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Arkhangel’sk University Students Learn About
Writing in a Different Language As part of “America Week in Arkhangel’sk”, on April 27 Pennsylvania State University Prof. Josip Novakovich – a Croatian-American writer currently working in St. Petersburg as a Senior Fulbright Scholar – spoke to Pomor State University students about writing in English as a second language, American multiculturalism, and U.S. university writing programs. Novakovich clearly communicated his passion for America and the English language, and inspired his audience to learn more about American culture and literature. “America Week in Arkhangel’sk” Features Distinguished
U.S. Art Historian On April 27, Dr. Annette Blaugrund, Director of New York’s National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, delivered lectures at Pomor State University and the School of Fine Arts on the 19th-20th century development of watercolors in American art, and on the history of the development of American fine arts education. She also visited the Solombala Children’s Art Center, where she met with teachers and students to answer questions on different aspects of American life and culture.
On April 24, the staff of the St. Petersburg Consulate General Information Resource Center joined Arkhangel’sk City Hall officials and the Arkhangel’sk Regional Library director in kicking off “America Week in Arkhangel’sk” with the opening of a photo and painting exhibit on sister-city “Portland (Maine) Through the Eyes of Arkhangel’sk Residents”; the poster exhibits “All Americans: Image of Heritage and Citizenship” and “America 24/7” (donated by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General in St. Petersburg); and the book exhibit “Hello, Portland” at the Regional Library “America as Children See It” Exhibit Opens in Arkhangel’sk The Director of the Solombala Children’s Art Center was joined by the staff of the St. Petersburg Consulate General’s Information Resource Center on April 25 in dedicating an exhibit of more than 50 children’s drawings about the United States, as part of “America Week in Arkhangel’sk.” The event also drew attention to a small museum exhibit dedicated to America’s ties with Arkhangel’sk, including the still-celebrated Lend-Lease “Northern convoys” during World War II. On-line Videoconference Links Arkhangel’sk with
Sister-City Portland The Arkhangel’sk American Corner linked its audience of city officials, NGO leaders, scholars, USG exchange-program alumni, journalists, and members of the “Portland Committee” with sister-city Portland (Maine) counterparts in an on-line videoconference on April 27, part of the week-long “America Days in Arkhangel’sk.” It was followed on April 29 by a live 40-minute Portland radio station interview with the mayor of Arkhangel’sk and future programs will include visits to Arkhangel’sk by a delegation of Portland legal experts, and by executives of Portland’s “Arkhangel’sk Committee.” St. Petersburg Bookstore Chain Sponsors July 4th Contest on America St. Petersburg CG Hosts American "Stars of the White Nights" Velikiy Novgorod American Corner Concludes Its “A World Around
Us” Project On May 26, the U.S. Embassy’s Regional Information Resource Officer Barbara Conaty joined Velikiy Novgorod’s vice-mayor and the Oblast’ Cultural Committee chairwoman in saluting the American Corner’s six-month “A World Around Us” project (http://www.awau.natm.ru), supported by the American Consulate in St. Petersburg. Drawings, poems, essays, video clips, photo collages, sculptures and crafts by 156 students from 11 local schools reflected their views of daily life in America, and U.S. sister-city Rochester (New York) will launch the same project for American students on life in today’s Russia. At the ceremony, the Consulate’s Information Resource Center director also donated new computer equipment to the American Corner. More than 80 secondary school students and teachers attended the event, highlighting the extent to which the American Corner has become a cherished part of the city’s cultural scene over the past 5ð years. Library Expert Lectures on Americans Travel Writers in Russia On May 3 and 4, U.S. Embassy Regional Information Resource Officer Barbara Conaty gave a series of talks on “Into the Looking Glass: Americans Travel in Contemporary Russia” at the American Corners in St. Petersburg and Vologda, focusing on the most recent works of over a dozen modern authors. Thanks to her presentations, younger audiences at two of Northwest Russia’s largest and most influential public libraries enjoyed an introduction to contemporary American prose about modern Russia, and came away with a greater understanding of current trends in American literature. Vologda Youth Get a Look at U.S. Educational Opportunities 
Vologda alumni of State Department exchange programs made presentations on American education and U.S. government academic exchange programs to university and high-school students and their parents at the American Corner there on May 5. The seminar on “American Education: How to get it? And what to expect?” included information about the FLEX, UGrad, Muskie, and Fulbright exchange programs. Afterwards, U.S. Embassy Regional Information Resource Officer Barbara Conaty spoke to the participants about the work of the U.S. Foreign Service. St. Petersburg American Corner Celebrates the 4th of July Laura Kaspari Hohmann Speaks at BIBLIOKARAVAN Conference on the Role of American Libraries in Preserving Indigenous Culture Speaker Hastert in St. Petersburg On the photo (from the left): Speaker Hastert and Russian State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov at the press-conference in Tavrichesky Palace (St. Petersburg, Sept. 16). The photo was taken from St. Petersburg G-8 Summit official web site (www.g8russia.ru). 
