Archives for September 2017
Commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Russian fortress Fort Elizabeth on the island of Kauai
This year, Russia and the United States commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Russian settlements and founding of the Russian fortresses Fort Alexander, Fort Barclay de Tolly and the only one remaining, Fort Elizabeth (Hawaiian: Paʻulaʻula o Hipo), on the island of Kauai. These events are a bright page of the history of positive relations between Russia and the United States.
Congress of Russian Americans, Russian Center New York, and Novosibirsk State University Of Architecture, Design And Arts invite you to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Russian fortress Fort Elizabeth on the island of Kauai
Venue: Courtyard by Marriott Kaua’i at Coconut Beach, 650 Aleka Loop, Kapaa, HI, USA
Date: November 11-13, 2017
In this commemoration, we plan to hold a celebratory ceremony, a forum, round table, exhibition, a proposed restoration project of the settlement and presentation of several books, as well as a traditional Hawaiian reception and cultural show. Our goal is directed toward strengthening humanitarian ties and mutual understanding between the two nations. We view this as an excellent opportunity to remember the contributions which Russians made in the development of the American continent and in the growth of the spiritual life of the indigenous people of the US.
Steady growth of interest of the citizens of our countries in the pages of history, joint efforts in the field of preservation and promotion of historical and cultural heritage will help to revive communications between our people and to overcome the current decline in relationships between the countries. An opportunity to touch this joint history gives an extraordinary force of influence and raises awareness of participation of the two nations with each other. Additionally, it can give an enormous boost to Hawaii’s travel industry (specifically Kauai) and economy. We hope to attract the attention of possible investors, including the Russian government into restoring Fort Elizabeth to its full historical potential, generating global interest for academics, historians and tourists.
We are proud to report that this project has already gained support of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Moscow government, various US government officials, the Russian Orthodox Church, numerous organizations and universities, as well as historians and academics interested in preserving the Russian historical and cultural heritage. This project will receive informational support from the American and Russian media, and we are confident that we will generate a greater interest in this project once we start introducing and promoting it to the general public.
We trust you will find an opportunity to sponsor, support and/or participate in this project, and have outlined various levels of proposed sponsorship opportunities. These proposals are outlined below:
PLATINUM SPONSOR – Sponsor of all events $10000 or more
- Participation in all events.
- Logo and the name of the sponsor in forum materials.
- Sponsor’s name in all announcements and press releases.
- Placement of sponsor’s banners and materials during the events.
- Information, logo and website link of the sponsor on the project website and the sites of partner organizations, as well as social networks.
- Four invitations to the events.
- Ability for the sponsor to speak at all events.
- Invitation to VIP reception and exclusive tour.
GOLD SPONSOR – Sponsor of the Forum from $5,000 up to $10,000
- Participation in forum, roundtable and reception.
- Logo and the name of the sponsor in forum materials.
- Name of the sponsor in press releases of the forum.
- Placement of sponsor’s banners and materials during the forum.
- Information, logo and website link of the sponsor company on the project website and the sites of partner organizations, as well as social networks.
- Two invitations to the events.
- Ability for the sponsor to speak at the forum.
SILVER SPONSOR – Sponsor of the round table from $2500 up to $5,000
- Participation in the forum and the roundtable.
- Placement of sponsor’s materials during the round table.
- Sponsor’s name in press releases of the round table.
- Information, logo and website link of the sponsor company on the project website and the sites of partner organizations, as well as social networks.
- Ability for the sponsor to speak at the round table.
BRONZE SPONSOR from $1,000 up to $2,500
- Participation in the forum and the roundtable.
- Placement of sponsor’s materials during the round table.
- Information, logo and website link of the sponsor company on the project website and the sites of partner organizations, as well as social networks.
GENERAL SPONSOR from $500 up to $1,000
Information and logo on the project site.
Friends of Fort Elizabeth – Be a part of the commemoration: all donations to Fort Elizabeth Fund are welcome and tax-deductible. Name of donors over $100 will be listed on a separate page of donors of Friends of Fort Elizabeth. Please send your donations (memo: Fort Elizabeth Fund,), payable to Congress of Russian Americans and send to CRA, 2460 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94115. Please include your email, tel., name and address with your check. You may also send your donations here:
Looking forward to your participation and support in this very special commemoration.
For questions about how you can sponsor or participate, please feel free to contact Natalie Sabelnik, president of Congress of Russian Americans, at ngsab@aol.com or call: 1-415-999-7152.
CRA has new Washington DC representative
Xenia Woyevodsky has been involved in Russian-American humanitarian and cultural activities for over 30 years. As Executive Director/CEO of the Tolstoy Foundation, Inc., founded in l939 in New York City by Alexandra Tolstoy, youngest daughter of Leo Tolstoy, she expanded the Foundation’s activities in the 1990’s into the Russian Federation through the establishment of viable working partnerships to raise cultural and historical awareness. Russian-American joint projects included semester abroad programs for the empowerment of disadvantaged children and a ground-breaking exhibit in Moscow on the life and work of Alexandra Tolstoy in 2000. She also collaborated closely with CRA on many mutually-beneficial projects. including improving working relationships with members of Congress.
Later, as Director of the “Consortium of Russian-American Orthodox Parishes and Organizations,” she established a pilot summer program at the L.N. Museum/Estate at Yasnaya Polyana with a grant from the Russian Ministry of Education.
Xenia Woyevodsky continues to serve as President of International Firebird Arts Foundation showcasing Russian culture in America. (www.firebirdarts.org). She is a Member of the Governing Board of the Friends of the Russian Cultural Centre in Washington, D.C. and Secretary of the Parish Council of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington and has been involved in many of the Parish’s fundraising events such as the Annual Tatiana Ball and the Tatiana Debutante Cotillion.
She is passionately committed to bilingualism at an early age in childhood development. At the present time, Xenia Woyevodsky is also spearheading the establishment of the Tolstoy Educational Initiative, a nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to create and maintain the first Russian language immersion charter school in Washington, D.C. — the Tolstoy Academy. And to support Tolstoy Preschool activities and pre-college summer programs at the Tolstoy Estate in Yasnaya Polyana as well.
Xenia was born in Munich, Germany of “White Russian” parents born in Belgrade. She is a widow with a step-son, Nicholas and grandchildren Michael and James and lives in Bethesda, Maryland.