Sister cities of Irkutsk

Pforzheim, Germany

Contact in Pforzheim:

Deutsch-Russische Gesellschaft Pforzheim, Katharina Leicht, Baumstr. 2, 75242 Neuhausen, Tel.: 07234 - 980430, Fax: 07234 - 980432, E-mail: KFJLeicht@t-online.de

Contact in Irkutsk:

You can contact House of Europe, Dekabrskih Sobytii (see their listing on this site for more info.)

Ludmila Kurbatova, Mayor's office, Irkutsk City Administration, 14 Lenin Street, 664000 Irkutsk, Russia, Tel : +7-3952-340869, Fax : +7-3952-36027

Cooperation

In 1999 there were 5 delegation exchanges, including a children's music group from Irkutsk visiting Pforzheim.

TACIS Project

Methodology : The project is divided into four phases. Phase One: information gathering and analysis. Phase Two: strategic planning for the project, based on needs assessment. Phase Three: training. Phase Four: piloting of new facilities and implementation. Training will be experiential in nature and the project will be continuously monitored. Any necessary adjustments will be made both during and after implementation.

Expected Results : Savings will be made as a result of reducing the numbers of children in institutional care. There will be a data bank for planning youth work and welfare services and a needs assessment methodology introduced. Criteria for the selection of foster parents and an outline of tasks for family advisers will be available. A first draft of an advertisement for foster parents will be prepared. The means of monitoring and evaluating fostering will be developed. Financing for self-help systems will be agreed upon. Social work services will have benefited from the contact with professionals from the same field in Pforzheim. Ten children will be in foster care a maximum of six months after the project ends. Seven family supporters will be working with families a maximum of nine months after the project ends.

Six years of joint activities have shown that Pforzheim and Irkutsk have many things in common, in particular the problems of finding solutions for caring for children without parents.

The system of fostering children gives the opportunity to offer these children services which are closer to "home life." In September 1998 the first ten orphans in Irkutsk will be brought up by foster families under the Tacis project "Family assistance," with help from colleagues in Pforzheim. The project will be implemented on the shores of Lake Baikal, where the orphans will be received by `welcoming' parents. More info on this project from Tacis

Eugene, Oregon, USA

Eugene Sister Cities Foundation, Inc.

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

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

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

Kanazawa, Japan

AFFILIATIONS

INVITATION OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE OFFICIALS

YOUTH EXCHANGE

ISHIKAWA PREFECTURE STUDY PROGRAM OF JAPANESE AND JAPANESE CULTURE

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

For more information see HomePage in Kanazawa

Copyright © WWW Irkutsk 1995-2001