The Consulate participated in and lent support to the symposium “The Art Museum and the Art Market” at the State Hermitage Museum (September 14-16, 2006) The seminar, devoted to relations among contemporary artists, the art market, art museums and art biennales, drew an audience from across Russia, Europe and the United States. The Consulate hosted Professor Robert Storr, Commissioner of the 2007 Venice Biennale, and Dean of the Yale School of Art, who discussed the future of Contemporary Art in museums. Other well-known specialists and distinguished American experts such as Thomas Krens (Director of Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York), Jeffrey Deitch (Director of Deitch Projects, New York), Amy Capellazzo (Contemporary Art Expert with Christie's, New York), and Jeffrey Hoffeld (curator and dealer, New York), also took part in the symposium. On the photo (from the left): Director of State Hermitage Museum Mikhail Piotrovsky; Commissioner of the 2007 Venice Biennale and Dean of the Yale School of Art Professor Robert Storr U.S. CONSUL GENERAL MARY KRUGER VISITS PSKOV
On the photo (from the left): U.S. Consul General Mary Kruger and Monk of Pskovo-Pecherskiy Monastery Father Lazar (Pskovo-Pecherskiy Monastery, Oct. 2). OVER 2500 VISIT THE UNITED STATES BOOTH AT “ALL FLAGS FLYING”
On the photo (from the left): Future Leaders American Corner Coordinator Ekaterina Baranova, ACTR Educational Advisor Elena Minina, and American Corner Assistant Olga Lubenkova are working at the American booth on “All Flags Flying” fair (Maykovskiy Central City Public Library in St. Petersburg, Oct. 6). St. Petersburg “Clash of Civilizations: Theory or Reality ” Conference Showcases Improved Perceptions:
On the photo (from the left): U.S. Consul General in St. Petersburg Mary Kruger and Consul General of Netherlands in St. Petersburg Eduard W.V.M. Hoeks preside on the chairman board of the conference plenary session AMERICAN BEST PRACTICES DISCUSSED AT CONFERENCE ON INVESTMENTS IN LIBRARIES:
Ann Symons, Librarian of the Anglo-American School of Moscow and St. Petersburg/Former President of the American Library Association
USAID Announces Five New Projects in St. Petersburg to Combat HIV/AIDS Pictured left to right: Terry Myers, Director of USAID Mission; Mary Kruger, U.S. Consul General in St. Petersburg; Lyudmila Kostkina, St. Petersburg Vice Governor. Ambassador Burns Visits St. Petersburg City Aids Center Photo: At the City AIDS Center, Ambassador listens to Chief Infectionist of the City of the St. Petersburg, Dr. AZA RAKHMANOVA of the Botkin Infectious Disease Hospital.
Consul General Mary Kruger Opens AIDS Training Facility Pictured left to right, Nikolay Belyayev, Rector of the Medical Academy for Postgraduate Studies; Vladimir Zholobov, First Deputy of the St. Petersburg Health Committee; Mary Kruger, U.S. Consul General; Jim Smith, Executive Director of the AIHA .
U.S. Consul General Mary Kruger Visits Ford Motor Company ZAO in Vsevolozhsk Consul General Opens the Exhibit “Under the Sign of the Red
Cross” Photo: Mary Kruger, U.S.
Consul General gives opening remarks at the Red Cross exhibit opening.
Consular Officials Visit Vologda, Cherepovets Pictured left to right:
Political/Economic Officer Ben Wohlauer and Deputy Principal Officer
Allen Greenberg (both in the center) at the meeting in Vologda American
Corner. The Story of Finnish-Americans in Karelia Pictured at the center of
the table U.S. Consul General Mary Kruger: (on her left) Vice Consul
Joseph Truesdale, (on her right) Mrs. Vera Manner, (behind her) Director
of American Corner Marina Danilova, (at the table) and Finnish-Americans
living in Karelia. U.S. Supports Dormitory for At-risk Teenagers Pictured left to right:
St. Petersburg Vice-Governor Lyudmila Kostkina, Head of St. Petersburg
Kalininskiy District Administration Mikhail Safonov, Deputy Principal
Officer Allen Greenberg at the opening of Dormitory for At-risk Teenagers.
