Russian Cultural Garden Dedication 730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Cleveland September 8, 2018
The Cleveland Russian Cultural Garden has been a work in progress since 2011 when Svetlana Stolyarova, Dr. Boris Vinogradsky and Sergio Lebid formed a committee to create a Russian garden in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens chain of gardens.
Their rationale was 3 key points
We believe that Russian culture is one of the world's most diverse and interesting.
Russian is the second largest European language
Russian culture in America deserves to be explored, represented and promoted.
The formal dedication of the Russian Cultural Garden was held on Saturday September 8, 2018. Svetlana Stolyarova served as MC and gave a little history of the Russian Garden.
Svetlana Stolyarova
She told how the Garden came to be and thanked the people who helped make it a reality. She also thanked and recognized leaders from the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation who were in attendance.
NOTE: All the images below with a white arrow in the middle are videos. (The other images are just photos) You can click on the white arrow to watch the video of whatever is described. Make sure your speakers are on and you can make the video full screen once it begins by clicking the icon in the lower right corner.
Svetlana then introduced Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation president Dr. Wael Khoury.
Svetlana Stolyarova and Dr. Wael Khoury
Next, Svetlana introduced board member Ken Kovach.
Svetlana Stolyarova and Ken Kovach
Next, Svetlana called up Dr. Boris Vinogradsky and board member Ken Kovach to cut the ribbon on the Russian Cultural Garden.
Cutting the ribbon on the Russian Cultural Garden
Making souvenirs of the ribbon
The Walk of Fame was a featured part of the first phase of the Russian Garden. Here is a quick video look at the first ring of the Walk of Fame honoring Russian cultural and scientific heroes such as Yuri Gagarin, Leo Tolstoy, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Dmitri Shostakovich, Vladimir Nabokov and numerous Nobel Prize winners.
Yuri Gagarin, First Man in Space
6 year old Eva made only her second public performance ever at the dedication of the Russian Cultural Garden. She is a student of Olga Druzhinina who accompanied her on keyboards. Eva sang My Little Garden by Tchaikovsky.
6 year old Eva singing in the Russian Cultural Garden
As attendees lifted their champagne glasses, Olga Druzhinina sang Zazdravnaya - loosely translated as Let us lift up the cup, let us have fun; let us be happy, etc.
Olga Druzhinina singing at the Russian Garden dedication
After the dedication of the Russian Cultural Garden and the champagne toast some of the attendees gathered in front of the new sign for a group photo.
Enjoy these other images from the dedication of the Russian Cultural Garden.
Svetlana Stolyarova and Boris Vinogradsky
6 year old singer Eva with her proud parents
Posing in front of the new sign
Walk of Fame donor showing her brick
Olga Druzhinina and her student Eva
Everyone wanted to pose with the figures
Gia Hoa Ryan and Joe Meissner from the Vietnamese Garden
Lori Ashyk and Wael Khoury
Ken Kovach
Dan Hanson
6 year old singer Eva
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Tom Turkaly, Wael Khoury and Boris Vinogradsky
Tom Turkaly, Boris Vinogradsky, Lori Ashyk, Svetlana Stolyarova and Wael Khoury
Teacher and student
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