Two Cent Bridge Kotlas - Waterville Area
Sister City Connection
P.O. Box 1747
Waterville, ME 04903-1747
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Thematic Timeline of Events

Milestone Visits

Date Visitors Occasion
April 1989 Natalia Kempers, Peter Garrett and his daughter, Jessica. These three Waterville area residents become the first Waterville-area residents to visit Kotlas.
June 1990 Kotlas Mayor Viktor Zverev, Vyacheslav Chernykh, Nikolai Sheptakov, and Zinaida Yegorova. Accompanied by engineer Vyacheslav Chernykh, journalist Nikolai Sheptakov, and teacher Zinaida Yegorova, Mayor Viktor Zverev leads a four-person delegation, visiting for six days. Mayor Zverev signed a proclamation with Waterville's Mayor David Bernier, declaring Kotlas and Waterville sister cities.
April 1991 Mary and Earl Coombs, Natalia Kempers, Paula McAfee, Cynthia Rowe; and students Renee Coombs, Erika LeClair, Tiffany Rowe and Erin Whitaker. Mary Coombs leads a citizen delegation, including four Winslow High School students for a goodwill visit.
June 1991 Mayor David Bernier, Timothy Dial, Peter Garrett, Philip Gonyar, David and Patricia Hanson (with their daughter, Danita), Jean Ann Pollard, and Gregor Smith. Mayor Bernier leads a delegation of Kotlas Committee members on a goodwill visit to Kotlas.
April - May 1992 David and Patricia Hanson David and Patricia go to Kotlas to await the arrival of our cargo container of humanitarian aid and to assist with the distribution of its contents.
1992-1993 Natasha Tarasova and Elena Vologdina The first high school exchange students, attending Winslow High School.
May to June 1993 Renee Coombs Renee visits Elena Vologdina, spending six weeks in Kotlas as an exchange student. Renee's parents, her sister, and four others join her at the end of June (see below).
June 1993 Earl and Mary Coombs (with their daughter, Jonna), Natalia Kempers, John and Pauline Mayhew, and Mark Reilly. Joining up with Renee, seven people from the Waterville area visit Kotlas.
September 1993 - June 1994 Anya Yegorova A Kotlas high school exchange, Anya studies at Winslow High School.
January - May 1995 Aleksandr "Sasha" Shubin Kotlas principal and physics teacher, Sasha, spends four months in central Maine, visits schools, businesses and civic organizations to gain understanding of the Waterville area. Sasha gives talks to school children and adults about life in Kotlas and Russia, teaches Russian, and spends time in homes exchanging views.
August 1996 Judith Adair, Barbara Briston, Mary and Earl Coombs, John and Ruth Engle, Philip Gonyar, Patricia Hanson, John and Pauline Mayhew, Paula McAfee, Gregor Smith, Vivian Tinner, Michael and Jan Whitcomb. Fifteen members of the Waterville Committee visit Kotlas.
June - July 1997 Viktor Korotayev, Andrei Ikonnikov, Irina Dubrovina Kotlas artists Viktor and Andrei along with Waterville Committee member, Irina Dubrovina, spend six weeks in the Waterville area as part of an art exchange. At the same time, human rights activist Irina Dubrovina comes to Waterville for cataract surgery.
October 1998 Irina Reznichenko, Zinaida "Zina" Yegorova, Inna and Yuri Tushina Waterville Committee members Irina, Zinaida Yegorova, and Inna, along with her husband, architect Yuri Tushin, spend two weeks in the Waterville area.
February 1999 Yelena Chirkova and Lyubov Zinovkina; students: Ivan Baksheyev, Oksana Chirkova, Zinaida Dyachlenko, Pavel Knyazev, Yelena Lobanova, Tatiana Petrova, Yevgeny Semyonov, Alexander Sinitsen, Elena Tarakanova, Maria Tyukavina, Anastasia Zhukova, and Vera Zinovkina. An exchange of twelve Kotlas students partnership with Waterville students to study the Kennebec and Northern Dvina Rivers.