“Most Cherez Okean” Exhibit at the Russian National Library Picture: “Consul General of the United States of America Mary Kruger gives opening remarks at the opening of the exhibit “Most Cherez Okean” at the Russian National Library.”. American Visit to Arkhangelsk
On the photo (from the left): St. Petersburg U.S. Consulate’s Political/Economic
Officer Ben Wohlauer, U.S. Consul General in St. Petersburg Mary Kruger,
and St. Petersburg U.S. Consulate’s Consular Officer Joseph Truesdale
with Arkhangelsk teenagers at the American baseball clinic in Arkhangelsk
Youth Sport School#6. America Days in Kaliningrad Photo: Director Svetlana
Sivkova leads Ambassador and Consulate team on a tour of the World Ocean
Museum. Deputy Principal Offcer Visits Nenets Autonomous Orkug Deputy Principal Officer Allen Greenberg and Department of Energy employee
Agasieva Pictured: View fom the helicopter to Polar Lights' drilling facilities Consul General visits Agricultural projects in Leningrad Oblast
Pictured left to right: farmer Ivan P. Lebedev, U.S. Consul General Mary Kruger, Political Economic Assistant Alexey Gorodetskiy, Political/Economic Officer Ben Wohlauer. Dennis Hopper at the Hermitage Photo: Consul General Mary Kruger and Artist Dennis Hopper at the State Hermitage Museum. A Night to Remember Our Shared Past Ambassador Burns and Director of the State Hermitage Museum Dr. Piotrovskiy are giving an interview on the Ambassador (Jordan, Main) Staircase in the Winter Palace. Happy Independence Day The Consulate’s official Independence Day reception was held on July
3rd at the Consul Pictured: Marine color guard ceremony Consul General visits Primorsk Oil Terminal Cooperation in the Fight against HIV/AIDS Consulate Delegation visits Pskov Oblast and Studies Pushkin African-American Experience in Russia Examined Joint Seminar with City of St. Petersburg on Intellectual Property Rights New American Fulbright Scholars in Northwest Russia America Days in Petrozavodsk In celebration of the 200th anniversary of U.S.-Russia diplomatic
relations, the Consulate held “America Days in Petrozavodsk” in the
capital of the Republic of Karelia October 2-4, 2007. A consulate
delegation, led by Consul General Mary Kruger, visited Petrozavodsk
and had a series of meetings with City and Republic officials, with
community leaders, university students and faculty, and with the
general public.
The Consulate sponsored a visit of distinguished New York photographer Thomas Werner to Petrozavodsk and an exhibit of his photographs called ”Colorscapes” at the National Library of Karelia. Thomas Werner led a three day workshop at the Center of Modern Art on the theme “Video, Image and Installation.”
Consul General Mary Kruger visited the Karelian Branch of the Northwest Academy of Public Administration where she presented a speech on the 200th Anniversary of the U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations. She also met with the leadership and faculty of the Petrozavodsk State University and its students.
Petrozavodsk private television company Nika broadcast in its evening prime
time an interview with Consul General Mary Kruger on October 3, 2007.
On the eve and in the course of the America Days in Petrozavodsk, Nika
broadcast two documentaries on the U.S. history produced by St. Petersburg
television journalists: a documentary about John Q. Adams, the first
U.S. Ambassador to Russia, and a film about the U.S. First Ladies. New American Art at the Hermitage At the forefront of their ambitious plan to extend display of 20th and 21st
century art, the State Hermitage Museum opened America Segodnya (USA
Today) -- an exciting collection of contemporary American works. The
collection brings to St. Petersburg the talent, the vision, and the
humor of American artists maturing under the shadow of 9/11. The museum,
striving to become a leader in integrating Russia into the international
contemporary art scene, chose the excellence of the lively American
art scene as their starting point. The Consulate provided logistical
and representational support to the opening. International Conference: Museums and the Media On October 23 and 24, the Consulate together with the Hermitage Museum, Pro
Arte Institute, the UK Friends of the Hermitage, and the French Institute,
cosponsored an international conference on museums and the media, which
attracted participation from the highest levels of the Russian cultural
world. The conference featured guest speaker from some of the world's
most prestigious museums and newspapers, including the MOMA and the
Wall Street Journal, both of New York. Local participants were able
to compare the experience of the United States, the UK, the Netherlands,
and other countries and reflect on what is sometimes a contentious
relationship between Russian museums and the Russian press. Into the Arms of Pushkin Carol Davis, former Fulbright scholar, visited our district to conduct workshops
and read selections from her latest book, "Into the Arms of Pushkin," a collection of poetry about her experience in Russia, which recently won the
T.S. Eliot Award for Poetry. Consul General Visits Novgorod At Novgorod State University, Consul General Mary Kruger gave a talk celebrating
the 200th Anniversary of U.S.-Russia Diplomatic Relations. Almost one
hundred students and faculty members of the Psychology Pedagogical
Department came to participate in the discussion on U.S. -Russia relations.
Before the talk, the Consul General gave an interview for local TV
company "Slavia." During her October 29-30 visit, she also paid official calls on First Deputy
Governor Anatoliy Viblitskiy, Mayor and City Duma Chairman Nikolay
Grazdankin, and Oblast Assembly Deputy Speaker Sergey Fabrichny. Tlinkits: Unique Native American Collection at the Kunstkamera On December
10, the Russian Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian
Academy of Sciences (Kunstkamera) presented their new illustrated catalogue
of Tlinkit artifacts, published with support of the Consulate. The
Consulate invited Director of the Arctic Studies Center of the Smithsonian
Institute, Dr. William Fitzhugh to lecture at the book launch on the
relationship among anthropologists, museums, and native cultures. The
volume beautifully illustrates the entire Tlinkit collection of the
Kunstkamera, which contains many rare and early items collected during
Russian expeditions of exploration to Alaska. The catalogue will be
an indispensable tool for scholars. Outreach to Northwest Russian Librarians The week of December 3rd, Laura Kaspari Hohmann, State Department
Regional Information Officer based in Warsaw, visited St. Petersburg
and participated at five professional library events, sharing her library
experience with local colleagues. Her presentation "Web 2.0 Technologies: Application in the Library World" was met with great interest by 45 library students and lecturers at the Academy
of Culture and Arts and by 30 academic librarians from seventeen university
libraries at the North West Academy of Public Administration. Another
presentation on "Graphic Novels and Comics" sparked a debate at the Lermontov Public Library. She also participated at a
library seminar at Petrovskiy College, where she talked to 25 participants
from several secondary school and college libraries on "Collection Development Trends in Academic Libraries." Following each of Laura Hohmann's talks, Yelena Andrushenkova made a presentation
on services available to librarians at the Information Resource Center
of the Consulate's Public Affairs Section. New “Play Room” at American Corner Makes Learning Fun St. Petersburg’s Future Leaders’ American Corner at the Pushkin Children’s
Library opened a new venue to encourage English language learning.
