2006 Press Releases
John Stepanchuk visited Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurt Republic.
March 10, 2006
On March 9-11, Consul General John Stepanchuk visited Izhevsk, capital of the Udmurt Republic. The Consul General opened a photo exhibit devoted to John F. Kennedy at the Udmurt National Library and presented the Russian edition of J.F. Kennedy’s book Profiles in Courage, translated with support of the U.S. Embassy Moscow. The event was attended by university students and faculty, NGO representatives, government officials and others interested in American studies and history. Later that night, a capacity crowd of local jazz fans gathered at the Izhevsk Philharmonic for a magnificent performance by the American vocalist Chanda Rule and virtuoso jazz drummer Oleg Butman. The U.S. performers, accompanied by Izhevsk musicians, demonstrated their mastery of jazz, improvisation. Chanda Rule dazzled the audience with her incredible vocal range.
The Consul General had official meetings with President Alexander Volkov, Prime Minister Yuriy Pitkevich and Mayor of Izhevsk Victor Balakin. The CG and President Volkov discussed Russian-American business cooperation, the development of sister-cities relations, and the impact of non-proliferation programs in the region. Mayor Balakin briefed the CG on Izhevsk’s social, economic and cultural development.
Following the official meetings, the CG visited the Udmurt State University, where he met with students and faculty of Institute of Foreign Languages. At the National Museum of the Udmurt Republic, the CG visited a new exhibit on Udmurt cultural life and was briefed on the Siberian Road project. Later, he held a press conference with Izhevsk journalists.
