that is almost over is marked by many exciting events in the lives of our cities. Our joint efforts add to development of good close connections between the people of our two countries. I truly hope that the year 2005 will be even more fruitful and interesting. In the New Year I wish you good health, interesting projects, luck, happiness and fulfilment of all your dreams. With wishes of peace, mutual understanding, creativity and cooperation. Sincerely yours, Oleg Nilov, Mayor of Arkhangelsk.
Committee member and University of Southern Maine Professor Charlotte Rosenthal recently returned from several months in Russia where she researched pre-revolutionary Russian author Anastasia Verbitskaya (died 1928). With the support of a Fulbright Research Grant, Charlotte gathered a large amount of material and now plans to write a book about this once-popular writer of political, philosophical and romantic fiction. Charlotte also was able to visit Archangel where she renewed friendships with Archangel educators.
We mourn the recent passing of Natalia Kempers of Waterville. She was the founder of the Waterville/Kotlas Connection as she selected Kotlas to be Waterville's sister city in Russia and then traveled there in 1989 with other Mainers to start the exchange with Kotlas. Since then, she had traveled back to Kotlas a number of times and often served as the translator of the many correspondences that arose through the Connection. Contributions may be made to the "Waterville/Kotlas Connection", P. O. Box 1747, Waterville ME 04903. Proceeds will benefit the Kotlas Baby Orphanage.
We salute Sally Regan, a founding member of our Committee, as she begins her second year as a Peace Corps volunteer in Donetsk, Ukraine. Sally is learning Russian as she utilizes her skills as a teacher and as a librarian. Send her best wishes at sallyregan25@vahoo.com and she recently sent us the following description of New Year's Eve in Ukraine. "As I write this, it's December 31 and Ukrainians are gearing up for their New Year's holiday, which is a lot bigger than ours. Grandfather Frost will bring presents tonight, assisted by his granddaughter Snow Girl and his sidekick Snowman, who drives the truck with presents. There will be big family celebrations starting at 11 p.m., when people usually watch President Putin's New Year's message. (Moscow is one hour ahead of Ukraine.) After the family celebrations, at 2 a.m., many family members will go out to visit friends."
Edna and Blake Ellis, who traveled to Archangel in the first People-to-People Delegation in 1989, report that they are "downsizing" and moving to Sunnybrook Village in Brunswick; we wish them well and you can send best wishes to eellis@,maine.edu * ** Matt Dunlap, who traveled to Archangel in January 2003 as a member of the Maine Legislature, has just been elected as Maine's new Secretary of State. * * * Julie Ford-Upright of Grand Rapids MI reports that she and her husband have recently returned from an Archangel orphanage with their new 22 month old baby Christopher.
Governor Nikoli Kiselev announced several goals for 2005 including strengthening the pension system, organizing the official program commemorating the 60th anniversary of Russia's victory over Nazi fascism, increasing the availability of public housing, and improving the reliability of the electricity grid in the Kotlas area *** Archangel's Northern Shipping Company has added three ships to its fleet and has plans for two more * ** Average daily temperatures in Archangel for the first half of January have been above normal by about 10 degrees Fahrenheit *** Archangel Department of Transportation Commissioner Alexi Vereshchagin (who visited Maine in July 2001) announced 2005 funding for a new highway to the Komi Republic, improved roads in the Kargopol area, and crucial bridge repairs in the Ustyanski area *** Archangel Mayor Oleg Nilov announced the winner of the 2004 Best Food Market Award: the "Prime Minister" Supermarket at 52 Troitsky Prospekt (near the Dvina Hotel) *** The City of Archangel presented a new computer and candy to the crew of the Russian nuclear submarine Arkhangelsk (TK-17) *** The Archangel school system has purchased new sports equipment: 300 volleyballs, 800 basketballs, 140 footballs and 45 sets of ski equipment.
The business portion of our Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. at the Maine International Trade Center, 511 Congress Street in Portland. We will be holding the more traditional social portion of our Annual Meeting on Sunday, February 6, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. at the USM Campus Center off Bedford Street in Portland. Click here to view flyer. |
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