The colorfully-painted “Play Room” is equipped with interactive language-acquisition
toys that will attract young learners. Partially funded by a grant
from the Consulate, it’s the first such room aimed at young learners
in the entire St. Petersburg library system and promises to be a favorite.
The idea for the play room grew out of another of the Corner’s original
ideas: “The Bilingual Families Club.” Adults and children are encouraged
to come together to enjoy learning in an atmosphere of fun. Consulate Delegation to Kaliningrad Oblast “Deputy Principal Officer Allen Greenberg led a four-day consulate trip to Kaliningrad Oblast. The Oblast, which is benefiting from a number of federal government economic development programs, has one of the fastest growing economies in Russia and is the destination for an increasing amount of foreign investment. Aside from opportunities for possible U.S. trade and investment, major topics of discussion were: Kaliningrad’s relations with its EU neighbors; local views on recent Duma and upcoming Presidential elections; the environmental impact of expanding tourism and business; and, inter-faith relations in the region. The consulate team also traveled to the town of Sovetsk, on the border with Lithuania, to hear in detail about the impact on commerce and tourism of Lithuania’s recent accession to the Schengen visa zone. He also gave an interview to the Kaliningradskaya Pravda newspaper and met with several alumni of U.S. government exchange programs to hear their views on the current state of U.S.-Russia relations.”
Interview with Kaliningradskaya Pravda New American Investment in St. Petersburg On January 22, 2008, U.S.
Consul General Mary A. Kruger joined distinguished guests from the
City of St. Petersburg and the business community in the inauguration
of the
American company International Truck and Engine Corporation’s truck
assembly facility. The new facility in Pushkin has been developed in
cooperation with Goodwill Holdings, official distributor and service
provider of
International
Truck and Engine Corporation in Russia. Approximately 300 International
9800i trucks with U.S. components will be assembled annually to help
Russia meet its growing demand for quality highway tractors. Consulate Delegation to Vologda On December 13-14, Consul General Mary A. Kruger and staff of the Consulate met with civic, educational, business, and political leaders in Vologda. The Consul General called on Vice-governor Nikolay Vinogradov to discuss Vologda's development as a regional center for industries and higher education, and a number of other issues concerning the development of greater ties between the United States and the Vologda region. She also met with Mr. Yakunevich, the Mayor of Vologda, and Mr. Tikhomirov, the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly, and discussed the recent elections and the interest of local citizens in political life. Consul General Kruger also spent much time with the business community of Vologda, discussing the developing local market and ways to attract American investment. She visited the "Greif" factory and the "Vologda Ball Bearing" plant, and met with 10 local business leaders at the Vologda Chamber of Commerce. At a meeting with former participants of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs, the Consul General thanked the participants for their role in fostering mutual understanding between Russians and Americans. Finally, together with Library Director Nelly Belova, the Consul General opened the exhibit "Closer Than We Think," celebrating the 200th Anniversary of U.S. Russian relations, at the Vologda Oblast Research Library. Consul General Mary Kruger Visits Murmansk Pictured: Murmansk B-port.com agency interviews the Consul General Mary Kruger Consul General welcomes library, archive, and museum scholars Pictured: Books on US-Russia relations restored after the fire of 1988
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The
U.S. Consulate’s Information Resource Center staff opened a U.S. Independence
Day competition sponsored by the bookstore chain “Bukvoyed” and the
"SPbPresent" agency, featuring 11 six-person teams trying to answer
challenging questions on various aspects of American history, culture,
literature and society. More than 60 St. Petersburgers celebrated July
4th with a demonstration of their knowledge of America, and received
IRC-donated books and brochures on the U.S.
On
June 28, Consul General Mary Kruger hosted a reception to celebrate
American participation in the Mariinsky Theater??s marquee ?°Stars of
the White Nights?± Festival, organized by Maestro Valery Gergiev. Special
guests opera diva Ren?¦e Fleming and choreographer Noah Gelber joined
over 100 of the city??s cultural elite in applauding recitals by the
top students of the Mariinsky??s Academy of Young Singers.
On
July 3, St. Petersburg PAO Jeff Murray joined the Director of the Mayakovsky
Central City Library and the Director of the St. Petersburg State University
Center for Russian Language and Culture in saluting the 230th celebration
of American Independence Day. More than 130 American and Russian students,
as well as participants in the Summer Literary Seminars program attended
the reception organized by the St. Petersburg American Corner. Guests
enjoyed participating in contests and social activities, followed by
a light buffet. The event highlighted the extent to which the American
Corner has become a cherished part of the city’s American and Russian
student communities in the past more than four years.
