Likhachev Foundation/Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center Cultural Fellow

I’m honored to be a part of this innovative cultural fellowship program in support of Piter Jazz.  Returning to St. Petersburg for two weeks is a dream come true.  Exciting opportunities for more cultural connections in Russia and the chance to employ my craft to delve into a country and artform (jazz) that are both dear to my heart.

In celebration of this incredible fellowship, I present a victory anthem by Springfield, Missouri’s rock band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, “Cardinal Rules”:

Here’s the press release:

Likhachev Foundation

Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center

CULTURAL FELLOWSHIPS IN RUSSIA-2013

In 2013, the Likhachev Foundation of St. Petersburg, Russia, announced its 6^th

open competition for the Fellowships in Russia Program. This program is designed for American and European professionals in the field of arts and culture who currently work on creative projects on (or related to) Russian culture or history.  Such projects, supported by the Fellowship in Russia Program, should help in spreading information abroad about Russian culture among a broader Western audience.

Participants of the Program will arrive to St. Petersburg for two-week fellowships in May; their stay is organized and financially supported by the Russian side. Each fellow will have his/her program individually tailored according to their project and professional interests.

The organizers of the program are the Likhachev Foundation and B. Yeltsin Presidential Center, acting with support of the Committee of External Relations of St. Petersburg.

This is the first Russian program of this kind. For the first time, cultural visits of foreign intellectuals are supported by the Russian side. Participants of the program work on important cultural initiatives, which help to attract attention of foreign audiences to Russian history and culture.

Among the Program’s U.S. partners are the Open World Leadership Center at the Library of Congress, the Trust for Mutual Understanding, CEC ArtsLink, and the Consulate General of the U.S.A. in St. Petersburg. Alumni of the 2008-2012 Fellowships in Russia also help us spread the word about this Program.

The selection of 2013 Fellows was done from a pool of over 80 applicants who participated in an open competition. The selected group consists of 8 American and 4 European professionals in the field of culture, arts and arts history. They will arrive in St. Petersburg on May 13 for two weeks. They will visit (according to their individual projects and schedules) the city’s cultural organizations, archives, libraries, and museums, as well as meet and consult with experts and cultural figures of St. Petersburg.

The Program’s organizers believe that contacts between the Fellows and the Russian cultural establishment will:

• Expose western societies to the cultural diversity of contemporary Russia;
• Improve cultural ties between the United States, Europe and Russia;
• Bring to the attention of foreign cultural institutions (museums, theaters, libraries) new cultural opportunities in Russia and launch new partnerships and projects;
• Promote and popularize Russian culture in the U.S. and Europe