The celebration of Velikiy Novgorod’s 1150th jubilee this year was the impetus behind the Artist’s Exchange project and exhibition “West Meets East: The Faces of Art”. Judy Kramer spearheaded the organization of this project. Three Sun Coast artists were invited by Judy to join her and the Novgorod Alliance for this two week trip to St. Petersburg and Velikiy Novgorod. Joanna Coke, a mixed media artist, Susan Cooper, a basketry artist, and Susan Covert, a painter, eagerly accepted Judy’s invitation. Six Novgorod artists were invited to join the Florida artists in this collaborative exhibition and week of art events.

The exhibition opening receptions were well attended and the work was well received. Several artists were interviewed by the press and coverage was shown on Novgorod TV.

The reception at the Novgorod University Campus was attended by many of the University administrators, speeches were plentiful, and there was even a performance by a folk group from the University!

The Florida artists volunteered to teach art classes to children at the Cultural Palace for Creative Activity. The students, at first shy about having an unknown teacher, took instruction well and produced successful pieces of art…..self portraits, mixed media collages, dream catchers and photographs using point and shoot cameras. All the supplies for the classes were donated by US vendors and were given to the Russian children or their art teachers to continue progress with their newly learned skills.

This Russian and American artists’ cultural exchange proved to me that we universally share in the same desires, concerns and delights of our profession. Touring their private artists’ studios showed me their work ethic and depth of talent.

When all those artists and doctors come here, I hope to share with them in the same way. I can only extend my thanks for the opportunity and my hope that the time with those wonderful Russians will be a positive memory for them. I am so happy to have given to the orphanage. If nothing else, that one thing touched me. I will carry each face in my heart.

Dr. Srur, Interventional Radiologist, and Eugene at Sarasota Memorial Hospital

In October 2008 Dr. Eugene Magonov, a Radiologist from Velikiy Novgorod, was hosted by the Kramers in Sarasota, Florida for three weeks of advanced radiology training.

Dr. Magonov had received a two-year scholarship from the Novgorod Alliance which supported his radiology training in St. Petersburg, Russia. He completed those studies in June 2008.

While in Sarasota, Dr. Magonov spent one week with Dr. Maurice Srur, an interventional radiologist at the Sarasota Memorial Hospital and two weeks with Dr. Roman Rozin, an orthopedic radiologist in private practice.

Eugene impressed his US instructors with his enthusiasm, intelligence and eagerness to learn.

Dr. Magonov commented that he had observed many techniques which are not currently being performed in Russia. He thought many Russian patients would benefit from these techniques. He also stated that most radiologists in Russia are generalists and have not received specialized training which would allow them to become proficient in these current techniques.

Invitations to the Florida radiologists have been extended by Dr. Magonov for possible radiology conferences in St. Petersburg, Russia and Velikiy Novgorod, Russia in the fall of 2009.

Eugene meeting his first manatee at Mote Aquarium.

2007 marked the fifteenth anniversary of the Novgorod Alliance! While we have achieved much over the years, we are planning new projects and continuing some successful endeavors.

When you go to our web site www.Novgorod-Alliance.org, the list of accomplishments over the past fifteen years covers four pages and continues to grow! What started out as a medical project has evolved into a people to people exchange at many levels of expertise. More than 350 people have traveled to Russia during this period to exchange ideas regarding medicine, the arts, photography, education, public safety and friendship.

We continue to interact with a community 8,000 miles from home.  We do not have official status as a sister city, but our efforts have been recognized by the Fairfax County Government in Northern Virginia and the Mayor’s office in Velikiy Novgorod. We have developed relationships and friendships that governments can only hope to achieve.  Our small organization has interacted with NASA on a Telemedicine project. We met with Niana Yeltsin on two occasions – once in the USA and once in her home outside Moscow. 

In the spring of 2007 we hosted Dr. Dmitry Lobko, a pediatric orthopedist from Veliky Novgorod.  Dmitry spent 6 weeks in Sarasota and Tampa, Florida. Dmitry spent the first week observing two private orthopedic practices.  The next four weeks were spent at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa.  Dmitry’s last week was spent with the Orthopedic staff at the All Childrens Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.  The experience was very positive for everyone involved.

Our most recent trip in October 2007 was very rewarding. In St. Petersburg, members of the Alliance met with the administrators and physicians of the Sokolov Hospital. Grants from USAID and AHIA allowed the Sokolov staff to interact with western hospital medical teams and to learn western medical practice concepts.  Tatiana Solovieva is now the head of the outpatient pediatric department.  Discussions were held to assist the Sokolov staff in developing a complete pediatric program. 

We also visited the Turner Institute in Pushkin.  Established in the 1890’s and specializing in pediatric orthopedics, burns, and plastic surgery reconstruction, the Turner Institute is the only hospital of its type for eleven time zones in Russia. 

New construction at the Turner Institute will increase beds and operating rooms in order to offer more services to more children. The Novgorod Alliance is working on a joint meeting to introduce the Turner staff to Shiners’ International which operates twenty children’s hospitals in the US, one in Toronto, Canada and one in Mexico City.  The mission of the Shriners is the same as that of the Turner Institute. There should be significant gains for both programs if they can work together.

While in Veliky Novgorod, we meet with many of our old friends. A two-day Orthopedic-Radiology Round Table was conducted by Dr. Mona and his staff, orthopedic physicians from the Novgorod region and two physicians from Sarasota, Florida, Dr. John Moor, an orthopedist and Dr. Roman Rozin, an orthopedic radiologist who also speaks fluent Russian!