Highlighting
the role of American Libraries in preserving indigenous cultures of
American Indians and Pacific Islanders, new Information Resource Officer
Laura Kaspari Hohmann spoke at a September 12 plenary session of BIBLIOKARAVAN-2006
conference “Public Libraries and Cultural Diversity” in Petrozavodsk.
BIBLIOKARAVAN is the annual Russian librarians’ forum. This year’s five-day
conference was organized by the National Library of the Republic of
Karelia, and was attended by some 200 librarians from major Russian
and other CIS libraries. Ms. Hohmann’s speech underlined the importance
that U.S. society places on respect for cultural diversity within a
democracy.
Speaker
of the House of Representatives Dennis J. Hastert attended the G8 Parliament
Speakers' Summit in St. Petersburg from September 15 through 17, together
with his counterparts from the each of the G8 nations. The legislators
discussed new challenges to national security, including terrorism and
energy issues. The Speaker shared the U.S. Congress’ experience in responding
to emerging threats. At the press conference following the legislators’
working sessions, Speaker Hastert thanked his hosts for “a very intense
and helpful discussion” that will aid all the participants in “finding
better solutions” to these challenges. On September 17, after the sessions
in St. Petersburg, the Speaker and his counterparts flew to Sochi, in
the south of Russia, to meet with President Putin.
On October 2-4, Consul General Mary Kruger, accompanied by the Consul
for Political and Economic Affairs Benjamin Wohlauer, paid her first
official visit to Pskov Oblast. Ms. Kruger met with First Deputy Governor
Igor Maksimov and Mayor of Pskov Mikhail Khoronen. The consulate officials
visited the Russian American Joint Venture Alliance and the Foreign
Languages Department at the Oblast Library, and met with non-governmental
organizations and American Fulbright scholars residing in Pskov. CG
Kruger and Consul Wohlauer also toured Pskovo-Pecherskiy Monastery and
met with the clergy.
On October 6, the St. Petersburg Information Resource Center joined
with the American Corner, the Future Leaders American Corner, ACTR Educational
Advising Center, Fulbright Office, and IREX in representing the United
States at the tenth annual educational and cultural programs fair “All
Flags Flying”. The event was organized by the city’s Mayakovsky Public
Library to publicize the programs and services of international information
centers and foreign cultural institutions in the region. The American
booth featured over 40 publications highlighting US Government funded
exchange programs, IRC services and various aspects of American culture,
history and society. In addition, Director of the Russian Fulbright
Office Edward Roslof and IREX representatives provided presentations
on the exchange programs these organizations administer, with details
on application procedures and the candidate selection process. The prominently
placed U.S. booth, enhanced by a ceiling-high video installation, was
a magnet for the more than 2,500 visitors (including local broadcast
and print news media) who thronged the festive daylong event. 
On September 15-16, 2006, Over 150 Russian, American, Italian, Dutch,
and British scholars and students participated in the conference on
the future of cooperation and relations between civilizations hosted
by the St. Petersburg State University School of International Relations,
with the support of PAS St. Petersburg and the Consulate General of
the Netherlands. In opening remarks, CG Mary Kruger highlighted U.S.
Russian cooperation in the war on terrorism. U.S. Speaker Nora Bensahel,
Senior Political Scientist at the Rand Corporation and a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations provided a keynote presentation of the
U.S. approaches to countering terrorism and the outlook for effective
cooperation with other countries in this field. The audience appreciated
her expert answers to their numerous questions and remarks. Other featured
participants included an Italian scholar from Bari University, Italy,
the Consul General of the Netherlands, and many other reputed specialists
in the field of international relations. 
Highlighting the best practices in American public libraries, Librarian
of the Anglo-American School of Moscow and St. Petersburg Ann Symons
lead an October 17 plenary session of a 4-day international Conference
«Investments in Russian Librarianship: Experience, Problems, and Future
Perspectives». The event was organized by the Russian National Library,
and was attended by some 100 librarians and information specialists
from major Russian libraries. Ms. Symons provided a lucid presentation
on “What's New and What's Best @ your public library". As a past
president and board member of the American Library Association, Ann
Symons has developed a unique knowledge of librarianship in the United
States. At the conference, Ms. Symons’s audience gained a better understanding
of American librarianship best practices and challenges. 
On December 1, World AIDS Day, St. Petersburg Vice Governor Lyudmila
Kostkina, Consul General Mary Kruger and USAID Mission Director Terry
Myers announced five activities that will be initiated or expanded in
St. Petersburg to further Russian-American joint efforts to combat HIV/AIDS.
These five initiatives are: Scaling up the HIV/AIDS treatment and care
achievements in the city; Improving lives of HIV-positive vulnerable
women; HIV treatment, care and support services to street youth; HIV
prevention for orphanage alumni and other high-risk youth; AIDS Education
and Training Center.
On November 24, Ambassador Burns paid a visit to the St. Petersburg
City AIDS Center. The center is implementing the best methods of care
and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in collaboration with
experts from Yale University Medical School and Yale New Haven Hospital
in Connecticut.
