Who Do Ya Know in Eugene?

A friend suggested that I find out if Irkutsk has a sister city in the U.S. Sometimes, those relationships are strong, and the officials from both cities become friends. So - off to Google I go...

I appears that Irktusk has a lot of sister cities around the world. But, here in the US, it's Eugene Oregon.

Here is what I found out:

Eugene, Oregon, USA
Eugene Sister Cities Foundation, Inc.
Almost a decade ago, a dedicated group of Eugene citizens pooled their talents and resources to form the Eugene-Irtkutsk Sister City Committee. An agreement between the two cities - so far apart but with so much in common - was drafted and signed by then Eugene Mayor Brian B. Obie and Irkutsk Mayor Yuri Shkuropat. In the years since, the Eugene-Irkutsk Sister City Committee has enriched the life experiences of people here and in Siberia. We in Eugene have stood firm in our friendship with Irkutsk as political changes wrenched the U.S.S.R. apart. We supported our Sister City as they traded their hammer and sickle banners for the red, white and blue of the Russian flag. Both cities have exchanged many delegations representing the cultural, business, and academic communities in each country.
Contacts in Eugene: Galina Groza, ggroza@teleport.com, Phone: 686-0546 George Davis davisassoc@igc.org

Contact in Irkutsk: Ludmila A. Kurbatova, Irkutsk mayor's office, Phone: 243704, 340893 (Mr. Kushnaryov).

Officials from Eugene
An official delegation from Eugene came on June 1-4, 2001, to celebrate the 340th birthday of Irkutsk.
A small but energetic official delegation helped Eugene's Russian sister city, Irkutsk, celebrate its 340th birthday. The delegation, comprising Galina Groza, chair of the Irkutsk Sister City Committee, Sage Ratterman, a board member of the same committee, and Mary Walston, representing the City of Eugene at the request of the Mayor, as neither he nor any of the city councilors were able to attend, arrived in Irkutsk on Saturday, June 1, after a long trip from Eugene. Though weary and tired (in part from the travel and in part due to the 16 hour time difference), the delegation was warmly greeted by smiling faces including Ludmilla Kurbatova, Eugene's long-time sister cities contact, her son Kostya, and several other local officials.

With a population of over 700,000, Irkutsk is the major industrial commercial center between western Russia and the Far East, and between Siberia and China. Built in 1900, the Trans-Siberian Railroad links these distances together, a major engineering feat given the harsh climate, numerous water systems and rugged terrain, requiring especially cold-resistant building materials. There are also numerous educational institutions there, and it is a tourist destination point due to its proximity to Lake Baikal, 40 kilometers to the southeast. The Irkutsk Region is vast, greater in size than the Pacific Northwest, and the city is surrounded by rivers, mountains, and beautifully rugged nature which hides its abundantly rich mineral supplies - in many ways similar to Eugene.

Highlights of the week included attending a private reception with Mayor Yakubovsky and his staff, visiting educational and medical facilities, stopping at a Lake Baikal traditional log village, picnicking on the shore of Lake Baikal on the local fish delicacy, touring the Decembrists' House, attending a youth concert at one of the performing arts centers, and participating in informal discussions with new and old friends.

Mayor Yakubovsky spent a great deal of time with the Eugene delegation; there was an exchange of gifts in connection with the 340th anniversary of the city. The City of Eugene presented a plaque depicting the two continents linked together by the Pacific Ocean and two 17th century sailing ships, or "partner ships". The 18th century exploration of northern Pacific waters was headed by Captain Bering, who finalized his plans in Irkutsk before heading east to set sail. These beginnings led to eventual Russian settlement of Alaska.

Plans are now underway to welcome an official delegation from Irkutsk in late September. For more information, contact Mary Walston, City Manager's Office, 682-5406 or Galina Groza, Chair of the Irkutsk Committee, 686-0546.

For more information see Community page of Eugene, Administration of Irkutsk Region

Link A Family
Link A Family helps establish pen-pal relationships between families in Irkutsk and the Angarsk region of Siberia and families in Eugene (and elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada). Started two years ago as a project of the Eugene-Irkutsk Sister City Committee, Link A Family has linked around 200 families.
Periodically project director Jana Nelson sends an advertisement to friends in Irkutsk via e-mail, and they publish it in a local newspaper. She matches the letters she receives with American families based on profession, family size, and age.

Initially Nelson tried to establish a regular courier service between Eugene and Irkutsk, but it proved too time consuming. Now letters are exchanged via the post. She has found that mail delivery works fairly well if people follow a few guidelines: use metered mail instead of stamps; don't enclose anything extra with the letter; and use manilla envelopes--they look more official.

Currently Nelson is looking for more correspondents in Irkutsk and environs (she has enough American participants). For more information contact:

Jana Nelson E-mail: 71564.1704@compuserve.com