June 1999 Teachers: Philip Gonyar and Michael Waters; students: Andrew Beane, Melissa Clark, Ali George, Burton Helm, Brad Marden, Kevin Paul, Matthew Reid, and Michael Veilleux. Our teachers accompany eight Waterville area students to Kotlas for their participation in the Rivers Project.
1999-2000 Marina Abakumova and Marina Zazhigina Kotlas high school exchange students attend Waterville High School and Winslow High School, respectively.
June 2001 Renee Coombs and Wayne Whitcomb Renee and Wayne attend the First International Scientific Conference of Young Scientists and Students in Kotlas.
March 2002 Lyubov Zinovkina Kotlas teacher Lyubov is the first teacher for our Russian Sampler Day!
August 2002 Mary Coombs, Thomas and Constance Cooney, Ellen Corey, Herbert Foster, Philip Gonyar, John and Pauline Mayhew, Mary Ellen Miner, Julie Stowe, and Joan Taczli An eleven member groupof Kotlas Committee members make a goodwill visit.
March 2003 Teacher Tatiana Shelygina; students Olga Gorshkova and Sergei Trofimov Kotlas teacher and two high school students - Tatiana with students Olga and Sergei - come for Russian Sampler.
July 2003 Milton Christianson Milton Christianson, a local artist, visits Kotlas to participate in an international art seminar.
June 2004 Mayor Alexander I. Shashurin, deputy mayor Andrei V. Bralnin, Andrei V. Palkin, Vladimir Piskurev, and Yevgeniy Gribov The Mayor of Kotlas leads a five-person Open World delegation to observe Waterville's economic development.
September 2004 Yuri and Zinaida Zelyanin Yuri and Zinaida come as private guests.
August 2005 Ellen Corey, Carl Daiker, Jessica Garrett, Peter Garrett, Philip Gonyar, Herbert and Nancy Foster, Joanna Hopkins, Waterville Mayor Paul LePage, Linda Rennebu, Gregor Smith, and Ronald Turcotte. Twelve area committee members, including Mayor LePage, make a goodwill visit to Kotlas.
March 2006 Tatiana Shelygina, Ivan Shelygin; students Tatiana Golikova and Tatiana Varmashkina Kotlas teacher, Tatiana, and her husband Ivan along with students Tatiana Golikova and Tatiana Varmashkina come to Russian Sampler.
September 2006 Deputy mayor Andrei V. Bralnin, Elena N. Koltovaya, Alexander A. Menshakov, Vladimir A. Mezentsev, Tatiana K. Mezentseva, and Sergei A. Sukhanov. Local hospitals sponsor a visit by deputy mayor Bralnin, pediatric cardiologist Elena N. Koltovaya, director of a private clinic Alexander A. Menshakov, trauma surgeon Vladimir A. Mezentsev, surgical nurse Tatiana K. Mezentseva, and administrator of the Kotlas hospital Sergei A. Sukhanov.
March 2007 Nadezhda S. Perepyolkina and Darya Shestakova English teacher Perepyolkina (from Archangel) and piano student, Darya (from Kotlas), come to Russian Sampler.
June 2007 Ellen Corey Kotlas Committee Co-Chairwoman Ellen represents the Kotlas Committee at the 90th anniversary celebration of the founding of Kotlas.
January 2008 Kenneth Green Retired anesthesologist and Kotlas Committee member, Ken, goes to Kotlas for a month to teach a course in Conversational English to interested adults and teenagers.
March 2008 Larisa V. Trubina; students Olga Glukhareva and Ekaterina Shelygina Teacher Trubina and students, Olga and Ekaterina, come to Russian Sampler.
July 2008 Mayor Paul LePage, Mary and Earl Coombs, John Engle, Gregor Smith and Renee Coombs Sweeney. With a contingent of Committee members, Waterville Mayor LePage travels to Kotlas on a goodwill visit.