On November 14 Consul General Mary Kruger attended the opening ceremony
of the AIDS Training and Education Center (ATEC) in St. Petersburg,
Russia. The Center was established by the American International Health
Alliance (AIHA)-in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Medical Academy
for Post Graduate Studies and affiliated clinical sites at the St. Petersburg
AIDS Center and the Ust Izhora Clinical Center for Children and Women
with HIV. This project was developed with funding from the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) and supported by the Russian
Federation Ministry of Health and Social Development. It represents
a key step in the development of a unified framework for Russia's national
efforts to build the health system capacity necessary to provide high-quality
care to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The St. Petersburg ATEC
and its affiliated clinical sites will help develop the institutional
and human resource capacity the Russian Federation needs to reach its
HIV/AIDS care and treatment goals through targeted training for physicians,
nurses, and social workers.
U.S. Consul General Mary Kruger visited Ford Motor Company's production
facility in Vsevolozhsk, Leningrad Oblast October 30. This factory began
manufacturing the Ford Focus automobile in 2002 and now produces 72,000
cars per year. Over 2200 workers are employed at this modern manufacturing
facility making it an important source of jobs and U.S. investment in
Northwest Russia.
Pictured left to right, Commercial Specialist Alexander
Kansky, Ford Production Manager Andreas Bruditz, U.S. Consul General Mary
Kruger, Ford General Manager Theo Streit and U.S. Principal Commercial
Officer Keith Silver.
On December 6, Consul General Mary Kruger attended the opening ceremony
of the exhibit “Under the Sign of the Red Cross.” The exhibit documents
the true story of how the American Red Cross saved more than 800 Petrograd
children cut off from their families by the events of the Russian Civil
War. The children had been sent to the Urals to escape the hardships
of cold and starvation during the winter of 1918. The American Red Cross
Mission in Siberia cared for the children for two and a half years and
transported them safely back to their families in Petrograd in a chartered
ship via Vladivostok, Japan, San Francisco, the Panama Canal, New York,
and Finland. The Red Cross exhibit was organized by Olga Molkina, a
local author, the descendant of two of those children and supported
by the City Administration. It will be open through February at the
Children’s City Library at ul. Marata #72.
Deputy Principal Officer Allen Greenberg and Political/Economic Officer
Ben Wohlauer traveled to Vologda and Cherepovets December 4-6. At the
American Corner in Vologda they met on December 4 with a group of interested
local students, businesspeople, and teachers. They discussed a wide
array of issues ranging from race relations in the U.S. to the long
history of close ties between the United States and Vologda Oblast.
After three days of official meetings with leaders in the Republic of
Karelia, Consul General Mary Kruger (center) and Vice Consul Jay Truesdale
listened to the personal recollections of Finnish-American Karelians
in the capital city of Petrozavodsk. Having fled famine in Finland and
the Great Depression in the United States, Finnish-American settlers
came to Soviet Russia in the early 1930s. Despite years of repression
under Stalin, most retained their English language ability and cultural
ties to the United States. This group of first and second generation
immigrants met at the National Library of the Republic of Karelia on
January 26, 2007. Seated to the Consul General’s right is Vera Manner,
matriarch of the Finnish-American Karelians and an avid reader of American
literature. Standing between Ms. Manner and the Consul General is Ms.
Marina Danilova, director of the National Library's American Corner.
Deputy
Principal Officer Allen Greenberg gave remarks on February 2nd at the
opening ceremony for a dormitory for at-risk teenagers and later sat
down for tea with a number of the dormitory’s clients. St. Petersburg
Vice-Governor Ludmila Kostkina, the Head of Kalininskiy District of
St. Petersburg Mikhail Safonov, and officials from USAID, also took
part in the ceremony. The new facility, which is funded in part by USAID,
houses seven teens as well as an adult chaperone. According to the operators,
NGOs Doctors of the World and Doctors to Children, the facility will
give these children a place to live and learn responsibility while they
get back into their schooling or enter the workplace.
On March 6th, Consul General Mary Kruger assisted in opening the exhibit
“Most cherez okean” at the Russian National Library. The exhibition
presents contemporary American works received by the Russian National
Library from the Library of Congress in 2006. The Library of Congress
is the biggest and the oldest partner of the National Library. The first
joint project of these two great information institutions dates back
to the mid-19th century, when the first book exchange took place. The
exhibit is devoted to the 200th anniversary of U.S.-Russia diplomatic
relations and presents more than 600 academic publications about history,
religion, philosophy, arts, and music. Among those are the most recent
publications of the most prestigious American publishers, such as the
Stanford, Harvard and University of California presses. The exhibit
is open to the public during regular library hours at the new building
of the Russian National Library in Moskovskiy pr. 165 until the end
of March.
A Consulate delegation, headed by Consul General Mary Kruger, paid a visit to Arkhangelsk April 16- 20. The Consul General met with local dignitaries of the Oblast, paid a call on Bishop Tikhon of Arkhangelsk and Holmogory, visited executives at Polar Lights, a U.S.- Russian joint venture, and hosted a reception for Arkhangelsk friends and contacts of the Consulate.
