In between serving cocktails and managing a busy kitchen, Joe Schaefer and Pete Cusato toil in plaster and mortar, dust and decay. The pair are owners of the highly successful Savannah’s at 1 South Pearl in Albany and are about to open a second business.

They purchased and gutted the vacant space next door, formerly the Copy Valet, to make room for a vodka bar they are calling War and Peace.

Neither of them are Russian so the name War and Peace was not decided on because of Tolstoy’s popular tome but because “the two words evoke such strong emotions in people” said Cusato.

The Albany-Tula Alliance are anxious to share their passion for all things Russian so we were offered a tour of the new venue.

Schaefer said that he was familiar with the sister-city organization through a friendship he had with former Albany Mayor, Thomas M. Whalen. Whalen was a co-founder and supporter of the Albany-Tula Alliance from the beginning in 1991. But, Schaefer hadn’t thought how the organization might be able to contribute until today.

With that, founder & board member, Charlotte Buchanan, presented several traditional samovars from Tula, Russia, ideal for both making tea and/or putting on display.

Tea is as much a part of Russian culture as vodka and Buchanan gave a brief description of how the antique containers brew water and how the tea is measured into cups according to one’s tastes.

The gifts provoked the owners to consider putting the non-alcohol beverage on the menu.

Join us when we take a sip of both tea and vodka during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 19, 2012.

Rebecca Schoonmaker said “I really enjoy looking at Sergey’s prints of the cats. They are nice and large and people like to see the big work on the walls and they are priced really reasonably.”

At this month’s 1st Friday event, the UAG gallery displayed artwork by Sergey Sachkov submitted by the Albany-Tula Alliance. The gallery attracted nearly 500 people who came not only to enjoy the themed “Call of the Wild” show but buy the work.

Sachkov lives in Tula, Russia so Albany-Tula Alliance board member Greg Johnson helped describe his work and our sister-city organization to many curious attendees.

To learn more about how you can become involved with the ATA or purchase any of the hundreds of Russian artwork we have in our collection, please contact Alliance Administrator Mary Williams or Jan Smith at 518.768.7010.

ATA board member Sonja Stark put together this short video of the evening’s fanfare.

Date: September 8-10, 2012

Place: Tula State Pedagogical University

The conference is organized to actualize artistic heritage of the great writer, thinker and educator; to generalize Russian and world experience of Tolstoy studies; to develop new ways of research the creativity of great humanist and to build new ways in his heritage studies based on the best traditions of Russian and world science.

The work of the conference will be organized along the following panel discussions:

1. Philosophy and Religious Studies
2. History and Political Science
3. Study of Literature
4. Linguistics
5. Pedagogy, Study of Culture and Museum Studies

Range of problems:

1. L.N. Tolstoy’s philosophical, ethical and religious views in the context of historical and contemporary Christian experience
2. Lev Tolstoy and his time
3. L.N. Tolstoy and world culture
4. L.N. Tolstoy in the context of historical development of Russia
5. L.N. Tolstoy’s artistic world
6. L.N. Tolstoy’s existential insights: life and death in the lifetime and artistic heritage
7. Philological aspects of the research of the L.N. Tolstoy’s creative work

• Language and style of L.N. Tolstoy’s works of different periods;
• Linguistic-culturological, sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic interpretation of L.N. Tolstoy’s works
• L.N. Tolstoy and folklore
• Tolstoy’s text as an object of lexicography
• Translation problems of L.N. Tolstoy’s works

8. Tolstoy’s text and a foreign reader

9. L.N. Tolstoy, his ancestors, contemporaries and followers

10. L.N. Tolstoy’s pedagogical heritage in schools and universities

11. L.N. Tolstoy’s museums: problems of studying and preservation of writer’s heritage

Based on the results of the conference a collection of papers will be published.

The  program of the conference will be complemented by the cultural program that includes a tour «Cathedrals and monuments of Tula», a  visit to the State Memorial and Natural Preserve Museum-Estate of Leo Tolstoy “Yasnaya Polyana”.