August 2008 - May 2009 Yelena Fedorova Elena, a university student from Kotlas, attends Thomas College for the 2008-2009 academic year.
December 2008 Yuliya L. Burtseva, Olga V. Maksimenkova, Olga N. Popova, Tatyana M. Pyatina, and Alena L. Ursu Five Kotlas-area teachers come as an Open World delegation for education.
March 2009 Yulia Sorokina; students: Yulia Ageeva, Alyona Mylnikova, Evgenia Novosa and Daria Voronova English teacher Sorokina with students come to Russian Sampler.
April 2009 Ellen Corey, Carl Daiker, Philip Gonyar, and Julie Stowe; teachers Jon Jorgensen and Pamela McKenny; students: Alex Collins, Daniel Mather, Ryan Mcpherson and Joslyn Ribar. Kotlas Committee members accompany Erskine Academy teachers and their students to participate in American Sampler.
January - June 2010 Pavel Koptelov Kotlas English teacher Pavel spends a semester teaching and studying at Thomas College.
June 2010 Mayor Sergei Melentyev, Eduard Avilkin, Anastasia Avilkin, Pavel Sukhanovsky, Oleg Zakhozhiy, Arina Pavlova, Tatyana Pyatina, Irina Reznichenko, Zinaida Yegorova, and Lyubov Zinovkina. A Kotlas delegation of ten comes to celebrate our 20th Anniversary: Mayor Melentyev, assistant mayor Avilkin and his daughter Anastasia, engineer Pavel Sukhanovsky, director of railroads Oleg Zakhozhiy, and Waterville Committee members.
January - May 2011 Tatiana Shelygina Tatiana teaches at Thomas College
March 2011 Inna P. Tushina; students: Stepan Lystev and Evgenia Palkhanova Teacher Tushina and students Stepan and Evgenia come to Russian Sampler.
April - May 2011 Alexey Minin Student Alexey comes as a private guest.
January 2012 Arina Pavlova and student Anton Eltsov Teacher Pavlova and student Anton come as private guests.
March 2012 Viktoriia Skorniakova; students: Maria Baeva and Mariya Dudnikova Teacher Skorniakova and students Maria and Mariya visit area schools.
May 2012 Stepan Lystsev Student Stepan comes for a second visit.
June 2012 Mark Fisher and Martha Patterson Mark and Martha represent the Kotlas Committee at the 95th anniversary celebration of the founding of Kotlas.
August 2012 - June 2013 Anton Eltsov Student Anton studies at Messalonskee High School
November 2012 Ivan Reshentnikov Student Ivan comes as a private guest.
March 2013 Valentina Maklakova; students: Viktoria Bolshakova and Artem Starostenko Teacher Maklakova and students Viktoria and Artem come to Russian Sampler.
April 2013 Galina A. Ivanova, Svetlana V. Kapustina, Olga V. Maltseva, Anna V. Semina, Aleksey S. Subbotin; student Roman Spiridonov An Open World delegation of social workers. Student Roman Spiridonov, a private guest, volunteers as a translator.
March 2014 Anna V. Lobanova; students: Anya Mitianina and Danil Osminin Teacher Lobanova and students Anya and Danil come for Russian Sampler.
March 2015 Natalia V. Shakhmatova; students: Sofia Bugreeva, Polina Shelygina, Kirill Shulgin and Ekaterina Smotrina Teacher Natalia V. Shakhmatova and students come for Russian Sampler.
April 2015 Mary Coombs, Mark Fisher, Peter Garrett, Martha Patterson and Therese Couture Kotlas Committee members participate in American Sampler.
June 2015 Mayor Andrei Bralnin, Maxim Dmitriev, Nikolay Makarovskiy, Natalia Makarovskaya, Andrey Strekalovskiy, and Natalia Verkhovtseva. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of our sister-city connection, Mayor Bralnin visits with a contingent of Kotlas business people.