Consulate employees took part in many events associated with the second annual “America Week in Arkhangelsk,” jointly conducted by the City of Arkhangelsk, the U.S. Consulate General in St. Petersburg, Pomor State University, the American Corner of Arkhangelsk Regional Academic Library, and the City of Portland, Maine – Arkhangelsk’s sister city. Consulate employees participated in the opening and closing ceremonies, and the celebration of the American Corner’s 5th anniversary. They judged the finals of an American-style debate tournament, and a musical contest “Singing America.” They led workshops on American baseball at the Youth Sports School, and conducted seminars on Education in America. The Consulate also supported the visit of other American participants, including two American students who delivered papers at Pomor University’s student conference devoted to the 200th Anniversary of U.S.-Russian diplomatic relations.
“America Week in Arkhangelsk” was a fun and effective way to deliver positive messages about American culture. Throughout the week, an estimated 25,000 citizens of all ages participated in the many American-themed contests sponsored by city schools and libraries, along with the “Five American Minutes” at the start of class each day in the city’s 48 schools, devoted to some aspect of American life, culture or history.
On March 20, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation William J. Burns launched "America Days in Kaliningrad." Highlighting the theme of the 200th Anniversary of Russo-American diplomatic relations, Ambassador Burns opened the exhibit "Closer than We Think" at the Kaliningrad Central City Public Library, and then met with young people who had studied in the United States on U.S. government-funded exchange programs. Later, the Ambassador called on Governor Georgiy Boos. At the end of the day, he visited the Museum of World Ocean and had a tour of research ship “Vityaz’” conducted by museum director Ms. Svetlana Sivkova.
Organized by the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, "America Days" offered residents of Kaliningrad a chance to meet with American diplomats and experience American culture during the week of March 20-25. St. Petersburg Consul General Mary Kruger and several members of the Consulate staff organized cultural events, such as the “American Classics” Film Festival, a photo exhibit by renowned U.S. photographer Deborah Tourbeville, lectures for university students, and meetings with local
visited
the Polar Lights Ardalin oil field in the tundra of the Nenets Autonomous
Okrug in late June. The visit to the remote but resource-rich region
included meetings with the Deputy Governor and other officials in the
capital Naryan Mar, and with executives of Conoco-Phillips joint ventures
Polar Lights and NaryanMarNefteGaz. The highlight was a visit by helicopter
to Polar Lights’ state-of-the-art drilling facilities hundreds of kilometers
from the nearest road, railroad, or seaport.
The
Consul General and consulate staff visited two farms in Leningrad Oblast
to look at the impact of the agricultural "national project"
in the region. A large dairy farm has received a subsidized loan to
build a spacious and modern facility for their cows to replace their
current 1970s barn. Meanwhile, a small family vegetable farm, which
sells its prize peppers in local markets, has received funds under the
national project to expand into cattle.
The
consulate assisted with the one-man show of American actor/director/photographer
Dennis Hopper, which opened June 20 at the State Hermitage Museum. The
St. Petersburg press showed great interest in the artist, who was accompanied
by some of his friends from the film industry, including director Julian
Schnabel. Museum Director Piotrovskiy hailed the Hopper exhibit as another
event celebrating the 200th anniversary of U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations.
Throughout the year, the consulate is assisting the museum in its “Hermitage
20/21” campaign, aimed at increasing its exhibition of contemporary
art.
On May 22, the Consulate General together with the State Hermitage Museum,
organized a gala evening to celebrate the 200th anniversary of U.S.—
Russian relations together with the Mission’s most important contacts
in Northwest Russia. Following in the footsteps of past ambassadors
who came to present their credentials to the Russian Tsar, Ambassador
Burns ascended the elegant Jordan Staircase of the former palace together
with Hermitage Director Mikhail Piotrovskiy, and led guests through
a tour of the Museum, ending up at the Hermitage Theater. There, guest
speakers regaled the audience with speeches and anecdotes featuring
real-life highlights of our shared history. Former Senator Bill Frist
spoke about cooperation in the field of health. The star speaker was
former Cosmonaut Aleksey Leonov, who told humorous tales of the first
hook-up between the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft. The remarks were intermixed
with a rousing musical program by the Leningrad Region Navy Band, which
included Souza and Glenn Miller. After the ceremony, guests descended
to the part of the palace built by Peter the Great to enjoy a banquet
hosted by eleven corporate sponsors.
General’s
Residence. Over two hundred Russians and Americans gathered to celebrate
the holiday. Upon arrival, guests were greeted by a receiving line comprised
of Consul General Mary Kruger, Deputy Principal Officer Allen Greenberg
and other consulate officers. The reception featured a speech by the
Consul General, a Marine color guard ceremony, many favorites of American
cuisine, a jazz trio, and exhibits on the Singer sewing machine and
the 200th anniversary of US-Russian diplomatic relations. Guests departed
with complimentary commemorative T-shirts and travel brochures provided
by multiple US cities and states. Special thanks to the American businesses
in St. Petersburg who sponsored our event: AmeRussia Shipping Company,
Coca-Cola HBC Eurasia, International Paper, Jensen Group, Kraft Foods,
Subway Russia LLC.
