Alaska Celebrates Russian Culture

A little over two miles of water separates the Bering Strait islands of Little Diomede and Big Diomede, making the distance between Alaska and Siberia less than the stretch between downtown Juneau and Lemon Creek.

This proximity, called into doubt during the recent Presidential election, will be celebrated next weekend with White Nights, a festival of Russian culture organized by Alexander Dolitsky, president of the Alaska Siberia Research Center.

The event calls attention to both our physical closeness to Russia and to the long-standing historical connection between the two land masses. Organized as part of the Russian Compatriot Program, of which Dolitsky is a delegate, it serves to promote Russian heritage and culture, foster good relations between the neighboring countries, and to reach out to Russian diaspora.

The festival, sponsored by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the United States and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and partially by the City and Borough of Juneau, runs from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. next Saturday, June 20, at Centennial Hall.

Warm days, White Nights - Juneau Empire

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