USF Unites Sister Cities St. Pete, Saint Petersburg, Russia

ST. PETERSBURG, FL ? Sister cities St. Petersburg, Florida, and Saint Petersburg, Russia, united recently through a program organized by Open World Leadership Center and the University of South Florida's Russian Institute.

Six delegates who are professors in Russia, and one is an Open World leader, spent about a week in Tampa Bay, mostly in the St. Pete area, and flew back on Saturday. To save you confusion while reading this article, Saint Petersburg, Russia, will be referred to as Saint Petersburg and our sunny city as St. Pete.

A purpose of this trip is to help re-establish good relationships between the U.S. and Russia. Their trip took place just before U.S. borders reopened doors to Europeans traveling to the U.S. following the pandemic closure. The only stipulation is Europeans must be vaccinated to enter. The delegates had to show proof of negative COVID-19 results to come to U.S.

Another reason for this program is to break stereotypes, according to the delegates.

Alyona Vandysheva, deputy dean of school of social sciences and area studies HSE (Higher School of Economics) in Saint Petersburg told a Patch reporter she hopes people can learn how to put politics aside when forming opinions about other people.

"I guess that previously before this trip, we didn't know so much about people here," Vandysheva said. "Despite the fact that politicians can have their own visions and decisions that are sometimes not pleasant at all, we can do our job and we can be friends and teach students. And learn from each other. It will help us to find more opportunities to collaborate on. Through this we can learn about the culture of the USA and you all can learn about the Russian culture."

Alex Khilkov of Open World, regional director of Russia, reached out to Vandysheva and arranged through the USF Russian Institute and HSE to begin talks.

Vandysheva and other delegates talked to many people during their eight-day stay. Golfo Alexopoulos, director of the USF Russian Institute, who was instrumental in organizing this connection with Open World arranged for the visitors to present to classes at USF Tampa, and toward the end of their stay they went to the USF St. Pete campus to attend a graphic design class and photo journalism class.

"We really liked being in the photo class because we were like students participating in the activities," Valerii Nechai, editor-in-chief of Echo of Moscow in Saint Petersburg, said. "We didn't have to be as serious, and we really liked Chris."

USF photojournalism professor Chris Campbell said he appreciated their participation in the class along with them being actively involved with the students.

Nechai said he started to see the spirit of this country in St. Pete on this visit. He had flown to the U.S. many times, and he would experience an obstacle that wouldn't allow him to get an idea of the States, like rude people.

"This was not my country at all by those experiences," Nechai said in a Patch interview. "But I love how I was treated here in St. Pete. I now understand this country better ? which is really hospitable."

A surreal moment for him as a political science professor happened in Tampa when he met a Vietnam War veteran for the first time. He teaches about the Vietnam War and how the American press covered the events at HSE in Russia.

"He actually told me the events that happened to him that I tell my students about," Nechai said. "It was an amazing possibility to just look at that from another person's perspective. We met him at the Russian Institute in Tampa."

The Dali Museum and Imagine Museum gave the delegates private tours they were appreciative for and they thought both venues had impressive artwork. Vandysheva said she could spend a week at Sunken Gardens, and felt disappointed when the staff told her the longtime snapping turtle, Mac, recently passed away.

"I really like the U.S.," Vandysheva said. "When I traveled to the U.S. for the first time, the level of openness and the friendly level toward people here is higher than Russia. I'm also amazed at the fact that it's very important here to show your gratitude."

The group also went to Sarasota and Gulfport during their stay and spoke to locals there. In Tampa, they met Mayor Jane Castor. Open World wanted to restart the sister city relations between Saint Petersburg and St. Pete about two years ago. Vandysheva, who is the leader of the delegates, started brainstorming possible opportunities for collaboration and they found the best option to establish a partnership between USF and HSE.

"We enrolled our students in the virtual events that included a seminar regarding women leadership, speaker of the house at USF and we also participated in the discussion," Vandysheva said.

The colleges are contemplating a possible foreign exchange program with each other in the future. Elena Efremova, program manager of USF Education Abroad, flew to Saint Petersburg in September and collaborated further with the staff at HSE about how to work together.

?The newly named Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL)?s place as the only international exchange program in the legislative branch provides opportunities for members of Congress and their constituents to engage with their peers from countries of strategic importance to the United States,"Jane Sargus, executive director of Open World, told Patch. "This next generation of government and civic leaders begin their program in the halls of the most powerful legislative body in the world, the United States Congress, and end in communities across the U.S., such as St. Petersburg. The exchange establishes personal and profound connections between leaders from around the world, providing unique and meaningful insights and experiences, while fostering a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect."

Friday night, a farewell dinner for the delegates followed by certificates given to them at the University of South Florida St. Pete officially marked the partnership. Khilkov said at the dinner that he is grateful for this relationship and that it signifies moving forward away from political animosity we have seen in the past four years with Russia and the U.S.