Consul
General Mary Kruger led a consulate delegation, including a Department
of Energy analyst visiting from Washington, on a visit to the oil terminal
at Primorsk, Leningrad Oblast. The terminal, owned by Transneft, is
Russia's largest -- pumping about 70 million tons of crude oil per year
(1.4 million barrels/year) into more than 800 tankers from around the
world. Nearly all of the oil loaded at Primorsk is taken to Rotterdam,
where some of it is reshipped onward to the United States. It is predicted
that Primorsk will handle an additional 50 million tons/year (one million
barrels/year) when a new pipeline is built to replace the politically
sensitive one now transiting neighboring countries. Such an expansion
would have a significant economic impact, but its potential ecological
impact needs study, as Primorsk is located in the environmentally sensitive
Gulf of Finland region.
On
Friday, July 20th, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
and the St. Petersburg City Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) outlining the ways and means of future cooperation on fighting
HIV/AIDS in the city. Acting Consul General Allen Greenberg gave welcoming
remarks. This is the first such an MOU has been signed in Russia and
builds on the priorities in health cooperation agreed to by Presidents
Putin and Bush in Bratislava, Slovakia in 2005. It further reflects
both USAID's commitment to St. Petersburg and the seriousness of the
City Administration in working to prevent HIV/AIDS and treat those who
are already infected.
Consul General Mary Kruger led a consulate delegation on a visit to
A. Pushkin’s estate Mikhailovskoye, paying tribute to Russia’s favorite
poet. Alexander Pushkin is also Ms. Kruger’s favorite Russian poet:
she discovered his poetry for herself many years ago as a student.
A journalist from St. Petersburg major newspaper "The St. Petersburg Vedomosti" Anastasia Dolgosheva accompanied the consulate delegation and afterwards published
an interview with Ms. Kruger about Pushkin and what his poetry means
for her and other Americans. (
September 20 and 21, the Public Affairs Section of the Consulate sponsored
the third conference in the series “Russian-American Links: 300 Years
of Cooperation.” The theme of the conference, which took place at the
National Academy of Sciences, was “African Americans in Russia.” Scholars
from across Russia, Europe and the United States, and representing
many disciplines, explored the various contacts of African-Americans
with Russia, in particular the fascination African Americans had with
the early Soviet Union, with its promise of a racism-free utopian society.
The conference brought to light a little-explored aspect of U.S.-Russian
relations, during the bicentennial year of U.S.-Russian Diplomatic
Relations.
Together with the City Government Information Analytical Center and
several City Committees, the Public Affairs Section of the St. Petersburg
Consulate co-hosted an international seminar on protecting Intellectual
Property Rights at Smolny (City Hall) on September 18th. U.S. Speaker
James Chandler, a preeminent scholar and frequent advisor to Congress
and the Supreme Court on U.S. IPR legislation, spoke to the audience
of experts and policy-makers about innovation as the basis for all
economic growth and government’s unique role in protecting the incentives
to individual creators to share their innovations for the betterment
of all society. Professor Chandler met separately with a dozen of Russia’s
top Intellectual Property lawyers for more in-depth discussion. He
also lectured to the law faculties of three universities on piracy,
and on IP and the internet.
The Consulate welcomes to our district a dozen American scholars who
have won the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship. The scholars include
professors, who will be teaching at Pomor University in Arkhangelsk,
at Smolniy College in St. Petersburg and at the Pskov Polytechnical
Institute, and others. Other scholars are doing research for their
dissertations in the fields of art history, linguistics, and anthropology.
The Consul General introduced the newly-arrived scholars to Russian
academic and cultural figures, including many Russian Fulbright alumni,
at a reception at her residence.
Consul General Mary Kruger visited Murmansk last week and met with
Deputy Governor Subbotin and Deputy Mayor Shtyrkhunov. Among topics
of discussion were development of the Shtokman project, expansion of
the Port of Murmansk, and opportunities for US investors. According
to Deputy Governor Subbotin, in September 2008 Murmansk Governor Yuriy
Yevdokimov plans to lead a delegation of officials and businesses to
Moscow to meet with the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham)
and introduce his investor-friendly resource-rich region to AmCham
members. During her two-day visit, the Consul General also visited
the International Cemetery to lay a wreath at the graves of US seamen
who perished assisting the Soviet Union during World War II. At the
cemetery, she gave an interview to local and regional TV channels.
Ms. Kruger also had a chance to visit the Murmansk State Pedagogical
University. At the university she met with students and US exchange
programs alumni and made a presentation on US elections.
On February 14th, the Consul General Mary Kruger gave welcoming remarks
to library, archive, and museum scholars from around the world at
a conference at the Library of Russian Academy of Sciences, marking
the 20th anniversary of one of the most devastating fires in library
history. The Consul General recalled how, following the devastating
conflagration of Feb 14, 1988, that consumed almost 300,000 books,
manuscripts and journals, the Library of Congress, and the J. Paul
Getty Institute were among the first overseas institutions to offer
help. More than 150 participants in the conference, entitled “Preservation
of Cultural Heritage in Libraries, Archives, and Museums” discussed
topics of restoration and preservation. Randy Silverman, an expert
from the University of Utah Marriot Library in Salt Lake City, presented
his institution’s original research on cleaning and restoration methods.