Humanitarian Aid Projects

March 1992: The Kotlas Committee sends a 20-ft. cargo container of food, medicine, medical supplies, clothing, and school supplies to fourteen schools, two orphanages, one home for the mentally retarded and one hospital in Kotlas. Two members of the Committee travel to Kotlas to assist in the distribution of the aid.

May 1995: The Kotlas Connection sends $800 left over from the 1992 humanitarian aid shipment to the Waterville Committee in Kotlas for the purchase of medical supplies.

September 1999: The Kotlas Connection sends another aid shipment, destined for the orphans and the handicapped of Kotlas.

Cultural Programs

November 1990: The Connection sponsors a concert by the Northern Russian Folk Chorus from Archangel.

March 1993: The Kotlas Connection organizes concerts by and an overnight stay for members of the Archangel String Quartet.

Each December, 1993 – 2001, 2003: Kotlas Connection elves decorate a Christmas tree in a Russian theme for the Festival of Trees at the Good Will Hinckley School.

Each Spring, 1994 – 1999: The Connection organizes performances by the Liberty Balalaika Ensemble to raise money for various sister city projects.

January 1995: "Pearls of the Russian North," an exhibit of black and white and color photographs by photographers from Maine and the Archangel Region, hangs at the Main Street Café in Waterville.

July 1997: The Connection co-sponsors a concert of unaccompanied sacred and secular Russian music by the Slavic Male Chorus of Washington, D.C.

April – June, 2010: The Kotlas Connection mounts exhibits of Russian arts and crafts at The Center in downtown Waterville and at the Winslow Public Library.

Educational Programs

Spring 1991, Fall 1992 – Spring 1994: The Kotlas Committee and the Kotlas Connection hold adult education classes (once a week for a whole semester) in Russian language and culture through the Waterville Adult Education Program.

February 1992 – July 2000: The Kotlas Committee and Kotlas Connection sponsors or encourage visits by five Kotlas teenagers for a full school year. Selected by the Waterville Committee in Kotlas or by Waterville area host families, the students enroll at area high schools, with their host families' paying their living expenses.

Each March, 1993 – Present: The Kotlas Connection and the Colby College Russian Program hold a Russian Sampler to expose area middle school students to Russian language culture, and history.

September 1998 – June 1999: The Kotlas Connection undertakes a yearlong student exchange on the theme of rivers. Students in both Kotlas and Greater Waterville study their respective rivers, the Northern Dvina and the Kennebec. The Russian students come to Waterville in February 1999, and the American students go to Kotlas that June.

September, 2005 – 2006: Modeled on Russian Sampler, the Kotlas Connection and the Colby College Russian Program offer a "Russian Day" of workshops, classes, and panel discussions for adults to learn about Russia.

Winter – Spring, 2010: Kotlas Connection members travel to elementary and junior high schools in Waterville, Winslow, and Oakland to present lessons on Russian life and culture.

March – April, 2010: Sheila McCarthy teaches an adult education course on contemporary Russian cinema at Waterville High School.

Local Outreach

June 1990 – Present: The Kotlas Committee and the Kotlas Connection hold public receptions for visitors from Kotlas.

September 1991 – Present: The Kotlas Committee and the Kotlas Connection publish a newsletter at least three times a year.

Each Fall, 1993 – Present: The Connection holds an Annual Meeting to which the public is invited.

Each Fall, 1994 – Present: The Connection holds sales of Russian-made Christmas ornaments.

November 1997 – Present: The Kotlas Connection maintains a website.

Each June, 2000 – 2006: The Connection runs a food and crafts table at the Voices of the Kennebec Festival.

Almost Every Fall, 2001 – Present: The Kotlas Connection honors a volunteer at REM's Community Awards Ceremony.

Corporate History

December 1983: Peter Garrett and others found Our Peaceful Russian Connection to attempt to establish a sister city relationship with Kotlas.

December 1989: Outgoing Waterville Mayor Judy Kany appoints a "welcoming committee" to prepare for the arrival of an official delegation from Kotlas the following spring. This quasi-municipal organization becomes the "Waterville Area Kotlas Committee."

October 1993: The Kotlas -Waterville Area Sister City Connection succeeds the Waterville Area Kotlas Committee as an independent non-profit organization.

August 1995: The Kotlas Connection is awarded 501 (c) 3 status by the IRS.

Last revised:  01/04/2011