SAMPLE STROGANOFF

The sights, sounds and tastes of Old Russia came alive in the Portland Art Museum's Sunken Ballroom in the Russian Winter Fest in January, 2000, as a prelude to the exhibit: "Stroganoff: The Palace and Collections of a Russian Noble Family."

The benefit gala was set in the spirit of Maslenitsa, the Russian Butter Festival or Mardi Gras, heralding the advent of spring with sun-symbol pancakes, masquerade, fortune telling and folk music. Proceeds went to support PKSCA programs.

MUSIC EXCHANGES

• In 1997 PKSCA, the Oregon Music Teachers Association (OMTA) and the PSU Piano Recital Series formed a unique exchange program of Master Artists, Music Educators and Young Talents led by Portland piano teacher Dorothy Fahlman. Her pupils entertained the US-Russian Ad Hoc Working Group in 1999. Russian music teachers visited private studios & music programs here and Oregon music educators went to Khabarovsk the next year.

• In April 1998 Oregon conductor Niel DePonte & Portland pianists Keith DesRochers & Benjamin Kim went to Khabarovsk to perform with the Khabarovsk Philharmonic.

• Olesya (Lena) Bayeva, an outstanding young pianist from the Russian Far East was invited to Portland in April 1999. Lena and Benjamin Kim performed brilliantly in the Young Artists Concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall to standing ovations, completing the first cycle of our unique exchange program.

• In June 1999 eight members of the Folk Ensemble of Khabarovsk School No. 4 came to the Rose Festival to perform in the International Showcase Concert. They gave local concerts at a retirement home, Dornbecher Hospital, Oregon History Center, Pioneer Courthouse Square and City Hall. They serenaded Portland Fire Chief Robert Wall in appreciation for the aerial fire truck the Bureau had helped Khabarovsk acquire.

ART EXCHANGES

• In 1996 kids aged 5-14 at Studio Broccoli in Khabarovsk sent us 70 vivid works of art depicting their home community at various times of the year. This wonderful exhibit circulated in Portland schools and public places for a year. Several are on display on the 8th floor of the Portland Building. To see a slide show of the children's work, .

• In 1997, Khabarovsk kids were able to see reciprocal impressions of Portland at the Russian Culture Fund in Khabarovsk. PKSCA sent 120 works by students from Markham and Buckman Elementary, Fernwood Middle School in Portland and Oregon City schools in an exhibit entitled: Portland Kids to Khabarovsk Friends.

• The Amur Cats International Poster Exhibit was initiated by Roger Yerke, Education Program Manager at the Oregon Zoo. He visited Khabarovsk through a program of World Affairs Council in 1997. Young people in Portland and Khabarovsk were invited to create posters about highly endangered Amur cats. Selected works, 24 from each side, were shown at the Portland Zoo Primate Gallery April 9 - June 6, 2000, and then went to Khabarovsk in July and later to Vladivostok. Exhibition Certificates were awarded by both Sister City Associations in Russian and English to all 48 authors of the selected works. To see a slide show of these posters, .

HOCKEY EXCHANGE

• Coming up on June 6th through 9th is the Rose Festival International Pee Wee Hockey Tournament at the Valley Ice Arena, of which PKSCA is one of the hosts and sponsors. Our efforts are headed by Board members Tricia and Serge Melnik, who are largely responsible for ceating this Tournament and the participation of the Amur Hockey Club of Khabarovsk. For more information

In February 2000 the Valley Ice Arena was also the site of the Portland Junior Hawks International Presidents Day Tournament. Sergei and Tricia Melnik also organized the event with the Junior Hawks Association. The Russians, represented by the Amur Tigers of Khabarovsk, swept the tournament for the championship. PKSCA assisted in fundraising, interpreting and other event support.

RUSSIAN WEEK

• This past February PKSCA and Portland State University sponsored a series of symposia, artistic and social events in the nature of a Russian Winter Festival. By all accounts, it was a successful and informative series of events. To see the program for that week