Application Form

Agenda

September 7

Arrival of conference participants

September 8

11.00    Plenary Session – Part 1

14.00    Plenary Session – Part 2

17.00    Gala Dinner

September 9 (L.N. Tolstoy’s Birthday)

10.00    State Memorial and Natural Preserve Museum-Estate of L.N. Tolstoy

“Yasnaya Polyana” (presentation of scientists and culture figures, wreath-

laying ceremony on the L.N. Tolstoy’s grave, Tolstoy celebration)

programme)

September 10

10.00 – 15.00   Panel Discussions

16.00 – 18.00   Workshop with famous scientists in the field of Tolstoy’s life

18.00 – 19.00   XXXIII International Tolstoy Readings summing up

September 11

Departure of conference participants

Dr. Roman Rostislavov, Director of the Regional Innovative Consulting Center at Tula State University, spent two weeks in the Capital Region interning with Schwartz Heslin Group and visiting local businesses such as Bullex.

The Director of Tula State University’s Regional Innovative Consulting Center, Dr. Roman Rostislavov, spent two weeks in the Capital Region in October 2011. He was here at the invitation of M&A advisory firm Schwartz Heslin Group where he completed a professional internship doing business valuations.

He also visited BullEx, Inc. an innovative technology company devoted to crafting smart technology to develop life-saving products.  Some of their revolutionary safety products include smoke generators, fire extinguishers, training services and rescue manikins and props. Roman met the management team and enjoyed lunch with ATA Board Chair Jerry Shaye. The goal of the visit with BullEx, Inc. was to become acquainted with a Capital Region company that Roman’s students would later do market research for (see related story on our Business & Economic Development page.)

We are grateful to Dr. Rostislavov for writing the following essay upon his return to Tula:

Roman Rostislavov with Alliance Board members Jan Smith and Paul Marr

“I was introduced to the Albany-Tula Alliance in 2007 when I received an award for an essay I wrote called “Next step to IFRS.” Thanks to the Alliance, I got the opportunity to intern at Sparkasse bank in Tula’s other sister-city, Villingen-Schwenningen in Germany.  It was a great project, and two sister-cities from different countries helped make it happen.

So I asked myself: “Why can’t this happen in Albany, NY?”  So I inquired with the Alliance.  They liked the idea and set out to find a company that could host me for a couple of weeks. It was a difficult challenge because of the world financial crisis, but, finally, in 2011 I got the chance to intern at a consulting company called Schwartz Heslin Group.

It was my first visit to the United States and there were dozens of things I was exposed to for the first time like Russian salad dressing (not found in Russia), an early snow fall in October and professionally – a business evaluation.

L-R: Schwartz Heslin's Cory Martin, Managing Director Robert Schwartz, Managing Director Douglas A. Cummins, Tula State University Regional Innovative Consulting Center Director Dr. Roman Rostislavov, Executive Director Raimundo C. Archibold Managing Director Frederic Buse, Managing Director

During my internship, I helped oversee the strategies of several projects. I learned the main aspects of financial analysis, market analysis, and strategic planning.   These responsibilities helped me better my skills in my current position as Managing Director of the Regional Innovative Consulting Center at Tula State University.

During my stay in New York, I shared in both the business culture and the American culture. My host families included Hannelore Wilfert and Karl Moschner.  They opened up their beautiful house for my two-week stay.    I experienced Halloween by handing out candy to trick and treaters at Jan Smith’s comfortable home.  And, I attended a wonderful performance by the Albany Symphony Orchestra as well as a Broadway musical at Proctors Theater in Schenectady, NY.  The Metropolitan Opera in NYC was the ‘icing on the cake!”

Other activities included attending a lecture at Union Graduate College for MBA students with Gerald Shaye, Executive Chair of the Alliance, and a visit to BullEx Digital Safety company. BullEx manufactures smart fire safety training tools for firefighters, safety officers and other emergency responders.  My students at Tula State University are currently collaborating with BullEx by providing market research.

In two short weeks, I got to be a part of so many events that I could write endlessly about my impressions. The most important thing is that I became acquainted with foreigners who quickly became life-long friends. This internship has benefited me greatly, both in my future career and my worldview.”

Three Capital Region students have been on a trip of a lifetime.

