1050 17th Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20036
Contact:
The Honorable James W. Symington, Phone: (202) 887-1400,
Alexander Potemkin, Phone: (202) 457-8114, Potemkin@a-rccf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date 4/14/2011
Rare Exhibition of President Abraham Lincoln Artifacts Opens in St. Petersburg, Russia
"The Tsar and the President: Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln, Liberator and Emancipator," the ARCCF’s latest major exhibition, completed a one-month run at the State Archive of the Russian Federation in Moscow on March 28.
On April 26, this unique exhibition reopens at “Tsarskoye Selo” State Museum in St. Petersburg. It will be on display through July 31, the height of the tourist season.
This exhibition explores the early lives, diplomatic connections, and ultimate assassinations of these two great leaders, who never met personally, but who exchanged warm correspondence which is on display here. The major theme, of the exhibition however, is their shared status as Liberators. Alexander II freed over 20 million Serfs, and soon thereafter President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The actual pens used to sign these documents are part of the exhibit.
The Opening Ceremony in Moscow was full of pomp and circumstance. The Russian Minister of Culture, Mr. Alexander Avdeyev and The Honorable James W. Symington, Chair of the ARCCF, presided over the Ribbon Cutting ceremony, while the Kremlin’s Presidential band played period American and Russian marching tunes. US Ambassador John Beyrle spoke, and later hosted a grand reception at his residence, the historic Spaso House. Media attention was overwhelming. News of this exhibition appeared on Russian news and TV networks all over the world, and the Washington Post and the New York Times featured major articles about it. We expect even greater interest from senior Russian officials, historians, cultural personalities, the general public and the media in St. Petersburg.
This exhibition has the warm support of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The US Ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle, deemed this exhibition "spectacular.” It is our hope this exhibition will remind viewers of a time of close US-Russian cooperation, and contribute to even warmer future relations between our two countries.
It is no coincidence that this exhibition coincides with the 150th Anniversary of the freeing of the Serfs, which is currently making headlines all over Russia, and the beginning of the Civil War. The reforms Alexander II sought to enact were reiterated by President Dimitry Medvedev in his speech before “The Conference on the Great Reforms and Modernisation of Russia” in St. Petersburg on March 3, 2011.
This exhibition is made possible with the help of US Department of State, the US-Russia Foundation for Economic Advancement and the Rule of Law (USRF), the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation, and the Caterpillar Foundation.
If you would like additional information do not hesitate to contact us.
A TV news report of the exhibition at the State Archive, RU, is at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1-1bonLx8Xy
Press Releases
The American-Russian Cultural Cooperation Foundation
1050 17th Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20036
Contact:
The
Honorable James. W. Symington Phone: (202) 887-1400
Alexander Potemkin Phone: (202) 457-8114 APotemkin@a-rccf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“Giants of Science”
Legacy of American-Russian Scientific Ties
Following in the Footsteps of Mikhail Lomonosov and Benjamin Franklin
The 300th Anniversary
of the birth of Mikhail Lomonosov, Russia’s best known and most beloved son,
will be celebrated in Russia this year, with Vice-Prime Minister Alexey Kudrin
and Minister of Education and Science
Andrei Fursenko, serving as Co-Chairs of the Organizing Committee. Lomonosov, was multidimensional. Considered a genius, he was a natural scientist, chemist, physicist, mathematician, geologist, historian, artist, poet, and was the creator of the Russian literary language. Lomonosov, highly revered in Russia, is considered by many to be her “DaVinci.” Together with Benjamin Franklin, they were the beginning of American-Russian scientific ties.
The A-RCCF, whose mission is foster cultural cooperation and exchange, is producing an American celebration of Lomonosov, and his American counterpart, on October 12, 2011, at the Russian Embassy.
With the blessing and support of H.E. Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak, “Giants of Science: Lomonosov and Franklin,”a black-tie gala evening, at the Russian Embassy, will recognize the joint-legacy of these two contemporaries, and their extraordinary contributions to the world in the fields of science and literature.
ARCCF will present Dr. G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, with our annual Foundation Award, which recognizes those who have encouraged American-Russian exchange and cooperation. The Smithsonian Institution has had an ongoing relationship in the area of scientific exchange with the Russian Academy of Sciences (of which both Franklin and Lomonosov were members) for over 150 years. Dr. Clough joins a long line of distinguished honorees, including: Slava Rostropovich, Van Cliburn, Igor Moiseyev, Valery Gergiev, James Billington (US Librarian of Congress), and many others. Last year, Michael Kaiser, President of the Kennedy Center, received the Foundation Award for his generous programming of the best in Russian symphony, opera and ballet.
Page 2 – A-RCCF Press Release
Mr. Donald M. Kendall,
legendary former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, is the Event Chairman. In attendance
will be many of Washington’s
distinguished dignitaries, including:
Congressmen, prominent business leaders,
esteemed academicians, scientists, and cultural figures.
In announcing the event, the Hon. James W. Symington, A-RCCF Board Chairman, stated: “Russian-American scientific ties were ignited by Lomonosov in collaboration with Benjamin Franklin. Thus, the 300th Jubilee of Lomonosov is a signal event for American-Russian scientific relations.
In the 1970’s, as Chairman of the House Science Subcommittees on Technology and International Cooperation, I held hearings on US-Russian science cooperation ranging from the Apollo-Soyuz and Mir Shuttle missions to comparative research in health, agriculture and environmental areas. At that time I commented ‘our scientific dialogue with Russia preceded not only our diplomatic dialogue, but our nationhood.’”
Both Lomonosov and Franklin rose to greatness from humble beginnings. It is astounding that the genesis of Russian-American scientific ties began with them. American-Russian scientific collaboration has become progressively more significant since Lomonosov’s day. Our celebration is a goodwill event which will acknowledge both geniuses. It will serve to strengthen ties between two modern day “Giants,” as well.
The Press is encouraged to attend. For additional information, please contact us.
Date: August 9, 2011
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