Stolica-S (Saransk, Russia)
Posted on September 2, 2003
The city of Saransk in Russia’s Mordovia will soon have a sister city in the U.S. – Cincinnati. If the project is launched, children from Saransk will have the opportunity to travel to America and local industrial companies will be able to fulfill orders from American companies.
Natalia Burenina, a professor of Ogarev Moscow State University and the director of a school of foreign languages, proposed the idea after visiting the U.S. early this summer as part of the Open World international program. There she met the head of a Girl Scout camp and discussed with her the possibility of doing a student exchange for Russian and American kids. As both agreed that such trips would be a great experience for the students, the head of the Girl Scout camp suggested they join the sister cities program. The program involves many different possibilities, from visits of cultural groups to placing orders with one another’s factories.
During her stay in the U.S., Natalia learned that Saransk would benefit greatly from ties with Cincinnati. Firstly, Cincinnati is famous for headquartering Procter & Gamble. Secondly, the Cincinnati Orchestra is among the world’s top five. Thirdly, the city treats its environment with the utmost care. For instance, the city zoo houses endangered species like the white tiger. Moreover, Cincinnati is a venue for the prestigious Masters tennis tournament. The first international summer camp for children was also opened in Cincinnati in 1951. Students of one of the city’s schools have already been studying Russian for a long time, and Cincinnati’s Girl Scouts are dreaming about exploring the remote and mysterious city of Saransk…
Upon her arrival in Saransk, Natalia Burenina started gathering information. Now she is planning to meet with Saransk Mayor Ivan Nenyukov as the mayors of both cities must sign an agreement in order for the deal to come into force.
Saransk currently has two sister cities. These are Botevgrad in Bulgaria and Seradz in Poland, according to Galina Savinova, the Saransk mayor’s press secretary. Galina Savinova is cautious in her comments on the possibility of having Cincinnati as a sister city. She believes that it is important to learn more about the city to understand what it can offer Saransk and what Saransk can offer Cincinnati in exchange. In any event, the initiative should come from the public first, the press secretary says.
The PBN Company
Unofficial Translation
[Reprinted with Permission]