Eleventh-grader Wyatt Smith of Clifton Park, David Connor, a junior and honors student at Tamarac High School and Alessandra Pratt, an honor roll student at North Warren Central School have enjoyed visits to Tula, Moscow and St.Petersburg.

In May, they won the 2nd Annual Albany-Tula Alliance Student Essay Contest and 1st Russian-Studies Olympiad chaired by Education and Culture Committee Chair Barbara Jancar-Webster.

Within a few hours of being in Tula, Lexi alerted her mom Sandy that she “loves it!” They visited an exclusive library with books from the 1600′s that only allows a few dozen visitors a year and made friends with University students that spoke English.

More on their adventures when they return home today – Wednesday, September 21, 2011.

It included Russian folk objects, samovars, children’s art as well as two retrospective videos with interviews from board members that have been active since the ATA’s beginnings. On Sunday evening, Benita Zahn, Jerry Gretzinger and Jessica Layton, also known as “The Singing Anchors” volunteered their vocal cords for the “Songs at Sunset” Fundraiser. Cocktails and hors’ d’oeuvres were served as well as a wonderful sample of music by professional pianist Findlay Cockrell.

If you didn’t have time to watch the videos, here they are now in their entirety:

Thirty-six-year old filmmaker Mikhail Kanaev arrived from Tula, Russia just in time to participate in the Ballston Spa Film Festival Thursday evening. His short film entitled ““By The Score” kicked off the three-day festival and was received with a loud sustained appreciation of applause by the audience. It will be shown again on Saturday evening at when the festival wraps up at Ballston Spa High School.

Festival coordinators and volunteers have given Kanaev a warm welcome, inviting him to speak about his film at a panel on the opening night and again on Saturday. Kanaev was also invited by Albany County Convention Services Manager Debbie Goedeke of the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau to a luncheon at Taste with local filmmaker Mike Camoin, co-founder of Upstate Independents. “There are dozens of reasons why Albany is the perfect place to film” said Camoin. “The tax breaks, the diversity, the rich architecture.”

Camoin should know – he’s the brainchild behind the independent film in progress, “Grazing Miss Albany“, a story about faith and business and being who you are.

Because of Kanaev’s limited English he’s traveling with a language interpreter, Svetlana Allenova. After the Film Festival, they will travel to Salt Lake City to scout locations for a 2012 project, then to Los Angeles, and to New York City before returning to Russia.

Kanaev, along with Sonja Stark of PilotGirl Productions, has been helping the Alliance prepare a documentary, “The Memory Project,” for our 20th Anniversary Exhibition in September. Kanaev’s film company is called “MASK.” He is also the organizer of a film festival of short films, “SHORTS,” which is held every September in Tula. You can view some of Kanaev’s other film works here.

Eleventh-grader Wyatt Smith of Clifton Park won the 2nd Annual Albany-Tula Alliance Student Essay Contest with his essay on the role the space race might play in maintaining world peace and technological cooperation.

David Connor and Alessandra Pratt were the winners of our first Russian-Studies Olympiad. The Olympiad is modeled upon a highly successful contest created last year by professor Sergey Pukhanov of Tula State University in 2010. The winners of that Olympiad traveled here this spring to participate as judges in the Capital Region competition.

Congratulations to Wyatt, David, and Lexi!  All three students will be traveling to Russia in September 2011 with a chaperone from the Albany-Tula Alliance for a two week stay in our sister city, Tula. There they will meet with other students and have an opportunity to attend classes at Lev Tolstoy Tula State Pedagogical Institute.
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The last time that Yasnaya Polyana Balalaika Orchestra was in Albany, NY was in September, 2004. Well, guess what? They are returning this September to celebrate the Alliance’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

11 members of the orchestra will be flying over from Tula, Russia to perform balalaikas, domras and the bayon under the direction of Victor Sinkovsky with proceeds to benefit the Albany-Tula Alliance. All this and more is happening at the Arts Center of the Capital Region on Sunday, September 18th from 6-9p. For more information, keep following this blog along with the ATA website.

And in the meantime, check out a little sampling of the music our YOUTUBE channel. We put together a sampling of the first 10 songs from their last CD. If you enjoy the music on Youtube, imagine what it’s like listening to them live!