“To Russia With Love” cultural program is hosted by Hendersonville Sister Cities, March 10

The Hendersonville Sister Cities organization hosts “To Russia With Love,” a program on Russian culture, at the Henderson County Public Library auditorium. The event takes place on Tuesday, March 10, at 6 p.m.

Press release from Hendersonville Sister Cities:

On Tuesday, March 10, “To Russia With Love,” a program on the culture and people of Russia, will begin at 6 p.m. at the Henderson County Public Library auditorium, 301 N. Washington St., hosted by Hendersonville Sister Cities organization. Presented by Judy and Bill Wilkes, the program will include their photos and personal vignettes of Russian home life and social traditions. The Wilkeses have visited friends in various cities across Russia for several years. The program is open to the public at no charge.

The couple has friends in cities across the Russian countryside, so they have participated in culture, family life, weddings, schools, shopping, and craft-making in various locations of that large and diverse land. They have traveled to Russia four times, and frequently host Russian guests in their Hendersonville home.

“We love the Russian people and the many places we have visited there,” Judy Wilkes said. “We will have a visitor from Moscow at the time of the program, so attendees will be able to meet our friend Natasha Kuznetsova.”

Judy is currently on the board of directors of Hendersonville Sister Cities, and Bill is a former HSC board member.

Rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes place Russia among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The country contains 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while many more sites are on UNESCO’s tentative lists. Major tourist routes in Russia include a travel around the Golden Ring of ancient cities, cruises on the big rivers like Volga, and long journeys on the famous Trans-Siberian Railway. Diverse regions and ethnic cultures of Russia show a great variety of traditions and offer many different foods and souvenirs.

Hendersonville Sister Cities is a nonprofit organization formed in 2007 to foster and celebrate international cooperation and understanding and local economic growth through education, exploration of other cultures, travel, and social interaction. Almuñécar, Spain, is Hendersonville’s Sister City.

HSC regularly hosts educational and cultural programs and international dinners. The organization is a member of Sister Cities International, a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network seeking stronger economic and cultural ties at the municipal level between U.S. and international communities.

For more information about HSC, visit the website at www.hendersonvillesistercities.com. For more information about the program on Russia, contact Allen Mitchem, program coordinator, at 693-9072.