Our Sister City, Suzdal, Russia

HIGHLIGHTS OF 1999

On Saturday October 23rd Sergei Khrushchev son of Nikita Khrushchev spoke to a group of 70 members and guests of the Russia Society of New Hampshire in Manchester. Thanks to the efforts of John Barry founder and former President of the Society, Mr. Khrushchev was the guest of the Society for the weekend. Mr. Khrushchev is a professor at Brown University and recently he and his wife Valentina became American citizens. After a delicious Russian meal, Mr. Khrushchev spoke on Legacies of My Father. In short the truth was during the cold war that each side thought the other to be the "Evil Empire" and the Soviet Union went to great lengths so that America would not realize how weak Russia really was. The Soviet Union felt that since the United States elected a general as President surely America was planning for war. Sergei Khrushchev has written one book which is out of print and has another is coming out soon. He has a current article which can be read in the October 1999 issue of 'American Heritage'. He then pleased his audience by spending time answering various questions from those in attendance. The RSNH was especially pleased to have a large number of students from Pinkerton Academy who are studying the Russian language as our guests for the evening. The RSNH meets periodically during the year and questions about the group may be addressed to Barbara Coish, Secretary of RSNH at 898-9520.

This past August 1999 a group of travelers from Windham flew to Russia to attend the anniversary celebration of Windham's Sister City. A side trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg was included in order to show the new visitors the usual Russian attractions. The side trip was enjoyed by all even the Aeroflot plane flight and the all night train ride. However after spending only a very short time living with the families in Suzdal, the group knew that they were now experiencing the real Russia.

The three days of celebrating were filled with non stop entertainment - singing, dancing, toasting, fireworks, gift giving, eating, speeches, toasting, concerts, presentations, eating and on and on.

The celebration was a success for the town of Suzdal as it drew people from areas towns and cities which was a large benefit to the economy of Suzdal. Many special commemorative items were prepared by Suzdal. The most ambitious project is a two volume set of books one featuring the history of Suzdal and the other highlighting the Suzdal of today.

The Town of Windham presented Suzdal several gifts including a granite stone in the shape of the State with inscriptions of congratulations. Congratulations were also delivered from the Honorable Jeanne Shaheen, Governor and also from the State Senate and Representatives.

The quilters of Windham's local quilt club made a wall hanging quilt featuring hearts each fashioned by a different member of the club. The members of the Suzdal quilt club "Suzdal Swatch" will hang the Windham quilt in the office of the mayor near the one that they had made in honor of their town's anniversary.

After the fast paced weekend of celebration, the Windham visitors were able to spend a leisurely week with their families. During the week visits were made to the local historic sites, the quilt club, the orphanage and to Vladimir and Mystera. In Vladimir the group visited the Fire Museum and the prison. Everyone went behind many locked gates to view a small museum at the prison. This was the place where Francis Gary Powers was incarcerated during the U2 incident. The trip to Mystera was an opportunity to view artists in the process of making decorative black boxes. As usual the children at the orphanage touched the hearts of all the visitors. These children are well taken care of and most are waiting for adoption.

Everyone of the visitors vowed that they would return in the future and all agreed that they were happy to have seen the large cities of Russia but their real Russian experience came from living with the families in Suzdal.

Our Sister City Suzdal, Russia will celebrate 975 years since her founding in 1024 during a three day holiday August 20, 21 and 22, 1999. A delegation from Windham is planning to attend. Thirteen travelers will leave on August 13 for a two week stay in Russia. The group consists of ten local citizens and two quilters from St. Louis one of whom has been to Russia previously to share quilting skills with Russian quilters. The group will be met in Moscow by friends from Suzdal who will be guides for a tour of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The group will spend a night in Moscow and go by train to St. Petersburg for three or four days of siteseeing.

Upon arriving in Suzdal, the group will be hosted by the Administration and will for the most part be housed with families in the town. After the formalities of the celebration, the group is looking forward to visiting the children in the orphanages, spending time with the quilters, visiting the hunting lodge, experiencing visits with folks with similar occupations and in general spending time with dear friends.

The Sister City Committee wishes to acknowledge Small World Communications and owner Tony Massahos for his effort to raise support for the orphanages in Suzdal by contributing a donation for each new activation during the three months of April, May and June. The committee is truly grateful for this participation.

The committee actively promotes continued exchanges between citizens of Windham and Suzdal and it is hoped to have a delegation from Suzdal visit Windham in the fall of 1999.

For more information regarding the Sister City relationship contact Chairman Barbara Coish at 603-898-9520 or email [email protected].

The committee is always ready to accept assistance and fresh ideas especially during the times when Windham is hosting visitors from Suzdal.

©2004, Town of Windham, Sister City Committee. All rights reserved.