Judy Kramer and Veliky Novgorod photographer, Alexander Orlov, participated in a photography exhibition entitled “Near and Far” at the State Museum of Artistic Culture of the Novgorod Lands. Each photographer displayed fifty photographs. More than seventy-five people attended the opening reception and the press reviews were very positive. (see the web site) The exhibition will travel to Staraya Russa, Borovichi and St. Petersburg during the upcoming year.

While in Novgorod, the Alliance met with Dr. Victor Weber, Dean of the Novgorod School of Medicine. Two candidates for the next Novgorod Alliance Scholarship were interviewed.  Yekaterina Kuzina, who will graduate in May 2008, was chosen.  She will study Psychiatry in St. Petersburg for two years and return to help the people of Novgorod.

The current scholarship recipient, Dr. Eugene Magonov, participated in the Orthopedic-Radiology Round Table.  When Eugene completes his studies in Radiology in the summer of 2008, he will return to Veliky Novgorod to bring his advanced training into practical use.  We have invited him to visit Sarasota, Florida after he completes his residency to spend time with Dr. Roman Rozin and his radiology colleagues. 

We hope that this 15th anniversary of the Novgorod Alliance will inspire you to join us in a future trip to Novgorod. The year 2009 marks the 1160th anniversary of the founding of Novgorod. The Novgorod Alliance has been invited to participate in the celebrations. Medical conferences and artists’ exchanges are being considered as possible projects.   

Sincerely,
Lloyd Kramer, MD
President, Novgorod Alliance 

By Lloyd Kramer

Sometimes a wish can become a reality. I had a vision that the Novgorod Alliance could host a Russian pediatric orthopedist in the United States. This visit would allow the individual to learn western approach to pediatric orthopedics and put what they learned into practice in their hospital and practice of medicine. After several failed attempts to initiate this idea, I stopped pursuit.

One afternoon, I met William Austin on a tennis court. Will works for the Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa, Florida as the Director of Development. I told him about my idea and he was very encouraging. He introduced me to key administrative people in the Shriners organization. Each individual was receptive to the idea of a visit and allowed me to proceed in finding the appropriate candidate from Velikiy Novgorod, Russia.

Dmitry, the cook, preparing Shashlik for the guests at his “Farewell Party”.

During our visit to Velikiy Novgorod in September 2006, I asked Dr. Tatiana Solovyeva if there was a pediatric orthopedist who spoke English. The next day she introduced me to Dr. Dmitry Lobko. Dr. Lobko invited Dr. Morgan and me to the Regional Pediatric Hospital where he presented four complex cases to us and answered questions about different options for each case. Dr. Lobko interacted very nicely with the children who were patients as we made rounds through the hospital ward. It was obvious to me that Dr. Lobko would be an excellent choice for the first Russian pediatric orthopedic physician to visit the United States as a guest of the Novgorod Alliance and the Shriners Hospital for Children. (more…)

The Novgorod Alliance partnered with Art Center Sarasota to bring four Velikiy Novgorod artists to Sarasota, Florida for the second part of the Artists’ Exchange Program begun in October 2004. The four artists were chosen by exhibition curator Kevin Costello, art educator and writer, and included Boris Nepomnyaschiy (pastel and printmaking Artist), Dmitry Zhuravlev (Painter), Nadya Dzyuba (Fiber Artist) and Vladimir Yarish (Basketry Artist).

The Sarasota Art Center

The two-week visit in March (11 – 26) was full of interesting experiences – from missing a connection in Atlanta, lost luggage, jet lag (of course), and quick adaptation to life in the artists’ “fast lane” in Sarasota. A visit to Siesta Beach on Sunday afternoon provided them with a picnic and the participation in the “Drumming” event before sunset. A two-day visit to Orlando gave them an overview of Disney World and Animal Kingdom. (more…)

Have you ever experienced –40 degree cold? Judy Canyock and I had that chance during our trip to Novgorod in January, 2006. (To tell the truth, it was not that cold the whole time we were there. Mostly it was about –20° Centigrade, which would be about –4° Fahrenheit.)

The market side of Velikiy Novgorod in January 2006.

When I mention this to people they shiver and say they could never stand such cold. My answer: try it. I have been making trips to Novgorod since 1992 and my friends there have repeatedly told me I should come and visit during the Winter, to experience a “real Russian Winter”. This year I had a chance to do this. It was very pleasant and a whole new experience. (more…)

Russian and American doctors worked together to test and use the newly donated arthroscope.

Drs. Mona and Moor behind the masks.

“Good job!”

All photos ©2006 by Judy Kramer unless otherwise stated

Dear Alliance,

Our 2006 Novgorod, Russia, is a most unique and pleasurable memory. Far from the typical tourist trips to Saint Petersburg or Moscow, we were able to experience the actual day to day lives of wonderful Russian people. This safe, yet exciting excursion allowed significant cultural exchange and opened my eyes to a completely different world. It was a most efficient and organized trip. Time passed all too quickly with the companionship of Lloyd and Judy Kramer, Judy Canyock, and George Long. Communications are still ongoing regarding the transfer of orthopaedic information and equipment to Novgorod. I remain delighted to have had the opportunity to visit Russia with this wonderful group

John T. Moor, MD

Eugene Magonov receives his scholarship award.

All photos ©2006 by Judy Kramer unless otherwise stated